NBA Draft 2020: Updated first-round mock with a month to go

Doc Rivers didn’t have to wait long to find a new head coaching gig after parting ways with the Los Angeles Clippers on Sept. 28, following a blown 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. In fact, he only had to wait three days before accepting a five-year contract offer from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rivers will have his work cut out for him in Philly, with a front office in flux and a roster that needs significant retooling. Trades should be expected this offseason, but the five draft picks in Philly’s possession (21, 34, 36, 49, 58) should be used to target backcourt help and outside shooting.

TCU marksman Desmond Bane has admitted that the 76ers are one of the teams who have expressed the most interest in his services (and even liked a photoshopped image of him in a 76ers jersey), but other teams selecting in the back-half of the first round are catching on to what Bane can provide a playoff team from Day One.

If he’s off the board by the time Philly is on the clock, Stanford guard Tyrell Terry makes sense as a 6’2 sharpshooter (40.8% 3PT, 89.1% FT) who’s comfortable playing with and without the ball, making him a clean fit in Philadelphia.

Cole Anthony, once perceived by mainstream consensus as a contender to go first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, has seen his stock plummet following an up-and-mostly-down freshman campaign at UNC. Beyond missing two months of action while recovering from surgery on a partially torn right meniscus, the 20-year-old never seemed to find a sense of stability with a team that suffered from constant injury and chemistry issues.

Sliding into the late-teens could prove beneficial for a player who may have been miscast as a primary initiator. Anthony’s pull-up shooting prowess and flashes of defensive playmaking still make him an enticing prospect, and landing in an environment with a strong culture such as Miami’s could help squash whatever concerns exist over his fiery personality and strong-willed scoring mindset.

It’s hard to tell where his floor is on draft night, but Miami stands as one of his best possible destinations in terms of personnel, culture, offensive strategy, and everything else.

Desmond Bane is a top-20 prospect hiding in plain sight, a 6’5 wing with heady instincts on both ends of the floor, pure shooting touch (career 43.3% 3PT and 80.4% FT) with tough shot-making versatility (pull-ups, spot-ups, off-movement), secondary pick-and-roll orchestration ability and just all-around goodness.

The 22-year-old has flown under the radar despite being a successful four-year contributor at TCU, consistently offering potent perimeter shooting, complementary offense, and intelligent team defense.

Perhaps he’s finally earning the attention he deserves, with playoff teams picking in the late-first, early-second range viewing Bane more and more as an immediate rotation player. Brooklyn could snag one of the fallers or shoot for an upside play with this pick, especially with the known desire to add a third star, but selecting a ready-made role player to complement Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving seems like a no-brainer here.