A collective look at what could happen in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.
Normally, the NBA Draft would’ve already happened in June, right after the NBA Finals had completed. Of course, the year 2020 has thrown everything off schedule, forcing the league to postpone the entire offseason.
The good news is that between the NBA postseason success in Orlando, and both the NBA and NBA Players Association working closely together to figure out the timetable and financials going forward, the league is in fairly good shape. The season will start right before Christmas but first, the NBA Draft and free agency need to be completed.
Thanks to the extra five months, the class of 2020 NBA Draft picks has been scrutinized like never before. Many have seen their respective stocks rise, fall, and everything in between in recent months. We here at Busting Brackets have also been analyzing these players, doing various mock drafts, big boards, and individual profiles.
Now, instead of just one person giving their takes, we came together to perform our own mock NBA Draft. The talented writers and analysts on our staff participated in picking players from 1-60. Here are the names and where to find them on social media:
Joe Casey – @Joe_Casey1
Cody Larson – @codylarson99
Trevor Marks – @twmarks_
Brandon Simberg – @BrandonSimberg
Michael Walton – @ZenMasterMike
Josh Whitlow – @cbb_prime
Will Cash – @willcash21
Drew Tineo – @D_Tineo4
Nick Dormus – @_nickdormus
Karl Heiser – @karlheiser17
Nick Raponi – @nickraponi
Collin Helwig – @collinhelwig
From 60 all the way to No. 1, check out how our mock NBA Draft went!
A three-year starter at Ohio State, Wesson is a 6’9 and 270-pound center with a versatile game. He averaged 14 ppg and 8.0 rpg in the last two seasons while making a career-high 46 three-pointers. He can guard both centers and power forwards and is fairly efficient when given the ball in the post.
"Anytime you get a 6’9 player with long arms and an above-average 3 point shot, you have to pull the trigger. – Drew Tineo"
New Orleans roster is likely to go under plenty of changes, including possibly losing starting forward Derrick Favors. Wesson can play with Zion Willamson if ever given the chance on the court and at least provides a true center body throughout the season if he can make the roster.
Diakite’s defensive abilities have never been in question since he played a big role in Virginia’s national title-winning team in 2019. But last season saw him be the go-to scorer for the Cavaliers on offense, averaging 13.7 ppg on 48% shooting. The 6’9 forward will still need to rely on his defense if he’s to make a roster though but being able to score a little bit should help.
"All of the draft picks to come out of Tony Bennett’s system in the past few years have performed very well in the NBA, so look for Diakite to do the same. – Josh Whitlow"
The best-case comparison for Diakite would be Serge Ibaka, a defensive star who has improved on his offense in recent years, including putting up career-high shooting numbers. He’s set to be a free agent and will command a lot of money after the draft. Although he wouldn’t slide in at center to replace him in the lineup, Diakite would be a nice pick this late in the draft.
One of the best individual college careers of the past decade, Winston is a former Big Ten Player of the Year and All-American. He put up over 18 ppg and six assists in the past two seasons and shot the ball at a high clip. The concern with him at the next level is the perceived lack of athleticism in a league that has incredible point guard athletes such as Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, and others.
"The Sixers desperately need shooting next Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and Winston fits that mold. A four-year college player, Winston will be able to play right away, which at pick 58 is insane value. – Brandon Simberg"
What he may lack in athleticism, Winston more than makes up for it in leadership. That’s an area Philadelphia has been missing, hoping that bringing in Doc Rivers as head coach will change things. The Michigan State star will be a positive locker room presence and his shooting will be helpful in the 76ers trying to space the floor, despite Ben Simmons being around.
Regardless of where he ends up getting drafted, the decision to come back for another year of college has made Dotson a much better player. He averaged 18.1 ppg and 4.0 apg en route to an All-American season and was just as elite on the defensive end.
"The Clippers need a facilitator to allow Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to play off-ball a little more often. While I’m not saying Dotson could be that guy from day one, he definitely flashes NBA-caliber playmaking abilities with plus-athleticism. – Nick Raponi"
The Clippers have just one draft pick but the area of concern on the roster seems to be at point guard. Patrick Beverley provides little offense and the team wants to add another offensive creator to take some of the pressure off of Kawhi Leonard. Dotson, if given the chance, would be a solid addition on offense and can hold his own on the other end of the court.