2020 NBA Mock Draft 1.0 at start of college basketball season

The Hawks very arguably have the best young core in basketball and will look to add yet another piece to an impressive stash of young assets. Center would be the position that Atlanta most needs to address, but with no options on the board they will have to address this position via free agency or by moving this pick.

Mannion is undersized, but has proved to be one of the smoothest offensive players in high school basketball. He has a phenomenal jumper and is a very efficient passer. Offensively speaking, Mannion really doesn’t make mistakes with the basketball.

Aside from his size, there is really no hole in his offensive game. On the defensive end of the floor, however, Mannion struggles to be effective and will likely always be a liability. Nico off the bench in Atlanta would be very interesting with rookies Cam Reddish and Bruno Fernando. Atlanta is building something major and could be a contender sooner rather than later.

Draft Stock Trend: n/a

The Detroit Pistons came away with a project player in the 2019 NBA Draft and will likely take another swing at a high-upside player in Florida’ Scottie Lewis. Lewis was a top-ten high school recruit in the class of 2019 and is a prolific defender and above the rim player.

At 6-foot-5, he is unlikely to play the forward position at the professional level but certainly has the bounce and defensive ability to guard on the wing.

Detroit is at a crossroads where they are stuck in mediocrity and should go for another home run as they did with Sekou Doumbouya. The duo of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond is certainly one of the better frontcourts in basketball and the addition of Derrick Rose makes them an interesting playoff contender in the East.

If they were to miss the playoffs for the second straight season, however, there would be no reason to swing for the fences and hope that Lewis turns into the two-way stud he projects to become.

Draft Stock Trend: n/a

Villanova is a not a school known for pumping out one-and-done players, but many project that Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will be the exception this season. The IMG product has been a dark horse to shoot up draft boards and has been predicted by many to be a top-ten pick.

Robinson-Earl has an extremely high floor, which is a reason that he could be a very popular pick for teams on the fringe of the lottery and playoff contention.

Offensively speaking, Robinson-Earl can do just about anything you ask of him. He can shoot, pass, dribble, and score from three levels. Defensively speaking, he is not quite a liability but also not going to turn any heads on that end of the floor.

With Portland stealing a great project in Nassir Little in the 2019 NBA Draft, taking a safe bet like Robinson-Earl is probably the way to go. However, it is highly unlikely that Portland misses the playoffs this season, so this is probably an irrelevant point to begin with.