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

Daryl Morey has only been in Philadelphia for a few weeks, but he managed to improve the future of this team in a mere 24 hours. There was the Al Horford trade, which brought in 3-and-D wing Danny Green from OKC. There was the Josh Richardson trade, which brought in one of the best spot-up shooters in the league in Dallas’ Seth Curry. And then there was the Tyrese Maxey pick at No. 21, with Morey recognizing upside and pure fit when he sees it.

Poor freshman stats and all (14.0 ppg on .292 3P%), Maxey’s pre-college track record as a versatile shooter — in addition to his efficient finishing, strong on-ball defense, and team-friendly stylings as a secondary creator — should’ve made him a lottery pick in a weak class such as this. The 76ers found themselves a true gem in the back-half of the first round, underscoring what was a phenomenal draft night for Philadelphia.

Grade: A+

Now this is interesting. Precious Achiuwa wasn’t a logical prospect to slot in with the Heat on mock drafts — he’s a bit sporadic and can’t shoot one bit, and Miami could’ve used a number of the guard shooters in this range — but Pat Riley is quite fond of impassioned workers with defensive versatility, and if any team is going to find a use for an über-athletic bigman, it’s Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat.

Grade: C+

There were better prospects on the board for the Pistons (Tyrese Maxey, RJ Hampton, Desmond Bane) if they wanted to add a nice backcourt player to pair with the point guard they drafted with the No. 7 pick, but Villanova marksman Saddiq Bey figures to provide ample perimeter shooting (career .418 3P%) in Detroit’s frontcourt for the foreseeable future.

He’d be better of playing the four considering his defensive shortcomings, but his shot-making and spot-up game is still a valuable addition on the wing.

Grade: C+