NBA Draft
NBA PM: 2015 NBA Draft Better Than 2014?
The 2015 NBA Draft is going to be the one worth all the hype and praise if Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid stick around for their sophomore seasons… Gallinari’s suffers a costly setback in the worst case scenario for his knee recovery.
After months, or even years in some cases, of the 2014 NBA Draft class being hyped up to be one of the best since 2003, expectations and projections are quickly beginning to come back down to reality. It’s still a very promising group, but the talk of multiple franchise players coming out of it is nowhere near as prevalent as it used to be.
Kansas center Joel Embiid is now regarded as the best player available and it’s with good reason. The young big man has improved at a rapid rate. Once thought of as a multi-year project, he’s now the most intriguing center prospect to play college basketball since DeMarcus Cousins was at Kentucky. Rather than continuing to beat around the bush, here it is simply: he’s worth tanking for. Embiid has all the tools necessary to be the league’s next great big man. He’s barely halfway through his freshman year and teams have already seen enough to push him past the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Jabari Parker – the previous candidates for the top overall selection.
However, the NBA is more ready for Embiid than he is for it. After seeing that Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon stayed in school for more than a year, Embiid isn’t sure if he should do the same.
“I was curious because I want to be great, I want to be the best at my position one day,” Embiid said to ESPN’s Dana O’Neil. “I’m trying to learn everything and what other people did. All of the great big men went to college at least two or three years. I think it’s a big factor. I don’t know if it will always work, but I think it’s the best choice.
“I don’t know. I think [the NBA] would be too overwhelming for me right now. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
Passing up on the draft when you’re in contention for the top spot is far easier said than done, but it has been done. Look no further than Marcus Smart deciding to stay at Oklahoma State last year when he was almost a virtually lock to go in the top three, Cody Zeller sticking around for two years at Indiana when he could have been a lottery pick as a freshman, or Blake Griffin doing the same at Oklahoma.
Embiid isn’t the only top freshman to be lukewarm about being one-and-done. Parker also has his reservations. Like Embiid, he’ll have more reasons to leave than stay, but he’s always made it clear that he could stay.
“My wife, my son and I haven’t talked about it,” Jabari’s father, Sonny Parker told WEEI.com. “We honestly don’t know. After the season, we’ll talk about it. That’s what I told Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] when he was recruiting Jabari, and that’s what I tell him now. ‘We just want Jabari to enjoy the season.’ People can speculate all they want, but it’s not a discussion. Right now, he’s dealing with being a student-athlete at Duke. He’s not entertaining that.”
“We’re not thinking about that right now, and we don’t want him thinking about it,” added Sonny Parker. “He doesn’t want it to be a distraction for his teammates. I don’t know where they’re getting their information, because we really don’t know what he’s going to do. He just wants to have fun, concentrate on this season and enjoy school.”
In the case that Embiid and Parker do decide to stay in school, all of the talk about how great the 2014 NBA Draft class could be is going to become nearly extinct. It’s deep and rich of talent, but the absence of those two would be a huge loss for the class.
The 2014 class’ loss would be the 2015’s gain, though. And, probably in short order, it’d be the ’15 class getting all the hype and being compared to the likes of the aforementioned 2003 class or even 1996. Embiid and Parker would start the year at the top two spots, but there wouldn’t be a huge drop off after them.
Before the possibility of Embiid and Parker sticking around became public knowledge, the 2015 draft was already looking strong. It’s highlighted by five big men with All-Star potential in Jahlil Okafor (Duke), Myles Turner (Undecided), Cliff Alexander (Kansas), Trey Lyles (Kentucky) and Karl Towns (Kentucky). If those five were eligible to make the jump straight to the NBA this year, the only way one of them would fall out of the top 10 is because of team needs. They’re big time prospects and within short order you’ll be hearing a lot more about them along with SMU bound guard Emmanuel Mudiay, Arizona’s wing Stanley Johnson and Duke forward Justise Winslow among others.
The draft is such an inexact science and always so difficult to project. Because of that, it only seems fitting that next year’s class would end up being the one to really go crazy for. If Parker and Embiid are a part of it, there could be even more hype – and it would be completely justifiable.
Gallinari’s Costly Setback: This offseason Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari was told that he did not need reconstructive ACL surgery due to a knee injury suffered in April. Instead, only his torn meniscus was operated on. The belief at the time was that his ACL would heal on its own, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Gallinari underwent surgery today to repair the ACL, which will cause him to miss the 2013-14 NBA season in its entirety.
