2020 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting Round 1 of the NBA Draft (V.6)

With the seeding games in Orlando wrapped up and the playoffs underway, that means we’re oh so closer to finally reaching the NBA Draft Lottery. This will be our last mock draft using Tankathon to simulate the lottery before the real deal Thursday.

We have a different winner yet again as the Knicks grabbed the first pick for the first time since we’ve started doing this. They were followed by Detroit, Atlanta, and Golden State before the rest of the lottery fell into place. Take pride in this small, meaningless victory, Knicks fans.

We will have another mock draft up the day following the lottery with the full draft order set in place, so be on the lookout for that. And as a quick note, when this simulation was run the Raptors had not completed their regular season yet, meaning they were still picking before the Lakers near the end of the first-round, but moved into the 29th position after Friday’s win. That has been reflected in the order despite the picture from Tankathon showing the Lakers at 29th.

New York, you’re up.

Is it a good or bad omen for Knicks fans that in our final mock before the draft lottery New York gets its first win? We’ll find out Thursday, but Knicks fans never stop dreaming, and this surely won’t hurt those dreams. Since our last mock, the organization has inked Tom Thibodeau as its head coach. It goes a bit under-the-radar because of how things transpired at the end in Minnesota, but we can’t forget that he helped develop Derrick Rose into an MVP back in Chicago.

Does that mean the same for Ball? Probably not. But Thibs and LaMelo could be a good fit together in the Big Apple. And maybe, more importantly, Ball looks like he could be a really good fit with RJ Barrett. And if those two click, the Knicks might have a pretty strong young core for the first time in a long time.

Speaking of Rose, his current team gets some decent luck in this draw, jumping up three spots to the second overall pick. There are plenty of questions surrounding this franchise since it's finally time for a full rebuild in Detroit. It’s unknown what type of shape Blake Griffin will be in physically after knee troubles over the last couple of years, and Rose’s days in Detroit could be numbered, too.

Last year’s lottery pick Sekou Doumbouya certainly has some potential, but the Pistons have to hope that getting lucky in this draft at No. 2 means that Edwards becomes the franchise’s future star. The Pistons would still have quite a way to go before putting a competitive team on the floor, but this type of talent as a building block to a new era of Detroit basketball certainly doesn’t hurt.

The Hawks were supposed to be the team in the East that made a big jump this season and surely will use the fact that they weren’t invited to the bubble in Orlando as motivation next season—whenever that is. Having the third pick here can be really beneficial for Atlanta, especially considering it already has Trae Young as the franchise cornerstone. They don’t need this draft pick to save the franchise the way many teams in this spot do. They just need the pick to fit in.

In our last mock, Avdija made the jump all the way up to third overall and finds himself there once again. His fit in Atlanta would be an interesting one. Considering how strong of a playmaker Young already is, pairing him with a high-level secondary playmaker like Avdija could push Atlanta’s offense to a pretty potent level, especially if he shoots as well as he showed he can after his restart in Europe.

Certainly, no one is going to cry for the Warriors if they end up dropping three spots to No. 4 in the lottery after their disaster of a season. There are two strategies Golden State can go within this spot: selecting the best player available—which is definitely Wiseman—or penciling in the player best served to contribute as a role player immediately. If it’s the best player available, it’s fair to think it could be part of a trade package to acquire more star power.

Wiseman has star potential and certainly has more of it than anyone else remaining on the board. He’s a bit of an unknown because he was only on the floor three times at Memphis. What we do know is that Wiseman can run the floor, score in a number of ways, and is a freak athlete. If he figures out the rest, he’ll be around for a long time.

Anything that doesn’t result in the top overall pick will undoubtedly disappoint Cleveland fans considering their lottery luck the last decade. With that said, they should be pretty happy if their team ends up in this spot, with the first four picks going the way they have. The Cavs are a team filled with guards and bigs right now, so adding on the wing should be their highest priority at fifth overall.

