The Golden State Warriors were provided with a great opportunity to land another franchise player back in 2020 when they had the second pick of the draft. The Warriors could have potentially gotten their hands on Anthony Edwards, but they reportedly had some major concerns regarding him.
“Teams are worried about Edwards’ drive and enthusiasm for winning, and according to a source, the Golden State Warriors aren’t a likely landing spot due to these concerns,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were the ones who held the first pick of the draft that year and they ended up selecting Edwards. As per NBA insider Brian Windhorst, though, the Timberwolves repeatedly tried to swap picks with the Warriors, but they were not interested.
“To go back to draft night — the Wolves were very interested in trading out of this pick,” Windhorst said. “They were trying up until they were on the clock, from what I have been told, to get the Warriors interested in moving up.”
As per reports from back then, the Warriors only wanted James Wiseman and knew the Timberwolves wouldn’t pick him, as they already had Karl-Anthony Towns. So, they didn’t feel the need to go up a spot, as they had no interest in Edwards and were sure Wiseman was going to fall in their lap anyway, which is what happened.
Looking back at that situation, it was obviously a complete disaster for Golden State. It’s easy to mock the Warriors, considering what we know now, but Edwards was by no means seen as a can’t-miss prospect back then.
There were some doubts about just how great of a player he could be and when you add in questions about professionalism and whatnot, you do get why they would have been a bit hesitant. Fast forward to the present, though, and Edwards’ drive and enthusiasm for winning are things no one questions.
The 22-year-old has grown so much as a player during his short time in the league and during these playoffs, Edwards said he wanted to kill everything in front of him. It is exactly what he has been doing thus far.
Edwards helped the Timberwolves sweep the Phoenix Suns in the first round and then delivered a masterpiece in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets to steal home-court advantage. The two-time All-Star is now averaging 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in this postseason.
As for Wiseman and the Warriors, they split in 2023 as he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. The big man never lived up to expectations in Golden State and hasn’t done much in Detroit, either.
Wiseman now has career averages of 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. The 23-year-old has unfortunately gone down as one of the biggest busts in recent NBA history. Fumbling that great opportunity with the second pick hurt the Warriors greatly as well, as their dynasty seems to have ended now.
Anthony Edwards Says Steve Kerr Made Him A ‘Madman In The Gym’
The Timberwolves Famously Passed On Stephen Curry Twice In 2009
What makes the Warriors’ decision back in 2020 so interesting is the parallels you can somewhat draw from what the Timberwolves did in 2009. Minnesota had the fifth and sixth picks in the draft that year and could have selected Stephen Curry.
Instead, they chose two other point guards over him, Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn. The Warriors then drafted Curry with the seventh pick and the rest is history.
Will Edwards make the Warriors regret their decision to the same extent that the Timberwolves regretted passing on Curry? Well, only time will tell, but Edwards will have to win an awful lot for that.
Curry, of course, has led the Warriors to four NBA championships and won a Finals MVP to go with two MVPs. He is regarded as one of the greatest ever and could ever so easily have been a member of the Timberwolves.
Interestingly, the franchise also passed up on a chance to draft Curry’s teammate Klay Thompson in 2011. The Timberwolves had the second pick that year and chose Derrick Williams, while the Warriors drafted Thompson with the 11th pick. Williams turned out to be a bust, while Klay has gone down as one of the greatest shooters ever.
Passing on the Splash Brothers was among the many mistakes that the Timberwolves have made over the years. Fortunately, they didn’t pass on Edwards at least, and are now hoping he can help wash away all that pain from the past.
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