2020 NBA 1st Round Mock Draft:

The NBA is very different this year with the NBA draft happening later this year. But the one thing that will remain the same this year is the hype surrounding this year’s NBA draft. This draft class is underappreciated and will be better than most experts suspect. In this article, we break down our first round predictions and what every team will end up drafting.

1. .Minnesota-Anthony Edwards-SG-He will be a nice replacement for Wiggins. He fits perfectly into the generally young active roster. While being on a relatively bad team in college, he showed that he was it takes to score in many different situations and can score enough to take the pressure off of the rest of the team. Overall, out of a relatively non-superstar filled draft class, he is the best one that the T-wolves could pick that will adjust to the NBA game the fastest. 

2. Golden State-Obi Toppin-PF/F- He will be an exceptional back-up to Draymond Green when he needs a rest. He proved in college that he can be a presence on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He was a consistent double figure scorer in college and with his long wingspan and broad shoulders, he knows how to defend the basket and work in space. He also helps add three-point help with a decent three-point percentage at 39%. 

3. Charlotte-Cole Anthony-PG-Adds depth to the guard rotation that is already stacked with talent, with Rozier and Graham. He still has a lot of potential that he can build upon with his scoring and defensive presence, two things that were not really helped or enhanced during his one year of college with one of the worst Tar Heel teams ever witnessed. However, both could be helped with tutoring from Rozier and Graham who are both known for their defensive efforts and their ability to score in different situations. 

4. Chicago-Isaac Okoro-SF-He is a helpful piece to add into Donovan’s rebuild that is relatively low on big men. Bruce Pearl had nothing but praise for his defensive presence on the court, he knows how to use his size and athleticism to his advantage. Pearl said, “he’s the only senior I’ve ever had as a freshman”. Needless to say, Okoro has a great basketball IQ and being under the tutelage of one of the greatest basketball minds in the game, Billy Donovan, he definitely has the potential to be an all-star player in the future. 

5. Cleveland-Deni Avdija-SF- Gives help to a Cleveland team that is running low on reliable big men. They need someone who can keep up and build chemistry with Sexton to help form a starting five for the future of the program. He has an outstanding offensive game with a f.g percentage of 67.3% and 37.5% from three-pt. range. Cleveland is still trying to get back into a groove ever since the days of consistent NBA Finals appearances, and Avdija is definitely a key piece that can help the Cavs become a playoff contender once again. 

6. Atlanta-James Wiseman-C- He adds more size to the Atlanta roster. Helps Atlanta which seems like more of an offensive focused team by giving them someone who knows how to have a defensive presence on the court, by using his size to his advantage to defend the basket and move in space. However, he also adds benefits to the offensive side of the ball, in college he averaged a decent double-double with 19.7 ppg and 10.7 rpg. Overall, alongside John Collins, Wiseman has the potential to be a great pickup for an Atlanta team that is still trying to find their identity. 

7. Detroit-Killian Hayes-PG- With the departing of Reggie Jackson, the Pistons need a new floor general that can lead the team in the right direction. Two of his notable strengths include a killer screen-and-roll game and being able to shoot impressively off the dribble. Lastly, he is a leader that never breaks down, and if a play goes sideways, he comes up with a solution in a quick fashion to help the team score. 

8. New York-Tyrese Maxey-G- Gives the Knicks another reliable floor general. He never gives up on a play and will keep shooting until the buzzer sounds and can be someone on the team to help keep his teammates spirits up to keep playing even if a win seems out of reach. He’s always looking to learn how he can improve his craft as a shooter and as a defender. Overall, Maxey can be a key bench player or starter that can give this Knicks squad the inspiration they need to become the kind of squad Knicks fans have been waiting for a long time. 

9. Washington-Tyrese Haliburton-PG- Considering the injury problems that have plagued Washington’s all-star point guard John Wall over the past few years, it is probably the time for the Wizards to select and build on a replacement point guard for the franchise. Haliburton definitely fits into the position of the kind of player Washington should be looking for. He is considered a responsible playmaker and keeps the defenses on their toes, and his shooting numbers are rather impressive for a point guard prospect. Those percentages include 59.2% on 2-pt. field goals and 41.9% on 3-pt. field goals. Needless to say, Haliburton definitely has the potential to become the kind of player that can take the reins of the franchise once John Wall can no longer compete. 

10. Phoenix-Aaron Nesmith-SF- One of the key additions that many people have been saying the Suns need is a prospect that can help take some of the pressure off of Booker and can be a force on the offensive end. Nesmith is considered the best pure shooter in this draft which is very thin on that position in the first place. In college, he had the highest 3-pt. percentage with an impressive 52.2%. Also ,as an added bonus, he has plenty of potential to be a key defensive player as well. 

11. San Antonio-Precious Achiuwa-PF- S.A has always been one of the top programs for training big men. Aldridge is supposedly leaving in the offseason, so Precious will be a good substitute that they can train to become as good, maybe an even better player than Aldridge. He had a solid stat-line in college with 15.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg. Overall, Precious definitely has the potential to be another S.A all-star. 

