Sports
2020 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Projections and Predictions for Top Prospects
Gerry Broome/Associated PressCome next month, a fresh batch of ballers will arrive to put their stamp on the NBA.While the reviews of the 2020 draft class aren’t overwhelmingly positive, history says it will restock basketball’s shelves with starters, role players and at least a couple of All-Stars. It just might be the kind of draft…
Gerry Broome/Associated Press
Come next month, a fresh batch of ballers will arrive to put their stamp on the NBA.
While the reviews of the 2020 draft class aren't overwhelmingly positive, history says it will restock basketball's shelves with starters, role players and at least a couple of All-Stars. It just might be the kind of draft that sees its best players emerge from somewhere other than the top, like 2013, when Anthony Bennett went first overall, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the 15th pick and Rudy Gobert went 27th.
If the top player from this draft surfaces from somewhere other than the top 10, who's the likeliest player to pull that off? We'll answer that question below.
2020 NBA Mock Draft
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks
4. Chicago Bulls: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
6. Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
7. Detroit Pistons: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC
8. New York Knicks: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State
9. Washington Wizards: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn
10. Phoenix Suns: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm
11. San Antonio Spurs: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
12. Sacramento Kings: Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
15. Orlando Magic: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Josh Green, SG, Arizona
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
18. Dallas Mavericks: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos B
19. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers
20. Miami Heat: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
22. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): Grant Riller, PG/SG, Charleston
23. Utah Jazz: Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL
24. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): Leandro Bolmaro, SG/SF, Barcelona
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
26. Boston Celtics: Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Cassius Winston, PG, Michigan State
29. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): Zeke Nnaji, C, Arizona
Non-Top-10 Picks with Highest Ceilings
Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
What do you remember about Anthony's one-and-done run with the Tar Heels? No matter your answer, chances are it was far from flattering.
Maybe it was his sub-40 field-goal percentage or the fact he only had 11 more assists than turnovers across 22 contests. Perhaps it is UNC becoming the first losing team ever coached by Roy Williams.
If that's what you remember, you're not at all shocked to see Anthony outside the top 10. But if you remember his pedigree—he was the fourth-rated recruit last summer—and combine that with his flashes of high-level play (shot-creating and shot-making), you can envision how he might still have an All-Star future.
“I think he can be Baron Davis, and Baron Davis was great,” ACC Network analyst Cory Alexander told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I think Cole has a chance to be that good.”
Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos B
Pokusevski is the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in this draft, literally and figuratively.
He's a 7-footer with flashy perimeter skills that are every bit as interesting as they sound. He's comfortable launching threes off the dribble, He can create shots off the dribble or set up his teammates. Defensively, he's just as likely to snag a steal away from the basket as he is to raise up for a monster rejection around the rim.
He's also 205 pounds, and his rail-thin frame looks even lighter. He gets pushed around in Greece's second division; there's no telling the kind of damage NBA bigs could do to him. He may never physically mature to the point where he can be trusted with a rotation role.
But, man, if he does a lot of teams will be kicking themselves for letting him slip through their fingertips. If this draft produces a 7'0″ unicorn, he could quietly be the most likely candidate.
Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
Terry doesn't look the part of an NBA star. He's 6'1″ and 160 pounds, and his unimpressive measurements are coupled with unimpressive explosion.
But you have to remember, the makeup of an NBA star is changing. Stephen Curry is 6'3″ and 185 pounds, and it's an event when he dunks. Trae Young is 6'1″ and 180 pounds. His next in-game NBA dunk will be his first.
Those players paved All-Star paths without elite physical gifts due to sharpshooting, deep range, off-the-dribble scoring punch and basketball IQ. Terry, who exited Stanford with a 44.1/40.8/89.1 shooting slash, doesn't have the same handle, but it's easy to spot their influence on his game.
“One scout told Bleacher Report he compared Terry's smooth offensive delivery and touch (not his ceiling) to Stephen Curry and Trae Young,” Jonathan Wasserman reported. “Nobody projects a star like either; rather, they've raised the possibility that Terry can compensate for his underwhelming physical traits with skill and intangibles.”
If Terry approaches his full potential, he might wind up with the strongest gravitational pull on opposing defenders of anyone in this draft.
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