“Danilo’s knee required that he undergo reconstruction surgery of the ACL, which was successfully completed earlier this morning,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said. “Knowing Danilo’s drive and work ethic, we look forward to a full recovery and a healthy return to the court next season.”
With Gallinari out, the Nuggets will continue to rely heavily on Wilson Chandler, who has finally gotten over some health issues of his own and emerged as the team’s second-leading scorer with 13.5 points a contest. Quincy Miller and Jordan Hamilton, whose playing time would have been in jeopardy with Gallinari’s return, will continue to see the most minutes they have in their respective careers.
The Nuggets are currently 20-20 and three games out of the Western Conference playoffs.
Mock Drafts
2020 NBA Mock Draft – The Final 60-Pick Mock
What a long and winding road the 20201 NBA Draft has been. While this draft cycle has seen its ups and down, the moment of truth if finally upon us.
What a long and winding road the 20201 NBA Draft has been. While this draft cycle has seen its ups and down, the moment of truth if finally upon us.
Here is a final look at the 2020 Draft, and how it may play out in this final 60-pick Mock Draft of the 20202 NBA Draft process:
Mock Drafts
2020 NBA Mock Draft – First Round – 08/21/2020
The 2020 NBA Draft order is now locked in, however, there are tons of additional questions to be answered in the coming weeks. Here is a look at the first round, in this Basketball Insiders Mock Draft.
To say the 2020 NBA Draft has been chaotic is an understatement, however with last night’s NBA Draft Lottery out of the way, things are starting to at least trend in a positive direction.
That doesn’t mean there are not challenges ahead, namely when the actual NBA Draft will take place.
There is a growing sense that the NBA and the players are going to push back the start of the next cap year, which will likely impact when and how the NBA Draft plays out.
Typically, the Draft is a major transaction window for NBA teams, and with so much unknown surrounding how the salary cap will be set, and when trades and transactions typically consummated around the draft would become official, there is a lot of uncertainty, making the 2020 NBA draft wide open on many fronts.
The hope among teams is that some clarity on all of this will surface in the coming weeks, but for now most teams are operating in uncharted waters.
With all of that in mind, here is a look at the 2020 NBA Draft First round, which will be the first of many weekly Mock Drafts we’ll be dropping all the way up to the draft, whenever that finally gets set.
The Basketball Insiders Annual Consensus Mock Drafts will begin in September, as will full 60-pick mocks starting next week, so stay tuned.
NBA Draft
NBA ANNOUNCES EARLY ENTRY CANDIDATES FOR 2020 NBA DRAFT
The National Basketball Association announced today that 205 players — 163 players from colleges and other educational institutions and 42 international players — have filed as early entry candidates for the 2020 NBA Draft
NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 – The National Basketball Association announced today that 205 players — 163 players from colleges and other educational institutions and 42 international players — have filed as early entry candidates for the 2020 NBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing 10 days prior to the 2020 NBA Draft.
Following is the list of players from colleges and other educational institutions who have applied for early entry into the 2020 NBA Draft.
