Dubs in depth: Warriors/Wiseman, plus notes on the 2021 NBA season

The NBA offseason isn’t officially underway, but we do know that the 2020 NBA Draft is just over a month away. The mock drafts are rolling in, and there are varying opinions on what the Golden State Warriors will do with the No. 2 pick.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic released his latest mock and had some interesting information regarding the Dubs. Vecenie says Golden State’s brass has been vocal to reporters about what the organization plans on doing with the selection, something that might be a smokescreen to up the value of the pick in a potential trade.

“Why are they doing this? I think they’re trying to mask their intentions in order for the pick to retain trade value. If opposing teams don’t know who they’re actually interested in, it’s easy for doubt to creep into the minds of the teams below them about whether they have to jump the Warriors to get their guy. Do they have to make a deal? Can they wait? The Warriors are making it tough to know. One thing that is sure: the Warriors are really exploring a lot of trade options with this pick, and I think I’d be surprised if they end up selecting at No. 2.

I’ve slid Wiseman up to No. 2, not because I think the Warriors are necessarily likely to take him, but rather because I think he’s the most likely target for a team in a trade. Having talked to sources who have seen Wiseman work out in Miami, there is some real enthusiasm about his play. He’s looked dominant in workouts and in the runs with other high-level NBA Draft prospects. A lot of executives I’ve spoken with actually consider Wiseman to be among the safer players in the draft.”

The Warriors have been linked to virtually every prospect projected to be in the top-10. Teams are allowed to conduct in-person interviews and workouts with draft-eligible players beginning Friday, so we should start to get some more information then.

Wiseman only played in three games this year for the Memphis Tigers after a scandal involving head coach Penny Hardaway surfaced. It isn’t a secret that the Dubs need a big man, and Wiseman has the tools to develop into a very good NBA center.

Vecenie and many other NBA insiders think the Warriors will wind up trading back and taking another prospect while adding another asset.

The NBA is still figuring out dates for the start of the 2021 NBA season. According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, the league will figure out the salary and player contract related issues over the month and hope to have a plan finalized before the Nov. 18 draft.

Hollinger says the league targets MLK Day as the opening day of the new season, which is on Jan. 18, 2021. Free agency would begin on Dec. 1, and the NBA would figure its schedule leading up to Christmas.

There is some hope that a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend home games, but given the strict restrictions in California, it’s tough to imagine the Warriors having fans at the Chase Center.

I don’t think the league will go with another single-bubble format but could rotate teams through different cities where they will play games over a few weeks. The pandemic isn’t ending anytime soon, so I am eager to see how the NBA plans to proceed with the 2021 season.

On to some links:

Betting sites released the 2021 NBA championship odds shortly after the Los Angeles Lakers won the title. The Dubs are getting some love, with oddsmakers giving Golden State the fourth-highest chances to win the title next year. (NBC Bay Area)

ESPN released its way-too early 2021 power rankings. The mothership has the Warriors in the top-10.