2020 Draft

[Illmatic12]

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Come on man , the kid is a phenom. Get him in a Wizards jersey ASAP!

I agree with Wasserman.. Anthony, Edwards, Ball are the three prizes of this class so far.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Illmatic12]

Shoe, Achiuwa and McDaniels aren't NBA 3s . They are 4s

But yeah, the actual wing crop is pathetically weak. The early consensus is that Scottie Lewis is the only wing who has the potential to play themselves into the top tier . Vecenie seems to be low on his offensive potential though they've consisted lauded his defensive tenacity

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I think with the system the Wizards are building, they need another high IQ versatile player who can operate on/off the ball and work seamlessly with Beal longterm. Ball, Edwards, Anthony (who I think you may be underrating), Avdija seem to have the highest upside in that regard.. but a greater sample size is needed to project how they'll shoot the ball at the next level.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Shoe]

I think with the system the Wizards are building, they need another high IQ versatile player who can operate on/off the ball and work seamlessly with Beal longterm. Ball, Edwards, Anthony (who I think you may be underrating),

Yeah I'm just getting an early start on doing the lazy Austin Rivers comparison that is gonna be beaten to death this year. Cole Anthony like most prospects I don't know much about so my eval is built off small highlight reels. High IQ and Versatility I agree with you is the biggest need for this team outside a blue chip wing. Shep vocalized that we're counting on Rui and this next top 10 pick to carry this franchise forward.

I do love this response from Hayes from almost 3 years ago

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I'll enjoy reading people's perspectives on potential future wizards. I remember Brandon Clarke was discussed at length here even when he was still projected as a 2nd round pick

[Ruzious]

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Maybe a poor man's Jae Crowder - even looks like him. His age is a big red flag - he'll turn 24 in January.

[Ruzious]

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Come on man , the kid is a phenom. Get him in a Wizards jersey ASAP!

I agree with Wasserman.. Anthony, Edwards, Ball are the three prizes of this class so far.

Right now, I've got Edwards way ahead of everyone as #1, but it's so early - there's a better than 50/50 chance I change my mind multiple times before the draft.

[Ruzious]

I think with the system the Wizards are building, they need another high IQ versatile player who can operate on/off the ball and work seamlessly with Beal longterm. Ball, Edwards, Anthony (who I think you may be underrating),

Yeah I'm just getting an early start on doing the lazy Austin Rivers comparison that is gonna be beaten to death this year. Cole Anthony like most prospects I don't know much about so my eval is built off small highlight reels. High IQ and Versatility I agree with you is the biggest need for this team outside a blue chip wing. Shep vocalized that we're counting on Rui and this next top 10 pick to carry this franchise forward.

I do love this response from Hayes from almost 3 years ago

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I'll enjoy reading people's perspectives on potential future wizards. I remember Brandon Clarke was discussed at length here even when he was still projected as a 2nd round pick

He looks good - very polished. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=killian+hayes+basketball&view=detail&mid=39B8964809B8DBB07CC939B8964809B8DBB07CC9&FORM=VIRE

[Illmatic12]

I think with the system the Wizards are building, they need another high IQ versatile player who can operate on/off the ball and work seamlessly with Beal longterm. Ball, Edwards, Anthony (who I think you may be underrating),

Yeah I'm just getting an early start on doing the lazy Austin Rivers comparison that is gonna be beaten to death this year. Cole Anthony like most prospects I don't know much about so my eval is built off small highlight reels. High IQ and Versatility I agree with you is the biggest need for this team outside a blue chip wing. Shep vocalized that we're counting on Rui and this next top 10 pick to carry this franchise forward.

I do love this response from Hayes from almost 3 years ago

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I'll enjoy reading people's perspectives on potential future wizards. I remember Brandon Clarke was discussed at length here even when he was still projected as a 2nd round pick

Cole is definitely no Rivers, he can actually run a team with composure and is a more reliable shooter. And the big thing that bodes well in my eyes is his poise and steady demeanor on the court, he carries himself like Lillard in that way. And he can be a pit bull defensively also, he’s got a strong base.

