2020 NBA Draft Big Board | 1.0

Keandre Ashley
Nov 7 · 10 min read

It’s quite difficult to get a good feel for the players coming that could possibly be in the next years draft the November before it happens but I continue to try to do it every year.

The best players will likely remain atop this big board but I know I’ll have a lot of changes across the board, mainly beyond the top five as I get a better feel for this class.

(I haven’t seen a ton of some of the truly international guys, so there’s a great chance they fly up my board as time goes on.)


1. 6'6" G/F Anthony Edwards — Georgia

Anthony Edwards is a physical mutant. He’s 6'6" 225 pounds and he’s been that way since he was about 15–16 years old. He’ll run over you, jump over you and shoot over you with ease. He’s the prototypical off-guard in today’s NBA in the mold of a Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo or Donovan Mitchell. My main concern with Edwards offensively is his ability to create shots on the perimeter. He doesn’t have a great handle at this point. They honestly don’t even need to go in at a high rate during his freshman season, I just need to see if he’s capable. Defensively he’s got the tools to become an above average defender and playing for Tom Crean will help bring some of that intensity out of him. Oh and like LaMelo, he could still be a true Senior in high school based on his age.

2. 6'3" PG Cole Anthony — North Carolina

Son of former NBA Veteran Greg Anthony, Cole Anthony has one thing in common with his dad. He plays basketball too. Everything else he does is a different caliber of talent than his dad was. The first thing you’ll notice is his elite athleticism. Simply put, he can dunk on you, chase you down and dunk on you again in about 15 seconds. He’s got a great handle, a creative array of moves and he brings that New York swag to the court every time. He’s shown that he can shoot but I still want to see more from him in an ACC setting. He’s already one of the best prospects in the draft and could very easily move up my list if he comes out with a consistently lethal outside shot.

3. 6'6" G LaMelo Ball — USA/Illawarra Hawks

LaMelo is a supremely skilled guard. His ability to make plays for himself and for others is rivaled by few in this class. He still has some defensive flaws but nothing that should keep him out of the top 5 of this draft. He plays off of elite instincts on both ends and while he may not be conventional in most ways he gets the job done, often in dominant fashion. By the way, he just turned 18.

4. 7'0" C James Wiseman — Memphis

James Wiseman is the best big prospect in this draft. He’s a legit 7-footer with great athleticism and a great motor around the rim. At this point I’m not sure about his shooting ability, though his form and his footwork look great. In today’s NBA I’d like my big to have a little more skill. He’s got the tenacity and energy that someone like DeAndre Ayton lack, which is a positive. We’ll find out a little more about Wiseman this season as he goes up against other people who are just as big as him. I think he’ll immediately be an effective rim-runner in the league but I’m not sure that’s what you want from a #1 pick.

5. 6'9" C Onyeka Okongwu — USC

The freshman big man from Chino Hills is an elite rim protector and athlete. I have no doubt he’ll be an impact shot-blocker in the NBA. Everything else is the question. I think he has a bit more offensive potential than someone like James Wiseman but he’s only listed at 6'9". He plays much bigger. Ultimately, I’ll be watching for his consistency, ability to stay out of foul trouble and his attitude/motor when/if things get rough for the Trojans this season.

6. 6'4 G Theo Maledon — France

Theo Maledon is a highly-skilled guard from France. He’s such a smooth athlete and it opens up the rest of his game. He’s got an array of floaters and pull-ups and projects to be a monster in the pick & roll. He reminds me of a bigger Tony Parker. Maledon’s not a “break you down” type of guard, he picks his spots and changes speed well to get there. His shot is one motion and smooth though he sometimes has a tendency to push shots. More strength training could turn him into a lethal shooter. Maledon has a lot of potential especially offensively, he’s someone I would take a serious look at in the top 5 of the draft.

7. 6'9" F/C Isaiah Stewart — Washington

At 6'9", Isaiah Stewart is undersized to play center… Except he’s explosive, built like a semi-truck and has a 7'4" wingspan. He has the potential to be a do-it-all defense guy like a Bam Adebayo. I’m not concerned about his inability to shoot because of his relentlessness on the offensive glass and ability to finish around the rim (ex. Tristan Thompson). Stewart is a high-floor player, if he can show flashes of developing anything else offensively, he’ll put himself in the conversation for best big in the class.

8. 6'2" G Tyrese Maxey — Kentucky

Tyrese Maxey is a combo-guard who can fill it up with the best of them. Maxey can score in a variety of ways; floaters, mid-range, threes, pull-ups, pin-downs, transition, you name it. He hasn’t shown many lead-guard/playmaking skills to this point and in order to be more malleable and improve his career prospects he’ll need to improve. There’s only one Lou Williams and even he made tremendous strides as a playmaker in the last several seasons to become what he is today. He’s okay defensively, he has enough athleticism and grit to get by as an NBA guard. I’m a fan of skill over everything else, Maxey may end up being my favorite guy in the draft.

