Yesterday, I wrote about several wing players that the Washington Wizards could select in the first round of 2020 NBA Draft. In today’s post, I focus more on two swingmen that would be steals if they fell into the second round and a few others that are more likely to be available when Washington picks for the second time. The Wizards would likely have a pick between No. 35 and No. 40 depending on how many regular season games there are left in the 2019-20 season and their performance in those games.
Lottery reaches but second-round steals
Josh Green (Arizona) - The Australian freshman is a prototypical NBA wing in terms of physical profile. He’s 6-foot-6 with long arms, really athletic, has quick feet, and is fast in transition. He could guard anyone from point guards to small forwards. Green is a solid catch-and-shoot three-point shooter but not elite.
Otherwise, Green is pretty raw offensively. He seems to have a reasonable feel for the game so if his ball-handling and shooting both continue to improve then he could be a productive NBA starter for a long time. If not, another bouncy athlete off the bench never hurts. Best case scenario is that he turns into the next Kelly Oubre. His floor is probably closer to Jalen Hudson who played for the Capital City Go-Go (Washington’s G League affiliate) this season. My guess is that he ends up somewhere in between the two.
Based on that uncertainty, he would be a considerable reach anywhere in the lottery. If for some reason the Wizards trade down then they should take a hard look at Green. It’s much more likely that Green will go in the mid-twenties than the mid-thirties but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a less-polished prospect drop. Especially in a year where he may not be able to wow teams with his physical gifts at the combine.
Patrick Williams (Florida State) - At 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, Williams reminds me of another former Florida State player drafted by the Wizards: Chris Singleton. You could also probably make a comparison to another former Seminole and Wizard, Al Thornton. Basically, Florida State has a type and Williams fits it. He only averaged 9 points per game this year but few players put up big numbers in Florida State’s system.
Despite limited offensive production, Williams showed enough flashes with pull-up jumpers and looked reasonably smooth on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. He only made 16 three-pointers on the year on 50 attempts but the free-throw stroke looks solid (84-percent). He does seem to be in the right places offensively though and will be active on the boards.
Williams’ immediate impact will come on the defensive end. He only averaged 1 steal and 1 block per game this season but he was a total nuisance for offensive players. Similar to Singleton, he has the physicality to even guard power forwards. He’s too much of a project offensively to consider taking in the lottery but if he somehow fell into the second round, the added toughness and offensive potential would be too tantalizing to pass up.
More realistic options in the second round
Robert Woodard (Mississippi State) – He’s 6-foot-7, athletic, mobile on defense, and shot 43-percent from three-point range. Sounds pretty good, right? Woodard seems like a player who could have benefited from the ability to work out for NBA General Managers. GM’s seem to question how legitimate his shooting actually is because he wasn’t a high-volume shooter and he only made 64-percent from the free-throw line.
Cassius Stanley (Duke) – He’s a really good athlete so he projects as a good defender and offensive threat in transition. But he doesn’t create for others or himself so he needs to shoot it well to have a chance at sticking in the league. Scouts aren’t sold on his ability to do that as he only hit 36-percent of his three-pointers. His 73-percent free-throw percentage is fine but not enough to convince them either. He would certainly be a project but he has first-round upside if it all comes together.
Jordan Nwora (Louisville) – At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Nwora looks the part of an NBA small forward. He hit 40-percent of his three-pointers and 81-percent of his free-throws which is encouraging. Even though he averaged 18 points per game, something just seemed off with Nwora this year. He was very inconsistent in Louisville’s biggest games and that caused scouts to question his ability to produce against top-level competition.
Honorable mentions
Here are some of the other players who could be picked in the second round but likely after the Wizards make their second selection. If any of them go un-drafted, they should be considered for Summer League or G League roster spots. These players include Skylar Mays (LSU), Elijah Hughes (Syracuse), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Scottie Lewis (Florida), and Desmond Bane (TCU).