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]]>We're thinking that, when we look back at this draft class a few years down the line, the most productive players might not be the ones who heard their names called early. Like what often happens in these drafts, we see a few guys taken in the late first round, and even into the second round, who could stick in the league for a long time.
In this piece, Ron and Dev give their three biggest surprises of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ronnie's Surprises
Jalen Smith to Phoenix at No. 10
Seems to be at big reach at this spot for the Suns. Many are not sure his talent level was top 10 worthy, and it doesn’t seem to fit in with the Suns’ current personnel. He skill set is more of a five than a four, and Jalen Smith (Maryland) hasn’t shown that he’s a true stretch four at this time. Plus, if he is more of a traditional pivot, this team already has DeAndre Ayton on its roster. Smith is a talented player, but doesn’t seem to be the wisest choice at this spot.?
Zeke Nnaji to Dener at No. 22
The Nuggets have a nice roster and what would seem to be a bright future with it, but unless they are looking far down the line with Zeke Nnaji (Arizona). He brings some athleticism that The Joker (Nikola Jokic) lacks, but isn’t very polished. If he can develop into a rim protector deserving a quality minutes, then Devour could be on to something, but if the franchise truly coveted this big man it would seem it could have picked him up lower in the draft.?
Teams That Didn’t See Value in Traditional Bigs
With a generational player like Steph Curry and with a healthy Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to complete the trio, it not hard to see why teams want to emulate what Golden State has done for the past decade. It got results, but there are only a few players with the talent level of Curry and Durant around. Most teams have proven it can’t win in that fashion, so it makes no to devalue quality big men. Even Obadiah Toppin is not a traditional big, but he still is a much better talent than the spot he got drafted at (No. 8). Players such as Vernon Carey Jr. (Duke) and Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) seemed to be afterthoughts to many GMs and draft analysts. Why? They can move and are big and physical and can make a difference on the right teams. There is still room in the game for a traditional back to the basket big man. That’s why we think Detroit gained great value at No. 16 with Isaiah Stewart (Washington). He’s physical, you have to account for him, has great character and you know what he’ll give you, which is 10 points, eight rebounds, quality fouls and a team-first approach. Many analysts pegged him to be much lower in the draft because he doesn’t fit the mold of a “modern” power forward, but we thought that was an excellent pick. Again, not many teams will be able to build their team as Golden State did in the 2010s.
Devin's Surprises
Immanuel Quickley jumps into first round
Many mock drafts, including ours, had the former Kentucky guard projected as a solid second round selection, but, as often happens in every NBA Draft, Immanuel Quickley made a huge impression on the New York as the Knicks took him with the 25th overall pick after swinging draft day trade to acquire more selections. The Knicks are looking to be in the thick of a rebuild and most franchises that go through that process put a big emphasis at the guard position and Quickley, when you watch his film and look at his numbers, fits the bill of an NBA-caliber guard. The rangy 6-foot-3 playmaker brings with him a ton of confidence, savvy, ball skills and shot making ability. Quickley averaged better than 16 points per game for the Wildcats during his sophomore season while shooting an impressive 42.8 percent from three-point range.
Nico Mannion's Draft Night Fall
A lot of draft pundits considered Nico Mannion a sure-fire one-and-done lottery pick when he reclassified up a class and announced his commitment to Arizona, but draft night told a different story that might've stung the talented point guard in that moment, but could pay off for him in the long-term based on where he's heading. Golden State selected Mannion with the 48th overall pick in what could be one of the better fits for any player in the 2020 draft when it comes to style of play. Mannion's high basketball IQ, vision, court awareness and all-around feel for the game will be crucial to him getting some rookie playing time with the Warriors. The question marks with Mannion that gave some teams a cause for pause were his three-point shooting consistency and defensive capabilities when it comes to guarding the point guard position at the NBA level. There's no better place to address those two things than with a Golden State franchise looking to get back into the NBA Finals conversation.
Golden State Goes Big at No. 2 Despite Thompson Injury
Some of the biggest news on draft day had nothing to do with the draft itself, but instead an injury to one of the NBA's brightest stars. Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson suffered an achilles injury during a workout and will miss the entire 2020-21 NBA season. With that news breaking shortly before the first pick was announced, my head started churning out scenarios of what Golden State could do with its second pick to make up for the loss of the sharpshooting Thompson. My mind immediately jumped to either a trade to get an established NBA shooter or go the upside route and select LaMelo Ball at No. 2. The Warriors did neither of those things (and maybe that's why I'm not in an NBA front office) and made the safe pick of taking Memphis big man James Wiseman. While Golden State definitely needed to add an impact big man to its roster, and Wiseman fits in great with their style and roster, the basketball junkie in me really wanted to see a Stephen Curry/LaMelo Ball backcourt.
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]]>We’re fairly certain some of the late first round picks will develop into quality players over some of the higher picks towards the back end of the lottery. It happens in nearly every draft and we think the sleepers will what this particular draft will be remembered for a few years down the line.
