2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watch - Revised Poll

[RedIndian]

I love Paul Reed. His potential is off the charts.

[Bogyo]

I love Paul Reed. His potential is off the charts.

Same here. I just hope we don't trade out or outsmart ourselves again with a left field pick. He could be good next to Ayton.

Toppin is in our range as well, I wouldn't mind him either, and I'm 99% sure one of them will be available with our pick.

[ATTL]

This isn't really relevant for this upcoming draft. But it was just posted by schmidt as a big time top tier developing prospect that they apparently discovered for the upcoming draft. Again, This is nothing of immenent importance, But definitely an intriguing international prospect to keep tabs on. They say he projects as a mix of Rudy Gobert and Kristaps Porzingis. Anyways.......

Read on Twitter

?s=09

He's slated for around the 2022-2023 draft. Might be cool to follow a bit for his development and potential?

He makes young dragan bender look fat. Kid definitely needs to add weight.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

I love Paul Reed. His potential is off the charts.

Yeah I watched a bunch of DePaul footage this morning. Watched Jalen Smith play Nebraska last night. It's a no brainer. Reed>Smith. Next question.

If you re-watch that DePaul v Xavier highlight video I posted earlier, you may notice that on a few occasions, Reed seems to wander off down low, but when the penetration comes, Reed is right there to contest the ballhandler. On at least one of these occasions I am sure: Paul Reed was baiting them. That's a next level defensive move right there.

Then you look at his ballhandling ability and length and think, man, this guy's gonna be pretty useful out there. The dude pressures ball handlers with crazy effectiveness. His hands are awesome - pretty much always where they should be on D.

What he lacks, he lacks on offense. I don't think he has elite touch (fwiw). I think he'll struggle shooting the three (at least) early in his NBA career. I'd love to see him develop as an off-ball secondary playmaker, but I'm sure he'd see plenty of time backing up Ayton at the C spot if we drafted him.

But just imagining what havoc he and Deandre would wreck on defense together, I think we should probably do the obvious thing and just draft Paul Reed. I'm not sure how high on my board Paul is, because I haven't really taken a good look at some of the players ranked at the top of this draft. I was wrong to say, like, a day ago that Okongwu was the better prospect.

P.S. Shoutout to bw, who was the first to mention Future Sun Paul Reed round these parts. Thanks for the pony I'll be riding til draft night, my man.)

P.P.S. Yo Champ, please don't sell this draft pick. Please draft Future Sun Paul Reed. I think the fans will thank you.

[Ghost of Kleine]

I wanted to find the clip, But couldn't........

But today on Burns and Gambo, Gambo mentioned trying to get in touch with James Jones for comments on the Bolden signing. But was told that he was currently in Malaga Spain right now, scouting some prospects for the upcoming draft?

Any ideas on what international players he might have interest in that would be in our range of the lottery, and would fit our needs and his particular proclivities? Could they be targeting one of:

Killian Hayes- ( France)
http://www.tankathon.com/players/killian-hayes

Watch on YouTube

Theo Maledon- ( France)
http://www.tankathon.com/players/theo-maledon

Watch on YouTube

Or perhaps maybe this unknown kid....... (** If they trade back, Or buy a 2nd round pick) Which would mean that they'd be looking at a big in the lottery??

Abdoulaye N'Doye- ( France) A 6'7point guard/ point forward with a 7'2 wingspan. *** He projects as a potential lockdown perimeter defender ( which we need) due to his speed and 7'2 wingspan.

https://www.nbascoutinglive.com/abdoulaye-ndoye-scouting-report/ . He's been shooting around 44% from threethis season too.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/abdoulaye-ndoye-1.html .

Watch on YouTube

This is the only game that is listed for this week that he may be scouting, But still unsure of which players from these teams he may have interest in scouting.
https://basketball.realgm.com/international/preview/2020-02-14/Tecnyconta-Zaragoza-at-Unicaja-Malaga/357967 .
Hopefully if it's a guard that he's scouting, I hope that he's targeting Maledon first, Then Hayes, or maybe N'doye with a late 2nd perhaps?

[Bogyo]

I love Paul Reed. His potential is off the charts.

Yeah I watched a bunch of DePaul footage this morning. Watched Jalen Smith play Nebraska last night. It's a no brainer. Reed>Smith. Next question.

If you re-watch that DePaul v Xavier highlight video I posted earlier, you may notice that on a few occasions, Reed seems to wander off down low, but when the penetration comes, Reed is right there to contest the ballhandler. On at least one of these occasions I am sure: Paul Reed was baiting them. That's a next level defensive move right there.

Then you look at his ballhandling ability and length and think, man, this guy's gonna be pretty useful out there. The dude pressures ball handlers with crazy effectiveness. His hands are awesome - pretty much always where they should be on D.

