NBA Draft 2020: Latest Mock Predictions for LaMelo Ball, More Top Prospects

There was always expected to be some uncertainty around the 2020 NBA draft—we just didn't expect it to be this.

This year's class of draft-eligible prospects has been hard to put a finger on, in large part because of the lack of high-end talent that groups in recent years have had. Player evaluations and big boards have been all over the place. But the recent coronavirus pandemic—and the hold it has put on all major professional sports—has thrown even more questions into the equation.

Although the NBA draft isn't scheduled to start until June 25, the predraft process that helps organizations determine whom they want to select and clues players in about where they'll potentially land is a mystery as of now. With travel restrictions in effect and teams unable to meet players in person, much of the scouting and evaluation that would be done face-to-face will now have to happen virtually.

The NBA Draft Combine, one of the biggest determinants of which players should stay in the draft and which should return to school, might not happen altogether.

For fringe prospects who can make or break their draft positions during the predraft process, that makes the decision to stay in the draft even more of a crapshoot than it already is. But for the elite, lottery-level picks, while there is still uncertainty around where they will land, they can be more certain of their decisions.

As we head into the month of April, which would typically be the end of the college basketball season and the beginning of players announcing their decisions to test the NBA's draft process, a new set of mock drafts have emerged. Here's where some of the league's next crop of projected talent could go:

LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks

The youngest Ball brother has always been touted as the one with the most natural ability; the question was whether he had the maturity and drive to reach the potential he had. His lone season overseas with the Australian Illawarra Hawks didn't completely dispel questions about his interest in playing defense and his shooting ability, but his size and playmaking ability leave nothing to be desired as an NBA point guard. In the right situation, LaMelo could slide into a similar role as his brother Lonzo has with the New Orleans Pelicans—providing a scoring punch but not being relied upon to get 25 points per night.

Gary Parrish, CBSSports.com: No. 1, Golden State Warriors

NBADraft.net: No. 4, Atlanta Hawks

Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated: No. 5, Detroit Pistons

Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

Edwards' lone year in Athens didn't turn out nearly how Georgia fans expected. The lack of talent around him was obvious, and Edwards isn't exactly a player whose tide lifts all boats. He carried a huge scoring load, and his shooting—40.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from behind the arc—suffered because of it. However, that's not exactly fair considering how much he needed to shoot just to keep the Bulldogs competitive in most games.

Of the available prospects in this draft, Edwards is far and away the most physically ready to play in the NBA. Wherever he lands, he'll be expected to contribute—and potentially start—almost immediately.

Gary Parrish, CBSSports.com: No. 3, Detroit Pistons

NBADraft.net: No. 1, Golden State Warriors

Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated: No. 1, Golden State

Obi Toppin, F, Dayton

Before this season, Obi Toppin was a relative unknown to most people who don't follow college basketball religiously. His numbers as a freshman in 2018-19 were impressive—14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds per game—but no one, and I mean no one, saw him as a potentially high lottery pick in this year's draft. But that's exactly what a monstrous sophomore season, punctuated by National Player of the Year awards, has done for him.

It's still a bit hard to project where Toppin fits and what exactly his NBA ceiling is at this point. He's not a knockdown outside shooter, but he's also not someone you can leave alone on the perimeter. Most of the damage he did at Dayton came in the open floor, and it seems prudent for a team that's making him a potential franchise centerpiece to consider that.

Gary Parrish, CBSSports.com: No. 2, Cleveland Cavaliers

NBADraft.net: No. 2, Cleveland

Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated: No. 9, Washington Wizards

Follow Keegan on Twitter, @ByKeeganPope.