2022 NBA Draft Grades for all 15 teams in the Western Conference

2022 NBA Draft Grades for the Western Conference: Golden State Warriors

Picks: Patrick Baldwin Jr., Forward, Milwaukee (28); Ryan Rollins, Guard, Toledo (44); Gui Santos, Wing, Minas (55)

The Golden State Warriors just won the NBA Championship. They don’t have any immediate needs on this roster, and they have a young core that will continue to step into roles next season. Any player taken at 28 was highly unlikely to contribute next season; this was a pick for the future.

If that was the case, why not take a swing at the highest-upside player remaining? Patrick Baldwin Jr. was a Top-5 player in this class at one point, but an injury-riddled season playing for his father at a small school in Milwaukee cratered his stock. If he regains the trajectory that he was on as a high-schooler, the Warriors just got another stud to add to that young core.

Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Baldwin, Jonathan Kuminga, and James Wiseman seem like a better young group than many rebuilding teams have.

Ryan Rollins was the Warriors’ first second-round pick, a player the Warriors sent cash to the Atlanta Hawks to move up and draft. The Toledo guard went through a late growth spurt and is now 6’3″ with a whopping 6’10” wingspan.

He is a gifted scorer with an unconscious midrange jumper and a pest on defense. He needs to add strength and sharpen his shot from beyond the arc, but both are things he can address with the Warriors. Rollins seems like an excellent option for a two-way deal next season.

Gui Santos is a draft stash from Brazil, a 6’7″ wing with a massive 7’1″ wingspan. He isn’t the best athlete but always knows where to be, and has incredible balance both as a scorer and in contesting shots on defense. He spent time on-ball at Minas and has good pick-and-roll chops.

His lack of athleticism may hold him below the level of a functional NBA player, but there is a lot of skill to like and he may get a chance in a year or two to come show what he has in NBA Summer League or training camp.

Baldwin and Rollins were in the same tier for me, and in fact, Rollins was ranked one spot higher at 32. That’s reasonable value for both picks, and the upside for the Warriors to land on two legitimate contributors or more is worth the picks they spent.

Grade: B