2020 NBA Mock Draft
The 2020 NBA Draft is coming soon.
I’d like to return to writing by doing an NBA mock draft of the upcoming 2020 draft.
Below is my first sim on Tankathon, I thought I’d go with a mix of best player available vs team needs. Towards the bottom of the first round, a lot of teams will be getting point guards as that is where the talent trends, and past the lottery you usually just go BPA. I didn’t do tiebreakers as those have yet to be decided so just went straight through as they appeared on Tankathon. I will be doing some player profiles for my favorite players at the top of the lottery like Killian Hayes, Anthony Edwards, Devin Vassell so be on the lookout for those in the coming weeks.
So here is my first go at a mock draft for 2020.
- Golden State Warriors:
LaMelo Ball
I think he’s one the best guys in the draft due to his passing ability, which is the best trait of any prospect in this draft. He doesn’t bring the defense that Golden State usually commands of their role players, but his unique vision will supersede the rest of his skills. Passing and shot creation will be paramount for Golden State because, outside of Steph, they don’t have any other creators on their team. Ball’s passing will be perfect for when Steph sits and keep the ball moving to find Curry and Thompson at the three point line.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves:
Anthony Edwards
Minnesota gets lucky and moves up to the second pick and takes Anthony Edwards. This is a great landing spot for Edwards as he doesn’t have to be a main focus of opposing teams scouting reports on this team. Alongside KAT and D’Angelo, he can be a tertiary scorer and attack on closeouts. Edwards’ main problem has been his focus on basketball but he is a great kid and will flourish not having to be “The Man” right away in Minnesota and focus on playing defense Minnesota’s 5 out system.
3. Washington Wizards:
James Wiseman
James Wiseman is the highest ceiling prospect after the first two guards. His offensive skills should fit in well with the Wizards’ play style. He needs to improve his defense, but it seems Washington as a team is going all in on offense so adding a skilled big man to the mix should help them long term to pair with Rui in the front court.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Deni Avdija
I think the Cavs go with fit over talent with their pick here. They are a team of guards and bigs, with Cedi Osman being the only wing on the roster so they add a versatile 6’9 wing to the mix. Deni can get easy offense cutting off of Garland or Sexton, and could slot in at the three from Day 1. He needs to work on his shooting but just having NBA size will help the Cavs on defense tremendously.
5. Atlanta
Tyrese Haliburton
Atlanta finds a strong backcourt partner for Trae with Tyrese Haliburton who can do a little bit of everything. He has the size to defend quick guards and can also create off of Trae. He needs to improve his shooting, but with Trae stretching the defense and grabbing so much attention, Haliburton should have plenty of opportunities for space to do his thing on offense and hit open shots.
6. Detroit
Killian Hayes
Killian is my favorite prospect in this class due to the combination of playmaking, shot creation, and passing skills. He needs to improve his shooting to take him to the next level as a shot-maker but can get to the basket and finish and make life easier for his teammates. Detroit desperately needs a playmaker on the court and a franchise building block. Detroit is finally accepting a rebuild at this point and starting with Killian and Sekou is a solid start for the downtrodden franchise starting from scratch this offseason.
7. New York
Obi Toppin
Obi has the highest floor of any lotto prospect, with a capped upside. Very safe pick to be a rotation player for years with his offensive skills. Can shoot well as a big, cuts well off ball, and is super athletic finishing in traffic and out in transition. His negatives are all defense with ball watching, poor hip movement, and just lack of feel on defense. I feel like New York may lean point guard when the draft comes, but having a scoring 4 to pair with Mitch Rob will come in handy to do everything that Obi can’t do on defense.
8. Chicago
Isaac Okoro
With the current iteration of the Bulls, they routinely play three guards with Kris Dunn playing the backup 3 due to their lack of wing size and Otto Porter Jr being out with injuries. Finding a 3 with defensive chops should be very important for the Bulls and they find it in Okoro. Of course his lack of shooting is a negative mark on him. His defensive instincts are some of the best of the class, while featuring great upper body strength to guard big wings. If he can find a reliable catch and shoot 3 ball, he’ll be in the NBA for a long time and fit well with the Bulls.
9. Charlotte
Onyeka Okongwu
Charlotte needs the best player available with their lack of depth of top end talent. Okongwu can come in day 1 and be the best defending big on their team and most likely be the starting center by the end of the season barring trades and buyouts. Okongwu will be welcomed by a team needing top end talent, and can help set great screens for their guards to get open shots.
