2020 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting Round 1 of the NBA Draft (V.3)

Image via Getty

Image via Tankathon

The Hawks already have what they hope is their franchise cornerstone in Trae Young and a couple of big men to pair with him in John Collins and Clint Capela. They still need help on the wing moving forward. Maybe last year’s fourth overall pick, De’Andre Hunter, becomes a stronger 3-and-D guy than he was as a rookie as he matures, but the need for help still exists alongside Young. 

Edwards probably doesn’t project as a guy that’s going to be an MVP-level type of player, but with Atlanta already hoping Young fulfills that role, Edwards could be the perfect sidekick. Young’s ability to pull up anywhere within halfcourt and his fantastic vision as a passer would really help to create a situation in which Edwards could thrive in right away. Edwards will need to improve his shot selection in the NBA immediately after shooting just 29.4% on 3-pointers at Georgia last season despite approximately 49% of his total shot attempts being from beyond the arc. 

The Hornets were a bit better than many expected them to be this season after Kemba Walker bolted for Boston last summer. Terry Rozier’s contract still looks a bit inflated, especially as the salary cap is likely to come down as a result of a few things, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Devonte’ Graham certainly looks like he’s going to be a contributor at the NBA level for a long time, and PJ Washington should be a solid player moving forward, too. With all that said, Rozier likely isn’t going to be the point guard that leads them into the playoffs at any point, but Ball might be. 

Ball is far and away the best passer in this draft. His vision is far beyond his years and he has the ability to make any and every pass on the floor. He’s big for a guard, standing at 6-foot-7 with a wingspan reported at 6-foot-10. That certainly should lead to him being a very good defender at some point once he matures, but he isn’t there yet. His jumper needs to be overhauled, much like his brother Lonzo’s did. While he can make every pass out there, at times he attempts foolish ones and needs to improve upon his decision making at the NBA level. 

This is the second time in three mock lottery simulations that the Wizards have found themselves vaulting up to the top three. They clearly become the highest team that was actually invited to Orlando to continue its season in the bubble to have a pick in this draft. The Wizards are 5.5 games behind the last playoff spot in the East right now, and they have eight games to try and close that deficit to four games or less and force a playoff. All that said, it’s fair to expect them to be in the lottery. 

Wiseman is a great fit for the Wizards at third in this draft. He’s got star potential next to Bradley Beal and whatever John Wall looks like when he returns from his Achilles injury. His tape at Memphis isn’t very extensive as a result of the NCAA cracking down on him before Wiseman decided to forego college after playing three games. Wiseman is a 7-foot-1 freak athlete that has the ability to run the floor, score from multiple spots on the floor, and rebound at a high enough level to make an impact. Washington’s defense is already putrid, so it’s fair to think that even if he hasn’t a very good defender yet, he can’t make things any worse on that end of the court. 

The Knicks need a lot of help. RJ Barrett might be something fun as he continues to develop, and Mitchell Robinson may not be an All-Star level guy, but it looks like he’s going to be a high-level role player at the very least for a long time. Kevin Knox took a step backwards in his second year, but there still might be some hope surrounding him that he can be a piece of the puzzle. After that, things are really murky for new Team President Leon Rose. 

Toppin likely isn’t a star player in the NBA, which is something no one in New York wants to hear about their draft pick. But at this point in the draft, it’s a little difficult to view any of the remaining players as a star. Toppin seems like a guy who can do a little bit of everything at an above-average level, but doesn’t seem to be great at any one particular thing. His defense needs improvement, but playing with Robinson could help to cover that up. Offensively, he makes strong decisions, can shoot from deep at a solid clip and has crazy athleticism that will help him around the rim. 

It’s fair to think that the Warriors are going enter next year with a ‘win-now’ mentality. After all, they did reach The Finals in each of the last five years prior to this absolute disaster of a season. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson will be both be back in 2020-21, and presumably at 100% health. The Warriors certainly have other needs if they’re going to be a championship winner again, but those needs might be met more easily if this pick gets traded. 

Vassell would be a strong pick here if the Warriors do retain their selection. He should come into the NBA as a very capable defender and shooter from the outside. Obviously, Golden State doesn’t need to have a ball dominant player alongside Curry and Thompson, but could use additional defense and shooting now that the roster will look much different than it did last time the Splash Bros. were on the floor together. Vassell shot 41% from deep in both of his seasons at Florida State and there’s no reason to think that won’t carry over to the NBA. 

The Cavs have the guys they believe to be their backcourt already in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. Whether that pans out or not is yet to be known, and this could be a very different discussion next year for them depending on how the 2020-21 season goes. What they don’t have is enough serviceable guys on the wing. Kevin Porter Jr. (more of a shooting guard) and Cedi Osman are really all they’ve got on the wing as of now. 