12. Sacramento-Saddiq Bey-F-Takes pressure off of Fox in being the only playmaker on the floor. He was a consistent double figure scorer in college, so he’ll definitely be a useful addition to the offense. He also provides the Kings with another useful shooter; he had an impressive three-point percentage at 45.1%. If the rumors are true that Buddy Hield is looking to leave, Saddiq is definitely a worthy substitute. 

13. New Orleans-Patrick Williams-SF-As the Pelicans are still in rebuild mode, Williams would be a nice selection to add in order to increase depth in positions on the roster. Considering Zion is still not in the most admirable shape, Williams could be a good piece to come off the bench to fill in for some of Zion’s minutes until he is in a more fit shape. He still has some lessons to learn on offense and defense, but during his time on the floor substituting for Zion, he could learn a lot from his teammates and in the end, the Pelicans could end up with two future all-star like players in Zion and Williams. 

14. Boston-Théo Maledon-PG- With the addition of Maledon, it adds more depth to the guard position, and it puts less pressure on Marcus Smart with being the main floor general. He is known to be a very organized player that can make sneaky plays in transition. Secondly, he is known to have a solid handle and is not afraid of handling pressure in the half court. In the end Maledon is a smart and talented player that makes a solid playoff team in the Celtics even stronger. 

15. Orlando-RJ Hampton-PG- He’s incredibly fast, able to change speed and direction at an elite level. Him and Fultz could play well alongside each other, helping each other build their skills by training together. As his skills become more developed and he and Fultz build a stronger connection, Hampton could end up being the missing piece that the Magic have been looking for in order to become a major playoff threat. 

16. Portland-Isaiah Stewart-PF Like S.A, Portland is one of the top teams when it comes to training and building talented big men, examples include Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic. With his addition, it adds depth to the roster, and he serves as a safety net in case the rumors are false that Aldridge is coming back to his former team. With a solid stat-line from college with 17 ppg and 8.8 rpg, Stewart definitely has the potential to become another stellar big man on the Portland roster. 

17. Minnesota-Kira Lewis Jr.-PG First off, he can serve as a solid backup to D-lo in case of injury or if he just needs some time to rest on the bench. He gives Minnesota some additional help in the scoring and assist game with a stat line of 18.5 ppg and 5.2 apg. His college coach Nate Oats gave him a stellar compliment by saying, “Kira’s potential is higher than any other point guard in the draft”. Needless to say, it looks like Kira is an asset that any team would be lucky to have, especially Minnesota considering their lack of a stellar back-up point guard. 

18. Dallas-Devin Vassell-SG-In this draft, the Mavericks are going to be looking for players to benefit Luka, they want to surround him with shooters. Vassell is one of those shooters that the Mavs are looking for. He averages a solid stat of 12.7 ppg, and he has solid offensive percentages such as 49% field goal percentage and 41.5% on three-point field goals. He also benefits the assist game with averaging about 5.1 apg. Overall, Vassell definitely appears like the kind of team player the Mavs are looking for.  

19. Brooklyn-Xavier Tillman-SF/PF-One of the stories about the Nets coming into this next season is how well will Durant play after coming back from his major injury. Something that the Nets should do is draft a player that can play some solid minutes and help provide some key assistance to the team until KD is able to play more of a consistent role on the court. Xavier Tillman can definitely be that player; he has the type of body and mobility that can guard multiple positions and he is known to have a solid level of maturity to where he is open to taking any assignment if it means it will benefit the team. In saying that, he is the type of player that wouldn’t mind being the guy to substitute for KD until he is back at full strength. 

20. Miami-Tyrell Terry-PG-Goran Dragic is definitely one of the top point guards in the NBA, but he is getting to that point of his career where it would be wise for Miami to start training his replacement. Terry is one of the purest shooters in the draft and similar to Tyler Herro, his shot comes out clean and concise, making it look so easy. He is also known as being a mature and organized player, he makes plays on both sides of the court, whether that’s getting key steals or dropping off the ball to his teammates to make easy baskets. Overall, he is the type of player that gets to know his teammates and tries his best to put them in positions that will benefit them and hopefully lead them to a win, the perfect eventual replacement for Dragic. 

21. Philadelphia-Jalen Smith-PF-One of the key needs that the Sixers need is a backup for Embiid when he goes down. Jalen Smith is definitely a draft pick that can fill that position. He is stellar on offense with stats of 15.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg, and he’s also improved his block number to about 2.4 bpg. He is known to be a player that is always willing to learn and get better, so there is little doubt that the Sixers can groom him to become a solid backup to their all-star center in Joel Embiid.  

22. Denver-Tre Jones-PG- While Denver does have a solid starting guard duo in Jamal Murray and Gary Harris, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to draft a potential solid backup in Tre Jones. He was known to be an elite defender and was able to achieve a significant increase in his three-point percentage from 26.2 to 36.1%. While his two-pt. range percentage did take a dip from 48.6 to 44.7%, his increase in his other stats shows that he is always willing to get better.  

