If you head over to NBADraft.net, a site that I contribute to during the months leading up to the NBA draft, you'll notice that the Golden State Warriors are currently projected to get the top pick in 2020. Of course, one cannot predict the lottery and how that will shake out, but regardless, at the rate they're going, the 5-23 Warriors are going to end up with a really nice draft pick.
Typically, most teams picking in the top five of the NBA draft are rebuilding and a few years away at least from being serious contenders. The Warriors are an exception as they were in the NBA finals last season. They are only in tank mode due to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry both getting injured. Come the 2020-21 season, both guys should be back to full strength and ready to gun for another championship alongside the help of a top rookie.
If you are one who is gifted enough to see themselves at the top of these mock draft boards, you have to be praying to go to the Warriors. You'll get paid top rookie money and not have to be a part of a long rebuilding process. Instead, you'll instantly get to be a part of a team that is eager to get back to the NBA finals.
As for what kind of rookie the Warriors should be targeting, they could use more help in the front court, making Memphis big man James Wiseman and Duke big man Vernon Carey logical targets. Given the presence of Thompson and Curry, it wouldn't make sense for the Warriors to go with a point guard or a wing unless they really fall in love with one. Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards might turn out to be such a wing.
As we head into 2020, it will be interesting to see how the Warriors do and if they fully embrace tanking. I wrote a blog post earlier about how they should do that and given where they are in the standings right now, it looks like they're taking my advice to heart. It kind of sucks for Warriors fans to watch their team struggle to this degree, but with Thompson and Curry set to return next year alongside a lottery pick, the future remains bright.
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