Avdija would change that and could implement himself as a starter from the beginning, especially thanks to the fact that neither Garland nor Sexton are expert passers in the backcourt. He’s got a strong passing skill and vision right now to go along with a plus basketball IQ. His shot does need some improvement, but if that does get to a decent level, he should stick around in the NBA for a pretty long time. 

The Wolves totally remade their roster last winter at the trade deadline. The biggest asset they gained was D’Angelo Russell, while the biggest chip they dealt was Robert Covington to Houston as part of a monster four-team trade. In total, the only players that remain on the roster from the day President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas took over control are Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie. With Rosas’ recent history in Minnesota, it would be of no surprise if this pick, or either of the other two in the top 33 of this draft, are traded away as the draft nears. 

Nesmith might be a bit of a reach at seventh overall, but it’s one that makes sense. As mentioned above, Covington was the biggest trade chip the Wolves dealt, and he’s also one that hasn’t been replaced. The Wolves are always going to look for more shooting, and that’s exactly what Nesmith can bring them. This season was a big of a small sample size for Nesmith as he only played in 14 games thanks to a foot injury, but in that time, he did shoot over 50% on over eight 3-point attempts per game. 

There’s no telling what the Pistons are going to look like next year or in the future for sure, but it certainly feels like they’re finally going to embark on a true rebuild. Blake Griffin wasn’t healthy this year, and it’s fair to question whether he will be again, Derrick Rose had a nice resurgence for the second year in a row, but he’ll be a free agent in the summer of 2021 if he isn’t traded before then. Sekou Doumbouya was last year’s lottery pick and he’s seen as a bit of a project. 

Hayes is a good place to start when rebuilding the backcourt that the Pistons will need to do. His tape looks similar to D’Angelo Russell’s and his left-handed step-back looks pretty polished right now. There is plenty that he needs to work on, including attacking the right side of the floor. Hayes will be able to bring a strong presence leading the pick-and-roll with the ability to both score and find teammates as well. 

We don’t know a bunch about how the Bulls are going to operate moving forward with Arturas Karnisovas now running the front office and an uncertainty as far as who the coach is going to be. Both Zach LaVine and Coby White should be part of Chicago’s future, but after that there are a few unknowns. Lauri Markkanen hasn’t developed the way many had hoped, and it’s still too early to tell on Wendell Carter Jr. after two injury-plagued years. 

Okongwu should be able to come in right away and help on the defensive end of the floor while not needing to have a big impact offensively. The Bulls already have LaVine and White to take care of that. Maybe he’ll develop into a better offensive player one day, but the Bulls have to hope that what they already have on that end can produce a better result than the 29th ranked offense they had this season.

The Suns have been looking for someone to pair with Devin Booker in the backcourt since he arrived in Phoenix. This year Ricky Rubio did a solid job and helped to elevate the Suns from a team that couldn’t get out of its own way in recent seasons to one that actually has been invited to keep playing in Orlando. 

Haliburton could be a terrific fit next to Booker in the backcourt for Phoenix. He’s got an odd shooting form, but it’s worked for him thus far as he had 50.4/41.9/82.2 shooting splits this year at Iowa State on his way to 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game for the Cyclones. Haliburton’s 7-foot wingspan gives hope that he can be a plus-defender in the NBA at some point. He isn’t as creative of a passer as Ball is, but he’s likely the second-best passer in this draft. If he falls to 10, Suns fans should be very, very happy. 

From here on out, only two draft picks belong to teams that aren’t invited to Orlando (Minnesota [via Brooklyn] and New York [via LA]). The Spurs playoff streak isn’t dead yet, and who knows how things will play out over their final eight regular season games, but for now they’re drafting 11th. 

Okoro enters the draft as one of the best defenders at his position, if not the best. He doesn’t have a very well-polished offensive game yet as he struggles with his jumper. He can attack the basket and finish around it, but to be an offensive contributor he’ll need to work on his shooting. With that said, the Spurs do have a history with guys like this and have a developmental record that’s one of the best in the NBA. 

The Kings sort of took a step back this season after a surprisingly strong season last year. They got off to a slow start but do have the chance to salvage things in Orlando when the NBA resumes late next month. We know that De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield will be part of their future. Marvin Bagley is a big unknown after spending the majority of his first two seasons sidelined with injuries. 

Bey can come in right away and be a productive 3-and-D player for the Kings. He won’t constantly need the ball in his hands in order to be a productive player, which is perfect for Sacramento. At Villanova he shot over 41% on more than 300 3-point attempts despite having a shooting form that needs to be touched up. 

This year the world only got to watch Zion Williamson in 19 games after he recovered from knee surgery that sapped most of his season. The chance to watch him play at least eight more games and potentially more in Orlando certainly is a welcomed scene when the league restarts. The Pelicans were regarded as the most-likely team in this group to overtake the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but with the changes that will be made to get the rest of the season in, it’s now more likely they’ll be in the lottery. 

