At Project Spurs, we like to be prepared for just about any scenario the NBA Draft might throw our way. It’s early, but it’s starting to look like the San Antonio Spurs might be headed toward a lottery pick in the 2020 draft, so here is a beginner’s list for who to watch. These are all guys who could be available in the latter half of the lottery. And all of the following players would be solid fits as wing players or bigs (in the case of Jalen Smith and Isaiah Stewart).
Josh Green (Arizona) – He is 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds with the ability to score in bunches. He’s a solid shooter who can guard multiple positions at a high level and has the natural strength to play in the league right now.
Precious Achiuwa (Memphis) – He is 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds and a bit old for his class (born in 1999), but he also looks more advanced than most other players in this draft class. He has a nice handle, can shoot it a little bit, and has an unstoppable motor.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Villanova) – He is 6-foot-9, 232 pounds, and has quickly become a double-double threat for the Wildcats in three games this season. He has a smooth shot and he’s shown potential to become an outside shooter, as proven by his 90-plus percentage from the charity stripe.
Jalen Smith (Maryland) – He is 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, and could have been a first round pick in last June’s draft. However, he decided to go back to school to improve his draft stock and it looks like he is doing just that in the early going. He is stepping out to shoot threes and has become a main focus of the Terps’ offense.
Isaiah Stewart (Washington) – He is 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, and a grown man among boys. He crashes the boards well, collects blocks and owns the paint on both ends of the court. He does all the dirty work and is dangerous on the offensive glass, yet is unpolished.
Jaden McDaniels (Washington) – He is 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, and is the ideal wing player this team could use. He can handle the ball, can shoot from three, and has a high motor to boot. He has struggled to shoot the ball efficiently, but is also playing 36 minutes a game as a freshman, so he will have some kinks to work out before the season finishes.
We will have more in-depth scouting reports on all of these players as the college and NBA seasons march on, so stay tuned for those as well. These are just short snippets to get prepared for the rest of the season and to keep some players on your watch list.
