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ESPN- 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
How are 2020 NBA draft prospects dealing with this unusual preparation process?
The draft had originally been scheduled for Thursday, but it's now been delayed until October because of the coronavirus pandemic. This pre-draft run-up has been unlike any other, as all kinds of players are trying to find ways to stand out, improve and prepare for their leap to the league.
We asked a group of prospects -- including projected lottery picks, likely first-rounders and second-round candidates -- how they're preparing for the draft, what they're focused on improving and what's next. Here are their answers in their own words.
Note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
How are you spending your time? What do your days look like?
Obi Toppin, Dayton (ESPN's No. 7 draft prospect): Every day I wake up at 8 a.m. and have a workout at 9. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I go straight to the weight room. On Tuesday and Thursday, I work on stretching and mobility, trying to improve the flexibility I need on the court.
I'm in New Jersey working out by myself and with my brother, Jacob [who is transferring from Rhode Island to Kentucky]. [UK commit] Lance Ware is here, too. A couple other guys are around, like Myles Powell from Seton Hall, who works out with me sometimes. He's a big guard who can help me in different ways.
Onyeka Okongwu, USC (No. 6): My routine has usually been mostly working out, eating right, taking naps and gaming with my friends.
Cassius Winston, Michigan State (No. 30): When the season first ended I took a break, didn't do anything for maybe two to three weeks. Let your body rest and recover.
From there, wake up at 9 or 9:30, eat, go to the gym, work out at 10:30. After that, do my conditioning and body stuff because we didn't have a weight room for a while. From there, go back to the crib, play Call of Duty, throw on some TV shows, stuff like that.
Desmond Bane, TCU (No. 42): As soon as the season ended I came down to Miami, Florida. I have been training since April 2. We train six days a week. Our first session of the day is at 8 a.m. and then we go back and rest before our noon session.
Isaiah Stewart, Washington (No. 26): My daily routine is waking up at 7:30 or 7:45, getting in some breakfast. After breakfast I head to my 9 a.m. workout. After my workout I head back home, shower up and eat my second meal. I read some and then take a nap. After a nap I wake up, eat dinner and finish the day on film and family Bible study.
Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (No. 8): I'm in Milwaukee, working three times per day. I get up in the morning and go lift. After that I eat, then I do a basketball workout around noon. Free until 7 or 8 p.m. Usually I make calls, play video games and rest until the evening. Then I have another shooting workout.
The gains I've made with my body will impress people. It's been six days a week in the weight room for two months basically. I've never lifted like this before.
RJ Hampton, New Zealand Breakers (No. 10): My daily routine usually consists of weight training in the morning with shots and then basketball in the afternoon. Since my season ended I've just been working out and catching up with family being back in Dallas now.
Tyrell Terry, Stanford (No. 44): I start my day by waking up to meditate and doing affirmations. After that I have strength and conditioning followed by my on-court workout. I often have online classes for Stanford and meetings with my agent. Certain days I'll have Zoom interviews with NBA teams -- but if I don't I pretty much spend the rest of the day playing video games with the boys, watching Netflix or watching old game tape.
Kenyon Martin Jr., IMG Academy (No. 56): I have been waking up and shooting in the morning. I try to get in 1,000 shots every morning. After my on-court workout, I go to the weight room and get treatment. Finally, around noon I go to the gym for a full basketball workout, including 1-on-1 and 3-on-3. After a long day of workouts, I go home and eat and get on the PS4.
When was the last time you went this long without playing a competitive basketball game?
Most draft prospects are facing around a nine-month layoff between real games, with their seasons having shut down in March and their rookie debuts not coming until December at the earliest.
Haliburton: Probably never in my life. Ever since AAU it's been year-round basketball. It's crazy not to have played competitive 5-on-5 in a long time, at least not real games. This is a weird time, but I'm trying to look at with a glass-half-full perspective, using this to my advantage. It's giving me more time to work on my craft and prepare myself for the league.
Okongwu: The longest I've gone is at most three months without playing a game.
Hampton: I honestly don't think I ever went nine months without playing a game.
Toppin: My freshman year of college I had to sit out as a redshirt. I did practice and stuff, but I wasn't playing in games, so I've been through it. I'm doing the same things I've been doing since day one. It doesn't change anything. I approached every day the same when I was sitting out. It's just another day to get better.
Winston: It's been forever since I did that. It's weird to go out there and not be able to play 5-on-5. It's a whole different feel -- working out and playing 5-on-5 are two totally different things.
How do you improve your game during this period? What are you focused on?
Winston: You just put yourself in that mindset. You know what game speed feels like. You know certain shots you're going to be able to get in the game. Working out, you just pay attention to little things -- set-up dribbles, [finishing] high off the glass -- little things you're going to need so that when you do it in a real game when other people are out there you don't feel too off.
I've extended my range and improved shooting off my right hand -- like fades to the right. Things like that where they're nice to have, but you don't really need it at the moment. But now that I have time I can add that to my game.
