Warriors: Grading 2019 NBA Draft class’ rookie seasons
By Jeff Young
In all likelihood, the 2019-2020 season is in the books for the Golden State Warriors. How did the 2019 draft class look at its first season?
After just one season, how did the Golden State Warriors trio of picks consisting of Jordan Poole, Alen Smailagic, and Eric Paschall look?
Assuming the NBA regular season is over, or if it does return it will be an abbreviated finish, the Warriors will complete the year with a 15-50 overall record.
With the injuries to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, it has been a true gap year for Golden State. However, the poor win-loss record will net the Warriors a top pick, but this season has also served as a springboard to building up the team’s depth.
In particular, Paschall and Poole received substantial playing time that they may not have seen had the team been healthy and competitive.
On the other hand, the raw Smailagic saw very little time at Chase Center this past season. The 19-year-old spent the bulk of his time with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G-League.
Despite Poole being the Warriors’ highest pick at No. 28 overall last year, Golden State continues to prove that it can find potential role players later in the draft. If they are going to keep the championship window open, then they will need to prove this again and again.
However, the gap year has afforded them a unique opportunity to have one of the top picks in the upcoming draft while keeping together the core group of players consisting of Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins.
With that being said, the Warriors need role players behind this core, and they may have found a couple in the 2019 NBA Draft.
After just 65 games, what grade did Jordan Poole, Alen Smailagic, and Eric Paschall earn from their respective rookie seasons?