2. Golden State Warriors, James Wiseman
Grade: B
The draft was a sad time for Golden State Warriors fans as just an hour prior, it came out that Klay Thompson injured his heel in a pickup game an hour before the Wiseman selection. It was later confirmed by ESPN that he tore his Achilles, sidelining him for another season and likely ending the Golden State dynasty.
The Warriors head office didn’t falter, they didn’t change their pick from who they thought was the best guy on the board in Wiseman despite the injury news.
I have the same complaint with the Wiseman pick as I do the Edwards pick: the consensus is that his ceiling is lower than Ball’s and while there would also be a roster crunch with Golden State’s guards (before the Klay injury), Wiseman might not be as good.
That’s why I’ve also given the Warriors a ‘B’, they’re drafting a very good player but didn’t pick the one with the highest ceiling. Unlike the Wolves, Wiseman doesn’t play a position of need on the wing but gives the Warriors a big name at the center spot they’ve never really had.