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NBA Draft 2020: Top 4 prospects separate themselves in latest mock draft

By Brian Rauf

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 12: James Wiseman #32 of the Memphis Tigers and Anthony Mathis #32 of the Oregon Ducks battle for position during the second half of the game at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon won the game 82-74. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 12: James Wiseman #32 of the Memphis Tigers and Anthony Mathis #32 of the Oregon Ducks battle for position during the second half of the game at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon won the game 82-74. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – NOVEMBER 30: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on with RJ Hampton of the Breakers during the round 9 NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on November 30, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – NOVEMBER 30: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on with RJ Hampton of the Breakers during the round 9 NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on November 30, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /

Golden State Warriors. James Wiseman. 1. player. 41. . C

You could make a solid argument that any of the top four players deserve to be the No. 1 overall pick but, if the Warriors do land in the top spot, it’ll be a shock if they go with anyone but Wiseman. Memphis’ star freshman would provide excellent rebounding and a solid interior presence (certainly a better one than they’ve had). With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all back healthy next year, the addition of Wiseman could push them back into the upper half of the Western Conference playoff picture.

player. 27. . PG/SG. New York Knicks. LaMelo Ball. 2

The Knicks need help and LaMelo Ball has legitimate superstar potential. He has already recorded two triple-doubles in Australia’s NBL, becoming the youngest player ever to do so, and has erased most concerns about his maturity and shot selection. At this same time, his elite skills (vision and range) have been on full display. Ball’s size (6-7) and skill set gives him more potential than anyone in this class and knows how to handle the spotlight playing in New York would bring.

SG/PG. Atlanta Hawks. Anthony Edwards. 3. player. 125.

The Hawks can afford to go best player available in their rebuild and, with their point guard situation set with Trae Young, Edwards would provide an excellent running mate. At Georgia, Edwards has proven to be more of an off-ball guard but a phenomenal one. Given the inconsistencies of Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter – plus their abilities to play other positions – the Hawks would love to keep this talented Atlanta-native in state.

156. . PG. Cleveland Cavaliers. Cole Anthony. 4. player

Cleveland is loaded with short point guards and that experiment hasn’t worked out so well for John Beilein & Co. early in the season. They could use help on the wing but, in this class, there are many premiere point guards and not a long of wing players. Anthony is NBA-ready, could step into a starting role immediately, and has a higher upside than both Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. If the star UNC freshman is available here, the Cavs may very well entertain the idea of trading Garland or Sexton (or both).

69. . PG/SG. New Orleans Pelicans. RJ Hampton. 5. player

RJ Hampton is also playing in Australia’s NBL and, while he’s not setting the league on fire to the level Ball is, he is playing well enough to look like a top five pick. Coincidentally, uneven play from Lonzo Ball could open the door for Hampton with the Pelicans, as could a potential Jrue Holiday trade, which they may entertain if they continue to struggle. At any rate, New Orleans doesn’t have a real glaring weakness and can go with the best player available, which would be Hampton in this case.

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