If 2020 has provided anything, it’s been a flurry of things out of the blue, things the human mind couldn’t come to fathom thinking of at first insight. Chalk up this tumultuous NBA season to the list of “I didn’t see that coming,” too. A Pandemic and social injustices disrupting an otherwise usual season initially, rescheduling of seminal NBA moments in the regular season, and a whole singular location for the NBA playoffs, all firsts (and hopefully lasts) for the 78-year old league.
With everything being adjusted on the fly as it has been since March 11 – the day the regular season was suspended over concerns of the COVID-19 health crisis – the fight to achieve some normalcy was an uphill battle, but ultimately a battle won and conquered in negotiation between commissioner Adam Silver and the rest of the Player’s Association. A season was safely finished, a championship was rewarded in alternate circumstances, albeit, and Wednesday night’s draft signifies a new calendar year with no interruptions in sight.
But even then, this draft is as microcosmic as 2020 itself. It’s almost like if you were to throw this year’s draft and free agency into some sort of mathematic simulator, and instead of bringing out a simple, succinct solution to your problem, you’d be getting about 100,000+ different outcomes, and each one would come with a variety of situations where teams trade up and down for draft capital, star players or money. I’d be sitting here idly if I were to imagine all outright possibilities of this year’s offseason.
So for brevity reasons, I’ll go the route of predicting how this draft goes among the teams involved in the draft lottery without any major trades (for the moment being, at least). Minnesota was graced with the first overall pick via a luck of the draw in September’s Draft Lottery and are likely to select Anthony Edwards.
For what seems like the first time in a decade, the healthy Warriors are looking to get right back into the title picture with the second overall pick, and in that scenario, anything goes. They could either acquire a James Wiseman or send ripples through the NBA universe by trading the pick to a suitor in exchange for a game-breaking All-Star. And I could very well be way off on what happens on draft day since all picks aren’t surefire realities.
Now, without further jibber-jabber, here is SneakerReporter’s (shortened) 2020 NBA Mock Draft for your reading pleasure.
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1. Minnesota Timberwolves
With the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, The Minnesota Timberwolves select…Anthony Edwards, G/F, Georgia. – Assuming Minny doesn’t trade the pick away (and that’s a BIG assumption), this is perhaps the most logical selection with little to no objection. Additionally, Edwards will be a central piece the T’Wolves wish to build around alongside former first and second overall picks Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell. All of his intangibles just scream “upside”. Take your pick: His 6’5 frame and NBA-ready body, borderline elite scoring skills that make him a first-day starter, and his title as the best prospect in this draft, make it a given Edwards steps on the stage and shakes Silver’s hand as the first pick in the draft.
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2. Golden State Warriors
With the second pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select…James Wiseman, C, Memphis – Golden State would rather go fit and need here rather than talent at other positions because frankly, they don’t quite need it at starting spots they’re already ample in. Once again, do they decide to keep this pick, plugging in the 7-footer with a 9-foot-6 wingspan here who displayed league-ready attributes in his short time under Penny Hardaway does more positive than detriment for a team that needs an exceptionally-skilled piece at the five who doesn’t need to take over the offense as a focal point of the offense.
That being said, Wiseman averaged over 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in his three games in Memphis and is certainly capable of providing an entirely new dimension of athletic rim protection, paint presence alongside Draymond Green, as well as off-ball scoring – something Steve Kerr will greatly appreciate in his diverse motion offense sets.
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3. Charlotte Hornets
With the third pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, The Charlotte Hornets select…LaMelo Ball, PG, Australia – The Hornets were one of the last teams to set up a workout with LaMelo Ball in front of coaches and executives, and if Edwards goes off the board early, plan B for James Borrego and Michael Jordan’s Hornets is just as good as anyone’s plan A. Standing at 6-foot-7, Ball is by far the most impressive prospect there is in the draft and can see things and thread needles like no one else can at his age.
If you’ve been aware of the Ball family, you know that it’s been a wild ride for LaMelo. As the understudy to older brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo, the once bushy-haired teenager has matured in front of fans’ eyes as his travels have ranged from the most convenient places around the world. Starting at his humble beginnings in Chino Hills, California as a blossoming high school prospect, he’s gone off to the unbeaten path in his journey to the NBA.
When he denounced his amateur status in high school after his personal sneaker dropped on the BBB site in 2017 and was subsequently deemed ineligible to play for Chino Hills, He had to chase his league dream some other way. His father kept his son prepared for the NBA by opening up a Big Baller Brand-sponsored Junior Basketball League generated to create positive press for him and LiAngelo, and then shipped both of them off to Lithuania as members of BC Vytautas in which they not only developed their games against professional athletes twice their age but did so while filming it for their FaceBook reality TV series Ball in the Family.
