The Warriors selected forward Eric Paschall in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft this year, but they actually added two former Villanova big men this offseason.
While the Warriors have high expectations for Paschall as a rookie, coach Steve Kerr is just as intrigued by power forward Omari Spellman, who was a first-round pick just one year ago. Golden State acquired Spellman from the Hawks in a trade that sent center Damian Jones to Atlanta this offseason, and the Dubs have been eyeing him for quite some time.
The Warriors owned the No. 28 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. They went with guard/forward Jacob Evans III out of Cincinnati. Spellman was taken two picks later by the Hawks.
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“We were really intrigued by him,” Kerr recently told The Athletic's Anthony Slater. “He came in and had a great workout for us. We ended up taking Jacob Evans because we had more of a need on the wing, but we loved Omari. He has a lot of ability.”
Spellman lasted just one season in Atlanta before being shipped to the Warriors. The 6-foot-9 big man played in 46 games for the Hawks, averaging 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
But Kerr believes Spellman can find his role on the Warriors, just like a former fan favorite did.
“Spellman’s got a chance to play a role for us,” Kerr said to Slater. “Talented kid. It’ll be really nice to be able to space the floor with a big. We probably haven’t had that since Mo Speights.”
Golden State Warriors
[RELATED: Omari Spellman must overcome weigh issues]
Though he played limited minutes and battled weight issues, Spellman made 44 3-point shots last season, nailing 34.4 percent of his attempts from deep. He also shot 43.3 percent from long distance as a freshman at Villanova.
Spellman still is just 22 years old. He's full of skills and completely turn his young career around under Kerr if he stays in shape.