So much mystery surrounds this NBA Draft. James Wiseman left Memphis, LaMelo Ball is done playing in Australia, and there have been numerous injuries to some bigger name players.
This leaves people thinking who can be a difference maker. There aren’t many can’t-miss prospects. All of this means that some players may see a weaker draft and believe they have a better chance of being chosen. I would look to see more fringe first-rounders or fringe second-rounders declare than usual. All the more power to them as it would be more money upfront, but can some of these potential first rounders even make a roster spot for opening day next year? For some players who in a stronger draft wouldn’t declare the higher level of competition and advanced training would be a good thing, while for other players it may hurt their career in the long run. They may not recover from the lack of playing time or adjustment to NBA play and wash out rather quickly as opposed to improving their game through being a more dominant player in the college game. To take it a step further, many players who may be eligible after playing prep school one year removed from graduating high school may feel better about their chances of being drafted similar to a Jalen Lecque situation.
Some examples of college players who may be in this position include Aaron Henry of Michigan State, Landers Nolley of Virginia Tech, and Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois.
At this point, it seems Anthony Edwards of UGA has the highest chance of being the number one pick, but that’s due to so much uncertainty regarding the other top prospects. Last year it was Zion, who many would consider to be a generational talent while Ja Morant was presumed to go number two. The year before DeAndre Ayton went number one, but several other impact players and arguably generational talents were taken behind him in Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
Jack's 2020 NBA Draft Blog 
Hey Jack,
I wonder if the tournament will change people’s perceptions. Often times it doesn’t matter at the top of the draft, but others can vault themselves into contention when the lights shine the brightest. These kids are so undeveloped in the “one-and-done” era that it leaves GMs in a guessing game when it comes to maturity on the court.
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Thanks for sharing. I live in Blacksburg and photograph every Virginia Tech home game. Nolley is an extremely gifted scorer. I wish he would have been eligible last year during the Sweet 16 run, but I’m glad he’s enjoying success this year. He’s got the size and length to excel at the next level, so we’ll see.
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Great read, Jack. I love your passion and insight for basketball. Do you see this trend of taking a year off, playing internationally, and more becoming a greater trend instead of going to college for a year or two? I understand LaMelo’s was a bit of a different circumstance, but it seems to be working out for him and could be a blueprint for future success for young athletes who also want to earn some money. Somewhat like what the XFL could become.
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