The Warriors should feel good about where they sit in the 2021 NBA Draft, especially following the NBA Draft Scouting Combine.
Golden State holds picks No. 7 and No. 14, and should be able to either find two players who fill a specific need, or trade one or both picks to land Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson veteran help.
One area the Warriors need to bolster is floor-spacing, as defenses were able to swarm Curry last season with Thompson out with an Achilles injury and limited shooting on the floor. Should the Warriors keep one or both selections, it's fair to expect them to use at least one pick to address that area of need.
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Gonzaga's Corey Kispert could be a potential target, and the sharpshooter hopes to follow in Thompson's footsteps at the NBA level.
"The guy that has been the gold standard for me forever has been Klay Thompson,” Kispert told reporters on a Zoom call at the Draft Combine. “Whenever I don’t feel good about my game or have a bad night or whatever, I watch him score 60 on 12 dribbles. The way he plays the game, the way he impacts their team. You’ve seen how much they’ve missed him since he’s been out. I want to be as close to that as I can.”
Kispert is the third potential Warriors target who has mentioned modeling their game after Thompson, joining Oregon's Chris Duarte and Arkansas' Moses Moody.
While Kispert has drawn comparisons to Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris, it's easy to see why he would look to Thompson for inspiration. Kispert is an elite shooter both on the catch-and-shoot and off the dribble, he has a quick release and is a good positional defender with great awareness and intelligence off-ball.
Golden State Warriors
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Currently, Kispert is projected to be a late lottery pick with many mock drafts having him going between No. 9 and No. 11. The Warriors won't use the No. 7 pick on Kispert, but if he still is available at No. 14, the Warriors could see his elite shooting as something that is tough to pass on.
Golden State is entering a crucial offseason in which it has to upgrade its roster to help Curry, Thompson and Green compete for titles as they enter the back half of their primes.
It's very possible they view Kispert's ability to knock down shots from all over the floor as something that can help them get back to true title contention status.