10. Phoenix Suns
Devin Vassell
Phoenix keeps going with their collection of 3&D wings to surround Devin Booker’s playmaking skills. Adding Vassell, who can shoot and dribble enough to get his own shot, just adds another dimension to the PHX offense. He is also a highly rated team defender so adding defense around Booker is key as well.
11. San Antonio
Precious Achiuwa
Precious Achiuwa is a perfect fit for a team in desperate need of a wing with size. San Antonio needs a future wing to pair with their guards, especially with Demar Derozan most likely leaving after the 20–21 season. Achiuwa is long (7’2” wingspan) and will probably be in the NBA a long time due to his athletic nature and defensive ability. His concerns are on the offensive side of the ball, with his lack of shooting from 3 and FT range.
12. Sacramento
Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith is one of the more accomplished shooters in this draft, shooting at 40%. This will come in handy for the Kings as they look for another wing shooter with size to pair next to Fox and Hield. The negative on Nesmith is he isn’t uber athletic, lacking the ability to handle or move laterally to guard big wings. He is strong enough to put up a fight on the perimeter to where he doesn’t get targeted in PNR coverages, though, which should help the King’s on defense. Kings will be very happy with such a surefire shooter.
13. New Orleans.
Tyrese Maxey
New Orleans gets an insanely good pullup shooter in Maxey, which is going to be needed around Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to attack the basket. Maxey is best suited at an off ball scorer position rather than running the team, which will be perfectly fine with Ingram and Zion handling playmaking duties the majority of the time. I think Maxey could be off the board by this point when the draft comes around, but getting a scorer of this quality in the late lottery would be a steal. A perfect fit for the Pels.
14. Portland Trail Blazers
Saadiq Bey
Bey is a prototypical NBA 3 at 6’8 with a 6’10 wingspan. He’s incredible at shooting threes (51% on C&S threes), strong enough to guard big wings, and has the ability to hit one dribble pull ups. He’s never going to be a strong creator of offense, but when you have Dame and CJ creating wide open looks for you all you have to do is hit those shots. Bey is a perfect fit for the Blazers who are in dire need of a strong, tall wing who can hit open threes.
15. Orlando
Cole Anthony
Cole Anthony had a much maligned season at North Carolina, not shooting the ball well at all. I still believe Cole can be a capable NBA guard at his floor, being a high end backup PG. He shot the ball well in high school and is a functional athlete that’s strong and can jump well. Orlando needs shot creation of any kind, and Cole can help with that.
16. Minnesota
Aleksej Pokusevski
Minnesota goes for one of the more high ceiling prospects in this middling draft with Pokusevski, who is a great shooter and shot blocker. The problem is he is nowhere near strong enough for the NBA yet, but long term is a nice pairing with KAT. He will help in rim protection with his long arms while also spacing the floor in Minnesota’s 5 out system.
17. Boston
Josh Green
Boston continues in their accumulation of wings and Josh Green is a great option at this point of the draft (like last year when they drafted Romeo Langford). The difference with Green is he has NBA ready strength and is going to be a solid defender at the NBA level. At 6’6, he can switch rather well between 2s and 3s which fits in well on the Celtics switching scheme. The question mark is the shot with Green, but he did shoot 36% from 3 and 78% from the line so hopefully the trend continues and can hit open threes playing with Kemba and Tatum.
18. Dallas
Tyler Bey
Dallas is in dire need of wings that can guard the big threes like Lebron, Kawhi, and PG. Bey is more of a jack of all trades player with an NBA body that will be strong enough to guard those big wings. The major question mark with Bey is his shooting and if it’s good enough to get his defense on the floor. Playing next to shooters like Luka, Kristaps, Kleber, and Curry should allow an opportunity for Bey to thrive.
19. Milwaukee
Theo Maledon
Maledon is a highly touted prospect from Europe, that is 6’4 with a 6’8 wingspan. He doesn’t possess elite athleticism but he is an intelligent player that can create a lane to the basket with his handle and frame and can finish well enough to score easy points. Milwaukee will need another guard to pair with Divincenzo long term (also if a Bledsoe trade comes at some point). Maledon is a great pick here.
