The following draft prospects are among those who external media members are predicting to be selected by the Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Golden State Warriors or its basketball operations staff.
We have turned the calendars to November, which means we step ever closer to the 2020 NBA Draft, set for Nov. 18. The Warriors still hold the second overall pick of the draft, along with the 48th and 51st picks as well, headed into the event.
Let’s take an updated look back at our pool of media members and their mock drafts to see which prospect they said would be selected by the Warriors at No. 2, and how many agreed with that choice:
James Wiseman (center, Memphis) – 11
Anthony Edwards (guard, Georgia) – 5
Deni Avdija (forward, Israel) – 3
LaMelo Ball (guard, Australia) – 2
Onyeka Okongwu (forward, USC) – 2
Obi Toppin (forward, Dayton) – 1
19-year-old center James Wiseman remains the majority favorite according to the sources we have been following. Though he may be the popular choice, a number of media members see the Warriors taking a forward with their second overall pick.
A few names made new appearances in mock drafts this last week: Obi Toppin and Deni Advija.
“You’ll see other mocks slide James Wiseman (as the No. 2 pick), and I can see that,” wrote Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, “but I’ll stick with Obi Toppin.”
“His all-around repertoire, and stellar reputation, has turned him into the kind of prospect that general managers will find hard to pass on,” Norlander continued.
Besides posting averages of 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season, the 22-year-old Topin was the recipient of collegiate awards including the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year, Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award.
Topin was awarded with several prestigious honors in American collegiate basketball, but Israeli prospect Deni Advija, who has been inserted as the Dubs’ No. 2 pick by some media as of late, has notable accolades on his resume as well.
Though just 19 years old, Advija already has professional basketball experience in Europe and is a two-time Israeli League champion (2018, 2019). He is also a two-time U20 European Championship gold medalist (2018, 2019) and 2019 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp MVP.
“If they stick at No. 2, Avdija fits (the Warriors’) style of play and has all kinds of upside,” wrote James Ham of NBC Sport California recently. “He can create for others and there is hope that his perimeter shot will improve with time.”
Expanding on that was Eric Fawcett of Sporting News, who said of Advija: “(He) was the regular pick and roll ball handler for Maccabi Tel Aviv and looked comfortably seemingly coasting through defenses before making a pinpoint pass or finishing strong at the rim, and then on the other side of the floor he’d take the role of locking down the opposing team’s best player.”
Stay tuned to warriors.com and @warriors on social media for more updates as the Dubs prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft.
