by Brian Abate, Chris DiGeronimo, and Gianluca Milea
"I don't look at a man who's an expert in one area as a specialist. I look at him as a rookie in ten other areas." - Conor McGregor
While the 2020 Draft class doesn’t feature anyone quite like Zion Williamson, there is still plenty of intrigue. The lottery highlights some new additions, like the Warriors who haven’t had a top-14 pick in a while, along with some familiar ones like the Knicks, Hornets and Cavs. The draft will have some mystery to it as many of the top prospects missed significant time last season due to injuries and the Coronavirus pandemic. The selection was also pushed back from June to October, but should be well worth the wait. Here are our predictions with the Scrambler Sports 2020 NBA mock draft.
1. Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards
The lottery balls fell in the Timberwolves favor, and now they hold the rights to the number one overall pick for the first time since 2015. Minnesota won’t be drafting a franchise altering player like they did in 2015 with Karl Anthony Towns, but they will be drafting a complimentary piece in Edwards that will fit really well alongside newly acquired D’Angelo Russell. Edwards has the talent to contribute right away and will hopefully help to bring Minnesota back into contention in a tough Western Conference.
2. Warriors: James Wiseman
After dominating the NBA for the past few seasons the Warriors lost Kevin Durant to free agency and both Splash Bros to injuries. Golden State went all-in on tanking when they traded All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell during the season and it landed them this pick. The one thing the Warriors have lacked over the past few years is a dominant big man. Now they can add one in Wiseman, who has the potential to be very good at both ends of the court. They could also trade the pick if they get the right offer for it.
3. Hornets: LaMelo Ball
Probably the player being talked about the most in the draft is LaMelo Ball. He has been in the spotlight since a young age from the nature of his family reality TV show and being a face of Big Baller Brand. LaMelo has been labeled as a high draft pick for years now and we will finally be able to see if he is worthy. He will almost certainly go top 5 and it will be interesting to see who takes the risk on him. His offensive talent is undeniable, he can shoot from anywhere on the floor and get by people with ease. His decision making and defense leave much to be desired. The Hornets, like many other teams on this list need a lot of help and taking a shot on LaMelo Ball might not be a bad idea, especially if he is able to live up to the hype.
4. Bulls: Obi Toppin
The Bulls have been rebuilding for a while but they might finally have the opportunity to draft the piece that will complete the rebuild and re-start the rise of the Bulls we love to hate. Toppin’s athleticism and rebounding ability will definitely fit well with the likes of Zach Lavine and Coby White. It will be very interesting to see if Chicago’s next head coach will be able to take this young core to the next level with the addition of Toppin.
5. Cavaliers: Deni Avdija
The Cavs lack skilled young forwards and drafting Avdija will help address that. He is not yet elite in any one area of his game but is solid all around and is 6’8 but still capable of being a playmaker. If he can improve his shooting, he can be a very good offensive player.
6. Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu
Okongwu is a beast. After joining the Ball brothers at Chino Hills, he went to USC to average 16.2 ppg and 8.6 rpg. He will almost certainly be an incredible talent for years to come no matter where he goes. The Hawks have a nice young core with Trae Young, Cam Reddish, John Collins, and Clint Capela. Okongwu would fit right in and be able to grow along side his young teammates at just 19 years of age.
7. Pistons: Tyrese Haliburton
After trading Andre Drummond at the deadline, it was clear to fans that the Pistons are indeed looking to rebuild. Haliburton gives them that first piece to build around due to his scoring and facilitating ability. Haliburton averaged 15.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 steals during his sophomore year at Iowa State. Haliburton joins the trend of elite young point guards that could turn their teams' fortunes around in a hurry.
8. Knicks: Devin Vassel
As usual, the Knicks had tough luck in the draft lottery but that doesn’t mean they won’t get a good player. After years of being one of the worst shooting teams in the league, New York can finally address that weakness by taking Vassel. Unlike Kevin Knox, Vassel proved he was an excellent shooter in college and he also has the potential to be an above average defender.
9. Wizards: Killian Hayes
Hayes is a tremendously talented French guard. At just 19 years of age, he has already shown the ability to be an effective playmaker and control the pace of the game. The Wizards need a lot of help and Hayes could be an interesting piece to play behind John Wall, or perhaps start in the coming years, if Wall struggles to overcome his devastating injury history.
10. Suns- Tyrese Maxey
If the Suns bubble performance was any indication of how they are going to play going forward, watch out Western Conference. The Suns have been stacking up young talent for years, but it never seems to work out. Devin Booker is an All-NBA player that needs All-NBA talent around him. With the right development, consistent coaching, and the right draft picks, the Suns could be very dangerous. Maxey has the talent to be the number one point guard the Suns desperately need. Maxey averaged 14 points, 3.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in his lone season at Kentucky. Booker and Maxey could be a dynamic duo for years to come.
11. Spurs: Isaac Okoro
Okoro is an excellent defender with a high IQ and plenty of potential offensively. While he still needs to improve on his shooting, he would go much higher in the draft if it weren’t for his serious leg injury. Luckily, the Spurs are a patient team that commits to developing their young players. He should benefit from playing for Gregg Popovich.
12. Kings: R.J. Hampton
Perhaps the most intriguing story of this year’s draft is that of R.J. Hampton. A five star recruit coming out of high school, Hampton had his choice of practically any school in the country. After getting caught up in a difficult situation with the NCAA and an agent allegedly offering him money, Hampton ultimately decide to take his talent overseas and forego college. Hampton played well in New Zealand and cut his stint there short to return home and begin working out for the upcoming draft. It will be interesting to see how much he slides after not being in the spotlight for a while, or if teams will take a chance on the tremendous upside he brings to the table. If he slips out of the top 10, Sacramento would be lucky to have him.
13. Pelicans: Aleksej Pokusevski
The Pelicans hit it big last year as they were awarded the almighty Zion Williamson with the number one pick. After a promising campaign they are back in the lottery to add some more talent to their developing roster. Pokuesvski would be the perfect addition to this roster due to his 7’0 foot frame and dominating presence in the paint. Pokusevski is a versatile, floor spacing big that can be used in a variety of roles. If they are lucky enough to get him at 13 he will be a good complimenting piece for the likes of Williamson, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.
14. Celtics: Patrick Williams
The Celtics don’t have any glaring weaknesses and given their depth, they can afford to be patient with Williams. He just turned 19-years-old and has plenty of upside. He defends well, is athletic and does a little bit of everything. He can bring the Celtics energy off the bench early in his career and then develop into a starter for them.
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