Golden State Warriors: Reviewing Their Draft Pick

With the 30th pick in the NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Nemanja Nedovic, the 6’4” combo guard out of Serbia.

For many, this was a bit of a surprise, as it was expected that when the Warriors acquired the pick on draft night that they would choose to use it on a big man.

While the reviews of Nedovic are mixed, let’s take a look at what this pick might bring to Golden State.

Predraft measurements: 22 years old, 6’4” (with shoes), 200 lbs, 6’6.75” wingspan, 30” no-step vertical and 35” max vertical

Last season for the Lithuanian team Lietuvos Rytas, Nedovic averaged 9.8 points and 2.1 assists per game, while playing an average of 23 minutes.

So why did Golden State use their pick on a player with numbers that appear to be, well, mediocre at best?

According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, “This was talent we couldn’t pass on…”

Although Nedovic’s numbers do not look that impressive, he’s considered to be one of the top European guards. Nedovic has been referred to as the “European Derrick Rose” due to his ability to slash to the rim and dunk on defenders.

He’s not a great jump shooter, as evidenced by his 36.7 percent field-goal shooting and 34 percent 3-point accuracy, but on a Warriors team with Curry and Thompson, the need for another shooting guard is virtually non-existent.

Nedovic is far from finished in terms of his development. On a Golden State team strapped for cash, it’s highly likely that they will choose to stash Nedovic overseas, considering bringing him over immediately would involve buying out his current contract. Moreover, by keeping him overseas, the Warriors can keep him off their books for the coming season, giving them a bit more financial flexibility.

Given that the Warriors still need to address their frontcourt issues, this may be their only choice.

Nedovic only played 10 games for Lietuvos Rytas last season, so there are still quite a few questions that remain to be answered for this young guard. Golden State is hopeful that he will join their summer league team in Las Vegas and that will be their first chance to get an idea of how he stacks up to the other young players in the league.

The Warriors are hopeful that with some time to develop, this athletic guard will be a nice addition to their team already full of talented, young players.