It's extremely early, but the Warriors' 2020 draft class is giving their fans plenty of reasons to get excited. The focus naturally has been on No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who has impressed in training camp and could start in the season opener, but it's looking like Golden State found some future contributors in the second round, too.
Nico Mannion struggled with his shot in preseason play, but otherwise was very polished and advanced for a 19-year-old. And fellow second-round pick Justinian Jessup has showcased a promising skill set very early in his professional career.
Jessup, 22, had a terrific game in his debut with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia's NBL last week, and followed that up with another strong performance on Saturday.
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In a 98-89 loss to the Sydney Kings, Jessup led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range. He scored at multiple levels and converted several shots that had a high degree of difficulty.
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Selected with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Jessup was a draft-and-stash pick by the Warriors, but if he keeps this up, it's unlikely he'll be away from the big club beyond the upcoming season. He has good size at 6-foot-7 and he can shoot the lights out -- two things Golden State could always use more of.
It was crucial for the Warriors to have a draft that not only helped them in the immediate, but also set them up for the future. It's still extremely early, but so far, so good.