What he lacks, he lacks on offense. I don't think he has elite touch (fwiw). I think he'll struggle shooting the three (at least) early in his NBA career. I'd love to see him develop as an off-ball secondary playmaker, but I'm sure he'd see plenty of time backing up Ayton at the C spot if we drafted him.

But just imagining what havoc he and Deandre would wreck on defense together, I think we should probably do the obvious thing and just draft Paul Reed. I'm not sure how high on my board Paul is, because I haven't really taken a good look at some of the players ranked at the top of this draft. I was wrong to say, like, a day ago that Okongwu was the better prospect.

P.S. Shoutout to bw, who was the first to mention Future Sun Paul Reed round these parts. Thanks for the pony I'll be riding til draft night, my man.)

P.P.S. Yo Champ, please don't sell this draft pick. Please draft Future Sun Paul Reed. I think the fans will thank you.

I wonder how his stats look like against Brandon Clarke's at the same age / college year.

[Ghost of Kleine]

I love Paul Reed. His potential is off the charts.

Yeah I watched a bunch of DePaul footage this morning. Watched Jalen Smith play Nebraska last night. It's a no brainer. Reed>Smith. Next question.

If you re-watch that DePaul v Xavier highlight video I posted earlier, you may notice that on a few occasions, Reed seems to wander off down low, but when the penetration comes, Reed is right there to contest the ballhandler. On at least one of these occasions I am sure: Paul Reed was baiting them. That's a next level defensive move right there.

Then you look at his ballhandling ability and length and think, man, this guy's gonna be pretty useful out there. The dude pressures ball handlers with crazy effectiveness. His hands are awesome - pretty much always where they should be on D.

What he lacks, he lacks on offense. I don't think he has elite touch (fwiw). I think he'll struggle shooting the three (at least) early in his NBA career. I'd love to see him develop as an off-ball secondary playmaker, but I'm sure he'd see plenty of time backing up Ayton at the C spot if we drafted him.

But just imagining what havoc he and Deandre would wreck on defense together, I think we should probably do the obvious thing and just draft Paul Reed. I'm not sure how high on my board Paul is, because I haven't really taken a good look at some of the players ranked at the top of this draft. I was wrong to say, like, a day ago that Okongwu was the better prospect.

P.S. Shoutout to bw, who was the first to mention Future Sun Paul Reed round these parts. Thanks for the pony I'll be riding til draft night, my man.)

P.P.S. Yo Champ, please don't sell this draft pick. Please draft Future Sun Paul Reed. I think the fans will thank you.

I wonder how his stats look like against Brandon Clarke's at the same age / college year.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--jalen-smith--obi-toppin--brandon-clarke .

But as far as just Brandon Clarke VSPaul Reed, Here you go man:

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--brandon-clarke .

Again, The player that really compares the closest to Brandon Clarke in the 2020 draft, If there is one to be found?? is Tyler Bey. He's an advanced stats darling. And a potential walking double/double in the right system.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=tyler-bey--brandon-clarke .

[Desertfox]

Those just show how good Clarke is... With Ayton playing really good defense and the need for 3pt shooting in the starting lineup, I would take Toppin out of those 4.

[bwgood77]

I love Paul Reed. His potential is off the charts.

Yeah I watched a bunch of DePaul footage this morning. Watched Jalen Smith play Nebraska last night. It's a no brainer. Reed>Smith. Next question.

If you re-watch that DePaul v Xavier highlight video I posted earlier, you may notice that on a few occasions, Reed seems to wander off down low, but when the penetration comes, Reed is right there to contest the ballhandler. On at least one of these occasions I am sure: Paul Reed was baiting them. That's a next level defensive move right there.

Then you look at his ballhandling ability and length and think, man, this guy's gonna be pretty useful out there. The dude pressures ball handlers with crazy effectiveness. His hands are awesome - pretty much always where they should be on D.

What he lacks, he lacks on offense. I don't think he has elite touch (fwiw). I think he'll struggle shooting the three (at least) early in his NBA career. I'd love to see him develop as an off-ball secondary playmaker, but I'm sure he'd see plenty of time backing up Ayton at the C spot if we drafted him.

But just imagining what havoc he and Deandre would wreck on defense together, I think we should probably do the obvious thing and just draft Paul Reed. I'm not sure how high on my board Paul is, because I haven't really taken a good look at some of the players ranked at the top of this draft. I was wrong to say, like, a day ago that Okongwu was the better prospect.

P.S. Shoutout to bw, who was the first to mention Future Sun Paul Reed round these parts. Thanks for the pony I'll be riding til draft night, my man.)

P.P.S. Yo Champ, please don't sell this draft pick. Please draft Future Sun Paul Reed. I think the fans will thank you.

I wonder how his stats look like against Brandon Clarke's at the same age / college year.

