3 perfect NBA Draft picks for the Golden State Warriors at No. 19
By Ian Levy
Perfect NBA Draft picks for the Golden State Warriors: 2. Ryan Rupert
Rupert may be a big reach for the Warriors at No. 19. He was tabbed in the 20s on a lot of mock drafts earlier in the season but later you’ll find him anywhere from No. 23 (Tankathon) to No. 33 (our latest). The biggest draws in his draft profile are incredible positional size — a 6-foot-7 point guard with a 7-foot-2 wingspan — and aggressive, suffocating defense both at the point of attack and off the ball.
He has incredibly quick hands and both knows how to use his body to deter penetration and shots but also when to reach in and force turnovers.
Rupert played for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL last season so the tape on him is coming against a lower level of competition or in junior international tournaments. But he has the potential to be an incredibly disruptive defender and there are no questions about his motor and aggressiveness
While he’s still figuring out his offensive game — specifically spot-up shooting and finishing through contact around the rim — he’s a smooth ball-handler with playmaking upside who is also comfortable cutting and working off the ball in space.
His ceiling may be more nebulous and ultimately lower than some of the other players available in this range but I love the idea of him as a complementary piece on the Warriors, much more so than some of the other wings who offer a more reliable offensive mix of shooting and secondary playmaking. Rupert feels like a longer Gary Payton II with more offensive upside and I could envision him contributing as a defensive specialist as early as next season, making working off the gravity of Curry and Thompson to make an offensive impact while he develops at that end of the floor. And a wing/forward rotation of him, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody has a lot of two-intrigue for a few years down the line.