23. Utah– Daniel Oturu-C-Similar to the Sixers needing a backup for Embiid, it would be helpful for the Jazz to look into picking up a backup for Rudy Gobert. According to KenPom.com, Oturu was the eighth-most statistically efficient player in college basketball last season. At 6-10, and 240 lbs., not only can he produce very well on both sides of the court with a stat line of 20.1 ppg and 11.3 rpg, he also has produced quite a three-point shot at 36.5% which is pretty impressive for a man with his height and build. 

24. Milwaukee– Lamelo Ball-PG-While the Bucks do have talent in the point guard position with guys such as Eric Bledsoe and Frank Mason III, it wouldn’t be the worst idea for them to draft one this year to add some more youth to that position’s group. Lamelo Ball would be a good prospect for them to draft. He is not as keen at his offensive and defensive skills as his brother was when he was drafted, which wasn’t that impressive either. Even though he was able to produce intriguing stats at 17 ppg and 6 apg during his time in the Australian league, there is still some doubts on the cleanness of his shot and how he has never really been able to be consistently dominant in any level of basketball. However, with two seasoned veterans in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, Lamelo definitely has people that he can learn from and become that player that many believe he can be. 

25. OKC– Zeke Nnaji-PF-OKC had an impressive year with being one of the best clutch teams in all of the NBA last year, with a lot of help coming from their trio of guards in Paul, Schroeder, and Gilgeous-Alexander. One group that could be added onto is the center position. While Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel are two very talented players, it would not be the worst idea to add another to this group considering those players do have a recent history of being injured during key moments of the season. Nnaji is considered one of the strongest players in this draft pool. He is known to have a terrific work ethic and has even developed a nice jump-shot. Finally, he is known to be an amazing rebounder and is always full of energy and ready to do whatever he can to help the team get a win. Overall, he is definitely a good pickup for the Thunder to bring some more depth into the center position and he brings some extra fun energy into the locker-room. 

26. Boston– Aleksej Pokusevski-F- In years past, Boston has been keen on drafting talented big men like last year when they selected Tacko Fall. If that trend were to continue, Pokusevski would definitely be someone worth picking up. He has one of the quickest shooting releases. He can shoot in a variety of situations including off screens, in transition, etc. He is impressive with racking up steals and blocks. However, with his lack of bulk, he does have the tendency to get pushed around a lot. Of course, that can be changed with time in the weight room and practice time playing against his teammates. Overall, he does have the potential to help a strong Celtics team become even stronger and help them reach a spot in the NBA Finals that has been out of their reach. 

27. New York– Jaden McDaniels-PF-The Knicks are still trying to find the right pieces to make themselves the franchise their fans have been waiting for. A draft pick that could help them become that franchise is Jaden McDaniels. At 6-10, and 200 lbs, McDaniels is able to defend any position on the court while also being able to run down the court at an impressive rate. He has a quick and high shot release that could become even better with more reps in the gym. If anything, he could also benefit with time in the weight room to become more bulkier, helping him stand his ground against the other talented NBA bigs. 

28. L.A Lakers– Jahmi’ us Ramsey-SG-The Lakers are definitely a talented team, especially since they won the NBA Finals. However, they do have one weakness and that is reliable three-point shooters. While Danny Green and Rondo are talented shooters, KCP was most often the one guard on the court that the Lakers could rely on to have a reliable three-point shot. Thus, a player like Jahmi’ us Ramsey could definitely benefit this team. He has an intriguing 3-point percentage at 42.6%. That percentage combined with his consistency of achieving double figures in each game, makes Ramsey seem like the kind of guard that could benefit the team in the long run, especially if the rumors of the Lakers trading away Danny Green are true. 

29. Toronto– Immanuel Quickley-PG-If there is one thing Toronto is known for, it is developing talented shooters/guards. Also considering Fred VanVleet is a free agent this year, it would be a good idea to draft a possible substitute. Quickley had an impressive three-point shot percentage in college with 42.8%. A second benefit in regard to Quickley is that he never gives up during a game and will keep shooting until the buzzer sounds. Lastly, Quickley was regarded as one of the top leaders on his U.K squad. He tries his best to make sure everyone on the team is playing to the best of their ability and staying positive that they can bring home a win. Overall, Quickley is definitely the type of player that will benefit from being in a teamwork-based franchise like Toronto. 
30. Boston– Reggie Perry-PF-As mentioned earlier, Boston is a franchise that tends to focus on drafting talented big men, Reggie Perry is definitely a worthy pick. He averages a solid stat line at 17.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg. He is also known to be quite the force on the defensive end as well, he knows how to stay solid in the post and use his physicality the best he can to defend the basket. Ben Howland, Miss. St. Basketball Coach, is quoted saying, “Ultimately, Reggie is going to be a successful NBA player, I have no doubt about it. He has a bright future ahead because of his basketball IQ combined with his skill package, his size and his strength”. Overall, Perry appears to be the type of player that can help Boston stay at the top of the eastern conference.