Vassell is undoubtedly among the best fits for Cleveland. He’s going to help bring a defensive pulse to a team that hasn’t played anything resembling defense since 2016. Even as a rookie, he’ll likely be guarding the opponent’s best wing or guard, depending on the night. In addition to that, he was a knockdown 3-point shooter at Florida State, shooting over 41 percent. He does have a more expansive offensive game that likely won’t be showcased in the NBA, but if needed, he can operate in the pick-and-roll both as a scorer and passer.

This is a pretty bad break for a franchise used to not having much luck in the lottery. The Wolves are much like the Hawks in the sense that they’ve got their franchise cornerstone already in Karl-Anthony Towns and even have their No. 2 guy in D’Angelo Russell. The rest of the roster has been through quite a bit of change since Gersson Rosas took over basketball operations last May.

The Wolves might actually have enough scoring to be a competitive team next season, especially if they re-sign Malik Beasley (RFA) this offseason. The defensive end of the floor is the one that needs help, but this isn’t exactly a move that is going to bolster that immediately. Toppin isn’t a great defender at this point in his career. He often gets lost in pick-and-roll coverage, and his only strong suit defensively is shot-blocking as a help defender. With all that said, if the Wolves just want to go all-in offensively, Toppin makes sense. He doesn’t have many weaknesses on that side of the floor. While he might not be great at any one thing quite yet, he’s really good at just about everything. When adding that into the fact he’s got a chance to be the most athletic guy on the floor some nights, and he’s got some decent potential.

The Bulls are in a somewhat similar position as the Cavs, in the sense that they’ve got some pretty solid guards (looking at you, Zach LaVine and Coby White) and quite a few bigs on the roster and not a ton of depth on the wing. They’re also a franchise that can be a little hard to predict thanks to the leadership change at the top with the hiring of Artūras Karnišovas.

While they do have Otto Porter Jr. on the wing right now, he’s up for free agency next summer—unless he declines his $28.4 million player option, which seems unlikely—that’s not enough to build a contender. Nesmith is a player that doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be a successful part of an offense. His shooting ability will help put points on the board and create gravity away from LaVine and White and help them get to the rim more often.

It’s hard to place Haliburton much higher than this spot based on need, but this is a great value for the Hornets. Sure, Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham exist, but the Hornets are going to certainly need more than two guards, and Haliburton could be an excellent fit for them.

Haliburton’s time at Iowa State was awe-inspiring. He shot over 42 percent from beyond the arc as a Cyclone, but his form doesn’t exactly look like what shooting coaches teach kids. That said, the numbers don’t lie. He’s not the most athletic guy on the board, but his vision and ability to work both on and off the ball will make him dangerous in the NBA.

Well, things in the bubble didn’t go so well for the Wizards, to say the least. Should they have even been invited? Probably not. But, here we are after they went winless in their quest (LOL) to try and snag the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference until their final game of the restart against the Summer League Boston Celtics.

Those three guys missing for the Wizards will all be pretty important next year (assuming Bertans re-signs) if Washington wants to be competitive. The other thing that they’ll need to do is play some semblance of defense, because they certainly opted out of that end of the floor this season. Okongwu should be able to come in and help with that right away. We’ve had him mocked to Washington a few times throughout this process, and the defensive struggle of the Wizards is exactly why.

From the worst team in the bubble to arguably the most fun! Who could have possibly seen this run coming from Phoenix and Devin Booker? The Suns went from being an afterthought in the bubble with many questioning why they were even invited to nearly crashing the Western Conference play-in party. Kudos to the Suns for surprising everybody, and for having the best Twitter account in the bubble.

Booker showed off during the bubble just how good he can be. While he might not be named the Bubble MVP, he’s nothing short of incredible. Having another dynamic guard in the backcourt could help Booker out even more, and Hayes could be that guy. He can create in the pick and roll as both a passer and a scorer and will be able to operate both on and off-ball. Being able to play alongside Booker and leading second units would be a good starting role for Hayes, should this be the spot he lands.

