NBA Draft: How did the experts do evaluating the 2020 Draft?

Evaluating the NBA Draft experts: Sam Vecenie

Sam Vecenie has been a longtime draft expert and currently writes for The Athletic. His pre-draft rankings are listed here.

What he got right: Vecenie was banging the drum for Desmond Bane as one of this draft’s best wing prospects, a plug-and-play 3-and-D shooter. He ranked Bane 19th, tied for the highest among our expert group. He was similarly the highest for Xavier Tillman Sr., also taken by the Grizzlies. He was among the highest for Tyrese Haliburton, ranking him seventh, and also properly ranked LaMelo Ball first and Anthony Edwards third.

Vecenie wisely had Killian Hayes ranked back at 10th, and even more wisely had Jalen Smith ranked at 32nd, the lowest of our group. He had Kentucky center Nick Richards down at 67th and was likewise quite low on other centers like Udoka Azubuike and Vernon Carey Jr.

What he got wrong: Sam Vecenie was a strong supporter of James Wiseman, as he was of DeAndre Ayton two years before. Wiseman may still blossom as Ayton did, but both rankings reflect that Vecenie often gets carried away by these centers with all the physical tools. He had Onyeka Okongwu at fourth, which could still pan out but likely was again overvaluing a center over wings.

Vecenie had Immanuel Quickley ranked 46th and Tyrese Maxey ranked 14th, the largest disparity of the group between the two Kentucky guards (everyone got the order wrong). He also stumped for Tre Jones, ranking him 18th, expecting the shot to come around and focusing on his intangibles; without the shot, Jones may never get to see the court enough for the intangibles to matter.

Grade: C+; Vecenie does a great job parsing through the second two-thirds of the draft, but he is too conservative at the top and needs to stop believing in centers.