2020 NBA Mock Draft: 8/21/20

With the draft order officially set, now is a great time for my latest 2020 NBA Mock Draft exercise. I do not think this is a good draft at all, but it still counts, so hopefully some of these guys surprise.

Pick #	Name	Analysis
2020 NBA Mock Draft – 8/21/20
1	PG LaMelo Ball, United States – 6’7, 190 lbs	It is too early to determine whether this will be LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards. I like Ball’s fit next to De’Angelo Russell in the Minnesota back court, and his name could get people watching Tiberwolves basketball again.
2	SG Anthony Edwards, Georgia – 6’3, 235 lbs	Anthony Edwards would be a great sixth man who can play backup minutes at the 1 through 3. He would give Golden State 20-25 minutes of solid scoring per game. I do not hold the poor shooting percentages against him. He tried to do too much for an average Georgia team. Of course, this pick could easily be traded as the Warriors hope to be back to full strength in 20-21.
3	C James Wiseman, Memphis – 7’1, 247 lbs	I am not really sure why James Wiseman gets shafted in mock drafts. At worst, he is a shoe-in top five pick. His game is quite NBA friendly, and he would work well off of Charlotte’s ball dominant guards as a guy who can catch lobs and play solid defense. His biggest shortcoming could be what is between his ears. Does he want to be great?
4	SF Deni Avdija, Israel – 6’9, 225 lbs	Deni Advija took over for Luka Doncic as perhaps the top talent in Europe. He has length and is a very solid all around small forward. Chicago would love to move on from Otto Porter and Advija could be a good replacement.
5	PF Obi Toppin, Dayton – 6’9, 220 lbs	Obi Toppin reminds me of Kenneth Faried with a jump shot. He may never be an All Star, but the Cavaliers need guys with his kind of determination and effort.
6	SG Killian Hayes, France – 6’5, 192 lbs	The Hawks have a nice core that simply needs time to grow. Adding additional scoring is never a bad thing, however. Hayes is adept with the ball in his hands, but can play second fiddle to the dominating Trae Young as well.
7	C Onyeka Okongwu, USC – 6’9, 245 lbs	A PER lover’s dream, Onyeka Okongwu can do a little bit of everything for your team, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or playing defense. The Pistons are starting over from scratch and simply need to go with the best player available.
8	SF Isaac Okoro, Auburn – 6’6, 225 lbs	Isaac Okoro will not be the type of superstar name Knicks fans want, but what do you expect with the eighth overall pick? Okoro is NBA ready defensively, and has a developing jump shot. That kind of guy is always valuable, especially with a defensively challenged team like New York.
9	SF Devin Vassell, Florida State – 6’7, 195 lbs	The Wizards hope to get John Wall back next year, and with he and Bradley Beal dominating the ball, Washington will want to surround them with spot up shooters. Devin Vassell is one of the best in this class.
10	SF Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt – 6’6, 215 lbs	Aaron Nesmith is coming off of a serious injury, but the delay of the 20-21 season should work in his favor. Nesmith is a wing with size who could be a solid shooter/defender for the Suns.
11	PG Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State – 6’5, 175 lbs	The Spurs have a few talented, tall lead guards already, but this is a team in transition who should just go after the best player available. Tyrese Haliburton is not an elite athlete, but is a hard working passer and potential elite defender. He would be a great fit in San Antonio.
12	SG RJ Hampton, United States – 6’5, 185 lbs	In a weak draft, if you are outside the top five or ten, you just draft a guy you hope can be a part of your rotation. RJ Hampton has top five talent, but he did not develop as hoped his year in Australia, shooting a low percentage. The Kings have two very good guards that could help unlock Hampton’s potential as a backup combo guard.
13	PG Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama – 6’3, 165 lbs	I have not lost faith in Lonzo Ball, but it never hurts to have a capable backup. Kira Lewis, a lightning bug scorer, may be the fastest player in this class.
14	C Aleksej Pokusevski, Serbia – 7’0, 205 lbs	FROM MEM. Eventually the Celtics are going to have to start paying all of these young draft picks. Aleksej Pokusevski is this year’s draft and stash guy who can either become a solid rotation player or fizzle out like a lot of the others. He will have to put on major weight before he considers a jump to the league.
15	PG Cole Anthony, North Carolina – 6’3, 190 lbs	Cole Anthony did not do himself any favors with a less than spectacular offensive effort efficiency wise. Anthony is longer a top five pick, but he is a solid gamble in the teens, especially if a team like Orlando who always needs some bench scoring picks him up.
16	SF Tyler Bey, Colorado – 6’7, 215 lbs	Tyler Bey will never be a fantasy darling, but he is the perfect type of player for a playoff team to add. He chips in a bit everywhere on defense, and will not hurt you when shooting the ball. A great glue player for Portland.
17	PF Patrick Williams, Florida State – 6’8, 225 lbs	FROM BRK. Patrick Williams is the youngest player in this class and will need some time to develop. The Timberwolves are a bad team with multiple first round picks, so this would be a good fit. Williams has the potential to be a bouncy scorer who can knock down a jump shot and play solid defense.
18	SG Josh Green, Arizona – 6’6, 210 lbs	Josh Green can shoot the ball and play some solid defense. Do you see a theme? Teams are always looking for guys who can make an impact without the ball in their hands, and Green is a guy who could co-exist with Luka Doncic in Dallas.
19	PF Precious Achiuwa, Memphis – 6’9, 234 lbs	FROM PHI. When Memphis lost James Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa really stepped up, averaging a double double for Penny Hardaway’s crew. Not a natural offensive player, he will be limited to a guy who hustles on defense, rebounds and scores on putbacks, though he is working on his perimeter game.
20	PF Paul Reed, DePaul – 6’9, 220 lbs	Paul Reed is another guy who can chip in here and there with some blocks, rebounds, steals and points. He has the ability to be a solid rotational big man for the Heat or any other playoff team.
21	PG Tyrell Terry, Stanford – 6’2, 160 lbs	FROM OKC. Tyrell Terry was not one of the heavily talked about freshman coming into the season, but he worked his way into solid first round consideration with the ability to shoot and lead a team. The 76ers desperately need some shooting, and Terry could provide that as a part of the team’s second unit.
22	C Vernon Carey Jr., Duke – 6’10, 270 lbs	FROM HOU. I feel bad for Vernon Carey Jr. A generation ago he would have been in the consideration for the top overall pick. The game has changed, however, and a guy who put up monster numbers for a top college program is on the first round bubble. The Nuggets are a deep team that is not afraid to take a risk. Carey Jr. is not the best athlete, but he could be a solid big off the bench.
23	PG Theo Maledon, France – 6’5, 180 lbs	There is talent here, but Theo Maledon just has not produced yet. Talks of him being a lottery pick are in the past, but a team like the Jazz who could look to groom a possible point guard of the future could look his way. Maledon will need to spend more time overseas fine tuning his game.
24	SG Desmond Bane, TCU – 6’6, 215 lbs	FROM IND. Yeah, seniors still get drafted in the first round! Desmond Bane is your classic playoff team draft pick. A guy with plenty of experience who can handle the ball a little bit and shoot the rock. He will not see much time on a deep Bucks team, but could step in if injuries surface.
25	SG Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech – 6’4, 195 lbs	FROM DEN. The Thunder have quite a few capable young guards, but this is best player available territory. For the third straight year, a Texas Tech Red Raider freshman is a first round draft pick. Jahmi’us Ramsey does not do much at this point other than shoot, but youth is on his side.
26	C Reggie Perry, Mississippi State – 6’9, 250 lbs	Robert Williams has not panned out for Boston, so in steps Reggie Perry as the big man in training. Perry is not a great defender, but could be a plus scorer off the bench with range out to the three point line.
27	SF Saddiq Bey, Villanova – 6’8, 216 lbs	FROM LAC. A surprise declaration, but Saddiq Bey has legit NBA talent. A good three point shooter and a guy who can handle the ball a bit, he could carve out a role as a good sixth man on a weak New York roster.
28	PG Tre Jones, Duke – 6’3, 190 lbs	Like his brother, Tre Jones has the makings of a very solid backup point guard. He can spell the starters for a bit and not make many mistakes, though he will not get run on a deep Lakers team.
29	PG Devon Dotson, Kansas – 6’2, 185 lbs	Look no further than Charlotte to see how well a Kansas point guard can fare. Dotson is a lot like Devonte Graham, and I think he will develop into a decent starter in the NBA. A possible steal for a Raptors team that could lose Fred VanVleet in the off-season.
30	C Daniel Oturu, Minnesota – 6’9, 240 lbs	FROM MIL. Daniel Oturu is not NBA ready, but he possesses quite a few skills that could be valuable to an NBA team. Shot blocking and shooting especially.

