2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 1.0, Atlanta Hawks Take Two Stars
By Chris Guest
#28. Golden State Warriors – Keldon Johnson
If Keldon Johnson out of Kentucky is still on the board for the Golden State Warriors, they will likely ponder why he fell to them. For the merits of this article, let’s assume that happened and that the Warriors once again were the beneficiary of decisions outside of their control.
Just look at their draft in 2017, when the Chicago Bulls inexplicably sold the Warriors a draft pick that became Jordan Bell (who was recently listed as one of 12 potential free agency targets for the Atlanta Hawks).
Though Bell has been in the doghouse for much of his Warriors tenure, he has still played legitimate rotation minutes in the NBA Finals, something that most other rookies cannot claim. Depending on the Warriors’ offseason, Johnson might slot into a backup wing/guard role that could be vacated by Shaun Livingston (whose 2019-20 salary is only guaranteed for $2 million).
Johnson came in as a vaunted prospect to the Kentucky Wildcats, though it took him a while to get comfortable in John Calipari’s system. Despite that, Johnson flashed strong all-around defensive chops and opportunistic scoring ability on the other end.
Perhaps the bellwether for Johnson will be if his three-pointer call, which it did in college to the tune of 45 of 118 (38.1%). Steve Kerr has not one been one to trot out rookies that don’t produce, so Johnson will have to learn fast on a dynasty like Golden State’s – with or without Kevin Durant.