The Golden State Warriors held a six-player workout on Saturday in advance of the June 27 NBA Draft which included the following players:
- Chris Babb, G, Iowa State
- Kevin Foster, G, Santa Clara
- Elijah Johnson, G, Kansas
- Devon Moore, G, James Madison
- E.J. Singler, F, Oregon
- Peyton Siva, G, Louisville
Siva's name stands out on this list as much for his standing among 2013 NBA Draft prospects as the fact that he won a National Championship at Louisville: he's the first player that the Warriors have had in for a formal pre-draft workout who is projected by some to be selected on June 27.
For those searching for signs that the Warriors will look to trade into the draft, this probably isn't it: as a player projected as a mid- to late-second round pick, Siva could easily become a candidate to add to the summer league roster as an undrafted free agent. Potentially making things more difficult for Siva is that he might have trouble standing out in a point guard class that is considered pretty deep.
Peyton Siva, PG, 6'1", Louisville Cardinals
Peyton Siva's Golden State Warriors pre-draft workout interview.
Siva was asked for his thoughts about whether his size is a limitation after the workout, but that concern is probably overstated, as described by Fear the Sword's Sam Vecenie after the draft combine measurements were released.
However, the combination of being a 6-foot-1 point guard with a suspect jumpshot is probably not a positive for Siva.
Peyton is probably the most recognizable name on the list as the starting point guard on the team who just won the NCAA National Championship. He is extremely quick and athletic, a great defender with excellent lateral quickness, and a good distributor. However, he is not a good shooter, and like Pressey, has a tendency to believe he is. While Siva is often referred to as being undersized, I think this is much less of a concern than his perimeter shooting. If Siva can develop a consistent jump shot and be more selective with his shot selection, he could be an absolute steal in the second round for a team looking for a young point guard.
Still, when trying to project his NBA potential his strengths are clear: playmaking out of the pick and roll, as described by Curtis Pashelka.
Siva is regarded as an exceptional passer and scorer, a solid pick-and-roll player who is quick enough to get to the basket.
"My playmaking ability is pretty much what my calling card is,"said Siva, who has worked out for eight NBA teams so far. "Just showing that I can make plays for others, get others involved."
The first time I actually saw the Seattle native play was during an annual basketball tournament in Seattle in which the city's best basketball talents return for a high school alumni tournament. Siva had just finished his sophomore year at that point, but the strengths people are highlighting now were evident then, even in what was more of a loose pick-up environment: he was poised and seemed unbothered by pressure up against the likes of Aaron Brooks, Will Conroy, Jamal Crawford, and Nate Robinson (defensive wizards, I know). He navigates the game with relative ease and seeing him run Louisville's offense in the 2013 National Championship game was an extension of everything I'd known about him. The question is whether he'll be able to overcome his perceived weaknesses in the NBA.
Aziz N'Diaye, C, 7'0", Washington Huskies
Aziz N'Diaye's Golden State Warriors pre-draft interview.
N'Diaye was part of another six-player workout on Friday and is also a player who I'm familiar with from my time in Seattle. But my first memory of him wasn't entirely positive: he went 3-for-15 from the free throw line against McNeese State back in November 2010.
But, as noted the other day, his offense came along over time and his real strength is something that the Warriors have seemingly been chasing forever: defense and rebounding, which brings to mind an old quote from a former Washington teammate after that McNeese State game.
"His presence down there - on both ends - his rebounding is ridiculous," said Bryan-Amaning of N'Diaye. "You forget sometimes you don't realize how long his arms are because he's seven feet tall. But everybody talks about my wingspan but he makes me look like a baby out there sometimes. We've got plays in practice where he has legit just stood up and had both of his arms up in the air and I can't get the ball just because of how long he was."
Although N'Diaye's free throw shooting remained a problem (obviously to a lesser extent) throughout his career, his rebounding only improved year-by-year and was the Pac-12's top offensive rebounder during the 2012-13 season.
| Season | School | Conference | G | PER | TS% | Oreb% | Stl% | Blk% | Tov% | Usg% | ORtg | DRtg |
| 2010-11 | Washington | Pac-10 | 35 | 14.9 | .547 | 15.4 | 0.8 | 6.2 | 21.3 | 14.4 | 105.4 | 95.7 |
| 2011-12 | Washington | Pac-12 | 33 | 16.0 | .500 | 12.3 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 16.3 | 18.7 | 99.4 | 96.0 |
| 2012-13 | Washington | Pac-12 | 34 | 18.0 | .537 | 13.4 | 1.0 | 4.1 | 17.3 | 17.8 | 103.9 | 98.5 |
| Career | Washington | 102 | 16.6 | .525 | 13.6 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 17.8 | 17.2 | 102.6 | 96.9 |
Aziz N'Diaye's statistics at Washington (via Sports-Reference.com).
N'Diaye is yet another guy the Warriors have brought in who is not projected to be drafted, but with his length and rebounding ability he could be a worthwhile guy to look at in summer league or for the D-League.
Today, the Warriors are scheduled to work out three more players according to Hoopshype:
- Keion Bell, Missouri
- Dwayne Davis, Southern Miss
-
Ehimen Orupke, Wichita State
For more on the draft, check out SB Nation's 2013 NBA Draft section.