Round 2

31. Dallas Mavericks (from GS) – SF Jordan Nwora, Louisville
32. Charlotte Hornets (from CLE) – SF Jaden McDaniels, Washington
33. Minnesota Timberwolves – SG Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
34. Philadelphia 76ers (from ATL) – C Zeke Nnaji, Arizona
35. Sacramento Kings (from DET) – C Isaiah Stewart, Washington
36. Philadelphia 76ers (from NY) – PF Jalen Smith, Maryland
37. Washington Wizards (from CHI) – PG Nico Mannion, Arizona
38. New York Knicks (from CHA) – SG Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky
39. New Orleans Pelicans (from WAS) – C Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
40. Memphis Grizzlies (from PHX) – PG Payton Pritchard, Oregon
41. San Antonio Spurs – PF Xavier Tillman, Michigan State
42. New Orleans Pelicans – SG Leandro Bolmaro, Argentina
43. Sacramento Kings – PF Paul Ebola, Cameroon
44. Chicago Bulls (from MEM) – PG Markus Howard, Marquette
45. Orlando Magic – PG Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
46. Portland Trail Blazers – SG Cassius Stanley, Duke
47. Boston Celtics (from BRK) – SG Abdoulaye N’Doye, France
48. Golden State Warriors (from DAL) – SG Elijah Hughes, Syracuse
49. Philadelphia 76ers – SG Isaiah Joe, Arkansas
50. Atlanta Hawks (from MIA) – SF Kenyon Martin Jr., United States
51. Golden State Warriors (from UTA) – PF Borisa Simanic, Serbia
52. Sacramento Kings (from HOU) – C Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown
53. Oklahoma City Thunder – C Nick Richards, Kentucky
54. Indiana Pacers – PG Grant Riller, Charleston
55. Brooklyn Nets (from DEN) – PF Killian Tillie, Gonzaga
56. Charlotte Hornets (from BOS) – PG Yam Madar, Israel
57. Los Angeles Clippers – SG Henri Drell, Estonia
58. Philadelphia 76ers (from LAL) – PF Biram Faye, Senegal
59. Toronto Raptors – SF Robert Woodard, Mississippi State
60. New Orleans Pelicans (from MIL) – C Austin Wiley, Auburn