NBA Mock Draft 2020: LaMelo Ball is the # 1 choice, goes higher than its brother Lonzo Ball – CBS Sports

It seemed unlikely, a year ago, that the Bal’s youngest brother (LaMelo) would be selected higher in this project than the Bal’s oldest brother (Lonzo) had been selected three projects ago – but we there we are. The 6-foot-7-inch point guard, still just 18, has become an incredible playmaker and passer who played professionally well in Australia last season. Some will choose to focus on their perceived negatives and low shooting percentages. But when you focus on what he can do and the rarity for someone his age to do these things, Ball becomes a legitimate option to be the first player chosen in this project.

No one has helped themselves more this season than Toppin. The former zero-star rookie who became CBS Sports’ National Player of the Year, averaged 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 63.3% on the field and 39.0% from the range of 3 points. He’s a super athletic striker who soaks everything and reliably makes jumpers in pick-and-pop situations. The fact that he’s already 22 is something that needs to be taken into account but that shouldn’t matter as much as the idea that Toppin has a chance of being the most impactful player selected in this project.

Edwards is a great, strong, athletic goalie who is one of at least four players who could reasonably be selected first. First-year 6-5 player averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in his only Georgia season, but only 40.2% on the field and 29.4% at 3 points. So it was really good but not great. And while I clearly see the same celebrity potential that everyone sees with Edwards, I just think Ball and Toppin will have better NBA careers.

Wiseman’s decision to leave Memphis in mid-season has raised eyebrows with some NBA leaders – but his natural ability is so overwhelming that he can’t slide too far into a project as devoid of high-end talent . Obviously, this is the worst moment in the history of professional basketball to be a center and only a center because the position has never been less valued. But it’s still hard to imagine a physical specimen like Wiseman going lower, or at least much lower, than the fourth or fifth of this project.

Avdija should be the first non-American international prospect to step out of the picture. He is a most useful former player of the FIBA ​​European Under-20 Championships who is now a rotational player for Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 19-year-old Israeli performed well in the games that led to the suspension of the season. At 6-9, he is tall enough to play powerful but still skillful enough to play on the wing. His shooting has improved. So, according to most reviewers, Avdija now projects herself as one of the top five choices.

Knee surgery during Anthony’s season which limited him to just 22 games is the main reason – not the only reason, but certainly the biggest reason – the Tar Heels season has exploded. Remember, they were 6-3 with a victory over the eventual champion of Pac-12 (Oregon) before Anthony got injured, but they were never the same after. The leader’s 6-3 shot numbers as a rookie leave much to be desired, but he has taken so many hard shots, sometimes out of necessity, that it is difficult to know exactly what to do with them. Either way, Anthony is probably not a real # 1 option as we once believed. But a place in the upper half of the lottery is still possible.

Okongwu has mostly worked off the national radar this season because he played for an unclassified team on the west coast. But he was fantastic – averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds while drawing 61.6% of the field. It is the main reason why the USC won 16 of its first 20 games and would have participated in the NCAA tournament. Is the center too small? Yes. But the NBA is now full of undersized centers. So, even if he didn’t think of that way out of high school, it’s now reasonable to call Okongwu the second best central draft prospect.

Halburton, like Toppin, is an example of a largely unknown high school student who became a statistical monster in college. The sophomore 6-5 averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 50.4% from the field and 41.9% from the 3-point range before sustaining an injury end of season early February. It is therefore a head guard with a size that is constantly firing. Each team needs these types of players.

Hayes is an American-born point guard who grew up in France and spent this season playing professionally in Germany. The 6-5, 18-year-old shared the most valuable player in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic international game, averaging 12.0 points and 5.6 assists for a German team before the suspension of the season. Hayes is better inside the arc than outside the arc, which is a way of saying that his 3-point shot needs to improve. But it does enough things well enough to make it worthy of a lottery choice.