My only worry about Paul Reed is the lack of shooting. Of course people said the same about Clarke, but Clarke pretty much blew him away across the board. Reed may not be too far behind overall on defense, but isn't the shot blocker, but offensively, Clarke was a much better finisher. Reed is younger though, and probably has more length. For an inside guy though, I'd expect a bit better finishing, and he doesn't pass.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--brandon-clarke

Although you're not going to find the perfect player, I'd love to find someone who can hold their own on D, hit 3s and move the ball. It would be great if they were an elite finisher too. Of course that somewhat describes Brandon Clarke, but we missed on that. Obviously we are not going to find a 70% TS% guy, and he did that without being able to hit 3s. Now that he is at 42% in the NBA from 3, finishing inside will obviously be tougher against bigs, but he still has an insane 67.4% TS%.

I haven't looked at Jalen Smith, but based on #s, he does have the better TS%, over 62% and is shooting over 39% from 3 with 2.3 bpg. He doesn't move the ball either though. http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--jalen-smith

Moving the ball may be less important but it would be nice to have a guy who averaged like 3 apg, or at least 2-2.5.

This guy would look good if he didn't have such a bad FG%. Strange it's so bad overall given he is over 32% from 3, though I guess half his shots are from 3, so he must shoot 2s at a rate of about 46%. But his passing is phenomenal, and he can block shots, rebound, etc.

Only 18 too. But probably too raw. Someone like Toronto will draft him and turn him into the next Marc Gasol.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/aleksej-pokusevski

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=precious-achiuwa--aleksej-pokusevski--paul-reed--jalen-smith--obi-toppin

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Yeah I watched a bunch of DePaul footage this morning. Watched Jalen Smith play Nebraska last night. It's a no brainer. Reed>Smith. Next question.

If you re-watch that DePaul v Xavier highlight video I posted earlier, you may notice that on a few occasions, Reed seems to wander off down low, but when the penetration comes, Reed is right there to contest the ballhandler. On at least one of these occasions I am sure: Paul Reed was baiting them. That's a next level defensive move right there.

Then you look at his ballhandling ability and length and think, man, this guy's gonna be pretty useful out there. The dude pressures ball handlers with crazy effectiveness. His hands are awesome - pretty much always where they should be on D.

What he lacks, he lacks on offense. I don't think he has elite touch (fwiw). I think he'll struggle shooting the three (at least) early in his NBA career. I'd love to see him develop as an off-ball secondary playmaker, but I'm sure he'd see plenty of time backing up Ayton at the C spot if we drafted him.

But just imagining what havoc he and Deandre would wreck on defense together, I think we should probably do the obvious thing and just draft Paul Reed. I'm not sure how high on my board Paul is, because I haven't really taken a good look at some of the players ranked at the top of this draft. I was wrong to say, like, a day ago that Okongwu was the better prospect.

P.S. Shoutout to bw, who was the first to mention Future Sun Paul Reed round these parts. Thanks for the pony I'll be riding til draft night, my man.)

P.P.S. Yo Champ, please don't sell this draft pick. Please draft Future Sun Paul Reed. I think the fans will thank you.

I wonder how his stats look like against Brandon Clarke's at the same age / college year.

My only worry about Paul Reed is the lack of shooting. Of course people said the same about Clarke, but Clarke pretty much blew him away across the board. Reed may not be too far behind overall on defense, but isn't the shot blocker, but offensively, Clarke was a much better finisher. Reed is younger though, and probably has more length. For an inside guy though, I'd expect a bit better finishing, and he doesn't pass.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--brandon-clarke

Although you're not going to find the perfect player, I'd love to find someone who can hold their own on D, hit 3s and move the ball. It would be great if they were an elite finisher too. Of course that somewhat describes Brandon Clarke, but we missed on that. Obviously we are not going to find a 70% TS% guy, and he did that without being able to hit 3s. Now that he is at 42% in the NBA from 3, finishing inside will obviously be tougher against bigs, but he still has an insane 67.4% TS%.

I haven't looked at Jalen Smith, but based on #s, he does have the better TS%, over 62% and is shooting over 39% from 3 with 2.3 bpg. He doesn't move the ball either though. http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--jalen-smith

Moving the ball may be less important but it would be nice to have a guy who averaged like 3 apg, or at least 2-2.5.

This guy would look good if he didn't have such a bad FG%. Strange it's so bad overall given he is over 32% from 3, though I guess half his shots are from 3, so he must shoot 2s at a rate of about 46%. But his passing is phenomenal, and he can block shots, rebound, etc.

Only 18 too. But probably too raw. Someone like Toronto will draft him and turn him into the next Marc Gasol.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/aleksej-pokusevski

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=precious-achiuwa--aleksej-pokusevski--paul-reed--jalen-smith--obi-toppin

I don't have Reed nearly as high as I had Clarke. Smith is interesting but I think he's a center.

