NBA draft: Warriors’ chance to return to the elite?

The Golden State Warriors' hegemony in the NBA, established between 2015 and 2020 with five finals and three titles, was abruptly cut short in the rare season that just ended due to Kevin Durant's march to the Brooklyn Nets and lengthy injuries. from his offensive strongholds Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

It was a disastrous season, with just 15 wins to 50 setbacks, which even prevented them from playing the rest of the regular season held in the Orlando 'bubble'. But everything is behind us, and the Warriors are already focusing on 2021, protected by the physical recovery of their two stars and also, in the draft that will be held on November 18 and in which for being the second worst record of the season , they will choose second in order.

The protagonists

Names like Cole Anthony of North Carolina, a 1.91 point guard, Georgia guard Anthony Edwards of 1.96, RJ Hampton of the New Zeland Breakers, a driver who can also play as position 2 and with a height of 1.96, as well as the base Killian Hayes, from Ratiopharm Ulm and 1.95 stand out, but behind the one who for many will steal the spotlight in this edition, the 2.03 and Chino Hills high school driver, Lamelo Ball.

Other interesting names are those of Nico Mannion, Isaac Okoro, Obi Toppin and Devin Vassell, they stand out to be selected in this draft that will also have the Minnesota Timberwolves as the owners of pick 1.

The agreements on the salary cap and the luxury tax thresholds that are part of the collective agreement modified the initial date of this draft, which was initially set for October 16. With the league having more time to resolve these issues, the new date set is Nov. 18, followed by work in free agency immediately.

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Benefit for the Warriors

D'Angelo Russell arrived at Golden State at the end of 2019 to try to help the team with his offensive game and with Thompson and Curry injured, but unfortunately there was little he could do and the game driver went to the worst team in the NBA at 19-20: the Minnesota Timberwolves and who will pick first in the draft.

Now, the best candidates in this draft all play between position 1 and 2, which are functions that both Warriors and Wolves could cover, but in the case of the Californians, Anthony Edwards appears as a very good alternative to oxygenate in ranked 2 to Thompson. Another good alternative is that of RJ Hampton, who can perform both in the position 1 and 2 and reinforce the two stars.

The arrival of Andrew Wiggins will strengthen the painting in the same way because a pivot wing is added to Draymond Green, who was left without weight partners in those functions after the gradual games of Harrison Barnes, Australian Andrew Bogut and more recently that of Javale McGee to the Los Angeles Lakers.

A complete season and with all its elements, a special motivation to show that what happened in 2020 was an accident, the arrivals of Wiggins and one of the first draft picks seem to give Golden State the necessary points to fight again in the Western Conference postseason.

Boston with good prospects

By not dropping the ball for the Memphis Grizzlies in the first four places, the Boston Celtics, finalists of the Eastern Conference in the previous season, had the possibility of choosing between the best 14, great news for the team that played the finals of the Eastern Conference in this season that just ended, but, in addition, the New England will be able to keep the 26th and 30th picks of the first round.

Despite choosing first in the 2019 draft, the New Orleans Pelicans were not so lucky with Zoe Williamson, who was injured much of the season in which they were eliminated again despite being reinforced by Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. This year, they will pick 13th.

In backward chronological order they will select the Sacramento Kings (12), the San Antonio Spurs (11), Phoenix Suns (10) and Washington Wizards (9). The New York Knicks are the (8), Detroit Pistons (7), Atlanta Hawks (6), and Cleveland Cavaliers (5). After Minnesota (1) and Golden State (2), it will be the turn of the Charlotte Hornets (3) and Chicago Bulls (4).

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