DraftNasty’s 2020 NBA Draft Recap: Pick-by-Pick
1 min read
Williams was one of the glue players for the ACC Champion Seminoles in 2019-20.
Our 2020 NBA Draft recap is filled with surprises, surefire picks and a number of three-and-D prospects. We take a look at snippets on each of the draft’s 60 selections.
| Selection | Player/Position | School | DRAFTNASTY TAKE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 Pick 1: Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards/ Shooting Guard | Georgia | Edwards was the best player on our board and should be an instant upgrade at the shooting guard position for Minnesota. |
| Round 1 Pick 2: Golden State Warriors | James Wiseman/Center-PF | Memphis | One thing the Warriors didn’t have during their championship runs was a center with this much raw talent. He should take the rebounding load off of Draymond Green. |
| Round 1 Pick 3: Charlotte Hornets | LaMelo Ball/ Point Guard | Australian | As point guards continue to get bigger and stronger, the Hornets add their own version of the modern guard. |
| Round 1 Pick 4: Chicago Bulls | Patrick Williams/Forward | Florida State | Head coach Billy Donovan has valued scrappy undersized big men in the past like Udonis Haslem (Florida), Williams fits the mold. |
| Round 1 Pick 5: Cleveland Cavaliers | Isaac Okoro/Small Forward | Auburn | Cleveland grabs a defensive specialist who doesn’t need a bevy of offensive touches. He reminds us of a young Jimmy Butler coming out of Marquette. |
| Round 1 Pick 6: Atlanta Hawks | Onyeka Okongwu/ Forward | USC | The Hawks finished dead last in points allowed (119.7 per game) last season, Okongwu should improve that figure with his energy alone. |
| Round 1 Pick 7: Detroit Pistons | Killian Hayes/ Point Guard | French | As we predicted here at DraftNasty, the Pistons select Killian Hayes to pair with fellow countryman Sekou Doumbouya. |
| Round 1 Pick 8: New York Knicks | Obi Toppin/Forward | Dayton | New York needed a marquee prospect, Toppin has the offensive game to help RJ Barrett lead the rebuild. |
| Round 1 Pick 9: Washington Wizards | Deni Avdija/ Wing | Israeli | Washington sticks to their M.O. of choosing international players in the first round. His versatility will help the Wizards in the frontcourt. |
| Round 1 Pick 10: Phoenix Suns | Jalen Smith/Forward | Maryland | The Suns get a 3-and-D prospect, who doesn’t need to touch the ball on every possession as Chris Paul and Devin Booker will handle the bulk of the ball-handling. |
| Round 1 Pick 11: San Antonio Spurs | Devin Vassell II/Wing | Florida State | San Antonio gets a two-way player, who is a deadly corner shooter (a staple in the Spurs offense). |
| Round 1 Pick 12: Sacramento Kings | Tyrese Haliburton/ Guard | Iowa State | Haliburton can take some pressure off of Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox, both of whom aren’t long term guarantees to stay in Sacramento |
| Round 1 Pick 13: New Orleans Pelicans | Kira Lewis, Jr./Point Guard | Alabama | Expect the Pelicans moves to continue as they currently have Eric Bledsoe, Lonzo Ball, Lewis Jr. and George Hill on the roster at point guard. |
| Round 1 Pick 14: Boston Celtics | Aaron Nesmith/ Wing | Vanderbilt | The former Vanderbilt wing should provide a scoring punch off the bench for the Celtics, who already feature a roster full of talented wings. |
| Round 1 Pick 15: Orlando Magic | Cole Anthony/Point Guard | North Carolina | Our mock draft stated the Magic needed some offensive scoring from the guard position, with Lewis Jr. off the board, Anthony was a solid option (averaged 18.5 PPG). |
| Round 1 Pick 16: Detroit Pistons (From Portland) | Isaiah Stewart/PF-Center | Washington | Detroit gets a big man with an NBA-ready frame, who brings a physical presence that the Pistons lacked in 2019. |
| Round 1 Pick 17: Minnesota Timberwolves (From Brooklyn) | Aleksej Pokuševski/ Forward | Serbian | The youngest eligible player in the draft has a polished game that belies his age (18 years old). |
| Round 1 Pick 18: Dallas Mavericks | Josh Green/ Shooting Guard | Arizona | Green is a two-way prospect that will help Dallas on the perimeter with his athleticism. |
| Round 1 Pick 19: Detroit Pistons (From Brooklyn) | Saddiq Bey/ Small Forward | Villanova | The Pistons select a willing defender and a do it all prospect who should be able to contribute sooner rather than later. |
| Round 1 Pick 20: Miami Heat | Precious Achiuwa/ Power Forward | Memphis | Achiuwa's effort and energy will fit right in with the Heat, who are in need of power forward help behind Bam Adebayo. |
