NBA Draft 2020: Golden State Warriors select Justinian Jessup with 51st overall pick

Justinian Jessup is staying out west. The Golden State Warriors took the Boise State Bronco with the 51st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

The 6’7 senior improved his scoring output every year in college, tallying a 16.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.1 APG stat line this past season. He and Derrick Alston were the leaders of a Broncos team that went 20-12 overall and 11-7 in the Mountain West.

Jessup was among the most efficient players in the Mountain West last year, ranking second in offensive rating and in the top five in both effective and true shooting percentage. He also connected on 44% of his three-point attempts in conference play.

If Jessup does not make the Warriors next season, he’ll likely head to Australia, where he has already signed with the Illawarra Hawks. He could also potentially play in Australia while Golden State maintains his draft rights.

The Warriors’ need for a strong draft intensified on Wednesday when news broke that they lost Klay Thompson, potentially for a while, with a leg injury.

Golden State took James Wiseman earlier in the draft with the second overall pick.