Pokusevski certainly looks like a better prospect than Bender was when he drafted him, for what that's worth. I could see him growing into a great player, but it's a little hard to tell where he'll end up, given how much meat he has yet to put on those giant baby bones. Hell, it's pretty hard to tell where he is right now, since he's playing in the Greek second division. I wish we were good enough to be able to draft a prospect like that with a pick to throw away at the back of the draft.

[Ghost of Kleine]

Yeah I watched a bunch of DePaul footage this morning. Watched Jalen Smith play Nebraska last night. It's a no brainer. Reed>Smith. Next question.

If you re-watch that DePaul v Xavier highlight video I posted earlier, you may notice that on a few occasions, Reed seems to wander off down low, but when the penetration comes, Reed is right there to contest the ballhandler. On at least one of these occasions I am sure: Paul Reed was baiting them. That's a next level defensive move right there.

Then you look at his ballhandling ability and length and think, man, this guy's gonna be pretty useful out there. The dude pressures ball handlers with crazy effectiveness. His hands are awesome - pretty much always where they should be on D.

What he lacks, he lacks on offense. I don't think he has elite touch (fwiw). I think he'll struggle shooting the three (at least) early in his NBA career. I'd love to see him develop as an off-ball secondary playmaker, but I'm sure he'd see plenty of time backing up Ayton at the C spot if we drafted him.

But just imagining what havoc he and Deandre would wreck on defense together, I think we should probably do the obvious thing and just draft Paul Reed. I'm not sure how high on my board Paul is, because I haven't really taken a good look at some of the players ranked at the top of this draft. I was wrong to say, like, a day ago that Okongwu was the better prospect.

P.S. Shoutout to bw, who was the first to mention Future Sun Paul Reed round these parts. Thanks for the pony I'll be riding til draft night, my man.)

P.P.S. Yo Champ, please don't sell this draft pick. Please draft Future Sun Paul Reed. I think the fans will thank you.

I wonder how his stats look like against Brandon Clarke's at the same age / college year.

My only worry about Paul Reed is the lack of shooting. Of course people said the same about Clarke, but Clarke pretty much blew him away across the board. Reed may not be too far behind overall on defense, but isn't the shot blocker, but offensively, Clarke was a much better finisher. Reed is younger though, and probably has more length. For an inside guy though, I'd expect a bit better finishing, and he doesn't pass.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--brandon-clarke

Although you're not going to find the perfect player, I'd love to find someone who can hold their own on D, hit 3s and move the ball. It would be great if they were an elite finisher too. Of course that somewhat describes Brandon Clarke, but we missed on that. Obviously we are not going to find a 70% TS% guy, and he did that without being able to hit 3s. Now that he is at 42% in the NBA from 3, finishing inside will obviously be tougher against bigs, but he still has an insane 67.4% TS%.

I haven't looked at Jalen Smith, but based on #s, he does have the better TS%, over 62% and is shooting over 39% from 3 with 2.3 bpg. He doesn't move the ball either though. http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=paul-reed--jalen-smith

Moving the ball may be less important but it would be nice to have a guy who averaged like 3 apg, or at least 2-2.5.

This guy would look good if he didn't have such a bad FG%. Strange it's so bad overall given he is over 32% from 3, though I guess half his shots are from 3, so he must shoot 2s at a rate of about 46%. But his passing is phenomenal, and he can block shots, rebound, etc.

Only 18 too. But probably too raw. Someone like Toronto will draft him and turn him into the next Marc Gasol.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/aleksej-pokusevski

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=precious-achiuwa--aleksej-pokusevski--paul-reed--jalen-smith--obi-toppin

Yes, He's definitely a solid late option near the end of the first round. He's got great size, ballhandling skills, solid defensive awareness, and a really pretty jumpshot for a mobile 7 ft big. For a foreign ( draft and stash) prospect, I really like his potential.

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/05/06/2020-international-guide-curious-case-aleksej-pokusevski/

https://www.nbascoutinglive.com/observing-aleksej-pokusevski/

Watch on YouTube

He was one of the guys that I had hoped the Suns would've acquired a mid- late first for in a Baynes trade, or using one of our tradable assets to target with the pick we would've acquired at the deadline. Anyways, Great find....................

I see him as a poor man's Porzingis/ A rich man's Kaminsky, Or maybe even a 7 ft Andre Kirilenko, As he needs to add a lot of strength and more development as a 17 yr old. But I definitely think that if he could put on a little weight and get stronger, that he'd be very solid floor spacing, shotblocking option next to Ayton. Again, Hopefully our scouting is going to be on point this summer!

[Ghost of Kleine]

Just for "gits and shiggles"!!! I did some comparisons for some key big players for our Suns with some of these 2020 prospects that have been discussed, And some that I have interest in acquiring an additional pick for.

