Appropriately early 2020 NBA Draft Thread

[Jamaaliver]

As much as I love Okongwu and Halliburton, this is the guy who checks all the boxes for what we're still lacking.

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[Jamaaliver]

Speaking of Okongwu:

Onyeka Okongwu deserves recognition as a top-3 NBA Draft prospect

Much of Okongwu’s prowess stems from defensive capabilities this season and his excellence reveals itself on film. He is a dominant pick-and-roll defender capable of hedging, dropping or trapping.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Considering the popularity of pick-and-rolls in today’s NBA, Okongwu’s scalable nature and defensive impact against that action are particularly valuable traits. His understanding of when to retreat back to the big on hedges is impressive for a youngster and his timing as a shot blocker helps explain his gaudy rejection totals.

That pick-and-roll expertise translates offensively, too. Okongwu consistently makes contact as a screener to create an advantage, is a lively/bouncy roller and outstanding play finisher. His instincts as a roller, recognizing how long to hold the screen before diving to the rim, further provide value. He can snare tough-to-handle passes, score with either hand and owns the coordination to convert in traffic. As a roll man, he ranks in the 77th percentile in pick-and-rolls and 87th percentile (65.4 percent shooting) in half-court scoring at the rim.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Where I find his touch, footwork and leaping — along with his ball-handling and fluidity/mobility — to be most intriguing from an NBA perspective is as a face-up scorer. It’s not something we’ve seen a whole lot of yet but the flashes are rather promising and suggest there’s a legitimate path to self-creation for Okongwu. Allowing him to leverage these skills in space, rather than down low, preserves his offensive upside, even if the post-up well dries out.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Fansided

[Jamaaliver]

USC’s Onyeka Okongwu Is The 2020 NBA Draft’s Biggest Game-Wrecker

Looking at this year’s draft class, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu is the player that stands out amongst the rest of the big men. At 6-foot-9, with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Okongwu has turned in a historic season for the Trojans thus far. On the year, Okongwu is averaging 16.4 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game, 3 blocks per game and 1.1 steals per game. There hasn’t been a freshman that reached all those marks since the 1993-94 season. On top of that, Okongwu’s 8.1 defensive box plus/minus and 13.9 overall box plus/minus put him in elite company. The only other freshmen that have played significant minutes (300+) and managed to clear those benchmarks are Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaren Jackson Jr., Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel.

Okongwu is a near-elite shot blocker in general. Nobody in this freshman class that plays at least 20 minutes per game has a higher block rate than his 10.8. It’s his combination of athleticism, length and timing that make him so good around the basket, and those tools should allow him to play the five at the next level, despite the fact that he’s a bit short for a center.

Offensively, Okongwu should be good as a rim runner immediately. According to Synergy Sports, he’s scoring 1.162 points per possession as a pick-and-roll roll man, which puts him in the 75th percentile in the country. That alone will make him good enough to help a team early in his career.

To sum things up, Okongwu checks a lot of the boxes that you’re looking for in a modern center. Given his defensive ability, opposing teams are unlikely to find ways to play him off the floor. Targeting him in the pick and roll simply won’t be effective enough. And offensively, Okongwu does enough to help take pressure off the rest of his teammates.

Forbes

[atlantabbq99]

Speaking of Okongwu:

Onyeka Okongwu deserves recognition as a top-3 NBA Draft prospect

Much of Okongwu’s prowess stems from defensive capabilities this season and his excellence reveals itself on film. He is a dominant pick-and-roll defender capable of hedging, dropping or trapping.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Considering the popularity of pick-and-rolls in today’s NBA, Okongwu’s scalable nature and defensive impact against that action are particularly valuable traits. His understanding of when to retreat back to the big on hedges is impressive for a youngster and his timing as a shot blocker helps explain his gaudy rejection totals.

