The Golden State Warriors decided to select shooting guard Jacob Evans with the 28th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Despite rumors leading up to the draft that the Warriors were going to buy a second round pick as well, they decided Evans was enough of a haul for the night.
This pick is a strong indication that Nick Young is not going to be retained by the Warriors after he was signed for the mid-level exception the last offseason.
The Warriors as an organization have certainly earned the benefit of the doubt after winning 3 championships in 4 years thanks to a core mainly consisting of players the team drafted.
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about Evans joining a lineup that is among the most talented rosters in NBA history.
Evans spent three seasons at the University of Cincinnati. He became a starter during his sophomore season and averaged 13.5 points per game during that first year as a starter.
He was named first-team All-AAC in 2018 as a junior and averaged 13.0 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. He also averaged 1.3 steals per game that season.
Evans is an athletic shooting guard who should make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the court. On offense, he’s a very talented shooter. He shot 39.4% from 3-point range during his last two seasons at Cincinnati. His offense still isn’t very polished, though. It’s difficult for him to find ways to score if his shot isn’t falling.
It’s going to be interesting to see if his offense is able to develop under the tutelage of this coaching staff and under the mentorship of these dynamic Warriors players.
It’s possible that the 6’6’’, 210 LBS shooting guard can serve as a valuable bench piece for the Warriors heading into the future. It’s a pick that certainly helps their depth.