The Spurs made it interesting in the bubble, but ultimately missed the playoffs for the first time in the life of every player projected to be selected in the lottery. Typing that out feels absolutely remarkable. None of these guys even know what a world without the Spurs in the playoffs feels like. Just absolutely bonkers.

As far as Okoro goes, he could be a guy that the Spurs mold into something much better than anyone else would be able to. He should enter the league as at least an average defender, if not better. Offensively, he can make things happen around the rim right now but doesn’t have the jump shot he’ll need to be a force offensively down the road.

Kids entering high school this fall have never seen the Kings in a playoff game. There wasn’t much of a chance for the Kings to make it even though they were invited to Orlando, but losing five of their first six games in the bubble destroyed the slim hope that existed. Maybe next year the lottery streak ends. Maybe.

Bey could come in and help right away for the Kings. He won’t dominate the ball offensively, which isn’t something the Kings would need him to do. He would be able to knock down open shots and play adequate defense on the perimeter. He could be a little bit of a taller version of Buddy Hield that could be more versatile defensively.

Things down in Orlando didn’t go too well for the Pelicans. Now, they didn’t go nearly as bad for New Orleans as they did for Washington, but still. The Pelicans were supposed to make a run towards the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and Zion Williamson was going to be in the spotlight just like everyone wanted. Instead, they’re heading home and JJ Redick’s beloved playoff streak is officially over.

The Pelicans are going to need to be both a better defensive team and a team that doesn’t have too many cooks in the kitchen on the offense end of the floor. Green would be able to help out with both of those things. Defensively he will be able to guard at least three, maybe four spots. On the offensive end, he won’t need the ball in his hands to create but should be able to knock down open shots that become available through the number of other talented guys the Pelicans have.

After this pick spent much of the season outside of the lottery, the Celtics actually end up with a lottery pick this year. Memphis had a surprisingly terrific season but couldn’t find a way to put together a strong showing in the bubble before falling to the Blazers in the Western Conference play-in. The Celtics are probably rooting for the Grizzlies to win the lottery (this pick is top 6 protected) and have the selection roll over to next season when the pick is unprotected. Partly, because Boston having three picks in the first round this year is excessive.

Having three first-round picks certainly does make the Celtics an excellent candidate to make a trade of some sort on or around draft night. But going with Maxey here could give Boston a lift off the bench next year, something that they’re missing right now. Romeo Langford hasn’t really been a contributor as a rookie and neither has Carsen Edwards. Maybe Maxey can be a guy to back up Kemba Walker and help keep Boston afloat when he’s on the bench.

The Magic had one job in the bubble, and they failed. The only thing they had to do was avoid the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs and now they will probably be eviscerated in a pretty swift fashion. And maybe they would have anyways against Toronto had they grabbed the seventh seed, but it’s going to be bad.

The injury to Jonathan Isaac certainly makes Orlando’s future a little bit murkier than it was a month or so ago. If he’s not continuing to improve, the ceiling for the Magic is drastically lower. This year certainly was a positive development in the Markelle Fultz category, but Magic will need to find him a backcourt partner to get him to the next level.

Has there been a more exciting player in the bubble than Dame Lillard? Devin Booker certainly deserves mention, but what Lillard has done has been nothing short of remarkable. He’s put the Blazers into the play-in game thanks to magnificent scoring bursts and shooting. After winning the play-in and drawing the Lakers in the first round, things could get pretty exciting in that series despite the Lakers being heavy favorites.

The one piece that hasn’t been there for the Blazers during this stretch in the bubble has been Trevor Ariza, and the reason to think that the Lakers won’t have too much trouble with Portland is their lack of substance out on the wing. Adding a guy like Williams to the mix could be a good thing. With Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Gary Trent Jr. all operating with the ball in their hands, Williams’ 3-and-D style would be a very welcomed addition.

We mentioned earlier that the Wolves have both Towns and Russell as their two main guys moving forward and that the rest of the roster might experience more turnover. One of the holes that has yet to be filled is the backup point guard spot. After trading away both Jeff Teague and Shabazz Napier earlier this season, Minnesota relied on two-way player Jordan McLaughlin to fill the bench point guard minutes.

