Appropriately early 2020 NBA Draft Thread

[atlantabbq99]

Here is my draft board ranking in order.....

1. Jalen Smith - Elite on both ends. Lanky and quick, above average jumpshot, poor man's Anthony Davis
2. Anthony Edwards - RJ Barrett without a broken jumpshot
3. James Wiseman - Alonzo Mourning 2.0
4. Daniel Oturu - Al Horford 2.0
5. Onyeka Okongwu - Undersized, productive and tough, reminds me of Elton Brand
6. Aaron Nesmith - This year's best shooter, ala Klay, Booker
7. Tyrese Haliburton - Skinny but has no real weakness to his game
8. Deni Avdija - Poor man's Luka, especially when he rebounds and leads the fast break
9. Obi Toppin - Old but is as dominate as Amare
10. Jaden McDaniels - Skinny but has no real weakness, can play all five positions in small ball.

This is in order, but the talent gap between each guy is very small. Not like last year where it was Zion, then everybody else. I would take Jalen Smith if I got the #1 pick but since the draft is so deep, I wouldn't be surprised or upset if any of the 10 guys goes #1.

[kg01]

Here is my draft board ranking in order.....

1. Jalen Smith - Elite on both ends. Lanky and quick, above average jumpshot, poor man's Anthony Davis
2. Anthony Edwards - RJ Barrett without a broken jumpshot
3. James Wiseman - Alonzo Mourning 2.0
4. Daniel Oturu - Al Horford 2.0
5. Onyeka Okongwu - Undersized, productive and tough, reminds me of Elton Brand
6. Aaron Nesmith - This year's best shooter, ala Klay, Booker
7. Tyrese Haliburton - Skinny but has no real weakness to his game
8. Deni Avdija - Poor man's Luka, especially when he rebounds and leads the fast break
9. Obi Toppin - Old but is as dominate as Amare
10. Jaden McDaniels - Skinny but has no real weakness, can play all five positions in small ball.

This is in order, but the talent gap between each guy is very small. Not like last year where it was Zion, then everybody else. I would take Jalen Smith if I got the #1 pick but since the draft is so deep, I wouldn't be surprised or upset if any of the 10 guys goes #1.

Good list. Thoughts on my guy Killian Hayes? He and Haliburton are intriguing to me.

[Jamaaliver]

Here is my draft board ranking in order.....

1. Jalen Smith - Elite on both ends. Lanky and quick, above average jumpshot, poor man's Anthony Davis

Jalen Smith at #1 when most publications don't even have him in the lottery?

That's a bold ranking.

19. JALEN SMITH, Maryland

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-10, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 15.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 37 3PT%

Smith was one of the best players in college basketball over the course of the last month. He’s a pogo-stick athletically that started to make threes on a consistent basis. I’m worried about his frame — he checks in at 225 pounds, but looks like he’s closer to 200 pounds — and I’m not sure how much of a weapon he is offensively beyond being a spot-up shooter. Defensively, he can protect the rim, but will that translate to the NBA, where every five he goes up against will have 20 pounds on him? And while he is a terrific athlete, he plays stiff and upright. I’m not sure how well he will use that athleticism without a runway for takeoff.

All that said, over the course of the last eight weeks of the season, Smith’s potential turned into production. It was the biggest reason Maryland looked like one of the best teams in the country down the stretch. I’m willing to bet on him at the back end of the first round.

Spoiler:

NBC Sports

[atlantabbq99]

Here is my draft board ranking in order.....

1. Jalen Smith - Elite on both ends. Lanky and quick, above average jumpshot, poor man's Anthony Davis

Jalen Smith at #1 when most publications don't even have him in the lottery?

That's a bold ranking.

19. JALEN SMITH, Maryland

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-10, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 15.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 37 3PT%

Smith was one of the best players in college basketball over the course of the last month. He’s a pogo-stick athletically that started to make threes on a consistent basis. I’m worried about his frame — he checks in at 225 pounds, but looks like he’s closer to 200 pounds — and I’m not sure how much of a weapon he is offensively beyond being a spot-up shooter. Defensively, he can protect the rim, but will that translate to the NBA, where every five he goes up against will have 20 pounds on him? And while he is a terrific athlete, he plays stiff and upright. I’m not sure how well he will use that athleticism without a runway for takeoff.

All that said, over the course of the last eight weeks of the season, Smith’s potential turned into production. It was the biggest reason Maryland looked like one of the best teams in the country down the stretch. I’m willing to bet on him at the back end of the first round.

Spoiler:

NBC Sports

I'm very high on Jalen. He will probably be the same as Kawhi and Paul George, which are, high defensive guys who are not projected to be lottery picks because of perceived limited offense.

I really like Jalen's jump shot, and he dribbles well for a guy his size. I think he will be an elite defensive player in the NBA and have enough offensive game to make an all star team down the road.

He has great quickness and great feet, he goes after the ball and doesn't wait for the ball to come to him, and you just have to love how he runs the floor like a guard.

I'm not saying he is the next KG, that is why I called him a poor man's Anthony Davis, but maybe he can come close to being Sonics' Shawn Kemp, which is 2 blocks, 10 rebound and enough offense and a jump shot to give you 18ppg.

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[atlantabbq99]

Good list. Thoughts on my guy Killian Hayes? He and Haliburton are intriguing to me.

I didn't see much in Killian. When i was watching his games, I was hoping to see elite shooting or elite "Tony Parker" speed and i didn't see any of that. His shooting didn't look good at all, i might be mistaken but I think he is only shooting 19% from three in the Euro league. Too much of his game reminded me of Exum.