" The Devins" -

Devin Vassell and Devin Booker.

http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=devin-vassell--devin-booker
** You'll notice how very similar they are statistically, But Vassell is also known as a really good potential lockdown defender too.

Aaron Nesmith/ Jordan Nwora/Warren-
***( Both Nesmith and Warren amazingly gifted scorers, and Nwora more of a big shot making Trevor Ariza.
http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=aaron-nesmith--jordan-nwora--t-j-warren

Tyler bey and Shawn Marion-
http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=tyler-bey--shawn-marion

And of course .......................
John Collins and Obi Toppin-

They're very similar, Again with a few statistical trade offs here and there.

**** Lastly, Just for fun. Two 2nd round guards that I've mentioned already as potential steals as backup guards. Cassius Winston and Grant Riller.

Cassius Winston/ Kyle Lowry-
http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=cassius-winston--kyle-lowry
I see them as being fairly similar, With Winston being more offense oriented and Lowry more defense oriented.

Grant Riller and Fred van Fleet-
http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=grant-riller--fred-vanvleet

Again, fairly similar, But with Riller being the better scorer. And with Van Fleet being better defensively. But I think Riller can project really close to what van Fleet has become. With would be awesome for a backup guard honestly.

[Bogyo]

Thanks for the links Ghost! I didn't know you could compare older players in tankathon like that.
To answer my own question, Clarke was a bit better prospect.
Bey is more of an SF in my eyes, but intresting Marion-lite prospect nevertheless.

[Ghost of Kleine]

So it turns out that Jones is in Spain to check out the Copa Del Ray Tournament this weekend, Scouting potential prospects for the draft. They'll be there for a few days, And then head out to Chicago to support Booker at the All star game.
https://arizonasports.com/category/podcast_player/?a=f1d9b666-3d81-47fe-9243-ab6100091846&sid=1005&n=Burns+%26+Gambo( about 1:15 into the podcast).

As for the Copa Del Rey tournament-
https://www.the-sports.org/basketball-2019-2020-copa-del-rey-epr98524.html

I suppose that you can view individual team rosters for potential target players that are there.

Real Madrid-
Veteran prospects
- Rudy Fernandez. 6'5 ( Guard).
- Sergio Lull. 6'3 ( Guard).
- Jordan Mickey. 6'8 ( Forward).
- Jeffrey Taylor. 6'8 ( forward).
- Trey Thompkins. 6'10 ( Power forward).
- Anthony Randolph. 6'11 ( Power forward).
- Salaj Mejri. 7'0 ( Center).
- Walter Tavares. (**7'3 center).

Rookie Prospects
- Usman Guruba. 6'8 ( Forward).
- Boris Tisma. 6'8 ( Forward).

FC Barcelona-
https://www.proballers.com/basketball/team/148/f-c-barcelona/2019
Veteran Prospects-
- Malcom Delaney. 6'3 ( point guard).
- Thomas Huertal. 6'3 ( point guard).
- Kevin Pangos. 6'2 ( point guard).
- Alejandro Abrines. 6'6 ( shooting guard).
- Adam Hanga. 6'7 ( shooting guard).
- Victor Claver 6'9 ( power forward).
- Brandon Davies. 6'10 ( power forward).
- ***Nikola Mirotic. 6'10 ( power forward).
- Ante Tomic. 7'2. ( center).
- Artem Pustoyvi. 7'2 ( center).
Rookie prospects-
- Serge Martinez. 6'7 (forward).
- Leandro Bolmaro. 6'8 ( forward).

And that's two of the many teams that were playing. So my favorite players for our needs of those two teams would have to be:
Real Madrid:
Veterans-

Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Lull, Anthony Randolph, Trey Thompkins, Salaj Mejri, Walter Tavares.

FC Barcelona:
Veterans-

Kevin Pangos, Thomas Huertal, Victor Clavor, Brandon Davies, Nikola Mirotic, Ante Tomic.

So which players in the tournament do you guys think he's mainly targeting?

[bwgood77]

Jones must be looking at Mirotic. Maybe meeting with him as well.

Here is a new scouting report on Halliburton.

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/02/14/tyrese-haliburton-scouting-report/

As you can see in his twitter profile here, the author was previously a Suns draft consultant. https://twitter.com/SKPearlman

Here are all of his scouting reports this year so far..at least the ones he's written for thestepien. https://www.thestepien.com/author/spencerpearlman/

He also comments a lot on prospects and does a lot of video breakdown on his twitter.

[Walt_Uoob]

I haven't paid much attention to the draft class yet but it's looking like a good year to end up in the latter half of the lottery as we probably will. Seems like there's a deep second tier, and lots of PGs projected high, so there's a good chance one or more of them drop farther than they "should" due to other teams' positional needs. And if that doesn't happen or we don't like the guys who fall farther than expected, there are several intriguing PF prospects to be had as discussed above, mostly projected to go later in the first, so we'd have our pick of most of those guys.