Okoro was only a hope in the top 40 after graduating from high school, but he quickly became one of the best freshmen in college basketball. He averaged 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds for an Auburn team that started 15-0 and finished 24-4 with Okoro in the lineup. His athleticism and his ability to cut off the opposing wings thanks to defensive instincts which are exceptionally great for an 18 year old youngster are his best assets. A franchise looking for a top player who influences victory should make them a top 10 player.

Hampton could have made a difference for Kansas and made the Jayhawks even better than they were – which was already the best team in the country. It’s crazy to consider. But it was always difficult to blame him for taking advantage of an opportunity to play abroad, earn real money, and prepare for the draft by facing professionals. He will be a combo guard in the NBA, probably for many years to come, thanks to a versatile offensive game that allows him to play in different ways.

The Memphis season cap was lowered considerably when Wiseman left, but it’s hard to say that Achiuwa did not personally benefit from it at least statistically. The super athletic striker averaged 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, making him the only freshman in the sport to achieve a double-double. It is great in transition, efficient around the rim, comfortable away and able to keep small players in space. All of this, combined with an excellent engine, should be enough to make Achiuwa a lottery choice.

Bey was just a rookie under the age of 125 in the 2018 class, the least anticipated prospect in Villanova’s four-player class. So the idea that he can be a player in pairs and who is selected in the first round speaks of his development and growth over the past two years. The 6-8 forward has an average of 16.1 points while making 45.1% of his 3-point attempts this season for a Villanova team that shared the Big East title. It has the potential to be very good at both ends of the field.

It is true that Nesmith has only played 14 games this season before suffering a foot injury which ends the season, which means that the sample size is rather small. But it cannot be ignored that the 6-6 guard succeeded 52.2% of the 115 3-points he attempted. It’s an incredible percentage. When you consider that Nesmith has a good size for his position, as well as a good body, it is not crazy to think that he could sneak into the back of the lottery.

Maxey got 26 points in the season’s opening win against Michigan State, while showing all the things that made him believe he would be Britain’s top scorer. But, for much of the season, the freshman 6-3 was inconsistent when he only made 29.2% of his 3-point attempts. Anyway, Maxey still plans mainly as a lottery choice because he measures well, can probably be a better shooter than what the season has suggested, and is really good at scoring inside the arc .

Maledon is a qualified athlete and an interesting prospect – even if this season, while playing professionally in France, has not gone well. He missed time with an injury and was generally disappointing (although, in all fairness, he has played better over the season). Anyway, it’s important to note that in 2018 he became the youngest LNB All-Star in history. And the talent that made this possible still exists.

Stewart was perhaps the only good thing about Washington’s extremely disappointing season which culminated in the Huskies finishing last in the Pac-12. Center 6-9 led Washington to points (17.0), rebounds (8.8) and blocks (2.1). Scouts recognize that guarding in space could be an issue. But Stewart’s high engine, incredible production and superior skills than some people realize should keep him in the top 20.

Mannion has only shot 32.7% from the 3-point range this season, which is obviously not great for a point guard who has a lot of the ball in his hands. But he is still an interesting talent because of his ability to read and execute an offense. Is he athletic or physically impressive compared to the current leading NBA guards? And it is an undeniable concern. But, in the simplest terms, I believe Mannion understands things.

Vassell’s numbers – 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game – don’t jump off the screen, but it has more to do with playing Florida State than anything else. The Seminoles had four players who averaged between 9.2 points and 12.7 points. Leonard Hamilton’s team was therefore simply balanced at the top. Anyway, what’s important to note is that Vassell has made 41.7% of his 168 3-point attempts over the past two seasons. This suggests that it is a two-way wing that can make jumpers reliably, which is why it should enter the top 20.

Not all prospects returning for their second seasons really help themselves – but Smith clearly did. He added strength, improved his field goal percentage by 4.6 points, his 3 point percentage by 8.0 points and averaged more points (15.5), rebounds (10.5 ) and blocks (2.4) from the previous year while helping Maryland win a share. of the Big Ten title. The 6-10 striker should be able to play either 4 or 5 at the next level. This makes him a real option anywhere outside the lottery.

