{"id":80037,"date":"2024-06-03T03:30:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T07:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=80037"},"modified":"2024-06-03T03:30:31","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T07:30:31","slug":"warriors-pac-12-stud-pelle-larsson-perfect-draft-addition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/03\/warriors-pac-12-stud-pelle-larsson-perfect-draft-addition\/","title":{"rendered":"Pac-12 Stud Perfect Warriors Draft Addition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Golden State Warriors have now <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/05\/30\/warriors-host-6-prospects-predraft-workouts-thursday\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">hosted two dozen prospects<\/a> for workouts in preparation for the 2024 NBA Draft. In doing so, they\u2019ve found one who\u2019s perfect for their team needs: Arizona wing Pelle Larsson.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Warriors tomorrow are working out these six prospects ahead of the NBA draft:<br \/>\nDarin Green Jr. (Florida State)<br \/>\nBlake Hinson (Pittburgh)<br \/>\nKeshad Johnson (Arizona)<br \/>\nPelle Larsson (Arizona)<br \/>\nShahada Wells (McNeese State)<br \/>\nMoses Wood (Washington)<\/p>\n<p>Lot of buzz about Johnson<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DaltonJ_Johnson\/status\/1797355412586733661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Beginning his collegiate career with the Utah Utes, Larsson transferred to Arizona after his freshman season. Since then, he\u2019s earned Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors (2022) and been named an All-Pac-12 selection (2024). While he isn\u2019t the most accomplished prospect in the draft, he\u2019s consistently played a significant role for a powerhouse program.<\/p>\n<p>With the No. 52 pick, the Warriors can\u2019t do much better than the Swedish sharpshooter.<\/p>\n<h3>Breaking Down Pelle Larsson<\/h3>\n<p>Larsson\u2019s 3-point shooting isn\u2019t quite prolific in terms of volume. Though 40.1 percent of his field goal attempts have come from beyond the arc, he\u2019s only averaged 2.6 per game. His efficiency is what\u2019s eye-opening though. With two seasons shooting at least 42 percent from deep, he\u2019s made 39.7 percent of his 3s during his career.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pelle Larsson - 2024 NBA Draft Scouting Highlights - Arizona\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8B5UKW_-qbg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>At the other end, Larsson routinely makes standout defensive plays due to his foot speed and activity. He doesn\u2019t generate a lot of blocks or steals, but he makes players work for their points. With that said, while an event creator is always appealing, a defender who disrupts rhythm or decreases the opponent\u2019s scoring opportunities can be just as valuable.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, at 6-foot-6 and 212 pounds, he\u2019s a wing who can provide Golden State with options.<\/p>\n<h3>Which Wing Will Take Flight?<\/h3>\n<p>Heading into the offseason, it\u2019s uncertain whether <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thompkl01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Klay Thompson<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wiggian01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Wiggins<\/a> will be back in 2024-25.<\/p>\n<p>Thompson is having a midlife crisis, perturbed by his physical decline. Expected to test free agency <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/05\/30\/warriors-klay-thompson-appears-set-test-free-agency-first-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">for the first time<\/a> this offseason, he may leave the Warriors in pursuit of a better deal or larger role. Wiggins has now had two trying seasons since the Warriors took him off the Minnesota Timberwolves\u2019 hands. Featured in trade rumors since midseason, Wiggins could be <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/05\/30\/warriors-to-enter-trade-conversation-unforeseen-all-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">on the way out<\/a> of Golden State as well.<\/p>\n<p>Though the Warriors probably want to keep one or the other, they may be willing to move on from both. Thompson\u2019s a naturally gifted outside shooter, but now a defensive weak link. Wiggins has become one of the team\u2019s better defenders, but his 3-point shooting regressed in 2023-24.<\/p>\n<p>Drafting Larsson and having him join a stable of young perimeter pieces that includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/podzibr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandin Podziemski<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moodymo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Moses Moody<\/a> makes letting one or both veterans go that much easier.<\/p>\n<h3>Fast-Forward<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuminjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> has star potential. Indeed, Kuminga is being portrayed as the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/18\/warriors-klay-thompson-head-turning-admission-playoffs\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">future face of the franchise<\/a>. Meanwhile, the Warriors can start <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/greendr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Draymond Green<\/a> at center, but that\u2019s not what they want to do. Green can change a game as a point-center, but he\u2019s not built to play center full-time. As a result, he\u2019s likely to start alongside Kuminga at forward next season.<\/p>\n<p>When including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a>, that means three Warriors can be penciled in as starters next season. To that point, a player with a 3-and-D skillset is proven to fit alongside the two-time MVP. Fast-forward to 2024-25, whether it\u2019s Thompson, Wiggins, Podziemski, Moody, or Larsson, that\u2019s the primary role Curry\u2019s backcourt partner will play. However, Larsson\u2019s playmaking is also worth noting given the ethos of the Warriors\u2019 offense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Golden State Warriors have now hosted two dozen prospects for workouts in preparation for the 2024 NBA Draft. In doing so, they\u2019ve found one who\u2019s perfect for their team needs: Arizona wing Pelle Larsson. The Warriors tomorrow are working out these six prospects ahead of the NBA draft: Darin Green Jr. (Florida State) Blake [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":80039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,1608,62,556,3],"tags":[212,70,98,49281],"class_list":["post-80037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-warriors","category-basketball","category-nba","category-nba-draft","category-news","tag-andrew-wiggins","tag-klay-thompson","tag-nba-draft","tag-pelle-larsson"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80037"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80037\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}