Anthony could potentially fill that role. He didn’t have a great freshman season at North Carolina as he was hampered with a knee injury and was part of one of the least talented Tar Heels rosters in recent memory. He should be able to operate the bench unit as a playmaker and may have to double as the bucket-getting with that group, too.

The Mavericks couldn’t find their way out of a first-round matchup with the Clippers, but a return to the playoffs is certainly a welcomed sight for this franchise. Luka Doncic continues to take his game to the next level, and Kristaps Porzingis looks like a terrific fit next to him. For the Mavs, it’s going to be all about adding talent now. Whether that takes place this offseason or by getting involved in the 2021 free agency class, the Mavs need to add more.

Hampton is a guy that was more highly thought of before his stint playing pro ball down in New Zealand. He didn’t have a great year playing for the Breakers, but the potential is still there. He certainly is one of the best athletes still on the board to this point, despite the fact he struggled to get a ton of minutes professionally. If his shot ever does come along to an acceptable point, he could find himself as a starter.

The Nets! They just showed up to the bubble with a roster of completely new players (OK, not really, but it felt like that) and found a way to win games and stay in the seventh spot in the East. Is it going to matter? Probably not as the Raptors should roll through them in the first round. But it’s still impressive what this group found a way to do.

Whenever the 2020-21 season starts, the Nets will look drastically different than they currently do. Kevin Durant will be back, presumably so will Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Taurean Prince. This pick certainly could be traded as part of a package to grab a third star, or it could be used on a guy to operate as a 3-and-D wing. If the Nets decide to go with a selection here, Woodard might make the most sense.

It was very fitting that the seeding games in the bubble started back up Rudy Gobert scored the first points of the restart and had the game-winning free throws in that same game. But other than that, things didn’t go so well during the seeding games for Utah, going just 2-6 over its eight games. Their playoff matchup with the Nuggets will certainly be tough for them when that gets rolling next week.

With this pick we’re giving the Jazz some more scoring punch off the bench behind Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley Jr. Yes, currently they have Jordan Clarkson operating in that role, but he’s set to be a free agent after this season, and there’s no telling whether he’ll be back in Utah in the future. Lewis Jr. will also be able to change up the tempo a bit for Utah when he’s on the court. The Jazz ranked 24th in pace this year, but the speedy Lewis Jr. should be able to boost that up a bit.

Well, this pick certainly isn’t the most important thing to Bucks fans right now with the playoffs looming. Milwaukee hasn’t had a playoff run as important as this one looks to be in decades. If they win, it sure seems likely Giannis Antetokounmpo continues his career as a member of the Bucks after next season, but if they don’t bring it all home, well, Bucks fans might not want to think of what could happen.

Everything the Bucks do should be about surrounding Antetokounmpo with the most talent possible and the best chance to win a title. Whether that’s trading this pick away or making it and keeping the player is certainly up for debate. Adding a guy that’s a capable 3-point shooter in the backcourt could be a sneakily helpful pickup for the Bucks. They were fourth in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game but just 18th in 3-point percentage. Upgrading the shooters could turn them into more of a nightmare to deal with.

Speaking of teams that need shooting…the Sixers may have been the most underwhelming team this season. Folks out there picked them to win the Finals, have the best record in the NBA, or, at the very least, be competent. Instead, they’re the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which feels absolutely unthinkable compared to where they were at in the beginning of this season.

If the Sixers can’t find a way to get past Boston in the first round, it’s fair to think that there are pretty big changes coming in Philly. That makes this pick a difficult one to make. With that said, this is a team that is certainly short on shooting from the outside, which is part of the reason why things haven’t fit very well. If nothing else, Mannion, one of the three Arizona Wildcats players likely to be selected in the first round, should be able to do that early on.

Miami might be one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs. There’s certainly reason to be happy that Jimmy Butler gets to face off against T.J. Warren in the first round of the playoffs, but if Miami gets past that, things could get really interesting against Milwaukee in the second round.