That pick-and-roll expertise translates offensively, too. Okongwu consistently makes contact as a screener to create an advantage, is a lively/bouncy roller and outstanding play finisher. His instincts as a roller, recognizing how long to hold the screen before diving to the rim, further provide value. He can snare tough-to-handle passes, score with either hand and owns the coordination to convert in traffic. As a roll man, he ranks in the 77th percentile in pick-and-rolls and 87th percentile (65.4 percent shooting) in half-court scoring at the rim.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Where I find his touch, footwork and leaping — along with his ball-handling and fluidity/mobility — to be most intriguing from an NBA perspective is as a face-up scorer. It’s not something we’ve seen a whole lot of yet but the flashes are rather promising and suggest there’s a legitimate path to self-creation for Okongwu. Allowing him to leverage these skills in space, rather than down low, preserves his offensive upside, even if the post-up well dries out.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Fansided

Sure. We should also consider..
Aaron Nesmith
Jalen Smith
Jordan Nwora
Daniel Oturu
Zeke Nnaji


Tyrese Haliburton and Isaiah Stewart are also a very interesting prospect.

[Radioblacktive1]

Watch on YouTube

Alright alright I guess Edwards can be a Hawk. I’ll allow it. But just this once.

[Jamaaliver]

Insiders break down Iowa State PG Tyrese Haliburton



Iowa State point guard Tyrese Haliburton has helped himself so far this season as much as anyone else in the pre-draft process. the 6-foot-5 point guard out of Oshkosh, Wisc., had been seen as a likely first-round pick coming into the year, and has only improved his standing from there.

The decision on him has the potential to be something of a push-pull between analytically-inclined front offices versus those that substantially value scouting-based decision-making. On one hand, Haliburton’s numbers are kind of undeniable. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists this season while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from 3, and 82.2 percent from the foul line.

In general, few draft prospects in recent history top his combination of steal rate, block rate for a guard, rebounding rate, assist rate, and efficiency from both 2-point and 3-point range. It’s not an exaggeration to call Haliburton a statistical anomaly. His feel for the game and passing ability is seen as exceptional, as is his general level of unselfishness.

“Every analytics department in the league is going to love him,” one NBA analytics director told The Athletic. “His stat profile last year was obscene, and it somehow got better.”

However, his ballhandling leaves a lot to be desired...and evaluators still have questions about how his jumper will translate to the next level.

The Athletic

[atlantabbq99]

Maryland's Jalen Smith NBA stock rising again following red-hot streak



Smith has averaged 19.2 points, 12 rebounds and 3.2 blocks during the Terps' six game winning streak, while shooting 56 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three and 88.4 percent from the line. NBA scouts have swarmed College Park during the last month to see Smith.

Via Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report

^ I have mentioned Tyrese Haliburton before in this thread. He is a very interesting prospect. He looks like a cross between Jayson Tatum and Michael Ray Richardson. He is one of the few players I've seen in a while that I can say has no flaws to his game, he just needs to bulk up for the NBA.

We need to start looking at Jalen Smith of Maryland. I love everything about his game. I have him now tied with Anthony Edwards as the #1 prospect in the draft, with Wiseman at a close #2. At this point, I think I would take Jalen Smith over Edwards, but it is a close race. Jalen Smith with his size, frame, length, athleticism, and skill, looks like a poor man's Anthony Davis.

This is looking like a very good draft to have a top 5 pick in.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Spoiler:

4. Atlanta Hawks: RJ Hampton (New Zealand Breakers, SG, 2001)

RJ Hampton is a sleeper option in the top five, particularly if the Atlanta Hawks are picking and Edwards, Avdija and Ball are off the board. The acquisition of Clint Capela, signed through 2023, likely eliminates Wiseman, Okongwu and Toppin from consideration.

In this situation, the Hawks should be thinking hard about Hampton, an excellent fit for his open-floor scoring ability and secondary playmaking. Atlanta's 1.09 points per possession in transition rank No. 22 in the league, per Synergy Sports, and it wouldn't hurt to add another ball-handler to take pressure off Trae Young.

