The 2021 NBA Draft will take place on July 29. As the it approaches, The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each NBA squad will be analyzed, team needs will be addressed and potential targets will be discussed.
The Golden State Warriors are the subject of today’s 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
This year belonged to Stephen Curry. At 32-years-old he earned the scoring title, was named to the All-NBA First team for the seventh time and garnered plenty of MVP conversation. Klay Thompson was still sidelined and Curry’s main running mate, Draymond Green, was selected to the All-Defensive first team.
Despite that, the Warriors were in the NBA lottery for the second time in as many years. After reaching the NBA Finals five straight times, winning three of those five, they landed in the lottery in back-to-back seasons. However, their 39-33 record was good enough to earn them participation in the play-in tournament. The Warriors were ousted after back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, meaning they would, again, officially miss the playoffs.
After earning the second overall pick in 2020, head coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors are armed with two top 20 picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Warriors have three picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.
First Round (two picks):
Picks No. 7 and 14
Rebounding: One of the worst areas of Golden State’s game is rebounding. Sitting in the bottom 10 in total rebounds per game (43.0) and dead last in offensive rebounds per game (8), the Warriors need someone to hustle on the glass. More possessions are always a good thing.
Rim protection: The Warriors were not awful in terms of blocks per game, but if a team already desperately needs an offensive glass-eater, they might as well pick someone who can protect the rim as well. Wiseman is a nice project, but he is more of a 7-foot power forward who wants to score. A defensive big could do wonders for this team.
Pick No. 7: Scottie Barnes, SF, Florida State
Scottie Barnes was essentially a point forward during his time at Florida State. He is listed at 6-foot-8, the same height as Draymond Green, but Barnes played the three and Green prefers to play as a small-ball four. That kind of mentality means Barnes could quickly learn from Green to play more of a front court role.
Barnes opens up a world of possibilities for the Warriors’ offense. (Photo by Miguel Olivella/Tallahassee.com)
It seems counter-intuitive because he is such a good ball handler, but with the amount of shooters that Golden State puts on the floor, it does not limit their options to move him around, it actually makes for an offense that is even harder to defend.
For instance, imagine the 7-foot Wiseman in the post with Curry and Thompson already planted behind the three point line. Barnes (again, at 6-foot-8) brings the ball up the floor guarded by a wing, because the smaller players have to stay on Curry and Thompson. If the defense is lacking on the guards, easy three-pointer. If Wiseman is being played soft, it results in a dunk. Not playing Barnes close enough on his way up the court? Easy slash to the bucket with a head of steam from the back court. If all of those things are somehow defended, he passes to Curry and the offense resets, which is still dangerous when Kerr draws up the plays. And that is just one potential scenario.
In short, yes, the fit is complicated. But Barnes is talented and coach Kerr will easily confuse teams if he gels with the Warriors’ system.
Pick No. 14: Kai Jones, PF, Texas
Kai Jones is a defender first and foremost, but that will not be a problem for a prolific offensive team. The 6-foot-11 power forward can become a shot-blocking phenom in the NBA, even if his stats during his one year in Texas do not quite speak to that.
He is surprisingly fast and athletic for a near-7-footer and he can rebound with ease. Those are the exact skill sets the Warriors can use right away, especially on the bench unit. If he is paired with Wiseman in the front court, those terrible offensive rebound numbers should climb immediately
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