NBA draft board: Which prospects have the best shot of succeeding in the pros?
After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft, which was scheduled Nov. 18, than any previous year.
Executives relied mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intelligence they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.
This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the top players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA. Here is our top 20.
1. LaMelo Ball, Illawarra Hawks (Australian NBL)
Guard, 6-7, 19
USC’s Onyeka Okongwu, who played high school basketball with Ball, said: “He is confident, and he is creative. I’ve never seen anyone as confident as him. … He can handle the ball, and he can shoot. He just has it all. He is talented. He is a once-in-a-lifetime player. He has been my friend since I was a little kid. We have always told each other we were going to see each other in the league, and it’s about to become a reality.”
When you combine his passing ability with his size and scoring bursts, there is plenty of reason to believe he should be seen as the top prospect in this class.
2. Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Wing, 6-5, 19
During his freshman year at Georgia, his scoring output increased as the season progressed. He scored extremely well within five feet of the rim, and he can be an above-average defender by virtue of his athleticism alone. He is an explosive slasher and who has the makings of a franchise alpha, which will become an even more realistic projection if his shooting develops in a professional system.
3. Onyeka Okongwu, USC
Big, 6-9, 19
Okongwu is the type of player who can fit into an NBA rotation sooner rather than later. He said about the defensive mentality he will bring to the pros: “First, you’re going to get a defender. I take a lot of pride in playing defense. I love defense. I’ve been playing elite defense since I was a little kid. I take a lot of pride in defense coming naturally for me. You’re also getting an athlete. I’m a player who can run up and down the court with a high motor. I am trying to improve my jump shot but I know I have good touch and polish. I can be a great face-up, low-post scorer. I had a lot of rip-throughs and jabs. I know teams will have to respect that.”
Okongwu averaged 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game during his freshman season at USC.
4. James Wiseman, Memphis
Big, 7-1, 19
Wiseman, the nation’s No. 1 recruit coming out of East High School in Memphis, Tennessee, last year, stands 7-1 with a 7-6 wingspan and a massive 9-3 standing reach. He has the size and frame of a prototypical big man, and even if his offensive game does not reach its full potential, he can be a strong defensive presence based on his stature alone.
5. Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
Guard, 6-5, 20
Haliburton is a lengthy guard who has been a high-level and
cerebral playmaker. His low usage rate shows he is capable of making a difference without the ball in his hands, which means he could play alongside top stars and still make an impact. He is one of the most NBA-ready “3-and-D” prospects, as he shot 41.9% from 3-point range, and his steal percentage (3.8%) ranked second-best among high-major underclassmen.
6. Isaac Okoro, Auburn Wing, 6-6, 19
Okoro is going to have a lot of fans in front offices because he is likely the best perimeter defender in this draft. Okoro shot 67.8% at the rim as a freshman, and the majority of those attempts were unassisted. He has been capable of creating his own offense on post-up attempts, isolation looks, ball handling in transition and putbacks. The biggest concern with Okoro is that fewer than 20% of his field goals were from beyond
five feet of the basket.
7. Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm Ulm (German BBL)
Guard, 6-5, 19
Hayes is a combo guard with good positional size. He led the top German league in transition scoring (3.3 points a game) at age 18, connecting on more than 84% of such attempts. He ranked fifth-best for isolation scoring (2.3 ppg) in the EuroCup, shooting well off the dribble. Meanwhile, his distribution (5.1 assists per game) ranked third-best during those games. He won MVP at the U16 Euro Championship in 2017 and was named to the all-tournament team at the 2018 U17 World Cup.
8. Obi Toppin, Dayton
Forward, 6-9, 22
Toppin won the Naismith and Wooden awards as the top college player in the country.
There is a reason why Bleacher Report has called Toppin “the most popular prospect” among NBA front offices. He still needs to improve as a defender to be a winning player at the next level. But he is a prolific dunker who has decent shooting touch, offering the ideal package as an inside-out scorer.
9. R.J. Hampton, New Zealand Breakers (Australian NBL)
Guard, 6-5, 19
Hampton is one of the most athletic prospects in this class. He registered 28.8 points per game for Drive Nation on the Nike EYBL AAU circuit in 2019, per Open Look Analytics, and six assists per game on the UA Association circuit in 2018. He has since played professional basketball overseas and has also drastically improved his shooting form working with former NBA swingman Mike Miller.
12. Tyrell Terry, Stanford Guard, 6-1, 20
Terry, who is one of the best shooters off of the catch in this class, has also set records for basketball intelligence testing. Earlier this offseason, he said:
“I think the biggest key for me is having basketball IQ, being smart. I have to be savvy on the court. I can’t just plow through people. I got to maneuver my way around, be smart.”
Terry averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game at Stanford. He also averaged two 3-pointers per contest, shooting a strong 40.8% from beyond the arc. He was especially strong when shooting off the catch. Meanwhile, he averaged 1.4 steals per game on a team whose defensive rating was among NCAA’s top 10.
13. Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
Guard, 6-2, 22
Flynn led the nation in win shares (7.4) last season. He averaged 17.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, and he was especially impressive when playing against top-100 competition as a junior for the Aztecs.
He also led the Mountain West Conference in assists, assists per game and assist percentage. Flynn is arguably the best pick-and-roll passer in this draft class. His teammates scored 95 points when rolling to the basket after passes from Flynn, per Synergy Sports, the most among all draft-eligible prospects who played college basketball in 2019-20.
He is capable of immediately playing for a contender. He was named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the Mountain West last season.
14. Saddiq Bey, Villanova Wing, 6-8, 21
Bey is an NBA-ready player who is an excellent catch-andshoot option. Here is how he sold himself to front offices and NBA decision-makers:
“I wanted to make it clear that I don’t have a low ceiling. I kept proving I still have a lot more potential. Also, I was able to show that I can play and guard multiple positions. Coming in, I was focusing on defensive rebounding and being able to defend guards and wings and big men. On the other end, I wanted to be a threat on every end. Our head coach, Jay Wright, gave me the opportunity to play on the ball a lot. I played some point guard. I played in the low post. I played in the mid-post. That helped my team win. It was also a credit to the guys around me who helped me a part of that amazing culture at Villanova. That paid dividends too.”
He shot 45.1% from 3-point range last season and is an elite catch-and-shoot prospect and spot-up option. He led all players 6-8 or taller in total 3-pointers made in 2019-20. Plus, at his height, it is especially impressive that he has finished 14.6% of his possessions as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll sets.