Forsberg: Projecting every lottery pick, including the C's at No. 14
The NBA offseason is about to kick into high gear, with the NBA Draft less than a week away. We project every pick in the lottery, ending with the Celtics at No. 14 overall.
Who are the draft candidates most likely to be available when the Boston Celtics make the first of their three first-round selections at No. 14 in next Wednesday’s 2020 NBA Draft? We decided to hold a little mock lottery to find out.
For this exercise, NBC Sports Boston’s resident college hoops guru Rob Snyder and I alternated making lottery picks (GM Forsberg was even nice enough to let Snyder take the No. 1 overall selection) until the Celtics landed on the clock.
Here’s how we think the lottery will play out if teams hold onto their picks and Boston’s top options when they are on the clock.
Snyder: With the first pick, the T-Wolves go with the most surefire player in the draft. Edwards is extremely athletic and can create his own shot and score from almost anywhere. He also fits today’s NBA better than James Wiseman so he’s the selection here. He could be a Bradley Beal-type if he hits his ceiling.
Forsberg: First off, if I’m Bob Myers, I’m looking to trade back to a spot where I can still confidently snag Okongwu and maybe pick up a future asset from a team that’s more willing to roll the dice on Wiseman or LaMelo Ball.
I’m banking that Okongwu will be ready to contribute quicker than Wiseman on a win-now team. Okongwu’s ceiling isn’t nearly as high as Wiseman, but that’s offset by lower bust risk. If the Warriors can thrive with Javale McGee and Kevon Looney as their primary centers, then Okongwu can probably hold up with the talent he’d have around him.
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Snyder: Wow, Forsberg, you’ve really bought in on Okongwu. The Hornets love you for that as they take the more sure thing in Wiseman. These two remind me of the Jaren Jackson-Marvin Bagley debate in 2018, but I think Wiseman is a little more of a developed player than Bagley was. Either way, Charlotte gets their big man and the LaMelo Ball wait is officially on!
Forsberg: This would typically be the point of the draft when we’d start getting all sorts of uncomfortable shots of the Ball family glaring at agent Rich Paul while waiting for LaMelo’s name to be called. Maybe we’ll get an awkward glimpse of the Big Baller draft party via Zoom.
The Bulls pass the Ball here, too, and still get a king-size playmaker with a questionable jumper.
Snyder: Keep waiting, LaMelo. The Cavs have obvious needs on the defensive end and Okoro is the guy who checks that box. He’s a lockdown athletic defender who has the ability to change the on-court culture of the Cavs.
He’s not necessarily a game changer, but he's got 'tude, and that’s what Cleveland needs.
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Forsberg: First off, Cleveland HAS to see if it can find a team (like Detroit at No. 7) that’s willing to trade up to No. 5 in fear of Ball coming off the board before that team is on the clock. Maybe the Knicks get crazy there, too.
In the absence of offers, would the Hawks really take Ball and give us a wild backcourt pairing of him and Trae Young? Could a team survive with such a glaring lack of defense? On paper it doesn’t make sense and the Hawks could move the pick, but we’re taking Ball off the board here.
Snyder: If I’m Detroit, I’d take Devin Vassell here, but the Pistons want the flashier of the two and they get him. Haliburton combines intriguing playmaking abilities with a very effective, yet ugly-as-hell 3-point shot. He gives the Pistons a guy they can potentially build around.
For the record, I agree with you that the Pistons would be very willing to trade up two spots to take Ball but since we’re doing a combined mock there’s no way in hell I'm pulling off trades right now.
Forsberg: Whether the Pistons end up with Haliburton or Ball, that feels like a prime opportunity for the Celtics to swoop in and offer one of their late first-round picks (24?) with hopes of prying away Derrick Rose to bolster their bench (and take some of the point guard load off Kemba Walker and his balky knee).
Speaking of the Celtics, this is about the time when trade-up options might get realistic, especially if there’s someone still on the draft board that Danny Ainge loves. The next batch of picks could be a spot to shuffle up and snag a Vassell or Aaron Nesmith. Would the Knicks be intrigued by multiple swings of the bat to move back here? If not, they take Hayes as their young playmaker.
Snyder: Again, my favorite player at this point is still Vassell, but his ceiling would be a Bradley Beal clone, and the Wizards need a big, so they go Toppin. A high-flying, court-running prototype NBA 4 is a match for a healthy Wall and Beal, and will benefit right away from having a clear role with the team.
Forsberg: Is Vassell going to slide straight into the Celtics’ lap? At what point does Ainge start tossing in a late first-rounder to shimmy up to nab him? Phoenix needs a point guard or a power forward and, while they could consider Patrick Williams here, we’re going with the Alabama speedster to provide some depth behind Ricky Rubio.
I know I sound like a broken record here but, if I’m Phoenix, I’m pondering move-back options because they can probably get a Lewis or a Williams a few spots later if a team like Boston is looking to move up.
Snyder: To answer your question about Vassell sliding to Boston: No.
The Spurs are too smart an organization to let him slip through their fingers and DeMar DeRozan has one foot out the door. Vassell provides great perimeter defense and a wonderful shooting stroke to a Spurs team that could be very exciting in a year or two.
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Forsberg: This is a good early test to see how the Kings will operate under new leadership. The right pick here is Williams. But he’s also raw and will need time to develop.
So we’re going to zag here and say the Kings take sharpshooting Nesmith which sparks a whole bunch of, ‘Is Sacramento ready to trade Buddy Hield?’ speculation.
Snyder: The Celtics hold their breath and wait as the Pelicans make the first surprise pick of the draft. The Pels need elite shooting and they get maybe the most elite shooter as far as range is concerned in Terry.
The risk is his height (6-2) but New Orleans would rather risk that, knowing they might move on from Jrue Holiday than take a big man and be left with little in the backcourt.
