9
Obi Toppin Forward, Dayton
21.1 Points, 8.2 Rebounds, 1.7 Assists, .9 Steals, 1.4 Blocks, 65% FG, 41% 3PT, 31 MPG
Coming from a smaller school such as Dayton, one must greatly impress the basketball world in order to become a candidate to be a lottery pick. Obi Toppin has done just that, as he is putting up huge numbers at an unbelievably efficient rate.
Toppin is clearly a gifted player and perhaps is just a late-bloomer, as he was largely unrecruited out of high school and rather irrelevant with regard to the 2019 NBA Draft. However, this has all changed in 2020, as he is a very serious lottery threat.
If the Trail Blazers are still this bad to finish the 2019-2020 campaign, this pick could be a very hot candidate to be moved for an established player. However, and efficient player such as Toppin could be a nice fit for the Blazers. In addition, Portland could very much use some help at the power forward position to get them back into the mix in the West. If this pick remains in Portland, Toppin makes a lot of sense.
Draft Stock Trend: +27
10
Vernon Carey Jr. Center, Duke
18.5 Points, 9.2 Rebounds, 2.2 Blocks, 60% FG, 24 MPG
Some analysts do not believe that Vernon Carey will be a high pick in the 2020 NBA Draft due to his old-school style of play and poor motor. However, Carey is much too talented to not be a lottery pick. His current averages given his efficiency and minute totals show why he was one of the top players in the country coming out of high school.
The jumper may never be there and he may never be a transition threat or big minute-eater, but this should not and likely will not be a deterrent.
Enter the San Antonio Spurs, and organization that loves to play old-school basketball and has excelled in doing so for much of the past two decades, although this season has been much different.
By drafting a center, the Spurs can move LaMarcus Aldridge back to his true position of power forward and perhaps turn things around down in Texas. A rebuild could be on the horizon in San Antonio, which could change this pick. Until then, however, Carey will get his name called at 10.
Draft Stock Trend: +2
11
R.J. Hampton Guard, New Zealand
9.5 Points, 4.3 Rebounds, 2.5 Assists, 1.4 Steals, 43% FG, 32% 3PT, 22 MPG
The Timberwolves got off to a hot start to the 2019-2020 campaign, but they have seemed to cool down since, finding themselves back in the lottery. With a nice young core in tact with Jarrett Culver, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns, adding a talent like R.J. Hampton at a positional need would be a great move for the organization.
Hampton has some of the best vision in this class, which is a huge asset considering that the Wolves already have two high-level scorers in Towns and Wiggins. Having an elite distributor has been proven to work in the past in Minnesota, as the Wolves made the playoffs with Ricky Rubio at the reigns a few years ago. Hampton provides a passing ability that could be similar to Rubio’s but also has a much higher ceiling than the Spaniard. Hampton to the Wolves would certainly add to one of the NBA’s best young groups.