When I first saw Hayes around a yr ago I wasn’t super impressed with his athleticism, but his skills are definitely improving. If we ended up taking him 5th-10th I wouldn’t be mad, I see him as a nice Malcolm Brogdon-type piece to add to the core. Just doesn’t have the upside of some of the other guys imo

[Illmatic12]

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Come on man , the kid is a phenom. Get him in a Wizards jersey ASAP!

I agree with Wasserman.. Anthony, Edwards, Ball are the three prizes of this class so far.

Right now, I've got Edwards way ahead of everyone as #1, but it's so early - there's a better than 50/50 chance I change my mind multiple times before the draft.

Tbh I’m a *tiny* little bit worried about Edwards possibly having knee problems (watched a YouTube doc on Edwards senior yr of in HS and there are scenes where he’s complaining about knee pain)

Especially with how explosive he jumps and how top heavy/muscular he is at 19. Some of these kids played AAU+HS ball year round and they come into the league with so much mileage on their joints already. Not trying to jinx him or anything but that’s the only thing that gives me pause with Edwards - will he have clean medicals?

[Shoe]

He looks good - very polished. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=killian+hayes+basketball&view=detail&mid=39B8964809B8DBB07CC939B8964809B8DBB07CC9&FORM=VIRE

Great video and that's even when he was 17. I don't know if his entire game projects to be starter material in the NBA but he's definetly got some moves. I just see him as a high upside prospect the Wizards should look into if they don't jump up in the lottery. He looks 6'5 now and he'll be one of the youngest players in the draft so we'll see if he has more growth in him.

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[Shoe]

Cole is definitely no Rivers, he can actually run a team with composure and is a more reliable shooter. And the big thing that bodes well in my eyes is his poise and steady demeanor on the court, he carries himself like Lillard in that way. And he can be a pit bull defensively also, he’s got a strong base.

When I first saw Hayes around a yr ago I wasn’t super impressed with his athleticism, but his skills are definitely improving. If we ended up taking him 5th-10th I wouldn’t be mad, I see him as a nice Malcolm Brogdon-type piece to add to the core. Just doesn’t have the upside of some of the other guys imo

If Cole is a Lillard type then the Wizards have picked a good year to play the lottery. The prospect pool looks better now because Ive only based the Rivers comparison off the NBA Dad-Kid, very hyped North Carolina college player headlines. I really feel that a Wizards drafted guard in 2020 would be in a great position to be the understudy to two all-stars; and that's why I think Hayes could be on the radar incase the ping pong balls don't fall our way. Cole, Ball, Ant are on the top of the list, Wiseman we could find a way to fit in our lineup.

[Jamaaliver]

Bleacher Report 2020 NBA Mock Draft



6. Washington Wizards: Isaiah Stewart (Washington, C, Freshman)

Though not a new-school big man, Isaiah Stewart should still draw plenty of NBA interest for his presence and motor around the basket, plus his improving outside touch.

Projecting him this high means buying into Stewart's shooting potential. He doesn't take a lot of threes, but his jumper looks promising when he lets it go off kick-outs and pick-and-pops.

Regardless, Stewart will earn his reputation and money in the paint, scoring through contact and fighting for loose balls. He won't come off as one of the draft's higher-upside prospects. But in this particular class, teams may put more stock into his perceived high floor.

[trast66]

There will be teams, smartly in my opinion, who won't draft LaMelo at any pick. Too much baggage. There were otherwise very sharp people on here claiming Bol Bol was a top tier pick at this time last year and even right up to the draft, even though he is made of glass, can't defend any position, and obviously had an entitled/poor attitude. LaMelo won't fall as far because he's more talented and less breakable than Bol. It's too bad the sins of the father will be visited on the son, but to use a top 10 pick on this guy is front office malpractice. And the Wizards have to be a team that does not want to get into the Ball family business, unless all they have said about team building is a bunch of bull.

[Illmatic12]

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[Shoe]

There will be teams, smartly in my opinion, who won't draft LaMelo at any pick. Too much baggage. There were otherwise very sharp people on here claiming Bol Bol was a top tier pick at this time last year and even right up to the draft, even though he is made of glass, can't defend any position, and obviously had an entitled/poor attitude. LaMelo won't fall as far because he's more talented and less breakable than Bol. It's too bad the sins of the father will be visited on the son, but to use a top 10 pick on this guy is front office malpractice. And the Wizards have to be a team that does not want to get into the Ball family business, unless all they have said about team building is a bunch of bull.