EARLY ENTRY CANDIDATES FOR 2020 NBA DRAFT
|
Player |
School |
Height |
Status |
|
Precious Achiuwa |
Memphis |
6-9 |
Freshman |
|
Milan Acquaah |
California Baptist |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
Jordyn Adams |
Austin Peay |
6-3 |
Freshman |
|
Abdul Ado |
Mississippi State |
6-11 |
Junior |
|
Ty-Shon Alexander |
Creighton |
6-4 |
Junior |
|
Timmy Allen |
Utah |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Derrick Alston Jr. |
Boise State |
6-9 |
Junior |
|
Cole Anthony |
North Carolina |
6-3 |
Freshman |
|
Joel Ayayi |
Gonzaga |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Brendan Bailey |
Marquette |
6-8 |
Sophomore |
|
Saddiq Bey |
Villanova |
6-8 |
Sophomore |
|
Tyler Bey |
Colorado |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Jermaine Bishop |
Norfolk State |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
Jomaru Brown |
Eastern Kentucky |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
|
Marcus Burk |
IUPUI |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
Dachon Burke Jr. |
Nebraska |
6-4 |
Junior |
|
Jordan Burns |
Colgate |
6-0 |
Junior |
|
Jared Butler |
Baylor |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
|
Manny Camper |
Siena |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Vernon Carey Jr. |
Duke |
6-10 |
Freshman |
|
Marcus Carr |
Minnesota |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
|
Tamenang Choh |
Brown |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Kofi Cockburn |
Illinois |
7-0 |
Freshman |
|
David Collins |
South Florida |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
Zach Cooks |
NJIT |
5-9 |
Junior |
|
Jalen Crutcher |
Dayton |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
Ryan Daly |
St. Joseph’s |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Nate Darling |
Delaware |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Darius Days |
LSU |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Dexter Dennis |
Wichita State |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Lamine Diane |
CSUN |
6-7 |
Sophomore |
|
Ayo Dosunmu |
Illinois |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Devon Dotson |
Kansas |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
|
Nojel Eastern |
Purdue |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Anthony Edwards |
Georgia |
6-5 |
Freshman |
|
CJ Elleby |
Washington State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Mason Faulkner |
Western Carolina |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
LJ Figueroa |
St. John’s |
6-6 |
Junior |
|
Malik Fitts |
St. Mary’s |
6-8 |
Junior |
|
Malachi Flynn |
San Diego State |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
Blake Francis |
Richmond |
6-0 |
Junior |
|
Hasahn French |
St. Louis |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
DJ Funderburk |
NC State |
6-10 |
Junior |
|
Both Gach |
Utah |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Alonzo Gaffney |
Ohio State |
6-9 |
Freshman |
|
Luka Garza |
Iowa |
6-11 |
Junior |
|
Jacob Gilyard |
Richmond |
5-9 |
Junior |
|
Grant Golden |
Richmond |
6-10 |
Junior |
|
Jordan Goodwin |
St. Louis |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
Tony Goodwin II |
Redemption Academy (MA) |
6-6 |
Post-Graduate |
|
Jayvon Graves |
Buffalo |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
AJ Green |
Northern Iowa |
6-4 |
Sophomore |
|
Darin Green Jr. |
UCF |
6-4 |
Freshman |
|
Josh Green |
Arizona |
6-6 |
Freshman |
|
Ashton Hagans |
Kentucky |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
|
Tyrese Haliburton |
Iowa State |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Josh Hall |
Moravian Prep (NC) |
6-8 |
Post-Graduate |
|
Rayshaun Hammonds |
Georgia |
6-9 |
Junior |
|
Jalen Harris |
Nevada |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Niven Hart |
Fresno State |
6-5 |
Freshman |
|
Aaron Henry |
Michigan State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Jalen Hill |
UCLA |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
|
Nate Hinton |
Houston |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Jay Huff |
Virginia |
7-1 |
Junior |
|
Elijah Hughes |
Syracuse |
6-6 |
Junior |
|
Feron Hunt |
SMU |
6-8 |
Sophomore |
|
Chance Hunter |
Long Beach State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
