With his 6-foot-10 wingspan and marksman abilities, it’s no wonder the Warriors traded up to claim Ryan Rollins in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft -- a move some considered to be a steal.
It turns out the 19-year-old agrees, as he showed no shortage of confidence when talking to reporters on Wednesday.
After the Toledo product dazzled coach Steve Kerr during a pre-draft workout, Golden State traded the No. 51 pick and $2 million in cash to the Atlanta Hawks so they could snag Rollins at No. 44.
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Almost immediately, NBA pundits praised the pick, with ESPN analyst Jay Bilas stating he loved the selection during the draft’s television broadcast.
And on Monday night, ESPN’s Dick Vitale tweeted an NBC Sports Bay Area article about Rollins along with nothing but praise for the new Warriors rookie.
Vitale declared Rollins a “slam dunk sleeper” and gave a shout-out to general manager Bob Myers.
When asked if he took pride in Vitale’s comments, Rollins made it clear he plans to meet the early expectations.
“Yeah, I believe so, too,” Rollins said of being the steal of the draft. “Me and Dick think alike a little bit … I was pretty underrated coming from a mid-major and whatnot. Not everybody got to see me still through this process, but I think I’m one of the better players in this draft.”
Rollins won’t participate in summer league after sustaining a stress fracture in his right foot, but his anticipated potential is through the roof already.
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The talented guard from a mid-major school will have someone to look up to in Davidson College alum Steph Curry and can certainly relate to fellow teenager Jonathan Kuminga.
Though it will be some time before the Warriors will be able to tell if he is in fact a steal, it’s evident Rollins believes in himself enough to make that prediction a reality.