I gotta disagree, I think the Ball family baggage is mostly dead. Lonzo is sliding under the radar in a Zion-less New Orleans. LaVar Ball got banned from ESPN for a sexist comment against their first take host. LaMelo would just need to keep his head down, act professional, let Wall and Beal break him into the league, and eventually he'll galvanize the Wizards fan base with his star talent.

This is actually a perfect year for the Wizards to get a top pick with the Cole, Edwards, LaMelo foundational pieces available. Wall and Beal can be the Mr. Miyagi to their Karate Kid.

[jangles86]

Can an Anthony Edwards and Bradley Beal back court work

[Jamaaliver]

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LaMelo Could Be the Best Ball—and the Most Fascinating Draft Prospect in Years

The new face of the NBA tank race may look familiar. Fans of the Knicks and other hapless teams may want to start watching clips of LaMelo Ball playing down under. Here’s why.

LaMelo Ball, who has been playing in Australia’s National Basketball League for the last month, has become one of the most fascinating NBA draft prospects in recent years.

LaMelo could end up going as high in the 2020 draft as his older brother Lonzo did in 2017, when he was the no. 2 overall pick. He has just taken a completely different path to get there. LaMelo came to Australia as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program, which is designed to draw attention to the league by making it a place for NBA prospects to wait out the one-and-done rule. The NBL is considered a midtier league worldwide by NBA front offices. The level of play is higher than in China, where fringe NBA players can put up MVP-caliber numbers, but below the EuroLeague.

Ball has been given the keys to the offense. The amount of trust that LaMelo has earned from his teammates and coaches is one of his most impressive accomplishments in Australia. The NBL wants to showcase its American prospects, but the teams those players are on are still trying to win. He turned 18 in August, making him one of the youngest prospects in this year’s draft class, yet he’s already a difference-maker in a league with players more than a decade older than him.

It’s easy to see why. He’s a supersize point guard (6-foot-7, 190 pounds) with elite playmaking ability who can make every pass in the book. One of the big concerns about how he would fare in the NBL has been whether his style would fit within a team concept. That has not been an issue, at least so far. He is third in the league in assists this season (5.7 per game) and rarely turns the ball over (2.1 per game) despite making so many difficult passes. LaMelo makes fewer mistakes than most veteran point guards. He controls the tempo of the game and rarely gets rattled by the defense. He’s third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4:1) among the players in the top 10 in assists in the NBL.

There is little doubt that his playmaking will translate to the NBA. What the teams picking at the top of the 2020 draft will have to figure out is whether he will have the same scoring issues that plague Lonzo, who has averaged 10.2 points per game on 38.1 percent shooting in his first three seasons. Ball’s jumper will determine both his ceiling and his floor at the next level.

LaMelo’s offensive game is built on his ability to make off-the-dribble 30-footers. But he doesn’t have the burst to beat elite defenders off the bounce if they can play a step off him. Luka Doncic is a good comparison. Like LaMelo, he’s an average athlete by NBA standards with an otherworldly combination of size, basketball IQ, and playmaking ability. But Doncic still needs the threat of his 3-point shot to be a primary scorer in the NBA. The Mavericks guard is shooting 32.6 percent from 3 on 7.2 attempts per game in his NBA career. Those shots open up the rest of his game. If LaMelo can’t at least match those percentages, then he will only be so effective with the ball in his hands.

If LaMelo can’t be a primary option, than he must at least be able to knock down spot-up 3s in an off-ball role. Not doing so was one of the biggest things that held Lonzo back in his two seasons with the Lakers; he struggled to mesh with Brandon Ingram and LeBron James because he couldn’t threaten the defense when they were playing with the ball. While both Ball brothers are deadly when attacking closeouts, it doesn’t matter if defenses don’t have to closeout on them.

The Ringer

[Ruzious]

Can an Anthony Edwards and Bradley Beal back court work

I think so, but I'd rather go with Wall and Beal in the backcourt and Edwards at the 3 to start out. Add Brown into the mix, and we'll have all kinds of options - particularly if all of them improve as 3 point shooters.

[Jamaaliver]

Can an Anthony Edwards and Bradley Beal back court work

Seeing that there's an 8-year age difference, I'm not even sure it matters.

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