Among the uncertainties surrounding the NBA as the novel coronavirus continues to be a major issue in the U.S. is the 2020 draft.
NBA teams won’t be able to look at college players during March Madness, and the rest of the pre-draft process is expected to be limited. The matter of when the draft will actually happen is up in the air, as well. Especially if the league tries to crown a 2020 champion.
For the Brooklyn Nets, based on where the standings were when the league went on hiatus, their first-round pick would convey to the Timberwolves. Minnesota acquired Brooklyn’s top-14 protected pick from the Hawks, which the Nets sent to Atlanta in a trade that delivered Taurean Prince.
But the Nets will not be without a first-round selection. They have Philadelphia’s top-14 protected pick, which Brooklyn acquired when they sent the No. 27 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — which wound up being Mfiondu Kabengele — to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Nets’ second-round pick belongs to the Boston Celtics, but Brooklyn the Denver Nuggets’ second-round selection.
Right now, the Nets fall have the No. 20 and No. 55 picks.
Here’s a look at one player Brooklyn could take at No. 20:
Patrick Williams | Florida State | Wing
STATS: 9.2 PPG | 45.0 FG% | 4.0 RPG | 1.0 BPG | 1.0 SPG
The Nets aren’t likely to find a major contributor for 2020-21 in the draft, especially at No. 20. When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are a full-go, Brooklyn’s depth is going to improve vastly.
So a 6-foot-8, 18-year-old wing might be a project worth investing in. Williams’ numbers aren’t eye-popping, but as Sam Vecenie noted in his Mock Draft for The Athletic, the wing’s “feel for the game is strong.”
The Nets can afford to be patient with the development of whatever player they take at No. 20, given the veteran group Brooklyn has. Williams seems like the type of player who would fit that mold since he still has some room to grow, but is also young, has an athletic frame and an understanding of the game and is fearless at the rim on the defensive end.