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Nico Mannion — who just logged a pair of gems while playing for Italy in FIBA World Cup qualifiers — isn’t the only Golden State Warriors draftee making waves overseas. The team’s pick at No. 51 overall in the 2020 NBA draft, Justinian Jessup, has also elevated his game of late.
The former Boise State standout, who’s in Australia on a Next Stars contract with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks, has played some of his best games as a pro baller in recent weeks.
Over his last three appearances, Jessup has averaged 18.3 points, four rebounds, 1.3 steals and one block per game. Meanwhile, he has connected on 50% of his field-goal attempts, 42.1% of his triples and 77.8% of his shots from the charity stripe.
Along the way, the Hawks have won four out of their last five games and moved into the No. 4 spot in the standings. According to Hawks coach Brian Goorjian, Jessup’s surge has played a major role in the club’s ascent.
Jessup Leads the Charge
Jessup was particularly good in Illawarra’s 102-87 win over the New Zealand Breakers on February 28. In 30 minutes of play he scored a game-high 23 points, 14 of which came during the third quarter when the Hawks scored 15 unanswered points and took control of the game.
“I think we’re getting better… I like the way we’re playing a ton better than how we started the season,” said Goorjian postgame, via ESPN. “And [Jessup] is a big part of it too, I think he’s becoming a much more all-round player than just a shooter.
“He’s starting to gain confidence and he’s starting to touch the ball more because the ball is moving more.”
Jessup’s big night was the kind of effort that should get Warriors fans hyped about a potential NBA jump. Of course, the 6-foot-6 wing probably had a number of them in his cheering section already after he averaged 12.4 points and hit 42.9% of his threes over five summer league contests with Golden State.
For his part, Hawks president Dorry Kordahi seemingly saw this all coming.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he has another breakout year this year and gets called up to the Warriors team…” Kordahi said in November, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
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Ian Clark Be Hoopin’, Too
Elsewhere in the NBL, former Warriors guard and 2017 champion Ian Clark looks to be settling in after signing with the Sydney Kings last month as a replacement for injured big man Jordan Hunter.
The 31-year-old made his debut in a February 18 win over the Perth Wildcats, scoring 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting. He followed that up with an eight-point effort in the Kings’ February 27 victory over the Adelaide 36ers.
Although the veteran baller struggled with his shot in that game, he bounced back with his best effort to date on Saturday. In just 21 minutes of play against the Cairns Taipans, Clark scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting to help his club to a 10-point win.
Clark isn’t just making an impact with his play, though. According to Kings star Xavier Cooks, his leadership both on and off the court may have been the missing ingredient in a championship recipe for Sydney.
“On the court, he’s an unbelievable player. He’s always talking on the court, figuring out issues. And when something happens wrong, he always wants us to sit down and discuss it to see how to move forward on that same mistake over and over again,” Cooks said, via The Sydney Morning Herald.
“He’s just got an unbelievable basketball mind. It definitely helps to have another leader out there.”
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