Cole Anthony atop lottery prospects for 2020 NBA Draft

(Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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14. Phoenix Suns: Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State

Tyrese Haliburton deserves this projection as a rising sophomore, but at this moment in time he’s more of a better idea as a lottery pick than a sure-fire definite.

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Some scouts view him as a safe bet to handle point guard duties at Iowa State this year and really make an impact making those around him better while balancing looking for his own offense.

Sure, that’s a nice thought, And Haliburton is a capable and willing passer when he’s locked in. But that wasn’t the case during his freshman season, as he actually rated poorly in pick-and-roll situations by points per possession per Synergy Sports.

The areas he was best in were actually spot-up and transition situations where he was relied upon to just get an easy bucket. While the jumper is funky, he has the size at 6’5″ to get his shot off when he needs to and is comfortable and confident in taking catch-and-shoot 3s to add value off the ball.

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It’ll be interesting to see how Haliburton pans out with more offensive responsibility. If he can handle PG duties and finish with a respectable assist-to-turnover ratio, he should rise up a lot of boards and find himself at a higher pick than in the late lottery.