Golden State Warriors 2023 NBA Draft Profile

The 2023 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 22, as both rounds are wrapped up in one night. As it approaches, TGH will be taking a quick look some teams’ draft strategies, and shedding some light on what direction they will go with their picks.. Here is the Golden State Warriors NBA Draft profile for 2023.

Summary

Entering the year as the defending champions, Golden State finished their season 44-38 after having an historically bad road record in the regular season. After a scare by the upstart Sacramento Kings in the first round, they were ousted in the second by LeBron and the Lakers.

2023 Draft Picks

The Warriors have one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

First Round (one pick):

• Pick #19

Team Needs

• Decisions on core players
• Depth and consistency off of the bench

Projected Targets

Pick #19: Kobe Bufkin, G/F, Michigan

This pick is particularly hard, because decisions are upcoming on both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. They could both be retained, necessitating a wing. Or one of them could leave, leaving a gap at their respective position.

With GM Bob Myers leaving, it’s likely that this team will run it back once again, maybe even keeping Jordan Poole along the way. If that comes to fruition, the Warriors will probably want a wing.

Enter Kobe Bufkin, who can be a two-way player off of the bench right away. He scored 14 points per game, shot over 35 percent from three-point land and averaged 1.3 steals last season. Bufkin is definitely more of an on-ball defender, and loves to force turnovers, which the Warriors thrive on.

At 6-foot-4 at the wing position, he also fits in well with the sort of small-ball style that Golden State continues to utilize. Getting him open shots won’t be the issue in this offense, so his shot percentage should steadily climb. He just has to keep up the defensive intensity to really elevate this bench.

Stay tuned for more breaking NBA content, including offseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.

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