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Golden State Warriors: 5 options for pick No. 28 in 2019 NBA Draft

By Josh Cornelissen

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 30: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts after throwing a pass out of bounds in the closing seconds of overtime against the Virginia Cavaliers in the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 30: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts after throwing a pass out of bounds in the closing seconds of overtime against the Virginia Cavaliers in the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images /

3. Chuma Okeke

One of the most memorable performances in the NCAA Tournament was that of Chuma Okeke and the Auburn Tigers against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16. The top-seeded Tar Heels were blown out by the Tigers and Okeke lead the way with one of the best performances of his career, dropping in 20 points and 11 rebounds. Then he went down with a torn ACL, ending his season.

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Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets?
Where do the Washington Wizards rank in terms of future draft assets? /

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    • The timing of his injury is such that he won’t be ready for the start of the NBA season, but there are plenty of young players in the league who rehabbed to start their NBA career and then made high-level contributions. That’s basically the recent history of the Philadelphia 76ers. Adding Okeke would be a play for later in his career, and it would be a pick with a high level of upside.

    The 6’8” forward’s best trait is his defense, which Okeke leveraged to cause havoc all around the court. He has quick hands and great instincts, which meant he created a number of impact plays and led the team in steal percentage (2.5 steals per 40 minutes). He was also a great weak-side shot-blocker who averaged 1.2 blocks per game despite playing alongside other solid rim protectors.

    Okeke should be versatile enough to guard inside and out, making him well equipped to play the 4 in the modern NBA. He projects as a plus rebounder who can turn, outlet and run the court in transition. On offense he is a strong shooter (38.7 percent from 3-point range) who can spot up and attack closeouts, even to the point of making reads and setting up teammates with smart passes in such situations.

    The Golden State Warriors love heady defenders and strong transition players, and Okeke is both. He should fit in well offensively and be the stretch-4 option this team has lacked outside of Kevin Durant. If he is still available when their pick comes up, the Dubs would be hard-pressed to pass him up.

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