DeJon Jarreau |
Houston |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Damien Jefferson |
Creighton |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Isaiah Joe |
Arkansas |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Dakari Johnson |
Cape Fear CC (NC) |
6-0 |
Freshman |
|
Jalen Johnson |
Louisiana |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Andre Jones |
Nicholls State |
6-4 |
Junior |
|
C.J. Jones |
MTSU |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Herbert Jones |
Alabama |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Mason Jones |
Arkansas |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Tre Jones |
Duke |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
|
Corey Kispert |
Gonzaga |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Kameron Langley |
NC A&T |
6-2 |
Junior |
|
AJ Lawson |
South Carolina |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Saben Lee |
Vanderbilt |
6-2 |
Junior |
|
Kira Lewis Jr. |
Alabama |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
|
Matt Lewis |
James Madison |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Isaiah Livers |
Michigan |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Denzel Mahoney |
Creighton |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Makur Maker |
Pacific Academy (CA) |
7-0 |
Post-Graduate |
|
Sandro Mamukelashvili |
Seton Hall |
6-11 |
Junior |
|
Tre Mann |
Florida |
6-4 |
Freshman |
|
Nico Mannion |
Arizona |
6-3 |
Freshman |
|
Naji Marshall |
Xavier |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Kenyon Martin Jr. |
IMG Academy (FL) |
6-7 |
Post-Graduate |
|
Remy Martin |
Arizona State |
6-0 |
Junior |
|
Tyrese Maxey |
Kentucky |
6-3 |
Freshman |
|
Mac McClung |
Georgetown |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
|
Jaden McDaniels |
Washington |
6-9 |
Freshman |
|
Isiaha Mike |
SMU |
6-8 |
Junior |
|
Isaiah Miller |
UNCG |
6-0 |
Junior |
|
Matt Mitchell |
San Diego State |
6-6 |
Junior |
|
EJ Montgomery |
Kentucky |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
|
Andrew Nembhard |
Florida |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Aaron Nesmith |
Vanderbilt |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Zeke Nnaji |
Arizona |
6-11 |
Freshman |
|
Obadiah Noel |
Massachusetts-Lowell |
6-4 |
Junior |
|
Jordan Nwora |
Louisville |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Onyeka Okongwu |
USC |
6-9 |
Freshman |
|
Isaac Okoro |
Auburn |
6-6 |
Freshman |
|
Elijah Olaniyi |
Stony Brook |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Daniel Oturu |
Minnesota |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
|
Reggie Perry |
Mississippi State |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
|
Filip Petrusev |
Gonzaga |
6-11 |
Sophomore |
|
John Petty Jr. |
Alabama |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Nate Pierre-Louis |
Temple |
6-4 |
Junior |
|
Xavier Pinson |
Missouri |
6-2 |
Sophomore |
|
Yves Pons |
Tennessee |
6-6 |
Junior |
|
Immanuel Quickley |
Kentucky |
6-3 |
Sophomore |
|
Darius Quisenberry |
Youngstown State |
6-1 |
Sophomore |
|
Jahmi’us Ramsey |
Texas Tech |
6-4 |
Freshman |
|
Paul Reed Jr. |
DePaul |
6-9 |
Junior |
|
Nick Richards |
Kentucky |
6-11 |
Junior |
|
Colbey Ross |
Pepperdine |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
Fatts Russell |
Rhode Island |
5-10 |
Junior |
|
Joe Saterfield |
Ranger CC (TX) |
6-4 |
Freshman |
|
Jayden Scrubb |
John A. Logan College (IL) |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Aamir Simms |
Clemson |
6-9 |
Junior |
|
Ja’Vonte Smart |
LSU |
6-4 |
Sophomore |
|
Chris Smith |
UCLA |
6-9 |
Junior |
|
Collin Smith |
UCF |
6-11 |
Junior |
|
Jalen Smith |
Maryland |
6-10 |
Sophomore |
|
Justin Smith |
Indiana |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Mitchell Smith |
Missouri |
6-10 |
Junior |
|
Stef Smith |
Vermont |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
Ben Stanley |
Hampton |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Cassius Stanley |
Duke |
6-6 |
Freshman |
|
Isaiah Stewart |
Washington |
6-9 |
Freshman |
|
Parker Stewart |
UT-Martin |
6-5 |
Sophomore |
|
Terry Taylor |
Austin Peay |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
MaCio Teague |
Baylor |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
