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          2020 NBA mock draft: A new No. 1 pick, latest on top prospects

          Gregory Payan/AP Photo
          • Jonathan GivonyJan 23, 2019, 09:25 AM ET
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              NBA draft analyst and writer
              Joined ESPN.com in July 2017
              Founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams
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          Although the 2020 NBA draft is still 17 months away, teams are closely monitoring the evolution of next year's class to see how future first-rounders are progressing and get a baseline for how valuable their draft picks might be moving forward.

          We had checked in with many of the top prospects in the 2019 high school class -- the backbone of the 2020 lottery, if history is any indication -- at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, this weekend, giving us yet another chance to revisit this talented group of players we've been following through USA Basketball camps, AAU and with their high school teams at various events.

          We used the same projected standing from ESPN's Basketball Power Index for the 2019 draft in this 2020 edition. Although the 2020 draft is too far away to reasonably predict the team order, this gives a sense of picks owed and owned.

          Big takeaways

          • There's still no consensus among recruiting experts on the top prospect in this class, let alone how the top five to 10 players will shake out in what appears to be a fairly weak group at the moment. James Wiseman, Vernon Carey and Cole Anthony have all held the No. 1 spot at different points depending on whom you listen to, but two other players have made significant strides and have leapfrogged those three on our own board.

          Jaden McDaniels, our No. 1 prospect in the class, was extremely impressive in viewings at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas last month. And although he faltered to a 4-for-19 shooting performance at Hoophall, it was impossible not to come away impressed with the talent that he displayed even on a cold shooting day. The 6-foot-11 forward has elite-level fluidity, body control, footwork, mobility and coordination, giving him the highest upside of any player in the class in our estimation. He has real guard skills despite playing center for his high school team and has the ability to create his own shot with incredible ease thanks to his polished ballhandling and propensity for playing at different speeds. He's also a willing and unselfish passer with a high basketball IQ, and he should become a good shooter in time.

          While his skill level is extraordinarily high, McDaniels is most impressive right now on the defensive end. He's rangy, with terrific feet and the ability to cover ground seamlessly. Although his thin frame needs plenty of work, he's a lot more physical than you might expect, playing with good intensity on the ball, showing strong awareness off of it and impressive instincts rebounding, getting in the passing lanes and blocking shots inside the paint.

          McDaniels will need to become a lot more consistent as a shooter to unlock his full offensive potential, and his frame is still years away from fully filling out. His trajectory is much different than those of his counterparts at the top of this class, though, as he went from Top 100 to top-five status virtually overnight after a terrific spring and summer on the EYBL circuit going into his senior year. There's plenty of reason for optimism that he'll continue to progress moving forward.

          • Anthony Edwards, our No. 2 prospect, also had an up-and-down showing at Hoophall, but he has done enough in other settings we've watched to earn the nod here based on long-term potential. He recently decided to reclassify from 2020 to 2019, forcing us to take a much closer look at him with an eye on next year's draft. It was tough not to come away impressed with what we found.

          At 6-4, with a strong frame, a huge wingspan, big hands and impressive athletic ability, he has similar measurements to Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo and Eric Gordon, and he shares some of the same traits as those three in terms of his style of play.

          Edwards has an impressive combination of power and explosiveness, playing at different speeds naturally while being very difficult to contain in the open floor. He doesn't need a screen to get by opponents, he's quick off his feet, absorbs contact at the rim and can simply finish over opponents above the rim. Although his ability to create offense is notable, his best trait probably lies with the touch and range he demonstrates making shots off the dribble. He has a quick release, excellent body control and polished footwork getting into his jumper, elevating exquisitely off the bounce with outstanding balance. He also is a very capable defender when he puts his mind to it.

          He's still at a very early stage of development in terms of his understanding of how to play winning and efficient basketball. Edwards has barely been coached up until this point in his career, showing very little in the way of fundamentals defensively or creating for others, though he does try to play the right way. His situation at Holy Spirit Prep is one of the more dysfunctional we've seen in some time, as his team plays a selfish and disorganized style. Edwards will undoubtedly enter college lacking an elite level of feel and experience, but he's talented enough to overcome that if he goes somewhere with good coaching and a strong track record for player development.

          • James Wiseman, our No. 3 prospect, didn't play at Hoophall but has been quite visible with his Memphis East high school team in a number of high-profile tournaments. His team has already taken five losses on the season, which is disappointing considering the talent level on the roster.

          Wiseman's talent has never been questioned, as he has an elite physical profile, standing 7-1 with a 7-6 wingspan and an incredible frame. He's showing more ability to handle the ball and make 3-pointers this season than he did in the past, but his average feel for the game as a passer, defender and rebounder continues to stand out in projecting to the modern game. Wiseman struggles to guard pick-and-rolls, he's just an average rim protector and he doesn't crash the defensive glass the way you might expect relative to his tools -- all essential ingredients for a center in today's NBA. Wiseman will have a chance to show NBA scouts this spring that the questions about the diminishing value of big men shouldn't be held against him, but there's little doubt that players in his mold are having a more difficult time separating themselves.

          • Scottie Lewis (No. 4) is perhaps the starkest contrast in comparing high school recruiting rankings (where he's generally in the mid-teens) to our own forecast. Lewis wowed us with his versatility, athleticism and intangibles in October at USA Basketball, and did much of the same at Hoophall, putting on a dominating display in a head-to-head matchup with McDaniels.

