A Complete Guide to the 2020 NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is one of the most important basketball events in the USA. The top young players in the world enter the best league and the whole world is watching.

For several months during the pandemic, we had no clue what will happen this year. Fortunately, the league found a way to make it work.

I share everything you need to know about the 2020 NBA Draft in this post. I go through the facts such as the date and venue of the event, as well as the order of the selection.

I’ve also added my thoughts on the top prospects in the 2020 class and some advice for those of you who are looking to bet on this year’s NBA Draft.

The 2020 NBA Draft was supposed to take place in the late spring, but it was postponed because of the health crisis. The new date is 18^th November and that’s when the best young talent will enter the leading basketball league in the world.

For safety measures, the 2020 NBA Draft will be held in Bristol, Connecticut, at facilities owned by ESPN, the television that will broadcast the event.

ESPN's Bristol, Conn. studios will host the virtual 2020 @NBADraft presented by State Farm

Wednesday, November 18 at 7 p.m. ET @NBA Commissioner Adam Silver & Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will announce selections live in studio

More: https://t.co/peUPXj4Dlp | @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/wNfryBtdQv

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 22, 2020

The teams will select players through videoconferencing in order to avoid direct contact which has never happened in the history of the NBA Draft before.

As usual, the NBA Draft will feature 60 picks split into two rounds. Let’s take a look at the order of selection.

The first 14 picks in the draft are considered part of the lottery, as they give access to the most talented players to the teams who missed on the NBA Playoffs in the previous season.

As you can see above, the Minnesota Timberwolves were lucky enough to land the first pick, while the Golden State Warriors will have the chance to go second. No team has more than one lottery pick this year.

The first round of the 2020 NBA Draft is completed by 16 more picks. As you can see, many teams have traded their selections and won’t have the chance to get the best young players in 2020.

The Boston Celtics are the franchise with the most picks in the first round this year with three, although the highest among them is the 14^th selection acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies way back in 2015.

The second round features another 30 picks and several teams will have more than one selection in 2020. The players left usually are not that talented and this draft class lacks depth according to most experts, but we’ve seen some excellent athletes selected in the second round in the past.

The expectations for the 2020 NBA draft class are relatively low. There is no consensus number one pick like last year when Zion Williamson stole the show and most specialists believe we won’t see many major superstars.

You never know for sure, though, and the top prospects in 2020 certainly can leave their mark in the NBA. Let’s take a look at the four players that should enter the league with the highest expectations and are likely to be picked before anyone else.

Many believe that LaMelo Ball is one of the few youngsters from this draft class who have the potential to become true NBA superstars and carry a franchise. His brother Lonzo is already a legit player, even if he failed to live up to all the hype so far.

Their father LaVar Ball believes his younger son is better and even Lonzo has admitted in the past that his brother might be more talented.

LaMelo looks like an elite scorer and playmaker already, so he should be able to instantly improve many NBA teams. If he can work on his body and add some muscle mass, his potential is unlimited.

Another guard that is likely to be selected with one of the first few picks is Anthony Edwards. His offensive ceiling is exceptional and he has developed enough to deliver instant production in the NBA.

Edwards has the athleticism to attack the rim and he’s an excellent shooter already, as you can see from his college highlights.

There are some concerns about his defense, but he has the frame to be at least decent on that end of the floor as well.

Many believe that James Wiseman is the best big man in the 2020 NBA Draft. The rumors suggest that at least two teams with high picks will go after him and that’s hardly a surprise.

His physical attributes are simply insane. Wiseman stands at 7’1” and has a 7’6” wingspan which makes him a monster in the paint. He is good at protecting the rim and he also has some nice offensive moves.

The best thing about the center is that he is very quick for a guy of his size. The big man is not a liability in transition and he would likely be respectable when it comes to protecting the perimeter after switches with some work.

He’s still very raw in certain areas, but any team with a strong developmental program could polish Wiseman rather quickly.

The first three prospects I explored are pretty much universally placed in the top 5 picks, but the waters become muddy after that. If you take a look at five mock drafts, you are likely to see five different players mixed with them in the first selections.

I decided to add Deni Avdija here because he looks like a player built to succeed in the modern NBA. Standing at 6’9”, the Israeli youngster has the physical attributes to play as a power forward or even a center in certain lineups.

At the same time, he has the ballhandling skills and the speed to be a small forward. Avdija has a high basketball IQ on top of that, so he is a guy that can instantly help any offense in the NBA.

There are some question marks over his shooting mechanics, but I believe that most teams in the league have the coaches to improve his efficiency rather quickly.

The leading NBA betting sites offer plenty of opportunities to bet on the 2020 Draft. Most of them have a list of props related to various teams and players, so you can make some money.

Our team will make sure to give you a hand in that by constantly delivering posts on various markets in the build-up to the event. We also intend to publish more details on the leading prospects and the goals of most NBA franchises, so you would know what to expect from each.

Make sure to check our site regularly in order to find our predictions and betting picks for the 2020 NBA Draft.

If you prefer to prepare on your own, we got you covered as well. Our NBA Draft betting guide features plenty of useful tips and general information that can improve your chances to be successful.