Warriors impressed with late-2nd-round pick Justinian Jessup's start in Australia

As the Warriors begin to outpace expectations this season, one of their recent second-round picks is impressing overseas.

Shooting guard Justinian Jessup, the No. 51 selection in November’s draft out of Boise State, has emerged as a key sharpshooter for The Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League. In two games with them, he is averaging 14.5 points on 60% shooting (62.5% from 3-point range), 4.5 rebounds and 1 assist in 29.9 minutes.

Jessup’s 24-point outburst in The Hawks’ win Monday over the Cairns Taipans, which included a 4-for-4 showing from beyond the arc, reinforced the Warriors’ belief that he could be an asset for Golden State as soon as next season.

“I keep tabs on his progress,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of Jessup. Director of basketball operations “Nick U’Ren kind of gives me updates on his games. I know he had a big game the other night.”

As a senior last season at Boise State, Jessup surfaced as a legitimate NBA prospect by shooting 39.7% from 3-point range on 7.7 attempts per game. But in the leadup to the draft, he wasn’t sure he’d get selected, which is why he signed a “Next Stars” contract in August with The Hawks — Hornets guard LaMelo Ball’s former team.

The decision bolstered Jessup’s stock among NBA clubs such as the Warriors that were in search of a “draft-and-stash” prospect to avoid using another roster spot this season on a second-round pick. Though Golden State hasn’t given Jessup a timeline for when it could bring him stateside, it views him as an intriguing low-risk/high-reward gamble.

If Jessup, 22, plateaus and doesn’t prove he belongs in the NBA, the Warriors won’t fret using the 10th-to-last pick on him. But if he adds muscle, improves his lateral quickness and becomes more comfortable with his right hand, he has a chance to someday occupy a role with Golden State similar to the one Mychal Mulder currently fills.

“He’s a prospect who is very interesting to us,” Kerr said. “We’re excited to have his rights, and we’ll be following him pretty closely.”

Tipoff changes: The Warriors announced that next Thursday’s game against the Suns in Phoenix, initially scheduled to tip at 6 p.m. PST, will start at 7 p.m. Additionally, Golden State’s Jan. 30 game against the Pistons at Chase Center — initially scheduled to tip at 5:30 p.m. — will now start at 7 p.m.

Both games are scheduled to air on NBC Sports Bay Area and can be heard on the Warriors’ flagship radio station, 95.7 The Game.

Connor Letourneau covers the Warriors for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @Con_Chron