Redrafting the 2020’s: NBA Edition
There have been three NBA drafts this decade. Because I hate myself, let’s redraft Players from all three.
Redrafts are hard. I’m always a little worried I’ll forget someone, being perfectly honest. And beyond that, there’s always nuanced debates once you get further down the player pool, because simply put, there’s just less clear reasons to rank one guy over another.
To make that even harder for myself, I’m going to redraft the last three drafts like they are all one class. I’m only going to do a top ten, mainly for the sake of sanity. But I also have like ten honorable mentions.
So, without further ado, the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions: Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Green, Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun, Scottie Barnes, Benedict Mathurin, Keegan Murray, Chet Holmgren
Like I said. A lot of honorable mentions. Just gonna breeze through this as quickly as I can. Maxey is awesome, but in a tough spot. Being Harden’s backup makes it hard for him to showcase the extent of his talent, but I still think he’s very good. He was my first cut. Jalen Green has great moments, but no where near enough consistent ones. I like J Williams and Mathurin a lot, but not enough to make either of them top 10. Sengun is a wizard on offense but a turnstile on defense. Barnes is great, but I’m not sure how much greater he’s going to get without the shot improving. Keegan Murray has been very good but doesn’t play a big enough role to warrant a top 10 pick. And lastly, Chet. No idea how good he’ll be. But maybe pretty good? Alright. Deep breath. Now the real rankings.
#10: Devin Vassell
I’m not going to pretend like I regularly watch the Spurs. In fact, I try to avoid watching them like the plague. But the few times I have watched them, it’s impossible not to notice Vassell. He’s in his third year now, and has taken noticeable steps forward each year. He’s up to almost 20 points per game this year, playing for a Spurs team that isn’t even trying to hide the fact they’re tanking for Vic. He’s also improved as a shooter each year, and is up to roughly 45/40/80 splits this year. Pretty good! Plus he can play decent defense. I’m not sure if he’s going to continue this trajectory, or if he’ll even ever be an all star, but he’s rounded out into a super solid player and if he was putting up these numbers almost anywhere else in the NBA I think more people would be paying attention.
#9: Josh Giddey
After the first month of the season, it looked like Giddey might not even make the cut for an honorable mention. Then, something clicked. Giddey, along with the rest of the Thunder team, have been awesome this year. Way better than I think people expected them to be, especially with Chet sitting out. He’s improved dramatically as a shooter, up to 49% from the floor after barely shooting 41% his rookie year. He’s starting to develop a three point shot, too. But of course, it’s not the scoring with Giddey that you notice when he plays. He’s absolutely terrifying in transition, consistently making excellent plays to set up his teammates. He’s improved a lot at driving to the rim as well, and can finish much stronger in the paint. He’s the kind of guy it seems other guys just want to play with. He’s always looking to make the extra pass, and he’s a mismatch on almost anyone you’re going to use to guard him. And btw, he’s 20.
#8: Desmond Bane
Is Desmond Bane the next Klay Thompson? Sounds crazy to say out loud, especially as a Warriors fan, but god damn has Bane been good these past two years. He’s slightly older (24), which probably contributes to his rise, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s one of the most lethal shooting guards in the NBA right now. He’s scoring over 21 ppg while shooting 47% from the floor and 43% from three. He’s becoming a better passer, too, which was a clear emphasis from the off season. He’s just really good. He’s definitely not a number one option, and I’m not sure if he’s good enough even to be a championship team’s second option, but he’s a piece almost every team in the NBA right now would die to have, and seems to only be getting better.
#7: Evan Mobley
I am one of many captains of the Evan Mobley fan club, I’ll be the first to admit it. But God damn. He’s so good. If you’re just reading his counting stats, you’re not getting the full Mobley picture. He’s still learning how to put it all together on offense, but he’s also rarely more than the team’s third option on any given night considering how good the Cleveland guards have been. He’s giving you 16 ppg on 55% shooting right now, (just for fun, year 2 Kevin Garnett was 17 ppg on 50%), but where it is absolutely impossible to ignore Mobley is on defense. He’s an absolute monster. He can switch on to guards, protect the rim, play smart off-ball defense, and rebound well despite sharing significant time with another center. He is absolutely one of the best defenders in the NBA, full stop. And he’s still very good on offense, despite being raw. Cleveland nailed this pick, in my opinion.
