Your guide to LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and all the best prospects

It’s five months later than originally scheduled, but the NBA draft is finally here, starting at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow. The weirdness doesn’t stop with the date either. The shortening of the 2019-20 season for the NCAA and overseas teams gave NBA scouts less movie to analyze, and the pre-draft process with workouts and interviews has looked drastically different. And then there are the financial ramifications of the pandemic, looming over each team’s roster decision-making, not to mention a pool of prospects with lots of question marks and no clear top tier.

In the face of this uncertainty, should teams play it safe or jump over the fences? Should clubs seek to negotiate until the top of the first round? We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but in the meantime, here’s everything you need to know to prepare for draft night. And if your favorite team isn’t in a position to make a splash this year, it’s not too early to start looking forward to the next couple of drafts, when the most prized prospects will likely include Emoni Bates, a 16-year-old who could have been number one this year if he had been eligible.

The best prospects

At least one major bookmaker awaits Anthony Edwards, Georgia’s supremely talented but flawed shooting guard, to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, but there’s certainly a case to justify that LaMelo Ball He’s the best prospect in this class, even if there are better places to land for him than the Timberwolves, the owners of No. 1. (For his part, Ball seems unconcerned about the idea of ​​playing in Minnesota).

The second choice is almost as intriguing. Since analytics play an important role in their preparation, the Warriors draft board could look a bit different from consensus, with Obi toppin, a polarizing perspective, in the mix for No. 2.

James Wiseman He’s expected to make the top three picks, but it would be a gamble for whichever team selected him. Another high-risk prospect to be taken near the top of the draft is Isaac okoro, an elite defender who is a tool of greatness. Okoro is ignoring any such criticism: “I feel like it should be the first choice,” he tells us.

The best contender for the top three appears to be the Israeli striker. Deni Avdija, who is showing encouraging progress with his jump shot. But Onyeka Okongwu looks like a great devastating man.

Players to watch

This kind of draft can be considered weak at the top, but it doesn’t lack depth. Players who could excel in a specific role include Desmond bane, who made the most of his senior season at TCU and is jumping up the draft charts. Bane is one of the best shooters in this class, along with Tyrell terry, which is crude but is making comparisons to Trae Young.

The best player to watch tomorrow night might be Alexey Pokusevsky, a 7 foot player who can do magic with the ball in his hands. Teams that miss out, however, will have another chance to be a great offensive man in Jalen smith.

Tyrese haliburton he has a rare combination of size and skill and says he is the best facilitator available. (“He understands ‘hockey assist,'” says his coach). Josh Green it seems like a two-way threat. Killian Hayes it is the most unusual perspective in a most unusual draft. Saddiq bey He’s a capable marksman, and nobody works harder.

Kira Lewis Jr.The game is tailor-made for the modern NBA, and while he says he’ll be happy wherever they draft him, it looks like a perfect match for the Celtics at No. 14. Boston could go in a different direction, of course. The main alternatives include RJ Hampton, which showed revolutionary speed in New Zealand; Jay scrubb, a prominent university student whose life story has been compared to The blind side; Y Cole Anthony, a year ago considered one of the top three before underperforming in North Carolina. In the second round, the goal could be Killian Tillie, a center as complete as there is in this class.

Some experts are depressed Immanuel Quickley, but the Knicks seem interested. It will have competence of Precious Achiuwa, who says “it would be a great blessing” to represent New York, his adopted city.

Kahlil whitney, who left Kentucky in the middle of his freshman season due to lack of playing time, is prepared to embrace routine, whether he’s a second-round pick or an undrafted free agent. Jordan nworaA versatile forward, he’s ready to prove his skeptics wrong.

The last word

“I’m going to be the draft robbery.”

NBA teams tend to target young prospects in the draft, but Yoeli Childs, projected as a second-round pick, is ready to showcase the skills she developed over four years at BYU.