Although many would have thought that there would be no professional sports drafts on live TV this year, the multi-trillion-dollar empire always finds away. Back in April, we were treated to the first-ever virtual draft, which was hosted by the NFL. A couple of weeks ago, the NHL followed the same platform and hosted its first virtual draft. Even though it is five months after the regular draft month of June, the NBA will go virtual for a draft night’s spectacle on November 18th. Please note that this will not be a mock draft but a preview of some of the prospects available to the franchises on the 18th.
Lamelo Ball
The most notable name in the 2020 draft class is easily the youngest Ball brother, Lamelo. Lamelo has been gaining notoriety ever since he was 14 years old, playing on the Chino Hills Senior Boys basketball team during the 2015-16 season. In 2017 he dropped a monstrous 92 points versus Los Osos High School, and ever since, the world has wondered if Lamelo was the best player out of his brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo. Heading into the 2020 draft, it is now clear that Lamelo has the highest potential to become a superstar out of his brothers. Standing at 6’7″ tall, the lanky point guard has unbelievable floor spreading ability and being one of few prospects to forgo the college route to play professionally in the NBL, the National Basketball League of Oceania. Lamelo saw plenty of playing time against fully grown men as a 17/18-year-old boy on the Illawarra Hawks. Lamelo played solid on both ends of the court, leaving experts to predict Lamelo can be a real lockdown defender with his tall frame and quick feet with lateral movements. Lamelo has no problem with playing offence; with an unpredictable dribble package similar to that of Stephen Curry, Lamelo creates space allowing him to shoot his preferred three-ball uninterrupted.
James Wiseman
At Memphis, his career started out rocky after the NCAA found out about his mother accepting 11,500$ from coach Penny Hardaway to help the family relocate. Once his 12 game suspension was up, Wiseman did see 69 total minutes of playing time. In that hour and nine minutes, Wiseman wowed franchises in the top 5 of this year’s draft. With his 7 foot tall stature and a wingspan of 7’6″, Wiseman surprises many by moving with the agility of a Small Forward and the leaping ability similar to that of Aaron Gordon. He plays well on both ends of the floor and is comparable to a prime Deandre Jordan. It will be surprising to see James fall outside of the top 5 picks.
Anthony Edwards
Many thought the 6’3″ shooting guard out of Georgia would be the consensus 1st overall pick. Although he may not be a consensus 1st overall anymore, Anthony has the potential to be the best player in this draft class. With rocket-like explosiveness and formidable size around the rim, it is very tough to contain Edwards. He plays with a high intensity whenever he steps on the court, which is why he led the SEC in scoring and had the most 30+ point games as a freshman. Dwayne Wade has already taken the liberty of comparing Edwards to him, so we will stick with that.
Onyeka Okongwu
Easily the best defensive player in this draft, Okongwu has also been turning heads since he was a part of that Chino Hills 2015-16 team as well. Standing at 6’9″ tall, Okongwu is shorter than most big men in the league today. But what he lacks in height he makes up for in reach; with a 7’2″ wingspan, Okongwu is a defensive force. Averaging three blocks and 1 steal a game with nine rebounds, Onyeka has proven that he can be a lockdown defender. He will need to improve his offensive abilities if he wants to become a dynamic Power Forward like league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Cole Anthony
Son of former Vancouver Grizzlies player Greg ” G-Money.” Anthony, Cole, is flying under the radar in this year’s draft. Coming in at 6’3″ and 190 pound Cole is a reasonably sized point-guard in terms of NBA standards. The high-flying, score-first type player that Cole is can easily fit him with a team’s needs inside that 10-15 pick range. Cole saw plenty of playing time at the University of North Carolina, where he put up 18.5 points, four assists, and 1.3 steals a game. Cole can adequately play both ends of the floor but will need to improve his ability to play a one-on-one defence worthy of being deemed all-star worthy. His 3.5 turnovers a game also concerns many teams, but Cole has been classified as a team player, so he has no doubt working on his efficiency.
RJ Hampton
Perhaps the most prolific high school player of the 2019 class, Hampton decided to use his 5-star recruit status to land a professional contract in the NBL, months before Lamelo Ball. RJ is a crafty ball-handler who uses his creativity to carve open defences and effectively uses his crossover. Scoring is not an issue for RJ, but he likes to be a playmaking style of point guard similar to that of Steve Nash or John Stockton. I’m not saying he is the next version of either one of those guys, but his playstyle is quite similar. RJ is projected to be picked in the 14-19 pick range, meaning that some franchises see RJ as a lottery worthy player.
The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled to begin at 4 pm Pacific time. It was initially scheduled to be hosted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, but COVID has since moved it to the ESPN HQ in Bristol, Connecticut. Prospects will join the draft via video conference calls, and the league commissioner Adam Silver will, of course, announce the draft picks. How do you see the 2020 NBA draft class? Is it deeper than 2019’s class? Will this class of players be a class we talk about for generations to come like the 1996 or 2003 draft classes?