Terry: It takes a lot of mental toughness and being able to maintain motivation throughout this process. For me, I see it as extra time to prepare to be the best version of myself come draft night. And having extra time in this process allows me to be more patient with making sure I am able to master new concepts.
Hampton: I try to keep my mind sharp, watch film, a lot of intense workouts that can sometimes simulate game situations and just mentally trying to stay focused.
I'm always working on all areas of my game to be the best player that I can be. Working with Mike Miller and him helping me fine-tune my shot has been a tremendous help so that I can have an immediate impact in the NBA with that aspect of my game.
Martin: I've been watching film on players on YouTube that I want to play like in the league. In my regular schedule with everything going on, I never really had time to sit down and watch film and dissect guys' games that I think do different things well. This is a great opportunity to do that and learn.
And I've been working on getting my shot as consistent as it can be, working on being really comfortable off the ball and defensive footwork. It's unlikely that any rookie can step into the NBA and score right away like I've been asked to do for the last few years. I want to be able to contribute from Day 1, and I know that means shooting it consistently and defending.
Bane: Our motto has been control what you can control. No matter when the draft is you have to approach every day the same way and continue to improve your craft.
A big focus of mine has been my mobility. The added time has allowed me to really focus on it, which will allow me to come back a much more fluid player.
Haliburton: Everything. Get better at everything I do, especially stuff off the bounce. That's a big knock on my game. That will put me in the best position to play this game for a long time and be successful early and in the long term.
Toppin: When I worked out with NBA teams last summer, I was told to work on my shot consistency. I'm taking a lot of consecutive shots in a row. Working on hip mobility defensively, I can move a lot quicker and guard different positions instead of just the 4 and 5. Finishing around the rim -- everyone knows I can get up and dunk, but finishing with soft touches around the rim.
Working out with Myles Powell, being able to guard that type of player -- he's a great guard. Everyone knows what he did at Seton Hall. He's helping me a lot, forcing me to get low and really play defense. If I don't, he's going to destroy me every play.
Precious Achiuwa joins Mike Schmitz in a virtual film session to analyze defensive tape from his time at Memphis, as Achiuwa is bound for the 2020 NBA draft.
Does this long layoff and unusual draft process benefit certain types of prospects?
NBA front offices have been preparing for the possibility of making decisions about prospects without the usual access to workouts, a combine or pro days, though there have been preliminary discussions about some kind of prospect gathering in August.
Stewart: It hurts prospects who are lazy and love excuses to not get in the gym.
Haliburton: It benefits guys who work hard and have great imaginations -- having the freedom to be creative with what they do. You have to work hard just to find a spot to really work out. Not everybody has a spot right now, so people can make an excuse and find a reason why they aren't working on their craft. Guys who work their butts off this benefits most.
Bane: It benefits the players who have a proven résumé. There may not be workouts or a combine so teams have to go off of film and interviews.
Winston: Guys in my situation. Guys who have played in college -- our basketball skill, everything we've done kind of speaks for itself. You get more time to recover, take care of your body, rehab, because we've been grinding for four years and the college grind isn't an easy grind. I don't think we're going to slip anywhere because we've got so much film on us -- we've got so much that you've seen of us that we should be all right.
Terry: It really benefits someone like myself, who could use extra time putting in work towards their body.
What has your contact with teams been like? How do you figure out your likely draft range?
NBA organizations are prohibited from conducting in-person workouts or interviews with draft-eligible players, though they are allowed to conduct virtual interviews.
Winston: Honestly, I don't know what my range is. I just know when somebody calls my name, I'm going to be ready. I've talked to a lot of teams and gotten good feedback. A lot of teams like my game and who I am as a person and like the things I can contribute, so it's just a matter of what teams like me the most, I guess. So I'm looking real good right now. I'm feeling good. I'm looking forward to it.
Terry: I've interviewed with most of the teams in the league by now, and it has been an enjoyable and educational experience.
Hampton: I've recently started communicating with teams, and to me things seem to be going great. I'm very happy with my progression during this process. And I don't know how you get a sense of draft range -- putting in the work and staying focused, that's how I determine it.
Bane: I have had a chance to interview with 21 teams. This has been a great process getting to know organizations and allowing them to get a closer look at the person I am. I have grasped my draft range through conversations with teams and my agent. We have been hearing second half of the first round from the majority of the teams.
Okongwu: I haven't been able to talk to any teams yet at this point.
Martin: A lot of teams have reached out to me, and I've really enjoyed some of the interviews. There are teams that feel positive about what I can bring to their teams in terms of my versatility, and I appreciate that they feel that way.
Haliburton: I've had two calls so far. They went pretty well. I was satisfied with them. People like what they've seen from me before. I'm trying to figure everything out. Times are crazy for everybody. I've never been through this process, so this is all I really know.
Toppin: I haven't had any interviews or talks with teams. I'm just working with my agency practicing what I'll go through when the time comes so I'm ready. I don't know how things will go. Teams are doing online Zoom calls and working with a lot of other players online. I don't know what the process will be for me because it's still early.