With most teams having just three or four regular-season games left, it's a good time to look back and review the top 10 picks of the 2020 Draft. There have been plenty of players who have succeeded that were drafted later on, including Tyrese Haliburton, Isaiah Stewart and Immanuel Quickley. But it's important to check in on the prospects that teams felt had the highest upside.
No. 1: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Fantasy Rank (Total Production, 8-Category): 57
Edwards started the year slowly. Through his first 28 games, he averaged 14.8 points on 39.0 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.8 minutes. However, the rookie slowly began to improve as the season progressed. He really turned a corner after his 42-point outburst on March 18. Since then, Edwards has averaged 22.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.9 minutes. Edwards scored 42 points again May 5, making him the first rookie with multiple 40-point efforts since Donovan Mitchell in 2017-18. Edwards has also appeared in every game this season, which has helped him rank so high relative to his per-game production.
No 2: James Wiseman, Warriors
Fantasy Rank: 284
The main knock on Wiseman as a prospect was that he was incredibly raw. He appeared in just three college games, and the coronavirus-affected offseason limited his ability to go through typical rookie workouts, including Summer League. When watching Wiseman, it's clear why he went No. 2 overall based
With most teams having just three or four regular-season games left, it's a good time to look back and review the top 10 picks of the 2020 Draft. There have been plenty of players who have succeeded that were drafted later on, including Tyrese Haliburton, Isaiah Stewart and Immanuel Quickley. But it's important to check in on the prospects that teams felt had the highest upside.
No. 1: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Fantasy Rank (Total Production, 8-Category): 57
Edwards started the year slowly. Through his first 28 games, he averaged 14.8 points on 39.0 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.8 minutes. However, the rookie slowly began to improve as the season progressed. He really turned a corner after his 42-point outburst on March 18. Since then, Edwards has averaged 22.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.9 minutes. Edwards scored 42 points again May 5, making him the first rookie with multiple 40-point efforts since Donovan Mitchell in 2017-18. Edwards has also appeared in every game this season, which has helped him rank so high relative to his per-game production.
No 2: James Wiseman, Warriors
Fantasy Rank: 284
The main knock on Wiseman as a prospect was that he was incredibly raw. He appeared in just three college games, and the coronavirus-affected offseason limited his ability to go through typical rookie workouts, including Summer League. When watching Wiseman, it's clear why he went No. 2 overall based on athleticism alone. For his size, he's already one of the best athletes in the league. However, his feel for the game is a work in progress, which limited his time on the court. Wiseman saw just 21.4 minutes per game and averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds. His per 36-minute numbers -- 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.1 assists -- are encouraging, but he wasn't allowed to play through mistakes with the Warriors, who have been pursuing the playoffs. A meniscus tear ended Wiseman's season in mid-April. If his offseason workouts are affected, it could be another slow start for the center next year.
No. 3: LaMelo Ball, Hornets
Fantasy Rank: 86
Ball took the NBA world by storm by exceeding most people's expectations. There was always a lot of hype surrounding Ball given his family name, but I don't believe the optimists were even expecting what we've gotten. His passing and rebounding abilities were clear from the jump, but he turned a corner when he scored a then-career-high 27 points in his final game coming off the bench. From that game on, Ball has averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 31.5 minutes. Breaking his wrist and missing 21 games hurt fantasy managers who needed his production down the stretch, but the rookie was still able to rank 86th in total production.
No. 4: Patrick Williams, Bulls
Fantasy Rank: 119
Williams was a surprising pick at No. 4, as he came off the bench as a freshman at Florida State and averaged just 9.2 points in 22.5 minutes. But the 19-year-old has looked NBA-ready. His performances have been relatively inconsistent, but he's never gone too high or too low for extended stretches. He's missed just one game this season and has started in all 68 of his appearances, with Williams averaging 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 28.0 minutes. Williams showed off his upside in his best performance of the season March 14 against the Raptors, where he went for 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block with no turnovers in 27 minutes.
No. 5: Isaac Okoro, Cavaliers
Fantasy Rank: 176
Okoro's performances have been trending up since mid-April, and he's found his stride over the past nine games, with the rookie averaging 16.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 35.3 minutes. However, Okoro's rank of 176 mainly represents the pure amount of time he's been on the court. He's second in the rookie class in total minutes (2,064), only behind Anthony Edwards. His best attribute is as a defender, but he's not a steals-and-blocks stat stuffer like Matisse Thybulle, and he's hit just 29.9 percent of his 3.0 three-point attempts per game. On the season, Okoro has averaged only 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals.
No. 6: Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks
Fantasy Rank: 311
Okongwu was never going to be a great fantasy option this season, as he would be stuck behind Clint Capela. But on a positive note, he's been seeing consistent backup center minutes since April. Over the past 22 games, he's averaged 5.8 points on 65.8 percent shooting and 3.7 rebounds in 14.6 minutes. The long view for Okongwu is as a defensive specialist. Per 36 minutes, he's averaged 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals this season. The rookie has also shown some offensive rebounding upside, grabbing 3.3 per 36 minutes.
No. 7: Killian Hayes, Pistons
Fantasy Rank: 333
Hayes' rookie campaign was derailed by a hip injury that kept him sidelined from early January until early April. He's looked better since returning than he did before the injury, but he's still extremely raw, which is to be expected from a 19-year-old point guard. Over his past 11 games, he's averaged 8.5 points, 6.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 29.1 minutes. Those numbers seem pretty nice, but the rub is that he's shooting just 39.2 percent from the field and has committed 4.4 turnovers per game during this stretch. Ultimately, it's a positive that Detroit is putting the ball in his hands and allowing him to make mistakes. He'll be worth a late-round flier next season.
No. 8: Obi Toppin, Knicks
Fantasy Rank: 323
Toppin has mainly been stuck behind Julius Randle, who is leading the league in minutes (2,538). That's resulted in the rookie seeing just 11.2 minutes per game and averaging 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds. Toppin has struggled to even have one big performance. His best effort of the season was 12 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 17 minutes. If the Knicks' roster remains similar next season, Toppin will probably go undrafted in most fantasy leagues.
No. 9: Deni Avdija, Wizards
Fantasy Rank: 256
Avdija's season came to an end toward the end of April when he was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his ankle. He was a legitimate rotation piece for Washington before going down, and he averaged 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.3 minutes. However, his usage was extremely low, which was expected with both Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal soaking up so many touches. As the Wizards are presently constructed, Avdija's upside might be a sixth man for next season. The primary step for him will be cleaning up his efficiency. Avdija shot just 41.7 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from three and 64.4 percent from the free-throw line.
No. 10: Jalen Smith, Suns
Fantasy Rank: 474
Smith has been a bust so far. Taken 10th, he's been largely out of the rotation. He's played in only 25 games and is averaging just 1.5 points in 4.1 minutes. Even in a dynasty or keeper format, it's tough to justify hanging onto Smith. Maybe he'll pan out in the long run, but he showed so little this season that it doesn't make sense for him to take up a roster spot in most cases.
