An unusual draft class that will pan out for the 2020 NBA Draft is highlighted by the fact that both of the top prospects I have at the top of my big board skipping out on playing college hoops. The first of the two top guards in this draft class in my big board came out to be the 6-foot-5 and 190 pound French point guard Killian Hayes.
This uber-talented floor general that averaged 16.8 points per game, 7.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 steals with Ratiopharm ULM overseas shows how well he did playing with a high level of competition. What is also encouraging about Hayes’ draft stock is the fact that he’s still around six months away from turning 19.
Hayes will be more of a long-term project draft pick, but he might have a higher ceiling more appealing skill set all-around than any other prospect in this class.
A prospect that is starting to trend up of late is part of a polarizing family and has about the best frame possible for any guard in this 2020 NBA Draft pool. The 6-foot-7 Illawarra Hawks NBL product point guard LaMelo Ball showed signs of progress in multiple areas of his game in his one season playing overseas.
Ball averaged 19.6 points per game, 8.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.8 steals in his one season with the Hawks in the NBL. About the only major flaw in Ball’s game was similar to his brother coming out of the UCLA Bruins basketball program, his inconsistent outside shooting. But the New Orleans Pelicans managed to fix Lonzo’s shot. Another team might be able to follow that model to fix the shooting mechanics of his brother LaMelo.