Golden State Warriors blasted for major Tyrese Haliburton decision

Jon Conahan

Golden State Warriors blasted for major Tyrese Haliburton decision image

The Golden State Warriors held the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Unfortunately, the team didn't do what it had to do, selecting James Wiseman. 

At the time, Wiseman looked to be a decent pick. He didn't pan out for the Warriors and has dealt with some injuries throughout his young career. 

He has the chance to be an above-average player in the NBA, but looking back at that draft brings nightmares to all Warriors fans. 

Many have been upset about the Warriors passing up on LaMelo Ball, who was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the third overall pick. 

However, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson, the real miss was losing out on Tyrese Haliburton, who was picked 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings. 

“Tyrese Haliburton is the real one who got away.

“Playing revisionist history with the 2020 draft isn’t going to do the Warriors any favors. Gifted the No. 2 overall pick after a season in which Durant had already left for the Brooklyn Nets, Klay Thompson missed the entire year to a torn ACL he sustained in the 2019 NBA Finals, a broken hand held Curry to just five games and the Warriors won a total of 15, the front office stood on a landmine,” he wrote.

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

Haliburton has dominated in the NBA Playoffs, helping the Indiana Pacers take a 3-1 lead over the New York Knicks, with the series set to potentially conclude on Thursday night. 

If the Pacers make the NBA Finals, Haliburton will have to play well for them to compete against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and there's no reason why he can't after what he's shown.

Outside of Haliburton and Ball, there have been some other decent players, including Deni Avdija, Aaron Nesmith, Isaiah Stewart, Tyrese Maxey, and others.

Jon Conahan

Jon Conahan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A 2022 Penn State University graduate who majored in journalism, he was also a member of the school's D1 baseball team. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Heavy and other outlets. Jon makes home in North Jersey, but also resides in Cape Coral, Florida, for parts of the year. He’s an avid fan of the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins and Milwaukee Bucks.