In this piece Ronnie and Dev make their three picks for which franchises came out in the winner's column on draft night.
Ronnie's Winners
Sacramento Kings - Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa St.) was an excellent pick at No. 12 because he’s a point guard with size and was likely the best available player from pick No. 9 until the kings nabbed him. He can push De'Aaron Fox or play alongside of him. The Kings also got Robert Woodard II (Mississippi St.) at No. 40 and he’s a top-tier athlete and can handle the rigors of guarding wing players. At No. 43, the Kings picked up Jahmius Ramsey (Texas Tech), one of the better our shooters in the draft. If Ramsey can develop into a reliable catch-and-shoot backup, then the Kings just picked up three excellent pieces for their future.
Golden State Warriors - In terms of the actual draft, the Warriors might be the biggest winners because they got the player most physically ready to contribute in this draft. Sure, the Warriors lost when it was revealed Klay Thompson will be lost for the 2020-21 season with a torn Achilles, but that just makes the selection of James Wiseman (Memphis) that much more important. Stephen Curry will be 33 this season and Thompson will be 31 and they simply won’t be able to win in the manner in which they did forever. Every dynasty has to adjust to stay relevant and Wiseman has a good chance to be the most impactful player in this draft. Even if Wiseman reaches 75-80 percent of his max ceiling, he’ll still be better than nearly everyone in this draft. After being unable to trade this pick for a top-tier veteran, the Warriors made the right move.
New York Knicks - Knicks’ fans are desperate for any good news or a winning piece, and they likely had their prayers answered in Obadiah Toppin (Dayton). Toppin may not the upside of Wiseman, but he was the best player in college basketball last year and the safest bet to be a contributor right away of any player drafted. It was surprising to see him drop this far, unless you overvalue upside and some teams did in bypassing Toppin. He’ll have plenty of opportunity in New York and if any player in this draft can help the Knicks steer the ship in the right direction, he was the player. Could he be the next Amar’e Stoudemire? That’s a stretch but his ceiling is higher than what many teams valued it at.
Devin's Winners
Denver Nuggets - Fresh off of an appearance in the NBA Bubble Western Conference Finals, Denver added two young pieces to an already well-balanced roster. The Nuggets selected Zeke Nnaji out of Arizona with the 22nd overall pick. Nnaji, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, is an athletic, long and physical 6-foot-11 forward who showed flashes of inside-out scoring ability and defensive versatility in his one season in Tucson. Nnaji, if he turns out to be as good as Denver expects, could soften the blow of losing Jerami Grant to Detroit in Free Agency. Denver made a clever trade to acquire a second first round pick which they used to select 6-foot-5 guard RJ Hampton with the 24th pick. Most know Hampton as a highly-regarded high school player who opted to go to New Zealand for a season instead of playing collegiately. That move may have hurt Hampton's draft stock, but the talented playmaker has great size and feel for the position and Denver will pair him with Jamal Murray who will show him the NBA ropes.
Charlotte Hornets - The Hornets landed the most talented and highest-upside player in the draft in 6-foot-7 point guard LaMelo Ball. Ball was definitely the most polarizing and talked about player in this Hornets' draft class - and rightfully so - as he could potentially be a franchise-changing pick if his talent and skill-set translates well to the NBA level. Aside from Ball, which was a no-brainer selection, the Hornets made two solid second round picks taking Vernon Carey Jr. out of Duke and Grant Riller out of Charleston. Carey was a highly-touted high school prospect whose five-star resume and production at the college level kind of went under-the-radar. The 6-foot-10, 270-pound center averaged 17.8 points and nearly nine rebounds per game, providing a thin Charlotte front-court with some depth and long-term upside if Carey can become a consistent face-up perimeter shooter. Most people were probably wondering, "who?", when Riller's name was announced, but the four-year college player was a big time scorer at Charleston and a guy who can stroke the three-ball similar to Brooklyn's Joe Harris. If Riller can shoot it at a high 30 percent or low 40 percent clip at the NBA level, that pick will be of tremendous value.
Washington Wizards - Most scouts, mock-drafters, NBA personnel didn't think that Deni Avdija, the top international prospect in the draft, would slip past the sixth pick because of his size, all-around guard skill-set and experience playing at a high level overseas, but luckily for the Wizards, the 6-foot-8 19 year-old fell into their lap. Avdija, as mentioned above, has great ball skills, a high passing IQ and the ability to finish around the basket with either hand. The biggest question for Avdija at this point in his development is how well his shot translates to the NBA three-point line. Washington's other pick of the night was a second rounder in which they snagged Cassius Winston out of Michigan State after a draft day trade with Oklahoma City. The former Spartan was one of the most reliable true point guards in college basketball last season, but his lack of explosiveness scared teams off enough for him to be a late second round selection. Winston brings with him a breadth of experience in one of the best college conferences and is a proven leader in big game situations. With John Wall potentially wanting out of D.C., Winston could be a guy who could provide valuable minutes at the point guard spot.
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