Warriors’ Justinian Jessup named Rookie of the Year finalist in Australia’s NBL
Following James Wiseman and Nico Mannion, Boise State’s Justinian Jessup is the final member of the Golden State Warriors’ 2020 draft class. Instead of spending his first season as a professional in the Bay Area, the 6-foot-7 lefty forward played the 2020-21 season in Australia’s NBL for the Illawarra Hawks.
After averaging 13.3 points on 43% shooting from the field, Jessup has the opportunity to bring back hardware to San Francisco. Alongside Josh Giddey and Dejan Vasiljevic, Jessup has been named a finalist for the NBL’s Rookie of the Year award.
Jessup tallied double-figures in scoring in six different games for the Hawks, including a career-best 26 points twice against Brisbane and Phoenix. Jessup shot the ball well from long-distance, averaging 34.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Jessup notched three or more triples in 14 games during his first season in Australia. Against Phonix and Cairns, Jessup drilled five triples in each contest.
Via @NBL on Twitter:
#NBL21 Rookie of the Year Finalists ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/nuDA1ZAPit
— The NBL (@NBL) June 8, 2021
After his first season with the Illawarra Hawks, Jessup is expected to play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with the Warriors. How Jessup performs in the Summer League will likely have an impact on his future in Golden State.