#6: Cade Cunningham
I’ll be the first to admit I could be wrong about this. Especially if Cade can’t shake the injury bug. But in this league, offense is king, and I still have a high belief that Cade can be an elite offensive player. The shooting so far has been bad. There’s no way around it. He needs to improve from 3 to become the elite threat his talent teases. But 1:1, putting his head down and driving to the basket? He’s already elite at that. He’s a matchup nightmare as a 6’7” point guard, and if you send the double, he’s a talented enough passer to find the open guy. Right now, he plays very similarly to the heliocentric Luka/Houston Harden style. That’s got to change. But also, Detroit is awfullllll. Like absolutely terrible roster. So again, Cade was a tough one to rank for me. This time next year, maybe he’s injured again and not even in the top 10. Or maybe he puts it all together and goes even higher. Impossible to say, but #6 for now feels about right.
#5: LaMelo Ball
Speaking of guys I didn’t know what to do with, dear God, what are you supposed to do with LaMelo? The talent is literally dripping out of him. He’s an elite shot maker as far as difficulty of shots, but also still remarkably inefficient. He’s one of the best passers in the NBA, but also makes incredibly dumb passes because of that. His defensive effort comes and goes, and at times, it feels like he’s losing you games more so than he’s helping you win them. And yet, he’s 21! And again, dripping with talent. Part of me wonders what he’d look like with literally any other team besides the Hornets, who are both terribly coached and terribly managed. It’s a God awful roster, which has mostly devolved into LaMelo doing whatever he wants with no repercussions (and no one watching). I still think he’s an all-star level talent, but something has to change ASAP if he’s ever going to be more than 6’7” Trae Young.
#4: Franz Wagner
There is no depression like the depression of knowing the Warriors could have Franz right now. I’m not sure if he’s going to end up as the best player from his class, but right now, I think it’s safe to say it’s looking that way. He just does everything. And he does it all so well. Need him to score? Sure. He’ll give you 30 on 18 shots. Need him to defend? No problem. He’s switchable and his 6’10” frame can guard almost anyone besides a center. He’s a solid passer, and more importantly an unselfish passer. He rebounds well, moves without the ball, and seems to only take smart shots. He’s improved as a shooter this year, but has also improved his bag for how he can score. He’s just a crafty son of a bitch. And while I’m always happy to have more great players in the NBA, it HURTS watching him knowing he could’ve been a Warrior.
#3: Tyrese Haliburton
I definitely think there’s a case for Haliburton at two, to be clear. He’s just really, really good. I don’t think he’ll ever be the number one option for a championship team, but there’s some Chris Paul to his game where it seems like all he does is make the right decision every time. He’s still on pace to have one of the only 20 point / 10 assist per game seasons ever. The Pacers are 24-24 when he plays and 2-10 when he doesn’t. He’s the ultimate floor general, while also being one of the most unselfish players in the entire NBA. He could absolutely score more if he wanted to, and would be great at it. He’s dangerously close to being a 50/40/90 shooter. I just don’t have enough good things to say about the guy, and if I redo this list next year, I won’t be shocked if he ends up even higher.
#2: Anthony Edwards
I think people, myself included, were expecting a massive leap forward from Ant this year. It hasn’t really happened, and because of that, it feels like a disappointment. That said, I think the Gobert trade was a nightmare for Ant. And even with the trade, he’s still been very good. He’s up to 25 ppg, almost four points higher than last year. His shooting has improved, although only slightly. The vibes have just been awful in Minnesota, which is why I feel like he hasn’t really gotten the attention he deserves for a pretty good season all things considered. And most importantly, I’m fresh off of watching him go nuclear in a playoff series against the heavily favored Grizzlies last year. Scoring will always be king in the NBA, and Ant is really, really good at that. He might not be the transcendent talent he was looking like he might become after that short playoff run, but he’s still excellent.
#1: Paolo Banchero
I was fortunate enough to see Paolo in person when he came to Portland, and I can say without a doubt there are almost no comparisons to him in NBA history, let alone the current NBA. He’s listed at 6’10”, which after seeing him in person doesn’t feel right. He’s HUGE. He’s already a solid ball handler, but has definitely improved over the course of the season. The Magic are also starting to put it together as a team, despite having clear issues with roster construction. Rounding up, he’s giving you 20/7/4 a night as a rookie. Rookies don’t do that, to be clear. It’s bordering on rookie LeBron numbers, even down to the shooting splits. I’m NOT saying Paolo is the next LeBron, but I do think he’s on a short list of rookies (Luka, LeBron) from the 2000’s where you immediately get the feeling this guy is going to be incredibly special. The sky is literally the limit for Paolo right now, and if given my pick of any player this decade so far, he’s my #1.
