2020 NBA Draft: Tyrese Maxey, Kira Lewis big rising in latest Big Board

16. Cole Anthony – North Carolina – 6’3, 190 lbs – May 2000

Anthony entered the season with a ton of hype and was seen as a potential top-three pick. But a knee injury, combined with some lackluster showings have dropped his stock. Admittedly, I am lower on Anthony than most but he’s far from the prospect I saw in person at EYBL over the past few years. Anthony was billed as this dynamic scorer, who could leap extremely high and create his own shot. At North Carolina he flashed his one-on-one scoring ability, hitting some tough contested jumpers and being a great pull-up shooter. But his shooting numbers as a whole were not great (34.8% on threes and 40.2 % on twos). He seemed to lose some explosiveness too, finishing in just the 12th percentile around the rim.

Anthony’s struggles can definitely be partially attributed to UNC’s suboptimal team concept. He often played with two big men and multiple non-shooters. But Anthony’s decision making wasn’t great. At the next level, he would be best as a scoring guard because I’m unsure he can run an NBA offense. He was a solid defender and the isolation scoring flashes were impressive, but he’ll need to become a more knockdown shooter to really succeed at the next level.

17. Nico Mannion – Arizona – 6’3, 190 lbs – March 2001

Mannion, similarly to Cole Anthony, was a consensus lottery entering the season. But as his play plateaued, his stock also sank. Mannion was tasked with a lot of responsibilities on a team that had no other playmaking and minimal shooting and that seemed to wear on him. But I remain high on Mannion and think he can be a starting NBA point guard at his highest outcomes. Mannion has a tight handle, that makes up for a lack of burst at times. Despite being a tad undersized, he passes really well out of the pick-and-roll. His shooting numbers were not great (32.7% from three) but the volume was impressive (over five attempts per game). Mannion did not get a ton of clean looks as defenses were keened in on him.

His biggest flaw was his inability to finish around the rim (29th percentile) and that likely won’t go away at the next level. But Mannion has an impressive mid-range game with some nice touch on his floaters and pull-ups. Defensively his lack of size and strength will inhibit him from being a lockdown defender, but he’s got good footwork and works hard. Mannion has enough skills that I look for in a modern NBA guard that I can’t see him failing. He could profile as a quality lead guard off the bench with his passing, ability to run an offense, and his potential shooting.

18. Theo Maldeon – LDCL ASVEL – 6’3, 175 lbs, – June 2001

Maledon has been on the NBA Draft radar for a few years now, but injuries and lack of production have docked his stock a bit. He’s a combo guard, who is best in pick-and-roll situations. He’s good at getting downhill and while not overly quick, he’s got a good change of direction dribble and pace to his game. He’s a solid shooter with good mechanics. His three-point numbers have taken an increase over the past calendar year, which is encouraging but he is not a knockdown shooter yet.

My biggest concerns with Maledon at this stage are his lack of concrete skills. He does a lot of things well and has room for growth, but has nothing to bank on today. He’s one of the players that could be affected if there is no G-League season next year. I think Maledon is still an enticing pick in this range given his frame and room for improvement across the board, but he’ll need to learn how to play off the ball much better.

19. Saddiq Bey – Villanova – 6’8, 216 lbs – April 1999

Bey used an otherworldly shooting season at Villanova to be named the best small forward in college basketball. Making 79 threes at a 45.6% clip, Bey should be a good shooter at the next level. He thrived in Jay Wright’s offense, posting a 1.6:1 assist to turnover ratio and a top 45 offensive BPM. He showed his ability to score in a variety of ways, finishing in the 91st percentile in scoring off of cutting, pick and roll ball-handling, transition, spot-ups, and off screens.

Bey’s offensive profile gives him a high enough floor to make up for his lack of upside. Bey is slow for a wing and not a great vertical athlete. He was an okay defender in college but will need to be hidden in the NBA. He can’t create for himself but probably won’t need to at the next level. I see Bey as a stretch forward who guards opposing fours and is a quality role player.

20. Tyrell Terry – Stanford – 6’1, 160 lbs – September 2001

One of the more surprising one-and-done players, Terry turned in a quality freshman season at Stanford to become a first-round prospect. He’s undersized and needs to add a lot of muscle, but Terry is one of the more impressive shooters in the class. He finished in the 99th percentile in catch-and-shoot jumpers in the half-court, flashing the ability to run off of screens and shoot off the dribble. He’s also a very good finisher for someone his size.

But given his build, it will be an uphill battle for Terry just to be a league-average defender. He’s a good passer, but is not super quick with the ball, which will limit him as a creator. He’ll be best as a scorer off the bench and will probably be better suited to play next to a bigger creator on offense.