The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are preparing for a do-or-die Game 7 at Toyota Center on Sunday, with the winner to face the awaiting Minnesota Timberwolves in the second-round of the playoffs.
But as the size, athleticism and youthful energy of the Rockets continues to cause problems for the Warriors as the series progresses, the more experienced franchise must be developing even more regret at their own colossal draft mistakes.
Jonathan Kuminga is a non-factor and James Wiseman is long gone
When Golden State had back-to-back top 10 picks in 2020 and 2021, they would have envisioned those players to be having a direct impact on proceedings in a series like this years down the track, even if they were still playing second fiddle to Stephen Curry and the other veteran stars.
Instead, the Warriors took James Wiseman second overall in 2020 and got a grand total of 60 games out of him before he was traded for Gary Payton II. While Payton remains on the roster and as a rotation piece, it's a long way from the athletic, two-way talented seven-footer Golden State thought they had with Wiseman.
He may have never developed into such a player, but it's easy to see how in an alternate world Wiseman would be a big factor in a series like this where he could have limited Houston's size and interior advantage.
Then you have Jonathan Kuminga. The former seventh overall pick has shown far more than Wiseman ever did at NBA level, but nonetheless finds himself out of the rotation and having played just 43 total minutes in this series.
With the Warriors lacking size, athleticism and scoring, there's now calls for Kuminga to return to the rotation for Game 7 despite his recent lack of playing time. Even if that does become the case, it doesn't change the fact the franchise has botched a pair of top 10 picks that would have been very useful right now.
On the other hand, the Rockets hit on a 16th overall pick in Alperun Sengun who was an All-Star this season and who is leading his team in scoring during this series. Amen Thompson as a fourth overall pick is also having considerable impact as Houston's third-leading scorer and primary defender on Stephen Curry, and while the jury may still be out on former second overall pick Jalen Green, he's at least having more impact than Kuminga or the now long gone Wiseman.
Watching Houston get so much from their high picks only worsens Golden State's regret, with the selections of Wiseman and Kuminga having already gone down as two of the franchise's biggest mistakes in recent history.