Hampton is highly regarded by scouts for his athleticism, versatility and maturity. Some may question his signature skill, but before he shut it down in the NBL after experiencing hip trouble, enough flashes of attacking, shot-making, passing and defensive anticipation helped paint him as one of the draft's safest picks.

This selection seems too high, but I like the player.

[Jamaaliver]

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[shakes0]

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Let's keep in mind though that Toppin had a post grad year in high school and a red shirt year in college so he's 2 years older than his grade.

[jayu70]

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Let's keep in mind though that Toppin had a post grad year in high school and a red shirt year in college so he's 2 years older than his grade.

Wow, he's 22...like Collins, who is in year 3.

[shakes0]

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Let's keep in mind though that Toppin had a post grad year in high school and a red shirt year in college so he's 2 years older than his grade.

Wow, he's 22...like Collins, who is in year 3.

yea, he's old. Not saying that is a reason not to draft him. That logic got caused Brandon Clarke to fall about 10 places lower than he should've. Just pointing out that it is something that should be taken into consideration.

For our Hawks it might be a positive, not a negative. Chance to get an already mature ready to go player as opposed to another raw project.

[kg01]

Let's keep in mind though that Toppin had a post grad year in high school and a red shirt year in college so he's 2 years older than his grade.

Wow, he's 22...like Collins, who is in year 3.

yea, he's old. Not saying that is a reason not to draft him. That logic got caused Brandon Clarke to fall about 10 places lower than he should've. Just pointing out that it is something that should be taken into consideration.

For our Hawks it might be a positive, not a negative. Chance to get an already mature ready to go player as opposed to another raw project.

I hear you. Still though, by the time it's time to pay him, he'll be banging on what 26-27 yo? Less than ideal.

I'd kinda rather get a gleague energy guy-type.

[Jamaaliver]

2020 NBA Draft Big Board: Latest updates after NCAA regular season

2. Onyeka Okongwu, USC: Big, 6-foot-9, 19 years old

Spoiler:

While he's a bit undersized at 6-9, he can play bigger than his height, given his 7-foot-2 wingspan. For example, his block percentage (10.0%) ranks among the top five of all freshmen this season. He is more celebrated for his defensive ability, but the offense is there, too. Okongwu is averaging 1.14 points per possession as an offensive finisher, per Synergy, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all NCAA players. Put it all together, and the USC big man currently has the best box plus-minus in college basketball. Even if there might not be as much star potential as a player such as Georgia's Anthony Edwards, he feels much closer to a sure thing in the NBA.

4. Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State: Guard, 6-foot-5, 20 years old

Spoiler:

Haliburton is a skinny, lengthy guard measured with a 7-foot wingspan though and 170-pound frame. But most important is his valuable 3-and-D skill set. Before his injury, his 3-point percentage (41.9%) and steal percentage (3.8%) were both among the best in the NCAA. As a distributor and lead ballhandler, despite an unusually low usage rate, his assist rate still ranks in the top 10 among all underclassmen at high-major programs. Haliburton has been productive enough to suggest he can take over as the starting point guard in the NBA as soon as next season. There may be a low ceiling, but there is also a very high floor.

6. Deni Avdija, Maccabi Tel Aviv: Forward, 6-foot-8, 19 years old

Spoiler:

One reason why Avdija's stock is rising is his stellar play at the recent 2020 Eurobasket Qualifiers. He scored 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Avdija also shot 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, showing his shooting may be an asset. The hype is there, too, as the prospect took home MVP honors at the U20 Euro Championship in 2019. Previous winners of that award include NBA talents such as Ersan Ilyasova, Nikola Mirotic and Cedi Osman.

