The 2020 draft included numerous star-level players outside of the top 10. Much to the Golden State Warriors' dismay, their first-round pick didn't pan out in the slightest. In a fantasy re-draft, the Warriors select an All-NBA point guard, which would have provided Stephen Curry with a formidable ball-handler to relieve the aging star.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report curated a fantasy selection of the 2020 NBA Draft, rectifying the Warriors' wrong choice of James Wiseman instead of a plethora of talented guards and wings.
Although Haliburton hasn't played to the same All-NBA level of the 2023-24 season, Favale overlooked his current career-low shooting percentages.
"This is the same Tyrese Haliburton who looked like a top-five-MVP-ballot, First-Team-All-NBA shoo-in last year before a hamstring issue and roster shakeups derailed his 2023-24 campaign," Favale wrote. "Playing at that level for roughly half of the season does not happen by chance."
Haliburton averages 17.5 points on a career-low 33 percent from 3 and 8.4 assists, the lowest mark since his sophomore season.
However, as Favale mentioned, his 2023-24 All-NBA campaign didn't occur on a fluke. If the Warriors picked Haliburton, they'd likely win the 2022 championship, with the young guard likely coming off the bench as the second unit's leader.
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In Golden State's current roster, Haliburton would play the point guard necessary for Curry to play even more off-ball and prove the team with the play-making they desperately require. Without Curry and Draymond Green in the lineup, defenses clamp up, as the supporting cast can't create for others and barely for themselves.
In a different world, Haliburton would have made for a suitable point guard in Steve Kerr's system.
However, we live in a reality where hypotheticals make for fun office banter and don't much influence what happens in real life. Despite the Warriors making the wrong pick in 2020, they achieved championship success two years later.
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This story was originally published December 10, 2024, 5:46 PM.