Why Ford thinks Haliburton makes sense for Warriors at No. 2

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The Warriors have been linked to just about every one of the 2020 NBA Draft’s top prospects, and with the No. 2 overall pick, Golden State will have their choice of just about every player available.

Iowa State product Tyrese Haliburton steadily has risen up draft boards over the past year, impressing in his sophomore season as the catalyst of an efficient Cyclones offense. At 6-foot-5 with a longer wingspan to match, Haliburton has a high ceiling on both ends of the court in the NBA.

Obviously, the Warriors are set at point guard in the starting lineup, but Haliburton’s current ability and future potential would serve a dual purpose for the Warriors, provide a player who could captain the second unit and lead the offense with Curry on the bench (something that clearly was lacking without Andre Iguodala in 2019-20), while also projecting as a floor general who eventually could take the reins of Golden State’s offense.

Locked On Network NBA draft analyst Chad Ford, in a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo, explained why he believes Haliburton would make such a great fit with the Warriors.

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“I actually think Haliburton to me, makes a lot of sense for them at No. 2,” Ford said on “Chad Ford’s NBA Big Board." “What Haliburton brings in his versatility and I think his ability to step in and play right away, but there isn’t the pressure in either of those teams for him to have to be a superstar or carry the team, I think could be really great fits for him.”

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Ford spent several minutes raving about Haliburton’s NBA prospects prior to explaining the fit in Golden State, including indicating that he has fewer flaws entering the draft than some of the other top reported options for the Warriors at the No. 2 slot.

“He also has, maybe of any of the prospects in this draft, the most stellar background check that you could possibly have,” Ford explained. “Everybody loves him, everybody thinks, from a locker room standpoint, he’s a leader.

“Haliburton actually I think has fewer holes than (James) Wiseman, (Anthony) Edwards or LaMelo (Ball), but doesn’t have that one thing that pops, the way LaMelo’s floor vision is for example, or the way that Anthony Edwards’ athleticism really pops off the page and his scoring ability, or Wiseman generally in his size and versatility for his size.

“He doesn’t have that one thing that pops off, you talked about, there’s a few little flaws in his game, but overall, this is a very very well-rounded basketball player that it’s hard to figure out how he doesn’t succeed in the league.”

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The expected return of the Splash Brothers at full strength means the Warriors will be eyeing championship contention once again, and thus likely would prefer the most NBA-ready prospect available at No. 2, as opposed to a more developmental pick like Edwards or Wiseman.

Haliburton has drawn comparisons to former Warriors key reserve Shaun Livingston, and immediately could be the Warriors’ most important player off the bench, as well as someone who could run with the starting lineup without skipping a beat.

He seems to agree on the idea of fitting in with the Warriors, as he told ESPN this week "I think I'm a really good fit there."

There might be more of a positional need at the wing or in the frontcourt, but don’t be surprised if Haliburton ends up being the Warriors’ choice come Nov. 18.

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