2020 NBA Draft Big Board: Top 30 player rankings, scouting reports

20. Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt

20 years old | Shooting guard | 6-foot-6 | 213 lbs

Stats (SO): 23.0 ppg (.521/ .522/ .825), 4.9 rpg, 0.9 apg

Aaron Nesmith is one of the players who have a legit claim that they are the best shooter in the 200 NBA Draft class. His sophomore season was abbreviated by a foot injury (rumored to be a stress fracture) but he shot 52.2% from 3-point range on 115 total 3-point attempts over 14 games. At the time Nesmith went down, he was fifth in the nation in scoring, At the NBA-level, Nesmith shooting looks like it will clearly translate. He is a career 82.5% free throw shooter and in his sophomore season, improved his field goal percentage on 2-point jumpers (42.1).

Nesmith has enough wiggle to get to the get to the rim but his finishing leaves a lot to be desired. He will be able to translate to the NBA simply because he has the size to shoot over the top of many 2-guard defenders but again, his finishing was so-so, 59.1% at the rim over 46 career games. With his impressive size, Nesmith has always been capable of being a physical defender but this past season he started to really tap into his potential as a defensive playmaker. Over 500 minutes Nesmith had a career-high steal (2.3) and block rate (2.6). I believe he is a high-floor prospect who could be one of the steals of the draft if he puts it all together

19. Romeo Weems, DePaul

18 years old | Shooting guard | 6-foot-7 | 210 lbs
Stats (SO): 8.0 ppg (.427/.365/.607), 4.9 rpg, 1.7 apg

DePaul started off hot this season, looking like they were going to be the surprise of the Big East. But things came crashing down to earth all at once for the Blue Demons as they lost five games in a row, upset then No. 5 Butler, and then lost eight straight. It was a rough season for DePaul, but much of their success can be attributed to Paul Reed (No. 29) and Romeo Weems. He is an extremely athletic freshman who shocked the world by going o DePaul over some bigger name programs. Weems lacks polish but he is already an intense defender who can make plays in the open court.

https://twitter.com/DePaulHoops/status/1196853974021750786

Weems maintained an impressive 2.4% steal rate and a 3.1% block rate as a 6-foot-7 wing player. He will likely develop into a menace on defense but Weems 54.1% shooting at the rim leaves much room for improvement. Weems shot 36.5% on 74 attempts from 3-point range last year despite having a terrible free throw percentage (60.7%). Even with a lot of questions marks/inconsistencies, Weems’ obvious 3-and-D potential makes him a worthy selection in the first round.

18. Theo Maledon, LDLC ASVEL

18 years old | Point guard | 6-foot-3 | 170 lbs
Stats: 7.2 ppg (.421/.333/.776), 1.9 rpg, 2.7 apg

Theo Maledon’s main draw is his age. At just 18 years old, Maledon has a ton of growth left both literally and figuratively. The 6-foot-4 guard can make just about every pass and maintained an incredibly high 27.3% assist rate over 46 games for ASVEK Lyon-Villeurbanne.

https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1219266197738467328

Maledon had a 55.1% true shooting percentage and a solid 38% free throw rate. Maledon will struggle to finish in the paint at the NBA level, so his ability to generate offense from the midrange area will be key to his upside. Despite a dip in free throw percentage, I trust Maledon’s shooting, I just think it will take some time for him to make a real impact at the NBA level.  But due to his playmaking prowess and shooting ability, Maledon is clearly worth the investment.

17. Devin Vassell, Florida State

19 years old | Wing | 6-foot-6 | 180 lbs
Stats (SO): 12.7 ppg (.490/.415/.738), 5.1 rpg, 1.6 apg

Florida State won the regular-season ACC title and was peaking as one of the best teams in the country heading into March. The Seminoles played incredibly tough defense with the versatile 6-foot-7 Vassell playing a big part. In the 2019-20 season, Vassell had a 2.8% steal rate and a 4.1% block rate while also functioning as Florida State’s best shooter. Vassell hit 41.5% of his 3s last year and 41.7% of his 3-pointers for his career. He has shown the ability to hit 3-pointers coming off of screens and on catch-and-shoot attempts. Over the last two seasons, Vassell saw almost no difference in his 3-point percentage despite a 12.1% decrease in assisted 3-pointers. He has the confidence as a shooter to develop his one-one-one scoring moves, and Vassell serves a variety of purposes on offense since he is extremely athletic for a player who has so much skill as a perimeter shooter.

https://twitter.com/theACCDN/status/1199147798329020418

Without a ton of production off of the dribble or as a passer, Vasseell looks like a surefire bet to be a power forward with the ability to guard three-to-four positions as he adds strength. In a draft class as weak as this year’s class, Vassell is probably a lottery talent but because I think his offensive role will be limited albeit valuable, I have him at No. 17.

16. Jaden McDaniels, Washington

19 years old | Power forward | 6-foot-9 | 200 lbs
Stats (FR): 13 ppg (.493/.325/.599), 5.8 rpg, 2.1 apg

Jaden McDaniels is one of the players who maintains his position on the draft board almost all based off of potential. The near 6-foot-10 McDaniels got the same ridiculous comparisons to Kevin Durant that every young lanky forward does but he is nonetheless rounding into an intriguing prospect.

McDaniels, similar to RJ Barrett at Duke, didn’t show the “wiggle,” or necessary East-West change of direction to beat solid defenders off the dribble. Despite this, McDaniels managed to be a solid scorer, racking up 16.7 points per 40 minutes. Despite being advertised as a dynamite scorer coming out of high school, he only shot 33.9% from the 3-point line and an unimpressive 55.9% at the rim. His most impressive thing at Washington was his defensive production. McDaniels collected 24 steals and 43 blocks over 31 games. The Huskies played a lot of zone defense, so there are concerns over whether his defense will translate. But his physical tools give him enough versatility to have some clear use from Day 1 on defense. If his off the dribble shotmaking and inside scoring ability—which is there, in spurts—catches up with his defense, McDaniels will be a two-way force. But his frame makes him more of a “wait-and-see” prospect.