ESPN’s Mock NBA Draft

ESPN’s NBA draft experts have once again put together their best guesses as to how the first round of the NBA Draft will play out.

ESPN’s Top 10 Prospects

1. Zion Williamson PF, Duke
There is no player in this draft with a higher ceiling than Williamson, who at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, is an absolutely massive human being with blazing speed, inhuman leaping ability and the coordination of a player much smaller. He also has outstanding hands and excellent touch around the basket, making him an almost unguardable force on the offensive end. Simply put, he has the potential to be one of the best players in the NBA.

2. Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
Morant is an electric playmaker with elite scoring ability. He averaged 24.5 points per game last season while shooting nearly 38 percent from 3-point range, and he also averaged 10 assists and 5.7 rebounds. He’s an outstanding athlete with great size for a point guard (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) and he has the potential to be a very good defender at the next level.

3. R.J. Barrett, SF/PF, Duke
Barrett is one of the most accomplished scorers in this Draft Class He averaged 22.6 points per game last season while shooting 45 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range. He’s also a very good rebounder (8 per game) and has decent playmaking skills (4 apg). The biggest question mark with Barrett is his defense; he has the potential to be very good on that end but his effort level has been questioned by some scouts.

4. Jarrett Culver, SG/SF Texas Tech
Culver was one of the breakout stars of last season’s NCAA tournament leading Texas Tech to the National Championship game while averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds per game for the season. He’s a very good all-around player with great size for his position (6-foot-6), and he has shown vast improvement as a 3-point shooter over the past two years (he shot 36 percent from deep last season). Culver needs to improve his decision-making as a playmaker but he has all the tools to be a very good two-way player at the next level.

5.. De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF Virginia
Hunter is one of the best defensive prospects in this draft class he’s long (6-foot-7), athletic and quick enough to defend multiple positions at a high level. He’s also improving as an offensive player after averaging just 9 points per game as a sophomore, he upped his scoring average to 15 points per game last season while shooting nearly 52 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range. Hunter isn’t much of a playmaker but his combination of shooting and defense makes him a very valuable prospect nonetheless

ESPN’s Mock NBA Draft

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Who will be the No. 1 pick?

The 2020 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, Nov. 18 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. ESPN’s latest mock draft has Lamelo Ball as the No. 1 pick, going to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Ball, a 6-foot-7 point guard from Australia, is widely considered one of the top prospects in this year’s class. He spent last season playing professionally in Lithuania and Australia.

The Charlotte Hornets are projected to take Ball’s brother, Lonzo Ball with the No. 3 pick. Lonzo is a 6-foot-6 point guard who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans

Rounding out the top five are Anthony Edwards (Georgia), Cole Anthony (North Carolina) and James Wiseman (Memphis).

Where will the top prospects land?

Now that the college Basketball season is over, it’s time to start looking ahead to the NBA draft ESPN’s NBA Mock Draft 2.0 has been updated to reflect the latest information on where the top prospects might land.

1. Zion Williamson PF, Duke
The consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, Williamson is a physical specimen with elite athleticism and a real nose for the ball. He’s expected to be a star at the next level, and it remains to be seen where he’ll land. The most likely destination for Williamson appears to be the New York Knicks who hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

2. Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
An electric playmaker with outstanding scoring ability, Morant is one of the most exciting prospects in the draft. He’s drawn comparisons to All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook and is expected to be a high lottery pick. The Memphis Grizzlies are widely expected to select Morant with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

3. RJ Barrett, SF, Duke
A versatile scorer with a High Basketball IQ, Barrett was one of college basketball’s most productive players this season. He projects as a potential All-Star at the next level and could go as high as No. 3 overall in the draft. The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly considering selecting Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.

4. Coby White PG, North Carolina
A gifted scorer with unlimited range on his jump shot White emerged as one of college basketball’s best players this season. He’s expected to be a lottery pick in the draft and could go as high as No. 4 overall to the Los Angeles Lakers

Who are the sleepers in the draft?

With the NBA draft just around the corner, ESPN’s NBA Insiders have put together their latest Mock Draft And while there are some big names at the top of the board, there are also a few sleepers that could make a big impact on whichever teamdrafts them.

Here are a few of the top sleepers in this year’s NBA Draft

Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA: Ball is one of the most gifted passers in the draft and has the potential to be a star point guard in the league. He’s also an outstanding shooter, which should make him a valuable asset on any team’s offense.

Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina Jackson is a versatile wing player who can score, rebound and play defense He’s not the most athletic player in the draft, but he has a High Basketball IQ and should be able to contribute right away.

T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA: Leaf is an excellent shooter with a high basketball IQ. He’s not the most athletic player in the draft, but he has the potential to be a very good stretch four in the NBA.

What will the draft order look like?

1. New Orleans Pelicans – Zion Williamson PF, Duke
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant, PG, Murray State
3. New York Knicks – RJ Barrett, SF, Duke
4. Los Angeles Lakers – Deandre Ayton C, Arizona
5. Cleveland Cavaliers – Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt
6. Phoenix Suns – Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech
7. Chicago Bulls – Coby White PG/SG, North Carolina
8. Atlanta Hawks – Cam Reddish SF/PF, Duke
9. Washington Wizards – Bol Bol C/PF Oregon
10. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas) Jaxson Hayes C/PF Texas

What are the biggest needs for each team?

As the season winds down and prospects begin to declare for the draft, it’s time to take a look at what each team might be looking for come June.

The Phoenix Suns own the first pick in the draft and will likely use it on Deandre Ayton, the best player available. The Suns could also use some help in the backcourt, as Josh Jackson has not panned out and they don’t have a true point guard on their roster.

The Sacramento Kings will likely use the second pick on Marvin Bagley III as they need help in the frontcourt after trading away Demarcus Cousins last season. The Kings could also look to add a wing player that can score, as they don’t have many outside shooters on their roster.

The Atlanta Hawks will have a tough decision to make with the third pick, as they could use help at just about every position. However, they may opt to take Luka Doncic the best player available regardless of position. Doncic is a wing player that can shoot and handle the ball, two things that the Hawks desperately need.

The Memphis Grizzlies will likely use the fourth pick on Jaren Jackson Jr., as they need help at both forward positions. Jackson is an athletic big man that can block shots and shoot from outside, two things that would be a welcome addition to the Grizzlies’ frontcourt

What are the top prospects’ strengths?

The ESPN NBA Mock Draft has been updated for 2019, and it projects some big changes at the top of the board. Zion Williamson remains the No. 1 pick, but RJ Barrett and Ja Morant have swapped spots, with Barrett going No. 2 to the New York Knicks and Morant heading to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 3.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding this year’s draft class but here’s a look at some of the top prospects’ strengths, according to ESPN’s scouts.

Zion Williamson, F, Duke: “A physically dominant lefty . . . Williamson has already shown an advanced feel for scoring in the paint with his back to the basket or facing up”

RJ Barrett, G/F, Duke: “An elite level scorer . . . with an ability to get his own shot from anywhere on the floor”

Ja Morant, PG, Murray State “An electric playmaker in transition with fantastic Court Vision and an ability to make dynamic passes off the dribble”

What are the top prospects’ weaknesses?

ESPN’s top 100 NBA prospects for the 2019 Draft Class show a lot of promise, but no player is perfect. Here are some of the biggest weaknesses for the top 10 prospects on ESPN’s list.

1. Zion Williamson – He’s not a great shooter from outside the paint and he needs to bulk up to be an effective NBA player
2. Ja Morant – He doesn’t have great size for an NBA point guard and his defense needs improvement.
3. RJ Barrett – He’s not a great shooter from outside the arc and he needs to improve his ball-handling skills.
4. Darius Garland – He played in only five games last season due to injury, so there are questions about his durability at the next level.
5. Coby White – He needs to improve his decision-making with the ball and become more of a true point guard
6. De’Andre Hunter – His outside shot is inconsistent and he needs to add strength to his skinny frame.
7. Rui Hachimura – He’s not very athletic and he needs to work on his outside shot if he wants to play small forward in the NBA.
8. Kevin Porter Jr. – His maturity has been called into question after some off-the-court issues in college, and he also needs to improve his perimeter shooting.
9. Cameron Reddish – Like many young players he needs to be more consistent with his effort level on both ends of the floor.
10. Nassir Little – He was somewhat inconsistent as a freshman at North Carolina and he needs to add strength to his 6’6″ frame

What are the top international prospects?

The top international prospects in ESPN’s latest mock NBA Draft are:

1. Lamelo Ball PG, Australia
2. Killian Hayes, PG, France
3. Cole Anthony PG, USA
4. Deni Avdija, SF, Israel