Tyrell Terry |
Stanford |
6-1 |
Freshman |
|
Justin Thomas |
Morehead State |
5-11 |
Junior |
|
Ethan Thompson |
Oregon State |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Xavier Tillman Sr. |
Michigan State |
6-8 |
Junior |
|
Jeremiah Tilmon |
Missouri |
6-10 |
Junior |
|
Obi Toppin |
Dayton |
6-9 |
Sophomore |
|
Jordan Tucker |
Butler |
6-7 |
Junior |
|
Devin Vassell |
Florida State |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Alonzo Verge Jr. |
Arizona State |
6-3 |
Junior |
|
Chris Vogt |
Cincinnati |
7-1 |
Junior |
|
CJ Walker |
Ohio State |
6-1 |
Junior |
|
Trendon Watford |
LSU |
6-9 |
Freshman |
|
Ibi Watson |
Dayton |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Nick Weatherspoon |
Mississippi State |
6-2 |
Junior |
|
Kaleb Wesson |
Ohio State |
6-9 |
Junior |
|
Jarrod West |
Marshall |
5-11 |
Junior |
|
Romello White |
Arizona State |
6-8 |
Junior |
|
Kahlil Whitney |
Kentucky |
6-6 |
Freshman |
|
DeAndre Williams |
Evansville |
6-9 |
Sophomore |
|
Emmitt Williams |
LSU |
6-6 |
Sophomore |
|
Keith Williams |
Cincinnati |
6-5 |
Junior |
|
Patrick Williams |
Florida State |
6-8 |
Freshman |
|
James Wiseman |
Memphis |
7-1 |
Freshman |
|
Robert Woodard II |
Mississippi State |
6-7 |
Sophomore |
|
McKinley Wright IV |
Colorado |
6-0 |
Junior |
|
Omer Yurtseven |
Georgetown |
7-0 |
Junior |
The following is the list of international players who have applied for early entry into the 2020 NBA Draft:
|
Player |
Team/Country of Team |
Height |
Status |
|
Berke Atar |
MZT Skopje (Macedonia) |
6-11 |
1999 DOB |
|
Deni Avdija |
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) |
6-8 |
2001 DOB |
|
Brancou Badio |
Barcelona (Spain) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
|
Darko Bajo |
Split (Croatia) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
|
Philippe Bayehe |
Roseto (Italy) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
|
Marek Blazevic |
Rytas (Lithuania) |
6-10 |
2001 DOB |
|
Adrian Bogucki |
Radom (Poland) |
7-1 |
1999 DOB |
|
Leandro Bolmaro |
Barcelona (Spain) |
6-6 |
2000 DOB |
|
Vinicius Da Silva |
Prat (Spain) |
7-0 |
2001 DOB |
|
Henri Drell |
Pesaro (Italy) |
6-9 |
2000 DOB |
|
Imru Duke |
Zentro Basket (Spain) |
6-8 |
1999 DOB |
|
Michele Ebeling |
Kleb Ferrara (Italy) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
|
Paul Eboua |
Pesaro (Italy) |
6-8 |
2000 DOB |
|
Osas Ehigiator |
Fuenlabrada (Spain) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
|
Joel Ekamba |
Limoges (France) |
6-5 |
2001 DOB |
|
Selim Fofana |
Neuchatel (Switzerland) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
|
Miguel Gonzalez |
Baskonia (Spain) |
6-7 |
1999 DOB |
|
Killian Hayes |
Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) |
6-5 |
2001 DOB |
|
Sehmus Hazer |
Bandirma (Turkey) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
|
Rokas Jokubaitis |
Zalgiris (Lithuania) |
6-4 |
2000 DOB |
|
Georgios Kalaitzakis |
Nevezis (Lithuania) |
6-8 |
1999 DOB |
|
Vit Krejci |
Zaragoza (Spain) |
6-8 |
2000 DOB |
|
Arturs Kurucs |
VEF Riga (Latvia) |
6-3 |
2000 DOB |
|
Dut Mabor |
Roseto (Italy) |
7-1 |
2001 DOB |
|
Yam Madar |
Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) |
6-2 |
2000 DOB |
|
Theo Maledon |
ASVEL (France) |
6-4 |
2001 DOB |
|
Karim Mane |
Vanier (Canada) |
6-5 |
2000 DOB |
|
Sergi Martinez |
Barcelona (Spain) |
6-8 |
1999 DOB |
|
Nikola Miskovic |
Mega Bemax (Serbia) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
|
Aristide Mouaha |
Roseto (Italy) |
6-3 |
2000 DOB |
|
Caio Pacheco |
Bahia Basket (Argentina) |
6-3 |
1999 DOB |
|
Joel Parra |
Joventut (Spain) |
6-8 |
2000 DOB |
|
Aleksej Pokusevski |
Olympiacos (Greece) |
7-0 |
2001 DOB |
|
Sander Raieste |
Kalev/Cramo (Estonia) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
|
Nikolaos Rogkavopoulos |
AEK (Greece) |
6-8 |
2001 DOB |
|
Yigitcan Saybir |
Anadolu Efes (Turkey) |
6-7 |
1999 DOB |
|
Njegos Sikiras |
Fuenlabrada (Spain) |
6-9 |
1999 DOB |
|
Marko Simonovic |
Mega Bemax (Serbia) |
6-11 |
1999 DOB |
|
Mouhamed Thiam |
Nanterre (France) |
6-9 |
2001 DOB |
|
Uros Trifunovic |
Partizan (Serbia) |
6-7 |
2000 DOB |
|
Arnas Velicka |
Prienai (Lithuania) |
6-4 |
1999 DOB |
|
Andrii Voinalovych |
Khimik (Ukraine) |
6-10 |
1999 DOB |
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