Plus of course we just have great luck at #9 that I really hope we land there.

Also seems like a good draft to trade down or out of if we do jump into the top 3. Like NYK is currently projected to get the 5 & 25 but would probably love to create some buzz around a top pick, so might trade those two (or more) to move up a couple (or more) spots, and then we could get a PG early and a PF later.

[jcsunsfan]

Mirotic would be a great pick up.

I am also a fan of Aleksej Pokuševski in this draft. He has an "it" factor on the court. Carries himself with a legit swagger. Blocks shots, makes steals (which is a huge successful transition indicator), and moves like a small forward even though he is 7-1 with a 7-3 wingspan. The kid has a handle and runs the break too. VERY good passer. Poor man's Jokic with a poor man's Porzingis thrown in. Shooting isn't great but his range and form look good.

[Ghost of Kleine]

I haven't paid much attention to the draft class yet but it's looking like a good year to end up in the latter half of the lottery as we probably will. Seems like there's a deep second tier, and lots of PGs projected high, so there's a good chance one or more of them drop farther than they "should" due to other teams' positional needs. And if that doesn't happen or we don't like the guys who fall farther than expected, there are several intriguing PF prospects to be had as discussed above, mostly projected to go later in the first, so we'd have our pick of most of those guys.

Plus of course we just have great luck at #9 that I really hope we land there.

Also seems like a good draft to trade down or out of if we do jump into the top 3. Like NYK is currently projected to get the 5 & 25 but would probably love to create some buzz around a top pick, so might trade those two (or more) to move up a couple (or more) spots, and then we could get a PG early and a PF later.

If we did trade back, It'd be awesome to get the 5 and the 25 too. That way, We could still take Toppin, and then maybe Theo Maledon, Or if it's a guard first, Then Haliburton then perhaps Reed or Jalen Smith or ( Aleksev Pokusevski)???

I actually like Maledon over Hayes, Do to his recent improvements and much greater potential.

Read on Twitter

?s=19

Watch on YouTube

[bwgood77]

From Sam Vecenie, The Athletic..

10. Phoenix Suns
Tyrese Haliburton | 6-5 guard | 19 years old, sophomore | Iowa State

I recently wrote a rather in-depth breakdown of Haliburton, so I’ll direct people there for a more substantial analysis of what makes him such an intriguing prospect. His draft range is considered somewhere between No. 5 and the end of the lottery.

Having said that, I love a potential fit with him on the perimeter next to Devin Booker. With Booker’s ability to create his own shot at the end of shot clocks and play out of ball-screens himself, Haliburton would be freed up to act as something of both a primary and a secondary ballhandler. That’s the role that fits him best: a second-side option that hits open catch-and-shoot shots, and defends.

11. Sacramento Kings
Obi Toppin | 6-9 forward/center | 21 years old, sophomore | Dayton

The Kings clearly want to fill their center position, given their decision to sign both Richaun Holmes and Dewayne Dedmon last offseason. And while Toppin might not be a true center, there is something of a similarity between him and Holmes as undersized guys who can play the role. And while Dedmon didn’t work out and was ultimately shipped out at the deadline, the Kings have had a lot of success with Holmes and playing with an athletic rim-runner. Now, imagine that, except a guy who can also play within dribble hand-offs, drive to the basket, and pick-and-pop. Oh, and he’ll throw down at least one highlight dunk per week.

Toppin is all of that. For my money, he’s the guy I would vote for as National Player of the Year if the season ended today. His versatility and matchup nightmare-inducing game causes issues for everyone at this level, and he unlocks the five-out offense Dayton plays. It also helps that he’s among the most productive players in the country, averaging 19.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 63 percent from the field and over 35 percent from 3. Toppin has been awesome at basically every stage since the summer, and I’d feel very confident selecting him in the lottery.

Spoiler:

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via BKN)
Nico Mannion | 6-3 guard | 18 years old, freshman | Arizona

Mannion has been Arizona’s best player this year, in my opinion. He’s the guy who drives play for them, and keeps things moving across the board on offense. His basketball IQ is incredible, and he sees things happen full steps before they actually occur. It’s how he’s averaging 14 points and 5.5 assists versus only 2.6 turnovers per game. He rarely makes mistakes, and just does such a good job of keeping things in sync.

Still, there’s some real skepticism among front offices as to whether or not Mannion is a long-term starting guard, or more of a backup. He’ll likely stick because of his feel for the game, but it’s hard for him to get all the way to the basket, and it’s tough for him to defend. And right now, the 3-point shot isn’t really falling at a high enough clip either, given that he’s hit just 33 percent from distance this season. If he can’t truly break down defenses and get separation, he’s probably more of a ball-moving backup. Minnesota can afford to take a swing on a point guard that can either play with or behind D’Angelo Russell. In fact, I’d hope they do that in addition to taking more swings on wings.