9. 6'7" F Samuell WIlliamson — Louisville

I think Samuell Williamson has a great chance to be a much better pro than college player. He’s a swingman in the mold of Jayson Tatum. He’s not quite the athlete Tatum was coming out of High School but Williamson has intriguing shooting potential. He didn’t shoot the three a ton in high school but his form and footwork look great. He moves well without the ball and has a natural feel of the court and what his teammates want to do. Defensively he has the length to stay with a lot of players, especially at the college and high school levels but I’m not sure he has enough to stay with NBA-level 1–2–3’s. Because he’s playing alongside Jordan Nwora and company, I’m mainly looking for a couple of games where he’s assertive this season. I want to see him create open shots even if they don’t fall at a great clip.

10. 6'10" F Jaden McDaniels — Washington

Jaden McDaniels is a super athletic wing/forward with high potential. McDaniels has a good offensive skillset with a lot of room to grow. He’s a good shooter, rebounder and he just has undying confidence. I’m curious to see how much or if he’s improved his handle this season. Creating consistent offense off the dribble can skyrocket his stock and make him a top five prospect. Defensively, McDaniels has the athleticism and the frame to be an elite defender but he’ll need to get stronger in order to guard bigs. He also has a bit of the Andrew Wiggins/Cam Reddish gene where you’re not sure how engaged he is.

11. 6'9" F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl — Villanova

Run GMC and Bishop Miege/IMG product, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has made major waves over the last couple years. He’s a big who’s not aggressive or strong enough to play major minutes at the five, but he’s skilled enough to initiate offense and guard 3’s. He probably has the most polish in the low post in the entire draft. He’s a beneficiary of the modern NBA because if he was about five or six years older, he’d be labeled a tweener and probably end up playing four years at Villanova. He needs to show a consistent outside shot this season but his technique is fine. I’m also interested in seeing how he defends in college. He’s not a elite shot blocker and he has a below average wingspan for his size (6'9").

12. 6'9" F Precious Achiuwa — Memphis

Precious Achiuwa is a prototypical wing/forward prospect in the modern NBA. He’s long, athletic and has a lot of potential to grow as a ball handler and an offensive creator. I’m interested to see what his role will be and how assertive he is on a Memphis team that is loaded with talent eager to make it to the NBA.

13. 6'5" G RJ Hampton — USA/ NZ Breakers

I’m not nearly as high on RJ Hampton as many others are. I think he has a chance to be a good NBA player but stardom isn’t likely. He’s a great athlete but I don’t think he projects to have an elite skill. A lot of the shots he took and made were heavily contested on both levels of high school basketball. He struggled to create elite separation in addition of having a sleight build. I’m not sure he’ll be able to replicate his scoring ability at the same level in the future. He hasn’t shown an affinity for the defensive end of the court and I’m not confident in his ability to conduct an offense, even for short stretches.

14. 6'5" G Ayo Dosunmu — Illinois

Ayo Donsunmu is one of my favorite prospects in this draft. I thought he could’ve been a near first round pick in the 2019 draft but he elected to stay at Illinois for another year. He’s a good athlete, especially laterally and he’s shown shades of Jrue Holiday. Dosunmu has a good feel for the game but he needs to make better decisions when the game slows down. He’s not a natural scorer by any means but he has a great feel for the game and gets easy buckets. The biggest things I’m waiting to see from Dosunmu is improvement from three, more offensive assertiveness and extra weight/strength.

15. 6'10" F/C Jalen Smith — Maryland

Jalen Smith was one of the most intriguing mid-round players in last years draft before he decided to come back to school . I’m actually glad he stayed an extra year to work on his body and just get more comfortable with the game in general. He’s a raw, lanky athletic forward with a defensive mindset. Smith shows flashes of one day developing a real offensive game. That game-winning floater he hit against Nebraska last season isn’t something you usually see from a freshman big. I’m looking forward to seeing how much he’s developed this season.

16. 6'5" SG Ochai Agbaji — Kansas

Ochai Agbaji is another one of my favorites in this draft. He came on the scene late last season and came out on fire. He’s raw but the potential is there. Agbaji’s got the attributes of a productive NBA shooting guard. He’s a great athlete and he has the potential to be a more productive outside shooter in the future. He needs to improve as a ball handler and a shot creator but the base is there. Defensively, again, he’s got the tools but he’s not quite there. He has a tendency to doze off sometimes but I’d like to think he can be at least an average defender at the next level ; especially if his role depended upon it.

17. 6'9" F Deni Avdija — Israel

18. 6'5" G Killian Hayes — France

19. 6'3" G Nico Mannion — Arizona

20. 6'5" G Tyrese Haliburton — Iowa State

21. 6'6" F Kahlil Whitney — Kentucky

22. 6'2" G Tre Jones — Duke

23. 6'9" F Trendon Watford — LSU

24. 6'6" G Josh Green — Arizona

25. 6'11" C N’Faly Dante — Oregon

26. 6'6" F Isaac Okoro — Auburn

27. 6'5" SG Scottie Lewis — Florida

28. 6'1" PG Devon Dotson — Kansas

29. 6'11" C Charles Bassey — Western Kentucky

30. 6'9" F Mattew Hurt — Duke


Thanks For Reading!

Keandre Ashley

Written by

OKState ‘21 | #G1GB| Overly.Dedicated 💊| Creator of @KsFinestHoops & @HoopIntelllect

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