By ADAM ZAGORIA
Memphis-bound big man James Wiseman, Georgia-bound wing Anthony Edwards and uncommitted point guard Cole Anthony are the projected 1, 2 and 3 picks in the latest 2020 NBA Mock Draft, per ESPN.com.
The 7-foot-1 Wiseman has all the tools to dominate — in high school, college and possibly the NBA. He appears to be what the modern NBA game is all about — mobile, athletic big men who can run the floor, shoot from range and switch on defense.
“I think he has all the ingredients, for him it’s just been putting it together on a consistent basis, playing hard every possession,” ESPN NBA Draft analyst Mike Schmitz told me for this feature on Forbes SportsMoney. “I think out here, he’s shown that, that he’s improved his motor. Whether that’s something that’s going to be consistent moving forward is obviously something that we’ll track.”
The 6-5 Edwards and the 6-4 Anthony have also impressed NBA personnel at recent all-star games. Anthony, who is poised to announce his college choice Tuesday morning on ESPN, won MVP honors at both the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, and also impressed at the Nike Hoop Summit.
Thirteen of the Top 14 projected picks would be one-and-dones with Wiseman, Edwards, Anthony, No. 6 Nico Mannion (Arizona), No. 7 Jaden McDaniels (Undecided), No. 8 Scottie Lewis (Florida), No. 9 Precious Achiuwa (Undecided), No. 10 Isaiah Stewart (Washington), No. 11 Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky), No. 12 Matthew Hurt (Duke), No. 13 Josh Green (Arizona) and No. 14 Trendon Watford (Undecided). The other two players in the lottery are foreign players.
Rising Duke sophomore Tre Jones at No. 15 is the highest-projected player who’s not a one-and-done. He’s then followed by five more one-and-dones in No. 16 Bryan Antoine (Villanova), No. 17 Wendell Moore (Duke), No. 18 Patrick Williams (Florida State), No. 19 Kahlil Whitney (Kentucky) and No. 20 Josiah James (Tennessee). So 17 of the first 20 picks would be one-and-dones.
Several New York/New Jersey players also dominate the upper echelons of the mock with Anthony at No. 3, Lewis at No. 8, Achiuwa at No. 9, Stewart at No. 10, Antoine at No. 16 and Whitney at No. 19. Anthony, Achiuwa and Stewart are all from New York, while Lewis, Antoine and Whitney were McDonald’s All-Americans out of New Jersey.
As far as which schools dominate the mock, it breaks down like this:
Duke (4) – No. 12 Matthew Hurt, No. 15 Tre Jones, No. 17 Wendell Moore, No. 22 Vernon Carey
Kentucky (3) – No. 11 Tyrese Maxey, No. 19 Kahlil Whitney, No. 28 Ashton Hagans
Arizona (2) – No. 6 Nico Mannion, No. 12 Josh Green
Kansas (2) – No. 29 Devon Dotson, No. 44 Ochai Agbaji
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