17. Boston Celtics
Josh Green | 6-6 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Arizona

I’m not totally sure why evaluators are still as in on Green as they are, but he’s considered a likely first-round pick at this stage still by NBA front office evaluators. He’s averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and does play very tough, physical on-ball defense. That’s a great fit for how Boston wants to play, so he’s a fit here. But I’m pretty skeptical on how the skill package fits together right now in the halfcourt, and what makes him all that different from someone like Cassius Stanley, who will feature much lower in this mock.

Green is hitting only 30.8 percent from 3, and I’ve written before about not particularly buying his shot mechanics long-term. And unlike some of the more active, athletic guys in the class, Green does disappear sometimes a bit too easily from key moments. If the shot isn’t going to fall at a high level, I think he’s basically a lower-end potential defensive rotation player. And I’m just not quite sure how well that works in today’s game. If you think he can shoot it at some point, I get it. I’m just not quite there.

18. Milwaukee Bucks (via IND)
Saddiq Bey | 6-8 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Villanova

I’ve long been a big fan of Bey, ranking him in my top-50 to start the season. His growth, though, has been markedly impressive. He’s been a two-way stud this year as a super 3-and-D guy for Villanova. The 6-foot-8 wing is averaging 15.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field, a ridiculous 47.5 percent from 3, and 79.7 from the foul line. He’s basically automatic if you give him a clean look off the catch.

But more than that, what I’d be impressed with if I were running a team is Bey’s switchable defensive ability. Consistently, Villanova just puts him onto whoever the opposing team’s toughest offensive player is, regardless of position as long as it’s not a center. If it’s a wing, they’re fine. If it’s a point guard like Devon Dotson, they’re fine with that, too. This is the kind of skillset that is perfect for Milwaukee’s scheme, given how much this front office loves length, positional size, and 3-and-D players to put around Giannis Antetotkounmpo. If he’s on the board at 18, it’s a no-brainer.

19. Dallas Mavericks
Aaron Nesmith | 6-6 wing | 19 years old, sophomore | Vanderbilt

The Mavericks have tried their best to surround Luka Doncic with playmaking and shooting. It’s hard to find a better fit of that skill than Nesmith. He’s a terrific shooter, at the very least. He shot 52.2 percent on 115 3-point shots in 14 games before being knocked out for what will likely be the season with a foot injury. That’s a hot start, but Nesmith is a very real shooter who could hear his name called earlier than this if he can go into workouts and prove himself against high-level competition.

At 6-foot-5 with at least a plus-five wingspan and a strong, physical frame, Nesmith looks ready and skilled enough to play in the NBA sooner rather than later. The upside is that of a starting NBA wing if things broke right, and at least an NBA rotation wing as long as the shooting translates at a reasonable level. Still, NBA executives do want to get a good look at the foot prior to selecting him and seeing him suit up in workouts during the pre-draft process, which he is expected to be ready for.

20. Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen Smith | 6-10 forward/center | 20 years old, sophomore | Maryland

I’m not sure there is a player who has been better in the last month of college basketball than Stix. Smith is now averaging 15.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, while shooting at a 53.6/39.1/74.7 shooting split. If you limit it to just his last eight games, Smith is at 18.6 points and 11.8 rebounds. He’s been an absolute monster inside, has improved as a rim protector, throws down monstrously athletic dunks, and is genuinely starting to hit shots from 3. And in that latter vein, I fully buy him as a shooter now. The ball comes out of his hand cleanly.

Now, there are a couple of concerns. First, is he something of a tweener — between the 4 and the 5? I buy him more as a rim protector than I did earlier this season, but I’m unclear if that’s going to hold up at the next level. Additionally, he’s also quite stiff, which could lead to him being a bit of a liability in space. He needs to get with a trainer and figure out how to get bend throughout his lower half and torso. But right now, I fully buy into him as a real prospect worth taking in the top-20. He’s turned the corner.

21. Brooklyn Nets (via PHI)
Devin Vassell | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Florida State

Vassell has been one of the true risers for scouts over the last month. I’m not quite there with him, but sources around the league have put him more in the 15-30 range as opposed to the 25-45 range. On some level, it’s a pretty easy pitch. He’s a big wing with a ton of length that can hit well over 40 percent from 3, and has great length while defending at a solid clip.

I’m not quite as sold on the ancillary parts of his game. His ballhandling gives me some pause, and he’s not the best athlete. He rarely gets all the way to the basket because of those two things, meaning most of his points come purely off of jumpers. It’s tough to make a living that way. Still, this is a 3-and-D wing starter kit that teams will likely be willing to work on with the rest of his game. Brooklyn may lose Joe Harris this summer, and could use more spacing options next to Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert.

