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2020 NBA Mock Draft: Trail Blazers, Wizards, Kings face franchise defining decisions

By Austin Carroll

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs dribbles by Ibi Watson #2 of the Dayton Flyerst during a first round Maui Invitation game at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 25, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs dribbles by Ibi Watson #2 of the Dayton Flyerst during a first round Maui Invitation game at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 25, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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2020 NBA Mock Draft, Trail Blazers
TUCSON, ARIZONA – JANUARY 04: Zeke Nnaji #22 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates on the court with Josh Green #0 in the second half State Sun Devils at McKale Center on January 04, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Wildcats won (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

Vanderbilt. 26. 77. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. F. aaron nesmith. player

Previous Rank: No. 27 (+1)

Aaron Nesmith is hardly the best or most well-rounded player available on the board here. But he is far and away the best specialist. Nesmith takes 8.2 shots from beyond the arc per game, hitting them at an astounding rate of 52.2 percent. Nesmith’s 82.5 percent free throw shooting also proves he genuinely has great shooting form, and this isn’t just a fluke. No contender can ever have enough shooting, and you can count on Nesmith to provide just that.

Scouting Report. G. player. 18. Pick Analysis. Duke. Cassius Stanley. 27

Previous Rank: No. 30 (+3)

Last time, we touched on how Cassius Stanley can ocassionally play like he’s Jaylen Brown Jr. While he’s still rough around the edges, his game screams potential difference maker in the NBA if he can work out the kinks. Stanley plays very effective defense and has drained 43.3 percent of his shots from deep (albeit, on a very limited sample size of 30 attempts). Danny Ainge would do well to bring Stanley in and help him unlock his 3-and-D potential.

Pick Analysis. 28. player. 110. Scouting Report. C. Arizona. zeke nnaji

Previous Rank: No. 25 (-3)

Unless you’re suspiciously high on whatever Kelly Olynyk‘s selling, Bam Adebayo is the only quality frontcourt player this Miami team has. Picking up Zeke Nnaji — who’s averaging 16.2 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Arizona Wildcats looks like a perfect fit. Initially not expected to star next to Mannion and Green, he’s surprised many with his intense hustle and work ethic. Nnaji is the kind of player who was hand-crafted just for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra.

Seton Hall. myles powell. player. 20. Scouting Report. G. 29. Pick Analysis

Previous Rank: N/A

If you don’t know who Myles Powell is yet, you better get used to hearing his name. Powell has scored 21.5 points per game and led Seton Hall to a 10-4 record, including quality wins Xavier, Iowa State, and Marquette. He even scored 37 in a nail biter loss to the nationally ranked Michigan State Spartans. Powell could easily bolster the Lakers’ poor guard rotation with his offensive arsenal and big game energy.

Pick Analysis. F/C. Olympiacos B (Greece). 30. player. 18. Scouting Report. aleksej pokusevski

Previous Rank: N/A

Aleksej Pokusevski is the Serbian freak of nature who can jack up threes, handle the ball and dish out dimes, all while casting a 7-foot shadow on the competition. There’s very little chance he actually puts all these skills together at an NBA level, but his Jokic-esque potential upside is too good to pass up on at No. 30, especially for a Celtics team developing a litany of other interesting prospects at the same time.

Next. Who is the biggest threat in the basement playoff battle?. dark

Our next update to the mock draft will come right after February’s trade deadline, where the decisions made will surely heavily influence the needs of each team. Stay tuned for more, we’re just getting started.