Re-Drafting LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and the 2020 NBA Draft | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Sophia Edwards 15. James Wiseman (Originally Picked 2nd)
Two years after the real draft, taking James Wiseman in the top 15 might be a bigger gamble than it was taking him second in 2020.
Injuries have limited him to just 39 career games, he missed all of 2021-22 and his production has been terrible.
Among the 112 seasons from players younger than 20 who logged at least 500 minutes, Wiseman's minus-5.0 box plus/minus is tied for 98th. That season, the Golden State Warriors were minus-13.1 points per 100 possessions when he played and plus-4.7 when he didn't.
Despite the daunting numbers, Wiseman is still a bona fide seven-footer who runs the floor well (when healthy), finishes above the rim and has a jumper that looks fundamentally sound. The physical tools to become a dynamic pick-and-roll (or pick-and-pop) big are there, and he's only 21 years old.
14. Isaiah Stewart (Originally Picked 16th)
Isaiah Stewart is a couple months younger than Wiseman, and he's already shown plenty to suggest he'll be in the NBA for a long time.
In just 23.5 minutes, he's averaging 8.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. And though the sample isn't huge (just 109 total attempts), he's hit 33.0 percent of his threes.
With his energy on the boards and as a defender, Stewart is a plus player. If that outside shot becomes more consistent, he should remain a starter for years.
13. Cole Anthony (Originally Picked 15th)
The scoring efficiency leaves a lot to be desired (he's at 39.3 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three), but 14.9 points in 29.8 minutes suggests Cole Anthony can be a long-term heat-check scorer off the bench.
What bumps him up a couple spots from where he was originally picked is his ability to facilitate. Anthony can get to the paint, and his 6.2 assists per 75 possessions show he does a decent job of finding teammates once he's there.
12. Deni Avdija (Originally Picked 9th)
Deni Avdija was forecast to be a better shooter than his career 31.6 career three-point percentage suggests, but the 21-year old has plenty of time to improve.
What keeps him around the top 10 are the areas of the game where he appears to be ahead of the learning curve.
Avdija posted a plus-1.4 defensive estimated plus-minus in 2021-22 and averaged 3.2 assists per 75 possessions. Those numbers show that he doesn't just have three-and-D potential. There's a possible point forward there.
11. Patrick Williams (Originally Picked 4th)
Patrick Williams only played in 17 games last season, and the Chicago Bulls' point differential was far worse when he was on the floor.
But Williams just turned 21 in August, has a seven-foot wingspan and has hit 41.3 percent of his career three-point attempts.
His current role doesn't demand much playmaking, but it's also not outside the realm of possibility for him to develop that, too.
At the very least, he's shown the potential to be a high-end floor spacer with plenty of switchability on defense.