McDaniels is a 6-9 striker who has the skills to operate on the perimeter, which is the main thing that has always made him an obvious prospect. But his first year season did not go well. He was the most disappointing player on a disappointing team – the one who led the Pac-12 into fouls. McDaniels, at one point, was even benched by his coach, Mike Hopkins. So, even if McDaniels’ advantage will lead him to be selected in the first round, he has done nothing to help himself during his only season in Washington.

Jones is nothing sexy. He doesn’t create a lot of highlights and neither is he a great shooter. But he remains a great race leader, who really defends at one end of the field and really creates opportunities for his teammates on the other. He has averaged 16.2 points and 6.4 assists this season – and has managed to shoot well enough to make his 3 point percentage at 36.1. So there are enough good things about it that selecting it in the 1920s would be a wise option for any franchise that wants to pass a choice in this range to someone whose cap might be lower than others, but whose floor is certainly higher.

Williams is probably more of a long-term investment than an instant impact rookie since he is only 18 and growing. But the 6-8 forward was a good part of a Florida State team that won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title and had a solid streak in the streak. while scoring double digits in five of the Seminoles’ last seven games. . Again, he may not be helping the NBA team much next season. But what Williams could become in a year or two is enough to make him select in the first round.

Ramsey was one of the top 35 hopefuls after high school who, like Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver before him, became a first-round pick after working with Chris Beard at Texas Tech. Guard 6-4 averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 42.6% from a 3 point range. There are concerns that he is doing really well in addition to shooting. But shooting is extremely important in today’s NBA. Ramsey should therefore be selected in the first round – perhaps in adolescence but certainly in the 1920s.

Tillman has used his size and strength to be one of the best big defenses in the country this season – a player who is also comfortable guarding space on the perimeter. The 6-8 striker averaged 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 55.0% from the field. He also made 37% of his 3-point attempts inside the Breslin Center, suggesting that he will be able to jump into the NBA and spend many years in the league as a reliable presence and quality on the front line.

It’s crazy that Arizona only tied for fifth in Pac-12 with three first-round picks planned, but that’s what happened – and some of them were tied to the Green inconsistency. He showed flashes, of course. But the truth is that the 6-6 wing is more advanced defensively than offensively, and there are real concerns about its ability to land the ball and pass it. So, while his athleticism and tenacity will make him choose in the first round, the questions attached to Green could theoretically push him out of the top 30.

This same version of Carey would be a top 10 in another era. But with devalued and sometimes unplayable non-sports centers in today’s NBA, there are many things that work against the Duke star even if he was the best freshman in college basketball this season , averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds for a team that finished fifth. at KenPom. Will it be played on the field by certain opponents in certain situations? Yes, it seems likely. And that’s why going somewhere in the 1920s, as opposed to somewhere in the lottery, is probably the best scenario for Carey.

Lewis is a sophomore but will still be only 19 the night of the draft. He is therefore young. . And it is light. But the 6-3 point has been super productive this season – averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds for an Alabama team that finished 60th at KenPom. He has shot 36.6% of the 3-point range this season. But Lewis has actually made 48.8% of his attempts beyond the arc in Crimson Tide’s last seven games, suggesting that he may be a reliable, if not great, perimeter shooter as a professional .

Winston is small and not the best athlete. It will therefore never measure or test very well – and this will hijack certain franchises. But he is smart, excellent in pick-and-roll situations and someone who has proven to be a top marksman in four years of college achieving 43.0% of the 602 3 points he tried during his career in the state of Michigan. The teams that choose from this range are often good teams who are already winning by looking for a piece that can perhaps help immediately. Winston is someone who could help an NBA team immediately.

Nnaji emerged as the biggest surprise in Arizona’s freshman class. The 6-11 striker was a hopeful among the top 40 after school, just the Wildcats’ third best rookie on paper. But he was Sean Miller’s most productive player – the one who averaged 16.1 points and a rebound of 8.6 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game. Ideally, Nnaji develops into a power striker who can create space rather than trying to be a full-time center because he is not really a rim protector. Anyway, in the depths of the first round, the rapidly developing perspective deserves a serious look.