[Jamaaliver]

This kid really feels like a more heralded John Collins. He'll be productive pretty early on, but he's likely best suited as a secondary/tertiary option in the Association. I can see a scenario where [we] focus almost exclusively on offense (a la Steve Nash's Suns) and run an offense centered around Trae/J Collins and Obi.

I also think Obi would fit next to Clint Capela almost seamlessly.

Dayton went 29-2 thanks in no small order to Toppin leading the way with averages of 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and a 69.8 2-point shooting percentage. Toppin was also a solid 3-point option; he averaged 39% from beyond the arc, shooting 82 triples in 2019-20.

Toppin's statistics were not record-setting, but to watch Dayton this past season and to watch Toppin was to see a team that was dominant, had a click to it and tapped into a killer instinct that manifested itself over and over. Though this isn't technically an award based on value, it's hard to make the case for anyone other than Toppin as the most valuable player men's college hoops had in 2019-20.

[Jamaaliver]

Thoughts on my guy Killian Hayes? He and Haliburton are intriguing to me.

FWIW, I think Halliburton is due for a career arc similar to Malcolm Brogdon. Not an All Star, but an above avg starter for a long time.

His ceiling is basically Lonzo Ball with a better 3-pt shot.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[kg01]

Thoughts on my guy Killian Hayes? He and Haliburton are intriguing to me.

FWIW, I think Halliburton is due for a career arc similar to Malcolm Brogdon. Not an All Star, but an above avg starter for a long time.

His ceiling is basically Lonzo Ball with a better 3-pt shot.

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This is a good year for a Brogdon type of pick. High impact, maybe not a star at any point. Effect winning. Sign me up.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Onyeka Okongwu Scouting Report

Estimated 6’9.5″ with a 7’1″ wingspan

Despite his limitations as a passer, Onyeka has shown some flashes in terms of awareness and generosity: turning his head before he’s even secured the ball to survey available options on the weakside, distributing carefully-played lobs in a high-low set, and kicking out with left. Has shown flashes of interior shovel pass ability.

On occasion has shown repertoire of advanced moves: can lace together a spin into an up-and-under scoop with nice fluidity, can access reverse pivots and drop-step feints without problem. Has thrown in a couple euro-steps this year. Gets great speed and balance on the spin while keeping the ball tight, which he periodically brings out multiple times in a sequence.

Onyeka presents an option as a relatively “safe” pick with bankable rotation player equity, and his rim protection is certainly some of the best you’ll find in the draft, but it seems unlikely that he is deserving of a top-10 selection.

The Stepien

[atlantabbq99]

^ O.O. face up game is disappointing as well as his passing, but he is definitely worth a top 10 pick. He has Rodman like qualities in that he has sharp shoulders, seems to have a high IQ, and for some reason, like Rodman, his hands are just basketball magnets.

[Jamaaliver]

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[CP War Hawks]

I really think they want a knockdown shooter in this draft. Nesmith would be the guy imo. His 3 percentages are asinine. Actually those stats are against mid major comp except for Auburn. 51/52/82 can't be ignored either way. Another trade back would not surprise me in this one.

[Jamaaliver]

[raleigh]

All I want to do is trade out of this draft.

[Jamaaliver]

I really think they want a knockdown shooter in this draft. Nesmith would be the guy imo. His 3 percentages are asinine. Actually those stats are against mid major comp except for Auburn. 51/52/82 can't be ignored either way. Another trade back would not surprise me in this one.

With that in mind...

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[Jamaaliver]

Tyrese Haliburton Is The Most Intriguing Guard In The 2020 NBA Draft



At 6-foot-5, with an estimated wingspan of 6-foot-8, the 20-year-old is a lead guard that has the type of size that gives him the perfect amount of positional versatility. Haliburton might be at his best with the ball in his hands, but he is capable of playing off the ball on offense, and he has the length to comfortably switch across three spots on the defensive end. That type of player doesn’t come around very often, and that’s one of the main reasons that guys with his tools often find themselves being selected in the lottery.

With Haliburton’s combination of size and skill, many are quick to compare him to guys like Lonzo Ball and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I don’t find those comparisons to be particularly accurate, but the one thing they all have in common is that they ooze potential...the sophomore guard averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. He continued to shine, even when his supporting cast was constantly letting him down.

Spoiler:

Haliburton is going to need to clean up his handle a bit. The sophomore has a high dribble that can make it difficult for him to create separation or get by his man. On top of that, Haliburton must also be more aggressive in attacking the basket. When running pick and rolls, Haliburton was in the 91st percentile when those plays ended with him attacking the rack. However, he only did so 16 times last season. At his size, Haliburton needs to go downhill and put pressure on defenses.

Haliburton projects as one of the more switchable defenders in this draft, but he’s going to need to add some weight to his frame in order to regularly guard NBA wings. The 20-year-old has excellent instincts defensively, and he finished in the 84th percentile defending in isolation last year. But guarding players with NBA size will be more difficult, so he can help himself a lot by putting in work in the weight room.

Overall, Haliburton deserves to be mentioned with this draft’s top-tier lead guards a bit more often. LaMelo Ball and Killian Hayes are both excellent prospects, but Haliburton isn’t that far behind either of them. I have him as my eighth-ranked player in the class, and I believe he has a higher floor than most of the guys that will be selected in the lottery. With his combination of size and skill, it’s hard to imagine him being any worse than a very good backup. But I see him becoming a part of somebody’s core relatively quickly. That makes him a great consolation prize for teams that miss out on a top-5 pick.

Forbes

[Jamaaliver]

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