Warriors select Michigan guard Jordan Poole with the 28th overall pick pic.twitter.com/p0G9Xt4FTi
— KNBR (@KNBR) June 21, 2019
With likely season-long injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson Golden State Warriors were hoping for a player that could play right away in the 2019 NBA Draft. The team entered the draft with both its first- and second-round picks since 2012, and acquired the 41st overall pick from the Atlanta Hawks for $1.35 million in cash and a 2024 second-round pick.
As the first round grew on, it became clear that the Warriors would have a fantastic chance to select one of the players they’d been linked with. At pick 23, the Oklahoma City Thunder (after the team moved back two spots from the Memphis Grizzlies) selected high school prospect Darius Bazley, who sat out last season, and the Phoenix SunsThis gave the Warriors a 40 percent chance at one of Nassir Little from the University of North Carolina and Bol Bol, the highly-touted, massive prospect from the University of Oregon, who was sidelined at the beginning of the year after foot surgery.
Dylan Windler, the ace wing from Belmont, was taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers at pick No. 26. He was viewed as highly likely to go to the Warriors at the start of the draft. With the 27th pick, the Brooklyn Nets moved down, allowing Los Angeles Clippers to usurp the Warriors, where they drafted Mafiondu Kabengele from Florida State University.
It gave the Warriors the chance to draft the University of Southern California’s Kevin Porter Jr., a high-ceiling, but raw guard, or the University of Oregon’s Bol Bol, the son of legendary center Manute Bol. Bol Bol was ruled out at the start of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot but was touted as a lottery prospect at the start of the season.
With the 28th overall pick, the Warriors chose neither, opting for University of Michigan guard Jordan Poole, a sophomore guard and high-volume shooter who helped the Wolverines to a runner-up finish in the NCAA National Championship as a freshman.
Warriors clearly prioritized backcourt shooting, appearing to reach for Jordan Poole at #28. Poole from 3 in his two years at Michigan: 115-of-311. High volume, 37% accuracy.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 21, 2019
As The Athletic’s Anthony Slater pointed out, Poole may have slipped to the Warriors’ with their 41st overall pick in the second round. He was ranked as the 51st overall prospect by ESPN’s Jay Bilas.
Biggest question: Would Jordan Poole have been there at 41?
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 21, 2019
Of course, Draymond Green, a Michigan State University alum, might not be too happy about the rookie’s alma mater, as Andre Iguodala pointed out.
He went to Michigan and we have a bully that went to….. damn rook….
— andre (@andre) June 21, 2019
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