Part of the reason that Miami has been so good this year is the development of Bam Adebayo into an All-Star. The Heat is at their best when he’s at the five, but bringing in an energy guy off the bench to back him up at that position certainly could be a good addition. Achiuwa isn’t much of a threat from the outside, but Miami has enough shooters for that to not be much of an issue.

It feels like everything the Nuggets touch turns to gold. They’ve taken risks on guys in the draft, drafted well at the top, drafted well in the second round, and it just feels like they haven’t missed. It certainly feels like they have an abundance of guards on the roster, especially with Nikola Jokic basically playing as the league’s biggest point guard.

That means Denver adding another 3-and-D wing could be a good move, even if it’s adding a guy that certainly needs time to develop. McDaniels didn’t have a great showing in his only year at Washington but still has the potential to be a good NBA player. He’s 6'9" with a wingspan that’s nearly 7', a decent shooting ability, and athletic enough to be a switchable defender. You can’t ask for much more with the 24th pick in the draft.

Everyone reading this has to be super excited that we’re going to get to see Chris Paul against James Harden in the first-round of the playoffs, right? It stinks Russell Westbrook might not be available for the start of the series, but this one is just absolutely oozing with storylines as the Thunder have overachieved to even get to this point.

OKC might look pretty different from what they currently are over the next couple of years, especially considering that it feels like they own every pick the Clippers have for the rest of eternity. But one of the spots where it makes sense to start thinking about the future is at the center position. Steven Adams might be a piece that makes sense to be moved in the not-so-distant future, and Stewart could be the next man up.

Ah, yes, welcome back Knicks fans. Hope you’re still celebrating your lottery victory. That definitely is a good omen and certainly means you’ll be picked in the real lottery next week. Good to see you again.

One of the few pieces that the Knicks have that’s worth keeping right now is Mitchell Robinson. He’s potentially a future Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best shot blockers in basketball, no doubt about it. But adding another center doesn’t mean giving up on Robinson, especially when Smith plays a very different style on the offensive end of the floor.

The Celtics really seem to like getting value out of cheap bigs and Pokusvski certainly would be that for a bit on his rookie contract. He’s got the potential to be an offensive weapon, but it’s hard to believe that he’ll be ready to contribute to the Celtics next season. He certainly can one day be a stretch five that impacts the game in a big way, but he’s a bit of a risk to take right now. He’ll need to put on muscle to survive in the post, currently standing at 7', 201 pounds.

The Lakers haven’t looked all that great since the NBA restarted. LeBron James looks like he’s still trying to ramp up for the playoffs, Anthony Davis turned in a few below-average games, and there are real questions about who the third-best player on the team is. We’ll get answers soon enough.

This pick is certainly not in the front of the mind of any Lakers fan, but it is one they currently own. A trade here would be no surprise to anyone but selecting a backup point guard here would make sense should the pick be made. Winston is one of the older players in this draft and doesn’t necessarily have a very high ceiling in the NBA. He does, however, have a pretty high floor and could make a nice career in the league as a role player.

Man, the Raptors have certainly looked like a team that’s capable of winning the title down in Orlando. There may be questions about how reliable their offense will be when things really tighten up down the stretch of big playoff games, but you really cannot count the champs out until they’re all the way done.

There are questions moving forward about how long Kyle Lowry may be part of the picture and with Fred VanVleet a free agent after this season, looking at the future of the backcourt may be a necessity the Raptors have to confront. Jones is a bit undersized, just like his brother, Tyus, but he’ll be able to run an offense and defend at a decent level right away. If the Raptors can develop him the way they have VanVleet and Lowry, well, the sky is the limit.

Drafting a project here for the Celtics makes some sense. Bey isn’t NBA-ready and played out of position while at Colorado. He was essentially used as a big man for the Buffaloes but will likely spend most of his time on the wing in the NBA. That experience should help him be a decent defender who can switch across many different positions, but his offensive game will need to be entirely re-worked.