Ty's 2020 NBA Draft Preview

The NBA draft is on tonight.

I know it feels like the season just ended, and that is because it basically just did. If you have been under a rock, the NBA had to stop play for three months, then finish up the 2019-20 season in the Orlando bubble. The season concluded in, I believe, late September. Then the NBA announced they were going to do a 72 game sprint season, with no all star game or festivities, and that the season would start on December 22nd. They have now let teams make trades, the draft is tonight, free agency starts on Friday and training camps and preseason start in early December. It has all been a whirlwind, but I am happy to know that I will be watching NBA games in just over one month. It's like a late birthday gift for me. I did my take on trades yesterday, and today I want to do my version of a draft preview.

I don't like doing mock drafts either. I feel like they are a waste of time. What I do like doing is picking five prospects I really like, five I think will "bust" and five sleepers. I usually give the players a sentence or two on why I have them where I do, and then it is on to the next one. Also, I'm not a big fan of calling these kids "busts". They are about to become pro basketball players, something I only ever dreamed of. But until I can find a better word for it, I guess I will have to use "bust".

Let's do the five prospects I really like in this draft. As you all know, I am not a big fan of the "one and done" thing, and I am not particularly high on teams that draft a 19 year old over a 22 year old because they think the 22 year old is "too old". That will be reflected in my five favorite prospects.

Number one for me is Obi Toppin. I love this kid's game. I actually saw him live before the world went to hell. I saw SLU almost beat Dayton in fact. But it was Toppin who wouldn't let his team lose. He is long, athletic, can shoot the three a bit, is a great, and smart offensive player and will get better on defense. I would take him number one overall. He did play three years of college ball, but who cares. This kid is the real deal, and he is my favorite player in the draft.

My number two prospect is Tyrese Haliburton from Iowa State. I know he missed a chunk of the year, but when he played he shot the hell out of the ball, and he is the best passer in the draft. He has two years of college basketball behind him, and he seems to have a natural feel. He will have to fix his release point, it is a bit low right now, but he will come in right away and be a top notch passer in the NBA.

At number three I have Anthony Edwards. I know he has gotten flak for kind of disappearing in games and practices, but this kid is built, can score from anywhere and he has an NBA body. He is a freshman, and he will struggle, but with gifts like he has on the offensive end, I think he will instantly be better than guys like RJ Barrett or Colin Sexton. He is ready to score.

At number four I have Kira Lewis Jr from Alabama. I didn't know much about him early in the season, but I watched him play Kentucky one afternoon, and I was blown away. He is an excellent ball handler, a pass first guard and has the size to match up with almost any other guard in the league. If he gets put in the right spot, he could be a future all star.

My number five prospect I like is Sadiiq Bey from Villanova. To me he is the Draymond Green of this draft, except a better shooter. He isn't the most athletic, or the best ball handler, but the kid can score, he can spot up and shoot and he plays defense. He may be a guy who tumbles a bit, but he will make the teams that pass him regret it. He has the tools to be a very good modern small lineup "big" type player.

Now to the "busts".

At number one I have LaMelo Ball. Now, I know I have written in the past how much I dislike the father, but this is not me dunking on this kid. I think he is too entitled, doesn't have a solid shot and won't thrive when he is asked to be the do it all man. I think he is an excellent passer and has a good feel, but I just think whatever team takes him in the top three will ask him to be the star, and he is not ready for that. That will take years, and NBA teams don't give players the time anymore.

At number two, and this is really hard for me because I want this kid to succeed so much, is James Wiseman. If he gets drafted by the Warriors, my point is moot. That would be perfect. But if any other team takes him, it is just like Ball. He will be asked to do it all, to be the reason fans, when allowed, come to watch the game. He hasn't played a real game in over a year, and the pressure just seems too much. I hope the Warriors take him, but if they don't, it will be tough sledding.

At number three I have Killian Hayes. Some people love this kid, but his shooting percentages are not good, his turnovers are way too high, he struggled on an average team overseas, it just doesn't add up to me. I could see him falling way down in the draft, which might be the best thing for him. But for some people to have him as the top prospect, or a top five guy, I just don't see it.

At number four, give me any Duke player that declared for the draft this year. They did not have one of the greatest freshman classes of the past. There is no Zion or Barrett or Jahlil Okafor or Jabari Parker. But the majority of that team declared for the draft, and I wouldn't be surprised if none of them were first round picks.

At number five I have Nico Mannion. This kid was the talk of the town going into last season, and he did absolutely nothing to move the needle in my opinion. He is a worse version of Nik Stauskas if you ask me. He's a spotty shooter, not much of a passer or ball handler, and he will get abused on the defensive end of the floor. Hopefully he can prove me wrong, but I just don't see it at all with him.

Now for the sleepers.

I don't watch much international basketball, and when I do it is usually clips on YouTube, but Deni Avdija from Maccabi Tel Aviv is legit. It may seem ridiculous that I have him as a sleeper, most mocks have him top five, but for me he is a sleeper. I didn't know who he was a month ago, and now I watch his highlights as much as I did Giannis and Thon Maker's when they were coming up. Hopefully he finds a middle ground between those two, but he is going to be solid.

My number two sleeper is Cassius Winston from Michigan State. I do not like watching this kid, and he carved up Michigan for four years. But I have seen him play so much, and I am stunned he isn't a first round lock. The kid can score, he can shoot from anywhere, he attacks the rim and he orchestrated a very complex offense in college to a T. He is also a very solid defender. If he falls to a contender in the late first or early second round, that would be a gift for that team. He is ready to contribute right away, and he will have a very solid NBA career.

At number three I have Cole Anthony. This kid went to UNC with a ton of fanfare, then got hurt, then UNC had a very bad year and I think people forgot about him. He is a prototype point guard, he is strong and he will be a much better NBA player than he was a college player because he feels like the type of player that thrives when playing better competition. I think teams will really regret passing on him. I look at him a lot the way I looked at Ben Simmons. And while Anthony is no Simmons, their college careers were similar, and they both just wanted to get to the league. I like Cole Anthony a lot.

At number four I have Daniel Oturu from Minnesota. Yeah it is my second Big Ten guy, but that is the conference I watch. This kid is big and athletic and will be a solid rotation guy on a good team. If he could fall to someone like Dallas or the Clippers, he will be a much needed punch off the bench. He will probably be a second round pick, but he is a first round talent.

My final sleeper, at number five I have Udoka Azubuike from Kansas. This kid is big, strong and not afraid of anyone. Think Montrezl Harrell, but 3 inches taller. He will be a great rim protector, a good old fashioned center and will be a very solid spot minutes guy until he lands as a sixth or seventh man on a playoff team.

There you have it, my fifteen players in three categories to look out for tonight during the draft. I know I left a ton of guys out, but college basketball ended abruptly, these kids haven't played real games in close to a year and these are the guys I remember most, good and bad. I am pumped for the draft tonight. The NBA offseason is in full swing people. This is great.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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