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 are less than one week away from the 2020 NBA Draft, and members of the media continue to vary in their opinions as to which top prospect the Warriors will select with their second overall pick on the evening of Nov. 18.
Out of the “experts” we have been following — media we have followed who peer into their crystal balls to predict what the Warriors will do with their No. 2 pick when they are on the clock — six changed their predictions since our last mock draft round-up.
Let’s take a look at how that has effected the totals of how many media members see the Warriors taking the following players:
James Wiseman (center, Memphis) – 11
Anthony Edwards (guard, Georgia) – 6
LaMelo Ball (guard, Australia) – 2
Onyeka Okongwu (forward, USC) – 2
Deni Avdija (forward, Israel) – 1
Obi Toppin (forward, Dayton) – 1
Wiseman, a 19-year-old center, is still the favorite selection by media at as the second overall pick of the draft, but keen members of Dub Nation who have been following the mock drafts may have noticed some changes among the other names.
19-year-old Israeli forward Denji Avdija was penciled-in as the Dubs’ pick by three experts last week, but he has since dropped to one. Conversely, Georgia’s 19-year-old freshman guard Anthony Edwards is gaining momentum as two experts change their predictions in his favor, bringing his total up to six.
With more of these mock drafts beginning to list guard LaMelo Ball as the first overall selection, that leaves Edwards available as the second pick. Should that happen, “Edwards is probably too good to pass on” wrote James Ham of NBC Sports California.
“He’s a big time athlete with potential on both ends of the court,” continued Ham. “He also has an NBA ready body and could step in and play in Year 1.”
Though Ham sees Edwards as having an instant impact for the Warriors, Brad Rowland of Dime sees taking Edwards at No. 2 having value in the future as well: “The Warriors might want to trade this pick later, and Edwards is probably the player that can hold his trade value more so than any other prospect remaining.”
Krysten Peek with Yahoo Sports is among those who see potential moves coming, too.
She has continued to list the 7-foot-1-inch center Wiseman as the Warriors’ selection in her mock draft, most recently writing: “He is one of the best shot-blockers in the draft and moves well defensively against pick-and-rolls. With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson back next season, Wiseman can be a defensive presence in the lane.”
However, Peek also noted she can see the team “trade down for Onyeka Okongwu or Isaac Okoro.” Okongwu, who measures 6-foot-9-inches tall, averaged 2.7 blocks as a freshman and was a 2020 All-Pac-12 First Team honoree. Okoro, also a freshman, is 6-foot-6-inches tall and earned SEC All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams honors with Auburn. Both may not have Wiseman’s height but still come with strong defensive presences.
There you have it Dub Nation: with just days remaining before the Dubs go on the clock, the experts still see a number of opportunities ahead for the Warriors. Stay tuned to warriors.com and @warriors on social media for more updates.
