James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, made headlines all year long with his uncertain status rehabbing from a knee injury, which ultimately landed him on the shelf for the rest of the season.
But the Warriors haven’t forgotten about another selection in that same draft -- Justinian Jessup.
Golden State used the No. 51 overall pick to select Jessup, who averaged 16.0 points per game as a senior at Boise State and shot 40.8 percent from downtown over his collegiate career.
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Jessup has spent the last two seasons playing for the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s NBL.
According to Matt Logue of the Herald Sun, Warriors officials will be heading to Australia in the next few weeks to evaluate several NBA prospects and, of course, the progress of their former second-round pick.
In 23 games for the Hawks this season, Jessup is averaging 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He’s shooting 35.3 percent from 3-point range and 55.6 percent from the field, improved from 34.3 percent and 48.6 percent in those categories as a rookie last season.
Illawarra co-owner and team president Dorry Kordahi believes Jessup has potential to carve out a career in the NBA.
Golden State Warriors
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“It’s a positive that Golden State continue to show interest in Justinian and are still having meetings around his progression and development,” Kordahi told Logue. “His defense has improved a lot, and while he still has some way to go, he has the ability to play in the NBA. The Warriors coming out here to see him play is also a testament to his improvement and the strength of the NBL’s Next Stars program.”
Jessup had his best game of the NBL season Thursday, going off for 29 points in the Hawks’ 87-70 victory over the Brisbane Bullets. The 23-year-old nailed five 3-pointers in the victory and added four rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
If he continues playing at that level over the next few weeks, the Warriors are definitely going to be encouraged.