NBA Draft 2020: Latest Expert Predictions for RJ Hampton, Top Shooting Guards

The NBA is filled with talented shooting guards, a group led by former MVP James Harden. There are also some talented shooting guards about to enter the league via the 2020 NBA draft. Could one (or several) of them soon join that list of the NBA's best at the position?

Prospects such as Anthony Edwards, RJ Hampton and Tyrese Maxey are likely to be the first shooting guards selected in this year's draft, with Edwards likely to be the first off the board. From there, they'll try to prove themselves at the professional level and aspire to reach the ranks of top-tier talent in the Association.

Here's a look at where expert mocks are predicting these top shooting guards get selected in this year's draft.

Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Many mock drafts are predicting Edwards to be the first player selected in this year's draft. And if the Golden State Warriors are the team that lands the pick in the lottery, then expect that to be the case, according to a recent report by the San Francisco Chronicle's Connor Letourneau.

"If the Warriors land the No. 1 pick and decide not to trade down, they’ll likely take Georgia guard Anthony Edwards," he wrote.

Edwards could be the No. 1 pick even if the Warriors don't own the selection. Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo has the 6'5" shooting guard as the first player off the board but going to the Atlanta Hawks. In a mock by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, he falls to No. 2, where he gets drafted by the Hawks.

Most draft experts agree Edwards won't fall too far down the board, even if he isn't selected with the No. 1 pick. Rob Dauster of NBC Sports has the 18-year-old getting selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 2.

Be prepared for Edwards to be one of the first players drafted this year, potentially going at No. 1.

RJ Hampton, New Zealand Breakers

After spending last season with the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League, RJ Hampton is preparing to enter the NBA.

Not only does the 6'5" shooting guard have great skills and potential, but he could also be selected by a team with a lottery pick (first 14 selections) in the draft.

"Hampton needs time for his skill level to catch his athleticism, which pops on drives and finishes around the basket," Wasserman wrote. "... At 19 years old, Hampton will spend the next few seasons developing his range, pull-up game and reads at both ends of the floor."

In Wasserman's mock, he has the 19-year-old going to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 14. That would mean he would come off the board at the end of the lottery portion of the draft to join a Portland backcourt that already features star point guard Damian Lillard.

Others aren't quite as high on Hampton. Dauster and The Athletic's Sam Vecenie both have him going to the Mavericks at No. 18. But that could be another strong fit for the Dallas native, as he could develop into a strong shooting guard to play alongside Luka Doncic potentially for years to come in his hometown.

Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky

BILL FEIG/Associated Press

At least one player from Kentucky has been selected in the first round of the NBA draft every year since 2010. That streak is likely to continue this year, as Tyrese Maxey should be the Wildcats player drafted at some point during the opening round.

Wasserman and Dauster both have the 19-year-old getting drafted by the Orlando Magic with the No. 15 selection. And although there are parts of his game that will need improvement for him to be successful in the NBA (such as his shooting consistency), Dauster believes that can happen.

"I think there's a real chance his ceiling is as a second-unit scorer, but if it all comes together, I can see him putting together a career on par with Lou Williams," he wrote.

Vecenie is projecting Maxey to get drafted a spot earlier than those two mocks, predicting he'll go to the Trail Blazers at No. 14. It makes sense for Portland to select a shooting guard with its first pick, so don't be surprised if either Hampton or Maxey gets picked by the Trail Blazers in the opening round.