NBA Draft: The best skill from Anthony Edwards and all 30 first-round selections
By Josh Wilson
16. Isaiah Stewart – Portland Trail Blazers (traded to Pistons); Strength
At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, Isiah Stewart is a force to be reckoned with. He’ll have the strength and mass to body defenders on the offensive end and be a stalwart on the defensive end, provided he puts the effort in on that end of the floor.
17. Aleksej Pokusevski – Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to Thunder) Stretching the floor
Aleksej Pokusevski is still hitting growth spurts, and his shooting ability combined with that will make him an attractive stretch four.
18. Josh Green – Dallas Mavericks; Energetic defense
Players might have the physical capabilities and athleticism to be elite defenders, but without the effort, it means nothing. Josh Green is engaged and active on the defensive end, and that’s something that he’ll bring to the table right away in his rookie season.
19. Saddiq Bey – Detroit Pistons; Efficiency
50 percent from the 2-point zone and 45.1 percent from beyond the arc for 16.1 points per game was Saddiq Bey’s offensive season in 2019-20 at Villanova. That’s impressive efficiency and if he can even come close to that at the NBA level, he’ll be a major success.
20. Precious Achiuwa- Miami Heat; Switchability on defense
The Miami Heat could use more switchability. They run an uncharacteristic defense with a lot of zone baked in, and having guys that can guard multiple positions is always a plus for their system.
Lucky for them, their guy in Precious Achiuwa brings that to the table. He can guard virtually any position and switch onto whomever, and he very well may be a great backup to Bam Adebayo on the defensive end of the floor.