| Round 1 Pick 21: Philadelphia 76ers (From OKC) | Tyrese Maxey/Guard | Kentucky | As we mentioned in our scouting report, Maxey would fair best with a taller point guard and there isn’t one taller than Ben Simmons. |
| Round 1 Pick 22: Denver Nuggets (From Houston) | Zeke Nnaji/ Power Forward/ Center | Arizona | Nnaji is a developmental prospect, who could spell Nikola Jokic off the bench down the road. |
| Round 1 Pick 23: Minnesota Timberwolves (From New York) | Leandro Bolmaro/ Small Forward | Argentinian | Bolmaro fits the mold of a draft and stash player but the versatility of his game is a reason to like him as a prospect. |
| Round 1 Pick 24: Denver Nuggets (From Milwaukee) | R.J. Hampton/ Shooting Guard | Australian | At this spot in the draft, Hampton was the best available prospect. Denver has created a culture of cultivating young talent, this is a good landing spot for Hampton. |
| Round 1 Pick 25: New York Knicks (From OKC) | Immanuel Quickley/ Guard | Kentucky | Quickley shot 42% from the 3-point line last season, his shooting should immediately improve the Knicks floor spacing. |
| Round 1 Pick 26: Boston Celtics | Payton Pritchard/ Point Guard | Oregon | The steady 22-year-old prospect will bring a mature game to the Celtics roster. |
| Round 1 Pick 27: Utah Jazz (From LAC) | Udoka Azubuike/ Center | Kansas | Azubuike gives the Jazz a more traditional center behind Rudy Gobert. |
| Round 1 Pick 28: Minnesota Timberwolves (From LAL) | Jaden McDaniels/Forward | Washington | The former consensus five-star recruit will join a crowded wing position in Minnnesota. His length and shot blocking prowess impressed scouts. |
| Round 1 Pick 29: Toronto Raptors | Malachi Flynn/ Point Guard | San Diego State | In our mock draft, we had Toronto taking a smaller point guard with a high basketball IQ in Stanford's Tyrell Terry. Flynn also fits this mold. |
| Round 1 Pick 30: Memphis Grizzlies (From Boston) | Desmond Bane/ Guard | TCU | Bane is a career 43% 3 point shooter. Memphis has a young nucleus in Ja Morant, Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. that can attack defenses on all three levels. |
| Round 2 Pick 1: Dallas Mavericks (From Golden State) | Tyrell Terry/ Point Guard | Stanford | Look for Terry to take some ball handling pressure off Luka Doncic if he makes the opening day roster similar to Trey Burke's role in the NBA bubble. |
| Round 2 Pick 2: Charlotte Hornets (From Cleveland) | Vernon Carey, Jr./Center | Duke | Carey Jr. is a throwback big man, and it will be interesting to see how his back to the basket game translates to the next level. |
| Round 2 Pick 3: Los Angeles Clippers (From Minnesota) | Daniel Oturu/Center | Minnesota | The Clippers have a roster ready to compete now and Oturu is one of the more polished players in this class. |
| Round 2 Pick 4: Oklahoma City Thunder (From Philadelphia) | Theo Maledon/ Guard | French | Maledon can do a little bit of everything on the court but will have to improve his shooting splits in order to crack the rotation. |
| Round 2 Pick 5: Memphis Grizzlies (From Sacramento) | Xavier Tillman/PF-Center | Michigan State | In Memphis, Tillman will be reunited in the frontcourt with his former college teammate Jaren Jackson Jr., the two should be a force to reckon with on defense and in transition. |
| Round 2 Pick 6: Dallas Mavericks (From Philadelphia) | Tyler Bey/ Wing | Colorado | Bey is a slasher, who could learn a lot from Dallas' Dorian Finney-Smith, who has created a niche as a former undrafted prospect. |
| Round 2 Pick 7: Oklahoma City Thunder (From Washington) | Vít Krejčí/ Point Guard | Czech Republic | Krejci is a 6'8 point guard, who has room to fill out his frame. His ability to get to the rim is his calling card. |
| Round 2 Pick 8: Detroit Pistons (From Utah) | Saben Lee/ Point Guard | Vanderbilt | Lee has the potential to stick at the next level, he got better year after year in virtually every statistical category for the Commodores. |
| Round 2 Pick 9: Utah Jazz (From New Orleans) | Elijah Hughes/ Small Forward | Syracuse | Hughes is a tough shot taker and a tough shot maker. Look for him to spend some time on a two-way contract because of the crowded field of forwards in Utah. |
| Round 2 Pick 10: Sacramento Kings (From Memphis) | Robert Woodard II/ Wing | Mississippi State | Woodard II will help to make his name by running the floor and hitting open shots for his guards that can get in the lane. It will be interesting to see if he can move from his normal shooting guard position to a forward slot. |
| Round 2 Pick 11: San Antonio Spurs | Tre Jones/Point Guard | Duke | Jones played a lot of minutes in his two years at Duke and fits the Spurs culture of acquiring high basketball IQ prospects. |