A trip back to the states meant another taste of prep high school ball in Ohio at Spire Academy for the youngest Ball, who was in the midst of a growth spurt. And then a move was made with his own development interests in mind: Ball signed with the Illawarra Hawks in the uber-competitive National Basketball League in Australia. Usually, we’d see the 18-year old go over to a professional league and struggle with the transition to playing against grown men. However, LaMelo wasn’t usual and showed the world that his skill set is one of a kind. Top-tier shot creation and excellent dishing abilities contributed to his noteworthy 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in just 12 games in the NBL, a season cut short due to a foot injury.
So here he is after millions speculated and prophesized him falling short of his goal of making it to the NBA, ready and primed to be the second Ball brother taken in the first three picks of the NBA draft.
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4. Chicago Bulls
With the fourth pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select…Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton – Drink it in, Dayton fans. Toppin is destined to be the first Dayton Flyer prospect to be ever taken in the top five of the NBA Draft. A former zero-star recruit caught eyes this past collegiate season during his senior campaign, posting averages of 20 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting an elite clip of 39 percent from deep as he reeled in National Player of the Year honors, and had the pandemic not happened, he would’ve taken the Flyers somewhere close to the Final Four.
Toppin is an intriguing prospect, and pro comparisons to the likes of Amare Stoudamire and Shawn Marion seem appropriate. He could very well be the best player taken off the board in this year’s draft, for what it is worth. A high-motor, high-usage tank of a slasher and paint beast is something almost any GM or coach can build around. And with his 6’9, 220-lb frame, Billy Donovan would appreciate having him as an integral piece to set the tone on both ends of the floor. Also, he’s a dandy to watch in the air in the open court, as he’s been known to throw down game-stopping slams that put his athleticism on center stage.
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5. Cleveland Cavaliers
With the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select…Deni Avdija, SF, Israel – Avdija will be the first International prospect taken in this year’s draft, and should Cleveland keep the pick here, I see no reason as to why they should look anywhere else than the Israeli point forward. Widely heralded for his immense knowledge of the game, Avdija’s playmaking skills resemble that of a less-skilled-but-just-as-much-upside Luka Doncic type of player. A jack of all trades, master of none, if you will.
The 6’9 forward has accomplished a ton in his career already: he’s won three Israeli League titles, was the winner of the FIBA U-20 Finals MVP last season and he was the Israeli League MVP this season with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Avdija isn’t necessarily exceptional at one distinct thing (if you had to pinpoint one thing, it’d probably be his passing ability) but is solid in all areas and as a day one starter, he’ll help Collin Sexton and Darius Garland get over the hump of being just prospects with potential to bonafide stars in the league.
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6. Atlanta Hawks
With the sixth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks select…Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State – Probably not a super flashy pick, but indeed a safe pick in this year’s draft for a positively building Hawks squad. Haliburton, a 6’5, 175-lb guard who was only a three-star recruit when he committed to ISU, produced quite efficient numbers of 15.1 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.9 rebounds as the first option on a stacked Cyclones team that was bound to make noise in the 2019-20 NCAA Men’s Div. 1 Tournament.
Haliburton has the foundations of becoming a solid two-way sharpshooter in this league, and a nice addition to a developing offense. He’s a well-versed pick-and-roll playmaker, spot-up shooter, and a lengthy disruptor on the other end and since this is the game of intangibles, another long body that Lloyd Pierce can utilize in lineups defensively with the likes of Cam Reddish and John Collins as well as behind or with Trae Young furthers the belief that the Hawks are next up to swipe a playoff spot.
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7. Detroit Pistons
With the seventh pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select…Killian Hayes, PG, France – That’s now two-straight international prospects in a row that are going to be selected in this year’s draft. The Pistons need guard depth, and there isn’t a better prospect to look at than Killian Hayes to fit that need.
Being behind Derrick Rose will be key to his growth into a starting role as he won’t be ready right away to improve a team’s win percentage, but he’s certainly a trendy pick due to the league’s favoritism towards long 6’5+ guards and wings that can score at all three levels. Hayes is a project who has a game that is so uncertain if it can translate to the NBA but so promising if Detroit gets this pick right.
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8. New York Knicks
With the eighth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select…Patrick Williams, SF, Florida State – Though there are questions about Williams’ ceiling as a scorer, there is little doubt about his freakish athleticism and his tenacity on the glass and defensive end. The pairing of him and Mitchell Robinson to create a dually-gifted frontcourt in NYC just sounds enticing alone, but it is the “want to” and fearlessness to guard any position he showed at Florida State that attracted scouts across the league enough to secure himself as a top-10 pick. Being compared to OG Anunoby – another premier 3-and-D wing with athletic prowess – isn’t too inaccurate to describe Williams’ impact on games, as well.
