NBA Draft 2020: Assessing Scouting Reports on Top Stars from Experts' Mock Draft

Based on the reputation of the 2020 NBA draft class, there may not be many (or any) franchise-changers arriving this offseason.

But there will be roster-helpers. Even the 2000 draft—arguably the worst in history—delivered three All-Stars and 15 players who carved out 10-plus-year careers in the Association.

So what exactly is available in this iteration of the talent grab? We'll put three of the top prospects under the microscope after laying out the top 30 from HoopsHype's aggregate mock draft, which pools together mocks from experts at ESPN, B/R, SI.com, The Athletic and more.

Aggregate Prospect Rankings

1. Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

2. LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks

3. James Wiseman, C, Memphis

4. Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv

5. Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton

6. Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC

7. Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn

8. Kilian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm

9. Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State

10. Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina

11. Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky

12. RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers

13. Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL

14. Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State

15. Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis

16. Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

17. Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt

18. Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington

19. Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova

20. Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State

21. Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington

22. Josh Green, SG/SF, Arizona

23. Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech

24. Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke

25. Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama

26. Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland

27. Tre Jones, PG, Duke

28. Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota

29. Leandro Bolmaro, SG/SF, Barcelona

30. Zeke Nnaji, PF/C, Arizona

Scouting Reports on Top Prospects

Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

Of the nine mock drafts used to create the aggregate rankings, only two had someone other than Anthony Edwards in the No. 1 spot.

The 18-year-old first grabs attention for his physical tools. The 6'5", 225-pounder is built like a brick wall and has more springs than a trampoline. He could put NBA centers on a poster right now, and if he gets a head of steam going to the basket, he won't be stopped.

But he's more than an elite athlete. He also flashes high-level scoring skills, like pull-up triples and some finesse finishing at the basket. When he engages on defense, the length, strength and lateral quickness combine to form a multi-positional lockdown defender, which is perfect for the modern game.

"When he was fully engaged, he looked like the clear No. 1 pick," ESPN's Mike Schmitz wrote. "In a draft that lacks starpower at the top, Edwards has arguably the most complete resume and should be considered the front-runner to hear his name called first."

LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks

Chances are you've seen a LaMelo Ball mixtape (or even reality show) by now, but he's not all outrageous shooting range and complete indifference to defense like some of his highlight reels suggest.

Like his older brother, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, LaMelo shines brightest as a table-setter. He has elite size for the lead guard spot (6'7"), which helps him see over defenders and find opponents' weak spots. Once he sniffs them out, he has the vision, creativity and ball skills to exploit them.

"Ball has special passing skills and vision, and he delivers assists with craft and flash," B/R's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "Teammates will enjoy playing with LaMelo, whose value will revolve around his ability to set them up for quality looks off transition plays, pick-and-rolls and penetration."

LaMelo has plenty of unanswered questions, mostly revolving around his shooting mechanics, shot selection and defensive motor. But his ceiling is fascinating, as it features brilliant passing, deep shooting, crafty interior finishing and, at worst, adequate defense.

James Wiseman, C, Memphis

In the drafts of yesteryear, James Wiseman might be the runaway favorite for the No. 1 spot.

The old adage about "you can't coach size" applies here, as the 19-year-old stands 7'1" with a 7'5" wingspan and the athleticism to play even bigger. He has explosiveness and power near the basket, and he can beat other bigs down the floor for easy buckets.

He needs to improve his feel for the game, and his skill set isn't a perfect fit in the modern game. But he has a soft enough shooting touch that he might add an NBA three-ball to his arsenal, and if that happens, we might look back on this draft and wonder how he wasn't the first overall pick.

"If he becomes a rim-running, rebounding, three-point shooting center who also gives you high-end rim protection, that's a pretty valuable player," SI.com's Jeremy Woo wrote.