Terry can come into New Orleans and begin his career as a bench guy with the potential to create instant offense. He was an above-average 3-point shooter for Stanford despite not playing in the best possible situation. His quickness is a plus, but he is undersized and will be targeted on the defensive end of the floor when he’s out there. In college he didn’t struggle to finish at the rim, but in the NBA against better rim defenders he could have problems. 

Things to date haven’t gone as planned for the Blazers, but they might have the best chance as anyone other than Memphis to grab the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Portland should be getting Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins back for the stretch run. Even with those guys back, this is a team that still looks drastically different from last year’s Western Conference Finals squad. 

Williams is a guy with a high defensive upside, even if he’s not all the way there yet. His shooting has room to improve as well, but his 83% mark from the free throw line gives hope that his perimeter shooting will get better than the 32% he shot on 50 attempts from deep at Florida State. He also has the ideal size at 6-foot-7 to be a switchable player on the defensive end of the floor. 

Orlando’s biggest goal the rest of the regular season is to find their way into the seventh spot in the East to avoid having to play the Milwaukee Bucks. The Magic are in a bit of an odd spot because they’re a playoff team right now, but it’s difficult to see where they go from here. Markelle Fultz has been a pleasant development for Orlando but this is a team that certainly needs more help offensively. 

Maxey has offensive upside while still being a strong defensive guard. His jumper isn’t where it needs to be yet, but has the potential to get much better. If his game doesn’t reach a high enough level offensively, he’ll be able to stay on the floor thanks to his defensive ability. 

The Wolves are the first team to make two picks in this draft, and after going with a two-way forward with their first pick, it could make some sense to grab a bench option for the backcourt. When the Wolves grabbed D’Angelo Russell via trade this winter, he immediately became the guy they will pair with Karl-Anthony Towns for the foreseeable future. 

After Russell, the Wolves are thin at the lead guard spot. Two-way player Jordan McLaughlin was essentially the team’s backup point guard and even started a pair of games at that spot out of necessity. Anthony should be able to come off the bench and lead an offense as well as creating for himself when necessary. His shooting should improve in the NBA as a result of having more room to operate and playing with a higher level of talent than he did in his lone year at North Carolina. 

The Celtics are firmly planted in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but will certainly have an eye on the race for eighth in the Western Conference. This pick is protected from Memphis if it falls in the top six of the draft, so the best-case scenario for Boston here is that the Grizzlies fall as low as 14th in this draft, or the pick rolls over to next year when it becomes unprotected. If it does convey this year, it might make sense to package this in some sort of trade, as the Celtics will own three first-round picks and Brooklyn’s second-round selection. 

Lewis Jr. is one of the faster players in this draft and possesses a nice stroke on his jumper on the offensive end. He has the skillset to create instant offense in the NBA and that’s something that very much should be welcomed for a team that’s currently 29th in bench scoring for the season at just 27.2 points per game. 

The Bucks are picking much higher than teams that were on pace to win 60-plus games typically make a selection. They own Indiana’s pick by virtue of the Malcolm Brogdon sign-and-trade last summer, so here they are. The Bucks don’t need much, but in their system there is never too much shooting and defense to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with. 

Woodard shot just under 43% from deep at Mississippi State last year and can find a way to finish at the rim off of cuts, which Milwaukee emphasizes. Defensively, he’s got great size (6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan) to be a very strong defender at the NBA level. 

The likelihood of this pick being dealt on or around draft night has to be relatively high. It’s not often that teams constructed to win championships via free agency signings draft guys and wait for them to develop. The Nets are in a win-now mode, and at 20th overall, it’s tough to find a win-now player. 

McDaniels could be a fit if the Nets do stick at this spot. He does need to improve in a number of areas but has lots of potential. His shot needs work, but if he’s not asked to be the focal point of a team’s offense, that should be able to happen. Defensively, he can be a good defender, but adding weight to his 6-foot-9, 200-pound frame certainly would help expedite his growth. 

The Nuggets traded away some of their depth this winter in the form of Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez, partly due to the fact that they’re both due to reach restricted free agency this summer. Denver now has to replenish some of that depth while they remain a team vying for a championship. Whether that means the Nuggets look to use this pick to try and supplement Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray or to build up their depth is up in the air. 

Hampton was one of the guys in this draft that chose to forego college and play overseas this past season. He didn’t have the most successful year in New Zealand. Minutes there were hard for him to come by as he only played 20 minutes per game. What he lacks in production professionally so far, he does make up for in potential. He’s a terrific athlete with very good size for a guard and it seems like his motor never shuts off. As far as on-court skills, Hampton will be a strong passer offensively but needs his jumper to improve to become a more complete player. 

