NBA Draft 2020: Best/worst fits for this year’s consensus lottery picks

Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC

Best: Boston Celtics (14), Charlotte Hornets (3), Washington Wizards (9)

Onyeka Okongwu is arguably the best defensive prospect and big man in this draft class, offering high-impact rim protection as a quick-twitch leaper, versatile pick-and-roll defense from his pristine footwork and hand positioning, and potent interior scoring as a lob threat and soft-handed finishing.

Any team looking for a defensive anchor or pick-and-roll threat should have their eyes on Okongwu and Okongwu alone, especially a Celtics team that is hunting for a long-term starting center, a Hornets team with a hole in the frontcourt, and a Wizards team that needs whatever defense it can get.

Worst: Minnesota Timberwolves (1)

The impetus on adding defensive competency to a roster featuring scoring-minded players is an understandable one. By going all-in on a Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell core means that you’re also going all-in on subpar, if not disastrous, defense.

Neither of those two players offers much resistance on that end of the floor, and the rest of the roster isn’t exactly busting at the seams with lengthy defenders who can make up for their shortcomings, though Jarrett Culver and Josh Okogie show promise.

As tempting as it may be to select USC center Onyeka Okongwu in the top-three, as to add his pogo-stick leaping as a rim-runner and shot-blocker, it wouldn’t be the best utilization of that draft pick nor would it be a move that maximizes the roster at hand.

Both Towns and Okongwu are better off manning the center position, and although Towns is one of the best shooting bigs the game has ever seen, he still finds a large chunk of his success down in the post, where he’s also a damned good scorer and facilitator. Could it work? Of course. But would it maximize your franchise cornerstone? Probably not, so Minnesota should look elsewhere on draft night.