| Round 2 Pick 12: Charlotte Hornets (From New Orleans) | Nick Richards/ Center | Kentucky | General manager Mitch Kupchak still believes in throwback centers, look for Richards and Carey Jr. to compete for a backup spot. |
| Round 2 Pick 13: Sacramento Kings | Jahmi'us Ramsey/ Shooting Guard | Texas Tech | Ramsey is a bit undersized for the two guard position (6'4") in today's NBA, his ball handling and shooting will have to propel him if he hopes to stick in the pros. |
| Round 2 Pick 14: Chicago Bulls (From Memphis) | Marko Simonović/ Center | Montenegro | Simonovic is young (20 years old) but has experience in the overseas circuit, look for him to be a draft and stash prospect. |
| Round 2 Pick 15: Milwaukee Bucks (From Orlando) | Jordan Nwora/ Small Forward | Louisville | Nwora got better year over year at Louisville and can rebound from his position. If he can continue his offensive efficency then he has a chance to succeed at the next level. |
| Round 2 Pick 16: Portland Trail Blazers | C.J. Elleby/ Shooting Guard | Washington State | Elleby could've benefited from another year of college, he will have to find consistency in his shooting splits. |
| Round 2 Pick 17: Boston Celtics (From Brooklyn) | Yam Madar/ Point Guard | Israeli | Madar will have to get a little stronger but he is someone who will compete on defense, which could give him an edge. |
| Round 2 Pick 18: Golden State Warriors (From Dallas) | Nico Mannion/ Point Guard | Arizona | Mannion in time could take over that backup point guard role in Golden State, his midrange game and shooting touch around the rim is similar to an older Shaun Livingston. |
| Round 2 Pick 19: Philadelphia 76ers | Isaiah Joe/ Shooting Guard | Arkansas | Joe could make the opening day roster for a team that is in desperate need of outside shooting (38% 3 point shooter in college) |
| Round 2 Pick 20: Atlanta Hawks (From Miami) | Skylar Mays/ Shooting Guard | Louisiana State | A four year starter, Mays will have to make this roster with his on the ball defense. |
| Round 2 Pick 21: Golden State Warriors (From Utah) | Justinian Jessup/ Wing | Boise State | Jessup will spend the start of his career overseas but his shooting and size could help the Warriors who will have to find help to compensate for Klay Thompson's season ending Achilles injury. |
| Round 2 Pick 22: Sacramento Kings (From Houston) | Kenyon Martin Jr./ Wing | IMG Academy | A tad shorter prospect than his father (6'7" as opposed to 6'9") but his explosiveness is impressive. He will have to show that he can shoot at the next level. |
| Round 2 Pick 23: Washington Wizards (From OKC) | Cassius Winston/Point Guard | Michigan State | Winston should be able to compete for a backup point guard role behind John Wall. This could be a good fit as head coach Scott Brooks was an undersized guard himself. |
| Round 2 Pick 24: Indiana Pacers | Cassius Stanley/Wing | Duke | A prospect that can literally jump out of the gym, Stanley has the tools to make it at the next level but will need more reps. He will probably start in the G League. |
| Round 2 Pick 25: Los Angeles Clippers (From Brooklyn Nets) | Jay Scrubb/ Wing | John A. Logan (JUCO) | Scrubb showed he can make plays in the pick and roll at the JUCO level. If he can continue to rebound at his size, it would be a boost to his longterm prospects at the next level. |
| Round 2 Pick 26: Charlotte Hornets (From Boston) | Grant Riller/ Guard | College of Charleston | For a team with a bevy of young guards, Riller brings experience as he spent five years total at the College of Charleston. |
| Round 2 Pick 27: Brooklyn Nets (From LAC) | Reggie Perry/ Power Forward | Mississippi State | The former McDonald's All American is heavily decorated and will have a chance to make this opening day roster off his ability to rebound. |
| Round 2 Pick 28: Philadelphia 76ers (From LAL) | Paul Reed/ Forward | DePaul | We had Reed as a first rounder, his game will remind fans of Montrezl Harrell, who Doc Rivers coached in Los Angeles. |
| Round 2 Pick 29: Toronto Raptors | Jalen Harris/ Shooting Guard | Nevada | Harris could be an intriguing prospect if he can show he can handle the ball at the next level. |
| Round 2 Pick 30: Milwaukee Bucks (From New Orleans) | Sam Merrill/ Shooting Guard | Utah State | Merrill in time could be a scoring option off the bench to replace Donte Divincenzo and Kyle Korver. |
Update: The rear view mirror has given us three All-Stars (through 2022-23) and several Top 10 selections that need to be revisited.
About Author
