We are sitting between two important dates in the NBA Draft Calendar: the submission deadline for underclassmen, and the draft lottery. That, finally, comes a date of real consequence in the process. In just a few days, we will know which teams will choose where in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery and who will hold the rights to the No. 1 pick.
Although there were no training opportunities for players – and interview opportunities were limited, the extensive draft scheme allowed teams to further explore this class both from an analytical perspective and from an eight-test perspective, with front offices taking the time to film see and really deepen in the background of players on and off the court.
To gear up for Thursday’s NBA Draft Lottery and create an account for the underclassmen who made their stay-of-go decision earlier this month, we’ve updated the CBS Sports Top 100 Big Board. We have also brought our board back with movements to reflect the (ever so slightly) shifting landscape that has fallen into place over the last few months.
(Note: the Grand Board is my own personal ranking and differs from a ridiculous concept, which considers the consensus of how teams view the class and how the concept may actually come out.)
Risers
No. 3 Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
Previous rank: No. 9
I have put Iowa State star Tyrese Haliburton six places up, from no. 9 to no. 3, because I know exactly what I’ll get with him. He is a tall and persistent defender with a high basketball IQ who shoots it efficiently, projecting like an ideal two-way guard. Plus, character and workmanship checks all come back unpristine for teams that have him on their radar.
“He’s a pass-first guard,” one scout told me recently. “Whatever team gets him, they will love what he brings up to IQ and skill.”
There may be higher-up prospects to consider who I ranked lower than Haliburton – namely James Wiseman and Anthony Edwards – but he will be a safe choice (the safest among the top 10 prospects?) Because of his selfless playing style and direct projectability as a role player. He will have to land in the right situation to be successful – and ideally that could be a pairing alongside an initiator – but I feel fairly confident that he will become an efficient and successful NBA player in the same way that he is an efficient and successful college player the last two seasons.
No. 8 Patrick Williams, State of Florida
Previous rank: No. 23
In the No. 8 check is one-time winger Patrick Williams of Florida State, who has taken the entire process a step further in the attention train to his teammate Devin Vassell.
Williams continues to rise because of his 6-foot-8 frame and 6-11 wing play, combined with the mix of things you just can not learn – namely the defensive expectation and the size.
The word I hear every time I talk to someone about him is almost always “raw” from a skill perspective, but it’s almost always followed by some iteration of keep an eye on him as a sleeper. I think teams are higher on him than they lead – I know at least two scouts who have him in the lottery from their own rankings – and I think in a design without undoubted wings he will probably be considered among you with the brightest view in the long run.
Fallers
No. 52: Jay Scrubb, John A. Logan College
Previous rank: No. 30
If ever there was a time to skip college, Jay Scrubb could have found the moment. The former Louisville signer and Junior College Player of the Year shot his Cardinals promise to go pro from JUCO and appears to be one of the few available shooters in a thin class of theirs, making him a top-notch at one point 30 perspective was for me.
But I can not go there at all right now (or at least I can not stay there), hence my drip for him to no. 52. Justification of such a high personal ranking essentially came down to potential need for the position in this draft, and therefore I have beaten him to death because I can not use that as a reason enough to make him so to hold high. Maybe the actual design plays to his advantage because of that supply and demand, but he’s just outside my top 50 at the moment.
No. 36: Vernon Carey Jr., Duke
Previous rank: No. 29
Only a drop of seven points for Duke Dynamo Vernon Carey Jr., but a remarkable one because big men Precious Achiuwa, Isaiah Stewart, Xavier Tillman, Jalen Smith and a few others for him are on my Big Board. It’s harder than ever to be a draft man than a great man, because the league continues to generally devalue the position, but it’s especially so this year because of the depth at the position.
However, this will be a win for teams looking for depth from big men in the second round as players end the care of Carey Jr. And I think in general this is a design where second round pickup can present some serious value. If you’re a prolific player like Carey Jr. at no. 35 can find in this concept, you are probably doing something right.
Top 100 big boards
| Rang | Playing | School / Country | Class | Pos. | HT | WT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaMelo Ball | Australia | – | PG | 6-6 | 180 |
| 2 | Killian Hayes | France | – | PG | 6-5 | 192 |
| 3 | Tyrese Haliburton | Iowa St. | Soph | PG | 6-5 | 175 |
| 4 | James Wiseman | Memphis | Fr | C | 7-1 | 240 |
| 5 | Anthony Edwards | Georgia | Fr | SG | 6-5 | 225 |
| 6 | Onyeka Okongwu | USC | Fr | C | 6-9 | 245 |
| 7 | Deni Avdija | Israel | – | SF | 6-9 | 215 |
| 8 | Patrick Williams | Florida St. | Fr | SF | 6-8 | 225 |
| 9 | Obi Toppin | Dayton | Soph | PF | 6-9 | 220 |
| 10 | Kira Lewis Jr. | Alabama | Soph | PG | 6-3 | 165 |
For the fully updated Top 100 Big Board, click here
