The 2020 NBA draft class has repeatedly been referred to by analysts and league observers in recent months as subpar. However, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer doesn’t think that’s quite right.
As O’Connor explains, the 2020 NBA draft may not have the star power that some past drafts have — there’s no consensus future superstar like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, or Zion Williamson among this year’s top prospects. However, O’Connor believes it’s a deep class that features “a plethora of potential high-end role players who could develop into the missing ingredient of a championship team’s recipe.”
In O’Connor’s view, teams picking in the lottery this year will have to weigh certain players’ possible star upside with other prospects’ solid, high-floor skill sets. For instance, big man James Wiseman is at or near the top of most draft boards, but O’Connor has players like Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Vassell ranked higher than Wiseman on his own board, viewing them as safe picks capable of improving a team as complementary pieces. Positional value could also be weighed more heavily in 2020 than it typically is, O’Connor adds.
Here’s more on the 2020 draft:
- Following Sunday’s early entry deadline, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has again updated his mock draft, running a lottery simulation to set the order. Vecenie’s latest mock has Anthony Edwards going first overall to the Pistons, followed by James Wiseman to the Hornets, LaMelo Ball to the Bulls, Onyeka Okongwu to the Timberwolves, and Obi Toppin to the Warriors.
- Jeff Goodman of Stadium spoke to a handful of NBA executives to get a sense of which of this year’s 163 college early entrants should go pro and which ones ought to return to school.
- While 163 college prospects are either testing the draft waters or going pro, there are a number of notable underclassmen who decided to pass on the draft and will play at least one more year in the NCAA. Jeremy Woo of SI.com highlights 10 of those players worth keeping an eye on going forward, including UConn’s James Bouknight, Florida’s Keyontae Johnson, and Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
Agree positional value is high this yr. There are a couple young players. Who are yrs away to contributing. But could be stars or starters by then. So who can wait be patient, develop for 3-4 yrs. To me Wiseman, Edwards, Toppin are most ready to contribute. As Knick fan Wiseman is my pick at #1. At pick 6 where we probably wind up. I take Halliburton, positional value. He’s a high IQ PG. Who runs team first. Makes no mistakes. And puts up 16 n 10 easy. He will be a 20 n 10 PG who plays excellent D. He is exactly who we need. PLEASE
You’re going to run another young guy out there at point guard? There’s been failure after failure trying that.
I like what people are saying and go get Chris Paul. Might as well, he’s playing great right now and I think it would help out the overall image and take it from the bottom of the barrel back up to respectability. He would not cost too much because you would have to trade back the same salary. I think it’s a win-win.
Chris Paul could easily net a 1st if Thunder chipped in $$$. Knicks would be stupid to offer a first.
They could move Paul for Randle and a couple 2nds. Move SGA back to PG, move Gallinari to SF, and put Randle at PF.
Knicks send Randle, Ellington, Gibson, and Ntilikina plus a couple seconds to the thunder for Paul. Gibson, Ellington, and Ntilikina are for salary matching purposes.
Randle, a couple of bench player and a couple of seconds doesn’t get you CP3. I would almost suggest that Randle hurts a deal more than he helps. All stats no substance guy.
Knicks need character. Making a deal for CP3 that does not include giving up Mitch, RJ or this year’s 1st, and drafting a smart, high energy contributor like Okoro would be a good start if the Knicks pick falls in that 6-9 range.
This year is like last, with talent continuing in the 20s through the second round, but there isn’t a big 3 to start with, and there’s not a good showing by wings.
Strengths are misplaced. For the teams, centers are not popular now and the PGs could get set aside by a star wanting to run the show. Ball & Edwards may wind up SFs.
The Knicks better not trade for CP3. They need to go after Beal and move RJ to small forward and hopefully get lucky in the draft to find a point guard.