NBA Draft: Regrading all 30 teams for the 2020 NBA Draft
Regrading all 30 teams for the 2020 NBA Draft: C Grades
Atlanta Hawks: C
Onyeka Okongwu, 6; Skylar Mays, 50
Injuries delayed the start of Onyeka Okongwu’s rookie season, but as he has played he has proven to be a special defensive player. He guards the rim but can move his feet on switches or hedges, and had a few highlight blocks in the postseason. The Hawks would probably benefit more if they had taken a wing prospect such as Saddiq Bey, or of course Tyrese Haliburton, but Okongwu could easily walk away as the best big man in this class. The positional value dings them a little here. Skylar Mays played in 33 games as a rookie and showed a few small flashes as a scoring guard.
New Orleans Pelicans: C
Kira Lewis Jr., 13
The New Orleans Pelicans accurately identified their need to find a point guard of the future, as Eric Bledsoe was a terrible fit and Lonzo Ball not truly a point guard. They targeted Kira Lewis Jr. at 13, and a season later he is probably around that level. That being said they could have taken Saddiq Bey here and solved another roster problem, or taken Immanuel Quickley for more immediate impact at the 1. Lewis still has a lot of upside so it’s not a bad pick overall.
Boston Celtics: C
Aaron Nesmith, 14; Payton Pritchard, 26; Yam Madar, 47
The Boston Celtics were the second of the five teams to take a 3-and-D wing from 11 to 30, and they probably got the 4th-best player as it looks a season later. Saddiq Bey or Desmond Bane would have been better picks here, but not egregiously so, and they did well to identify the right positional value.
Payton Pritchard was a solid pick as a backup point guard, although a player like Jaden McDaniels would be helpful to them right now. Finally, Yam Madar has not yet made it to the NBA, so the jury is still out.
Indiana Pacers: C
Cassius Stanley, 54
The Indiana Pacers had very little draft capital to work with, and Cassius Stanley was a reasonable flier at the time. One of the draft’s best athletes (he took part in the Dunk Contest at the All-Star Game) he has shown very little in games thus far. While Paul Reed was still on the board, the cost was minimal and Stanley could still pop.
Portland Trail Blazers: C
CJ Elleby, 46
Similar to the Pacers, the Portland Trail Blazers had just a single second-round pick with which to work. Their pick, small forward CJ Elleby, showed very little in his rookie season out of Washington State. The Blazers could use another wing moving forward, but thus far he has given little indication that he will be able to help.