NBA Draft 2020: Predicting Landing Spots for Cole Anthony, More Top Point Guards

In what is expected by many NBA draft analysts to be one of the weakest classes in recent memory, one of the strongest position groups across the board is point guard. 

Whether teams are looking for a true point guard similar to Lonzo Ball or a scoring guard a la Ja Morant, they will be in the hunt for a lead guard in a league that has become dominated by them in recent years. As the NBA has shifted away from traditional four-out, one-in offensive systems to a perimeter-centric game, playmaking point guards are at a premium.

We could see as many as five point guards taken in the top 10 picks of June's draft. So who are they, and where might they end up?

LaMelo Ball

There is no prospect in this year's class who provides more intrigue—and potential downside—than Ball. Playing overseas this past season in Australia's NBL, LaMelo Ball showed glimpses of a player who could grow into an above-average NBA point guard. He also shot just 37 percent from the field and 24 percent from the three-point line.

His size, versatility and floor vision are extremely attractive to NBA front offices, but lots of questions remain about his maturity, ability to defend and whether his slight frame can hold up. Despite all that, most analysts see him as a near lock to be a top-three pick. 

CBS Sports: No. 3, New York Knicks

Bleacher Report: No. 3, Minnesota

NBADraftNet: No. 2, Cleveland

Cole Anthony

Before he enrolled at North Carolina, Cole Anthony was almost universally pegged as a top-three pick. But an injury-filled year for the Tar Heels, combined with Anthony's shooting struggles, may have caused teams to question whether they should spend that high of a pick on him.

With the right supporting cast—which he did not have in Chapel Hill—Anthony has shown the ability to be an elite slashing guard with the ability to distribute, score and defend. 

CBS Sports: No. 6, Charlotte

Bleacher Report: No. 5, New York 

NBADraftNet: No. 5, New York

Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton's sophomore season lasted just 22 games because of a wrist injury, but he skyrocketed up draft boards during that time. In those contests, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists, all while shooting 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from behind the arc.

His size (6'5") is attractive for teams wanting a point guard who can defend multiple positions, and his ability to score, defend (2.5 steals per game) and rebound makes him the anti-LaMelo Ball in some ways. 

CBS Sports: No. 4, Detroit

Bleacher Report: No. 11, San Antonio

NBADraftNet: No. 13, San Antonio

Killian Hayes

Amid all the talk about Ball, R.J. Hampton and Theo Maledon, it feels as though Hayes is one of the best European point guard prospects we have barely heard about in recent years. 

Playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in the German BBL, Hayes averaged 11.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. ESPN NBA draft scout Mike Schmitz sees Hayes as a solid NBA guard and potential starter, saying, "Hayes is more gifted [than Maledon] with the ball in his hands. He's developing into a fairly dynamic pull-up shooter, passer and scorer with floaters or at-rim finishes inside the arc."

A lot of questions remain about his defensive chops and need to have the ball in his hands to make plays. But while he's no Luka Doncic, Hayes looks to be a lottery-level guard for a team in need. 

CBS Sports: No. 10, Phoenix

Bleacher Report: No. 7, Chicago

NBADraftNet: No. 16, Brooklyn

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