20. Brooklyn
Patrick Williams
Brooklyn is able to capitalize and find a 3–4 defender in Williams. With Kyrie and Durant providing most of the offense in Brooklyn, they need to be surrounded by good team defenders such as Williams. Williams is built tough, checking in at 6’8, 225lbs, and will provide a tenacious, high-energy defender for the Nets. Taking on the tougher defensive assignment for KD is very important for the Nets going forward, and Williams will help with that. He needs to show any semblance of a shot to be a regular in the rotation first though.
21. Denver
RJ Hampton
As you’ve noticed, I’m lower on RJ than most, but I think he can still find a role as an NBA role player, and where better then Denver? He doesn’t need to be counted on as a day 1 contributor but can fulfill the off guard spot next to Jamal Murray with his 6’5 frame. He’s a solid defender that can guard the tougher guard assignment for Jamal. His shot is a work in progress but offensively he does his damage in transition. He can cut and utilize off ball movement to make himself worthy of playing time with Jokic and Murray.
22. Philly
Nico Mannion
The Sixers are in need of guards who can run half court offense and Nico is the perfect guard at this slot to do that. His ceiling is probably high end backup PG but the ability to shoot and get guys in the right spot is valuable for Philly. They need just that from their nominal PG spot, while Ben/Tobias/Josh make plays off of his passing. Nico is just a solid pick for a half court offense starved Sixers team.
23. Miami
Jahmi’us Ramsey
Some teams have certain MOs and Miami’s are definitely elite athletes. Ramsey falls under this umbrella. He’s 6’4 with a 6’10 wingspan so his ability to contain guards and wings is invaluable in today’s NBA. His shot profile translates to the next level shooting at least 33% in the EYBL and 40% at Texas Tech this past season. Miami continues to collect uber athletes at every position on the floor with Ramsey.
24. Utah
Kira Lewis
Having another scoring guard who can get to the basket is always needed in the NBA nowadays. Kira Lewis is a lightning bolt of offense with his ability to create driving lanes, finishing at the hoop, and deep threat from 3. He has all three levels of scoring ability, which should appeal to Utah who needs shot creation in the worst way. Outside of Donovan Mitchell, they don’t have many go-to scorers, but with Kira’s ability to create offense the Utah offense will increase exponentially.
25. OKC
Tyrell Terry
Another PG for the Thunder, but Terry can be an elite shooter in the NBA for years to come. You can play him as an off ball shooter next to Shai or CP3 for the next two years and give them another shooting threat for a team that is in desperate need of shooting. Terry will never be a starting PG due to size and lack of playmaking, but there will always be a role for a shooting guard in the league.
26. Boston
Jaden McDaniels
This could be a trade piece draft pick but if the Celtics keep the pick I could see them taking swing on McDaniels. He’s a master-of-none type of player but is extremely athletic and can guard multiple positions on the wing and the post. McDaniels can help guard whoever Tatum/Brown can’t guard and will give spot minutes. The hope will be that McDaniels can develop into a back end rotation player.
27.New York
Tre Jones
New York loves American point guards and continues the trend with Tre Jones, who is a prolific guard defender with a superb IQ. His deficiencies are his offensive game, with no ability to shoot from range. Still, he can start offensive sets and guard the other teams PG to the best of his ability. NY can always use smart players to help their team.
28. Toronto
Leandro Bolmaro
Toronto trusts international players better than any other team in the league thanks to their leadership led by Masai Ujiri. Bolmaro is a 6’7 wing with some ability to create off the bounce. His shot is questionable but it is workable and can provide Toronto another wing to play with Siakam and Anunoby.
29. LA Lakers
Jalen Smith
The Lakers will probably need to replace Dwight and/or Javale McGee and why not do that with a shooting big man like Jalen Smith. Smith’s ability to shoot and protect the rim and do his job within a scheme will be welcomed by the Lakers. They could use some more bench offense when Lebron and AD sit. Smith has the ability to go higher in the draft.
30. Boston
Paul Reed
If Boston holds onto this pick, they could do a lot worse than taking Paul Reed. A super athlete with a propensity for protecting the rim, Reed would fit the Celtics like a glove. His 30% from 3 would have to improve, but as a rim protector alongside the team’s wings, he is desperately needed from the Celtic’s roster building standpoint. Hopefully his shot improves and can help Tatum with guarding the taller 4’s in the league.
That concludes the first round mock draft. I can’t wait to watch this draft and see the movement and trades, which should be higher than usual I think due to how flat this draft’s talent is.