8. Devin Vassell, Florida State: Wing, 6-foot-7, 19 years old

Spoiler:

Seminoles sophomore Devin Vassell is widely considered the best team defender among NBA prospects. The wing has a solid 6-foot-10 wingspan, and with his help, per KenPom, FSU's defensive rating currently ranks among the top 15 in the nation. On the offensive side of the ball, his 3-point accuracy (42.7%) has been dominant all season. When he plays against tougher opponents, Vassell has risen to the occasion. His box plus-minus against Top-100 competition ranks as the best in the NCAA among those who have played more than 10 such games thus far. Vassell might be the most underrated prospect, considering he has played like a lottery talent.

9. Isaac Okoro, Auburn: Wing, 6-foot-6, 19 years old

Spoiler:

Okoro, who is an incredible athlete, is shooting 67.9% at the rim, and the majority of those attempts have been unassisted. He has been more than capable of creating his own offense on post-up attempts, isolation looks, ballhandling in transition and on putbacks. But the biggest concern with Okoro is that only 17.2% of his field goals have been from beyond five feet of the basket, which simply won't fly in the NBA for someone his size. His shooting talent is borderline anemic, but there might be enough to like about the rest of his intangibles to put him in the lottery. If he isn't able to figure out at least a basic catch-and-shoot game, his upside is limited to becoming a role player.

12. Obi Toppin, Dayton: Forward, 6-foot-9, 22 years old

Spoiler:

Toppin, the most prolific dunker in college basketball, is currently averaging 1.17 points per possession on offense. That ranks second-best among D-I players who have finished at least 400 possessions thus far, per Synergy. The high-volume finisher has helped Dayton make a case for being the most exciting team in college basketball this season. The bad news, however, is that Toppin likely can be played off the floor during big moments due to his poor defensive instincts. His pick-and-roll coverage is easy to criticize, and his measurable statistics when guarding opponents don't do him any favors, either. Despite that, his box plus-minus ranks as the best among all players at mid-major schools. For a big man, he projects as a solid role player and likely starter.

USA Today

[atlantabbq99]

If this was the 90s, Toppin would a really good top three pick, but in today's game, he is a good mid round pick or a great late round pick.

For post players now, you want to see an above average 3pt shot or an elite rebounder and shot blocker. Toppin is none of those.

His rebounding and rim protection is very disappointing. His jump shot is not broken but not perfect either, his shooting is average at best.

He is great at moving without the ball, moving in space to give his teammates an easy pass to him. he sets great screens. his basketball IQ seems to be above average, and of course him and Ant-man are probably the best dunkers in the draft.

Just like Collins and Teague, he would be a great steal if he fell to #19, but not really worth a top ten pick for me.

[Jamaaliver]

Why Isaac Okoro might be a top-five NBA draft pick

Some boots-on-the-ground scouts have been telling me since early January that they think Okoro will end up being a top-five pick. More cautious NBA people have been slower to warm up to Okoro, saying he's a guy you pick in the 10-14 range because of the complementary nature of his offensive game and the fact that he might never end up being much of a shooter.

Okoro's initial value comes on the defensive end, where he can shift seamlessly between the 1 and the 4 at 6-6, 225 pounds, with a sturdy frame and tree-trunk legs. He's quick-footed, hard-playing and technically sound with the mentality to develop into an All-NBA defender and defensive player of the year candidate.

But Okoro isn't a one-sided player. His versatility shines on the offensive end also. The 19-year-old finds the gaps in the defense, moves the ball, crashes the offensive glass, and puts pressure on the rim with powerful strides and explosive leaping ability that help him finish at a high level (64.1%). He's already a star in his role, and the fact that he doesn't need the ball to have an impact is part of what makes him so intriguing to teams like Atlanta and Cleveland that have shot-generators.

ESPN Insider

Spoiler:

[CP War Hawks]

Killian Hayes might be the best ball handler among the top 7 prospects. That alone makes him on my shortlist.

[tbhawksfan1]

TS ain't no fool. He's going to keep drafting upside. He can bring in FAs for now impact

[Radioblacktive1]

Killian Hayes might be the best ball handler among the top 7 prospects. That alone makes him on my shortlist.

Even better than Melo you think? For the record I like Hayes, just asking.