NBA Draft 2020: Grades, reactions, analysis for the first round

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that the front office in Memphis was made up entirely of Draft Twitter accounts. For the low cost of a pair of future second-round picks, the Grizzlies were able to acquire the No. 30 pick from the Boston Celtics — were entered the night with three first-rounders and limited roster spots — and selected TCU sharpshooter and Draft Twitter darling Desmond Bane, a 6’6 wing with tangible two-way impact as a versatile shooter, pick-and-roll passer and team defender.

He’s a beautiful fit next to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in Memphis and may very well go down as the steal of the draft.

Grade: A+

With the current backcourt situation in Toronto — Fred VanVleet is entering a contested free-agent market, and Kyle Lowry turns 35 this season and has one year left on his deal — it was anticipated that Masai Ujiri would use the draft to add guard depth, both as an insurance policy and to simply bolster the bench.

We mentioned Malachi Flynn as one of the best targets for the Raptors with the No. 29 pick, due to his pick-and-roll mastery, spot shooting, and intensity on defense, and that pick ended up becoming a reality on draft night. He’s a perfect fit up North and should be an impact player from Day One, regardless of how the backcourt situation unfolds.

Grade: B+ 

Swinging for upside at the end of the first round is always a sound use of draft capital, given how difficult it is to find valuable rotation players late in the draft as is. He’s still raw and is a bit of a project, but Washington wing Jaden McDaniels offers shifty ball-handling, shooting upside, and help-side defense as a 6’9 forward. Minnesota won’t get much out of him early, but he could develop into a useful player down the road, and he’s a fine value play at No. 28.

Grade: C+