4 Pivotal Prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft

With the fear of coronavirus pandemic spreading like a wildfire, the NBA came to a halt — interviews ceased indefinitely and workouts suspended. But, the recent announcement that came from the league about resuming the games in Orlando in July and an idea on the draft has to be good news for everyone. The new withdrawal deadline is August 3 and the lottery date August 25. A date for the draft has also been decided, which is going to be October 15.

With the transforming landscape in a post-COVID world, we also need to make ourselves ready for the changes. There are too many questions around this — who will stay in the draft, and who will return? How will this draft impact the upcoming 2020-2021 college season? And, one of the most important questions is who are the most pivotal prospects in the draft? We have here prepared a list of the three pivotal prospects of the draft. Let’s have a look:

1. John Petty Jr., Alabama.

John Petty Jr possesses all the reasons to be on this list. Petty led his team to earn first-team Class 4A All-State honors in the state championship game. He was named the tournament most valuable player (MVP) and won the Class 5A state title during his sophomore season. Petty’s average went to 19.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as a junior. By scoring 34 points, he again became the MVP, Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, and Alabama Mr. Basketball in the title game. He is one of the top players from Alabama in the 2017 class! Evidently, other teams, this season is going to be googly-eyed at Alabama with John Petty Jr in their kitty. The knockdown shooter has already been ranked among the best rebounding guard in the country making 44% of his 3-pointers last season.

2. Isaiah Joe, Arkansas.

As a freshman, he averaged to 13.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game over 34 games. Isaiah Joe was also selected to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team. He broke the Arkansas record by making 113 three-pointers on 273 attempts (41.4%). On December 1, 2018, he scored 34 points on 10 of 13 shooting from three plays against FIU and was also named the SEC Player of the Week. Leading Arkansas in a 76–72 comeback win over Ole Miss, Jow scored 34 points, including 26 in the second half. He was ruled out indefinitely after he got an arthroscopic procedure on his knee. His average was 16.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Having him back for Razorbacks will be the most suitable recruitment for the team and this will also give a boost to his career after his knee injury.

3. Tyrell Terry, Stanford.

Terry recorded 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists when he began playing for Stanford on November 6, 2019, leading his team to win over Montana. He recorded the first career double-double on November 21 to win over William & Mary with 21 points and 10 rebounds in an 81–50 victory. Against Oklahoma, he had another double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 73–54. Again he won over Washington State and Washington, he was named Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week with an average of 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Tery led his team past Utah by scoring his career-high 27 points with seven three-pointers. He averaged 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 14.7 points, and 4.5 rebounds per game as a freshman. He gained attention as an NBA prospect for his shooting accuracy!