          Despite giving up 6 inches in height, Lewis suffocated McDaniels with his 6-11 wingspan and insatiable energy level, getting right underneath his opponent and moving his feet to contest every attempt he took. While his jumper has always been fairly streaky, Lewis made a number of outside shots in this matchup with both his feet set and off the dribble, showing the type of shooting mechanics you want to see in terms of projecting future improvement. He is excellent attacking in the open floor, an unselfish passer and he did a better job of keeping his frenetic energy in check in terms of minimizing mistakes. Lewis, who is committed to Florida, still has plenty of room to improve as a half-court scorer, but it's easy to bet on guys long term who are this competitive with great basketball instincts.

          • Lewis' teammate at the Ranney School, Bryan Antoine, had an impressive showing in his own right, with 23 points and five steals. Antoine is even more naturally talented than Lewis, blessed with effortless athleticism and scoring instincts, but he hasn't always been consistent enough with his approach. He appears to be making strides in this area, as he was outstanding in the open court against Federal Way, made some impressive shots from outside and is starting to show more versatility as a passer and defender. Antoine ranks No. 10 on our board and will be in position to continue to improve his feel, toughness and overall outlook at Villanova next season.

          • Cole Anthony (No. 6) was slated to play at Hoophall but again declined to participate after sitting out the USA Basketball camp in October. Anthony will have a chance to improve his NBA résumé this spring after a somewhat disappointing showing at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship last summer, where scouts said they were disappointed with what he showed as a shooter, decision-maker and teammate. Anthony's explosiveness in the open floor and overall scoring prowess is unmatched in this class, as he showed by leading the Nike EYBL circuit in scoring, but he still has some questions to answer about how that translates to playing winning basketball. His Oak Hill team put up a great fight without him in a nationally televised game on ESPN, losing a close contest to IMG Academy.

          Looking forward to 2021

          • We've now seen No. 1-ranked Evan Mobley at USA Basketball, the Tarkanian Classic, Hoophall and in a high-profile matchup with Wiseman. He has a legitimate case to be considered the most talented overall prospect in high school basketball. The fluid 7-footer brings the ball up the court frequently, handles and passes impressively out of pick-and-roll sets and has a tremendous overall skill level with polished footwork and touch. He's starting to make some strides in terms of showing more physicality and aggressiveness, particularly on the defensive end, which was always going to be the next step in his development. He has excellent timing as a shot-blocker, switches onto smaller guards thanks to his quickness and length, and he's putting in a better effort on the glass lately.

          Mobley's frame is still a long way off, but he'd probably get serious consideration for being the No. 1 player in the 2019 class as well if he decided to reclassify and join his older brother and father (an assistant coach) at USC. Agewise, he's technically eligible to enter the 2020 NBA draft as a 2001-born player. (He's only 10 weeks younger than Wiseman.) From a strength perspective, though, the extra year might come in handy.

          • Brandon Boston put on one of the most impressive performances at Hoophall against a potential lottery pick in Kentucky-bound Kahlil Whitney, dropping 26 points in a blowout win. The long-armed 17-year old is an effortless scorer who creates his own shot smoothly and throws in jumpers from all over the floor using elite footwork and touch. He's showing progress with his lanky frame as well as his defense and passing, adding some much-needed versatility to emerge as more than just a terrific shot-maker. Boston needs to get a lot stronger still but has a very high ceiling as a prospect long term. He too technically would be eligible for the 2020 NBA draft if he were able to reclassify, but just barely, being born in late November.

          Checking in on LaMelo Ball

          Mike Schmitz: With LaMelo Ball (No. 33) now stateside in a somewhat more traditional evaluation setting than we last saw with Vytautas in Lithuania, we checked in on the 17-year-old point guard to get a feel for how he has progressed. In doing so, we traveled to Dayton, Ohio, to watch the Spire Academy prospect take on Prolific Prep, a well-coached group led by intriguing 2020 guard prospect Nimari Burnett.

          From a sheer talent perspective, Ball looks the part of a 2020 first-round pick. He has grown closer to 6-7 with a body similar to Lonzo Ball's at the same age, while showing impressive passing instincts and making much more of an effort to play the right way rather than jacking 40-footers every time down.

          He has the ball on a string, changing speeds and directions fluidly before whipping right- or left-handed live-dribble passes to open teammates. Although still far too casual and risky of a passer at times, he loves to ignite fast breaks with quick outlets -- a Ball family trait. His shot is still a bit wonky with a low, two-handed release and inconsistent rotation, but he has natural touch that extends to the NBA line. Around the rim, he can improve his physicality and focus, but he's ambidextrous with a good feel for how to employ finesse in the paint.

          On the other end of the court, Ball remains a minus. He stands upright in Spire's trapping defense and still has no semblance of discipline or consistency with his effort. The instincts are there both as a rebounder and passing lanes thief, with the same backyard-hoops-developed anticipation we've seen from his older brother. Still, he simply relaxes far too often at this stage, and that lackadaisical approach most certainly played a role in Spire's 30-plus-point loss to Prolific Prep.

          His defensive effort could improve when he's in a more challenging setting, but his lack of interaction with his teammates and coaches was also concerning. He came onto the court a good 10 minutes after his teammates were already warming up, AirPods in, showing little camaraderie with others. He makes those around him better and puts them in position to succeed offensively, but he's not all that vocal on the floor and can work on his body language when his running mates falter.

          If Ball were eligible to go to college next year and had taken a similar path as Lonzo, it would be much easier to slot him in as a sure 2020 first-rounder. He's close to 6-7 with elite all-around basketball instincts, shot-making potential and an impressive level of confidence for a 17-year-old. With that said, it remains to be seen where he'll end up during his draft-eligible season and whether it will be advantageous for his development. According to his camp, the G League path is certainly an option. While talented, it will be up to NBA scouts and executives to weigh his clear talent against what some teams might fear can come along with investing in the Big Baller Brand.