There are few teams that feel as if they have as much riding on the NBA’s restart as Philly does. Tons of questions loom with the Sixers such as whether or not both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will return next season, what the roster will look like around them, and whether Brett Brown is still coaching the team.

The biggest issue with the Sixers right now is their fit. They’ve got two superstar players in Embiid and Simmons, but have next to zero space to operate offensively. Mannion didn’t shoot the ball as well as expected at Arizona, but there is reason to think he’ll be better in the NBA as a shooter when tasked with doing less. He’s also a solid passer and decision-maker that can run a second unit at the NBA level. 

Miami is always going to have a star player on its mind. Whether that’s Bradley Beal, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or someone else, it’s easy to assume Pat Riley is conjuring up ways to add more high-end talent to Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the rest of this roster. Is it fair to think this pick is available to try and grab one of those guys? Absolutely. 

If Miami does stay here, Maledon could be a guy that Miami’s culture makes better. The Heat are already one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, and his stroke would add to that even if the rest of his game needs a bit more seasoning before he’s totally NBA ready. 

The Jazz entered this season with pretty high hopes that they would be a top team in the West contending for a title this summer, but it certainly doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case. The Mike Conley Jr. experiment hasn’t gone as planned, Bojan Bogdanovich will now miss the remainder of the year, and there’s no way to know what will come of the Rudy Gobert/Donovan Mitchell COVID-19 situation. 

Bolmaro could be a piece that can aid the Jazz by helping out Mitchell. When Utah acquired Conley Jr. last offseason, it was thought that he could be the Robin to Mitchell’s Batman, and maybe he still could be in the future. With that said, having another facilitator to get the ball into Mitchell’s hands couldn’t hurt, and that’s what Bolmaro should be best at in the NBA. 

The Thunder have been one of the pleasant surprises of this season. They’re a team that is very hard to envision winning the whole thing in Orlando, but they’re also a team that absolutely nobody should want to play in the playoffs. They’re going to be a tough out for whoever eventually beats them. As far as drafting goes, OKC seemingly has loved taking super athletic guys that play on the wing, whether shooting is an issue or not. 

Bey certainly fits this model. He’s an uber-athletic guy, but will be tasked with having to change positions in the NBA. He was used far more often in the interior at Colorado than he should be in the NBA. He was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts, and some of that should translate to the NBA, but it will be a process. Offensively, his game is going to need time to develop. He did shoot over 40% from deep this past season, but his sample size was too small to really take much away from. 

The Celtics own the most picks in the first round this year with three, and like mentioned above, this could be packaged in some sort of trade. It’s difficult to envision Boston drafting and then rostering all three picks they currently own (if they call convey). 

This feels like a spot where the Celtics can gamble on a raw talent like Smith. He’s got raw skills and pretty strong measurables, but his game isn’t all the way there yet. He has a solid outside shot and rebounding ability along with shot blocking to where the Celtics have something to work with. 

Right now, everything the Knicks do (other than star chasing, because they’ll always do that) should be geared towards getting the most out of RJ Barrett. As a rookie on a bad team, he’s been tasked with doing a lot because *gestures at roster*. The hope is that he’ll get better with more around him as most high-talented young guys do. 

Jones is someone that could help ease Barrett’s offensive load. There’s also a familiarity between the two as they shared Barrett’s only collegiate season together at Duke. Jones won’t be a guy that has a really high ceiling, but his floor seems to be pretty high. If nothing else, he should be able to consistently run an offense and make good decisions. When was the last time anyone could say that about the Knicks? 

The Raptors or the Spurs are the gold standard right now for player development. Lately, it’s probably been the Raptors thanks to the emergence of guys like Pascal Siakam as an All-NBA level guy. Does that mean everything they’ll touch turns to gold? Probably not, but there aren’t many more teams that deserve to have more confidence with a pick this late in the first round. 

Dotson is undersized, which means that if he is going to succeed, Toronto might be the best place for him. Having the ability to learn from Kyle Lowry and potentially Fred VanVleet could be a huge benefit to him. 

Norris Cole, Ante Zizic, and Moritz Wagner are the only three first-round draft picks that have played alongside LeBron James as a rookie over the past decade (Zizic did so as a draft-and-stash guy after being traded to Cleveland from Boston). So, the chances that this pick actually plays with James and the Lakers might not be very high when factoring history into it. 

In every mock so far, Winston has been the pick for the Lakers. He, much like Tre Jones, doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he comes into the NBA as a four-year college player that looks like he should have a relatively high floor in the NBA. If Winston can just help to keep the Lakers offense working while James is on the bench, it will be a huge improvement over what the Lakers do now with James grabs a quick rest. 

The Celtics are taking another gamble on a guy that doesn’t necessarily have the most polished game here. But what Stewart does have is a very energetic on-court demeanor that could pay dividends off the bench. If he can become a contributor with the final pick in the first round, that’s a win for Boston.