22. Denver Nuggets (via HOU)
Precious Achiuwa | 6-9 forward/center | 20 years old, freshman | Memphis

This is a bit of a drop for Achiuwa, as teams have started to wonder about what the role will be at the next level from a skill perspective. He’s not really all that strong of a ballhandler. And while there is shooting upside, he’s not nearly consistent enough yet. Still, Achiuwa is a remarkable athlete at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and the standing reach of a legitimate center prospect. He’s averaging nearly 15 points and 10 rebounds, while posting over a steal and nearly two blocks per game.

Indeed, I think that Achiuwa’s best position long-term is going to be at the center spot. Denver seems like one of the few spots where he could reasonably play both the 4 and the 5, though. With Jokic in the middle and Porter with size at the 4, Denver could play interestingly flexible lineups that would potentially cause problems for opponents. That’s going to take Achiuwa buying into being a long-term center though, something he has done at Memphis this season but may be less interested in when his time comes in the NBA.

23. Miami Heat
Kira Lewis Jr. | 6-4 guard | 18 years old, sophomore | Alabama

Lewis continues to put up terrific numbers on offense, leading Nate Oats’ high-powered, breakneck-transition attack. One of the most productive point guards in the country, he’s averaging 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists with 1.8 steals. He’s the only player in the country hitting those thresholds so far this season, and one of 19 to hit them over the last decade. Of those 19, 10 of them played at least one NBA game. His speed is elite in the open floor, and he has good burst with his first step.

However, look closer, and things come apart a bit. He’s turning the ball over four times per game. He’s not really much of a pull-up shooter. His frame is still right around 170 pounds, which means he’s going to struggle a bit to deal with the defensive responsibilities of his position as well as his finishing at the basket. The production and speed is tough to ignore, but the rest of it makes him a bit more of a project than the pure numbers might indicate.

24. Utah Jazz
Zeke Nnaji | 6-10 forward/center | 18 years old, freshman | Arizona

Nnaji remains a remarkably productive big man with great fluidity and touch around the basket. He’s averaging 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds on the season while shooting over 60 percent from the field. And even in Pac-12 play, he’s still ripping down 15-point, 10-rebound appearances even if the efficiency has dropped a bit. He moves his feet well on the perimeter, and he has some potential to shoot.

However, what teams keep asking me is simply: “What is his NBA role?” He’s an undersized center who is skinny and probably isn’t a good enough rim protector to play the 5 consistently. However, can he develop enough of a perimeter game on offense to become a legitimate option at the 4? He’s a bit of a tweener. Still, the Jazz seem like a team that could actually value this, because they basically have true centers and true wings on the roster. They might be able to use a player like Nnaji who can connect the rest of the roster a bit. I’d put his draft range somewhere in the post-lottery to No. 35 area.

It’s still early, but the 2020 NBA Draft cycle is starting to take some shape due to both the performance of some players, and the NBA Trade Deadline having come and gone.

However, one thing remains abundantly clear: few teams are excited about having picks at the top of the draft. In fact, I’ve talked to multiple scouting director-level or higher executives who would actually prefer their team not get a top-two pick. They don’t think that pick is certain to bring a star, and that they think most other teams feel that way about those picks, and thus might not have as much trade value as a normal year. Indeed, this is not a great year to end up near the top.

And yet, there are at least some interesting depth options taking shape as longer-term upside plays for teams. I’m not convinced that a ton of players are going to be able to play immediately from this class, but there are some who will be picked later who at least have a chance to be difference-makers. Depending on how many kids decide to declare versus decide to stay in school, this could have at least some depth down to No. 40 or so come draft time.

Still, this draft is seen as weak within front offices as we head deeper into the process. Very few of the freshman have really stepped up in a substantial way, and the past couple of years, the early entry deadline sapped up some talent. Maybe some other players emerge, but as a current reflection of where front offices are, this one is about as close as you’re going to find as we start to head into the silly season of figuring out who can play under the bright lights, and who can’t.

One final note: don’t be surprised to see the pre-draft process with workouts, the combine, and individual meetings play an even larger role in this process than normal. Sixty kids have to get picked, and evaluators consider this class very, very close from about No. 20 on downward.

Some quick notes on this mock draft:

• The order below is based on team record as of Monday, Feb. 10.

• At this point, the mock draft is almost entirely about what I’m hearing from sources about draft ranges on specific players, as opposed to it more being about where I am on players. I’ll have an updated top-100 big board ranking later this month that will be more about me. But again, this mock draft comes as a result of having spoken to dozens of sources across the landscape of basketball, including NBA executives, scouts, agents and college coaches.

• This mock draft DOES account for team needs for the most part, although as you’ll see in this class, I think most teams — especially around the top — should mostly just be taking the guy they trust most to be good.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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