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9. Washington Wizards
With the ninth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select…Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn – Pairing up last year’s first-round selection Rui Hachimura with this year’s potential first-rounder, Isaac Okoro could do a lot of good things for the team in the Nation’s Capital. Defensively, the one-and-done prospect who stands at 6’6 and weighs at 220 pounds held his own in the SEC as a defensive juggernaut and served as a reliable slasher in the 18-year-old out of Powder Springs, Georgia. His numbers at the collegiate level weren’t eye-popping (12 PPG., 4 RPG., 2 APG., 1 BPG.) but it’s the physical attributes worth sticking around to build with, as he could turn from a solid defender who can stay in front of any man into a valuable asset that can knock down open shots when presented the opportunity.
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10. Phoenix Suns
With the tenth pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns select…Saddiq Bey, PG, Villanova – For the final pick in the top 10, the Suns stock up on some bench depth, and especially at the three since it has grown thin as a result of the groundbreaking Chris Paul trade that sent Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Ty Jerome, Jalen Leque and a 2022 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Mikal Bridges is the outright starter in the Valley with Oubre in OKC, meaning that it’d be advisable for Phoenix to draft the two-year Wildcat that shot over 45 percent from deep as a sophomore.
Again, the theme of this draft, and many more drafts to come, will be lengthy wings that lock up all positions on all spots on the floor while showing the propensity to put up open jumpers and consistently knock them down. Bey fits the mold, which makes this pick the safe and logical decision here.
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11. San Antonio Spurs
With the eleventh pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select…Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State – Let me start off by saying that any evaluator or scout declaring Vassell as another 3-and-D prospect isn’t doing their job well enough, and is flat-out deciding not to integrate any critical thinking for this pick.
Now, on the surface level, Vassell accomplishes his role in a satisfactory manner shooting 42 percent from downtown and as a raw prospect in college, averaged a little under 13 points, 5 rebounds, and an assist off 49 percent shooting. Take a deeper dive, however, and you’ll find that Vassell is one of the more polished shot creators and secondary rim protectors in this entire draft class.
The 6’7, 200-lb wing has shown the willingness to pull up from mid-range, put the ball on the floor to initiate pick-and-roll actions, and display a high motor evident in his defensive effort. He’ll fit right into Gregg Popovich’s motion offense and mesh with scorers like DeMar DeRozan and Derrick White both as a ballhandler, hard screen setter, and cutter. This could be the pick that gets the Spurs back into the playoffs since they were on the outside of the playoffs for the first time in 23 years looking in after a failed qualification for the play-in tournament inside the Lake Buena Vista bubble.
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12. Sacramento Kings
With the twelfth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select…Aaron Nesmith, PF, Vanderbilt – With the recent news of Bogdan Bogdanovic’s emigration to Milwaukee and Buddy Hield’s trade to Denver going through Tuesday afternoon, Sacramento will need all the shooting help they can get right now. Aaron Nesmith fits two needs for the Kings right now: outside shooting and an interior presence towering at 6’6. Makes the most sense to not look further than the Vandy product.
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13. New Orleans Pelicans
With the thirteenth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans select…Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama – Jrue Holiday being dealt in a massive trade to Milwaukee only means that the Pels have no other option to find an immediate replacement at the starting guard spot. Enter Kira Lewis Jr., the speedy 6’3 guard who is a blur in transition is an explosive driver with the ball in his hands and is also an efficient shooter with a quick release.
While he’ll have time to work on his halfcourt scoring game, he has all the makings of a starting point guard someday. That call to meet that potential may come sooner than later with their guard situation but Lewis will have plenty of assistance around him with former first-overall pick Zion Williamson and this year’s Most Improved Player award winner Brandon Ingram there to help the 19-year-old right away.
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14. Boston Celtics (Via Memphis)
With the fourteenth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select…Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC – If the South California big man falls this far, Boston wouldn’t waste the chance to take quite arguably the best prospect available for both team fit and overall talent. On some draft boards, it wouldn’t be unprecedented to see Okongwu being picked earlier than his superior in Wiseman as the best big man in this class.
The only detriments pertaining to him – and these could be possible reasons as to his descent into the first round – are his underdeveloped offensive game, which can, like anything else, be worked on as well as him being undersized to fit the traditional build of a center. It’s his defense that has turned eyes. An instinctive mind to anticipate when to come over as help defense, mixed with a nose for shot-blocking almost immediately turns the Celtics from a fringe competitor just on the outskirts of a conference finals berth (again) to a favorite in the East with all the star power they already have in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker.
