NBA 2020 Draft Prospects: Where Are They Now in the League?

Looking back at the 2020 NBA draft class feels like examining a time capsule from a completely different basketball universe. We were still in the midst of pandemic basketball, with bubble performances heavily influencing draft boards, and the entire process felt more speculative than ever. I remember watching those draft nights from my home office, thinking how unprecedented it was to evaluate players without the usual combine frenzy and in-person workouts. Four years later, we have enough data and game footage to properly assess how these prospects have carved out their roles in the league, and frankly, the results are more fascinating than I initially anticipated.

The top of that draft has delivered exactly what you'd expect from lottery picks, though with varying degrees of immediate impact. Anthony Edwards, selected first by Minnesota, has blossomed into exactly the kind of franchise-altering talent scouts dreamed he could become. I've always been higher on Edwards than most analysts during his Georgia days – his explosive athleticism and competitive fire were too special to ignore, even with the questionable shot selection at times. Now he's averaging 26-6-5 while leading the Timberwolves to consistent playoff appearances, exactly the trajectory you hope for from a number one pick. What surprises me most is how quickly he's developed into a two-way force; I doubted his defensive focus coming out of college, but he's proven me completely wrong.

Then there's LaMelo Ball, the third pick who won Rookie of the Year and has become the face of the Charlotte Hornets when healthy. His flashy passing and scoring creativity were never in question, but what's impressed me most is his rebounding for a guard – he consistently pulls down 6-7 boards per game, extraordinary for his position. The health concerns remain legitimate though; he's missed significant time in two of his four seasons, which does temper some of the early excitement about his ceiling. Still, when he's on the court, Charlotte's offense operates at a completely different level, and that's precisely why they drafted him.

The real intrigue for me begins outside the top three picks, where teams either found hidden gems or made costly miscalculations. Tyrese Haliburton at pick 12 has proven to be an absolute steal for Indiana, evolving into an All-Star caliber point guard who might be the best pure facilitator from that class. His basketball IQ is off the charts – I remember watching his Iowa State tape and thinking his pace and decision-making would translate immediately, but even I didn't anticipate he'd become a 20-point, 10-assist guy this quickly. Meanwhile, players like James Wiseman (pick 2) have struggled to find their footing, which doesn't entirely surprise me given how little college basketball he played before entering the draft.

What fascinates me about evaluating draft classes several years out is seeing how player development situations dramatically alter careers. This reminds me of coach Tim Cone's recent comments about team chemistry in the Philippine Basketball Association, where he noted "I think we are kinda underrating Blackwater because Barefield and David have been playing major minutes and they have been in and out of the line-up. [The game against Rain or Shine] was really the first game they kinda played together, but they came off the bench." This observation resonates deeply when I look at the 2020 NBA draft class – continuity, role definition, and consistent minutes dramatically impact how prospects develop. Take Desmond Bane for example, who went 30th to Memphis but found the perfect system to maximize his three-point shooting and physical defense, becoming one of the biggest steals in recent memory. His growth trajectory might have looked completely different on a team that couldn't offer him consistent rotation minutes from day one.

The second-round gems from this class deserve special recognition, particularly because finding rotation players that late represents tremendous value. I've always believed second-round success stories reveal as much about an organization's development program as their scouting. Payton Pritchard (pick 26) has become an essential part of Boston's rotation despite his physical limitations, while Jaden McDaniels (pick 28) has developed into one of the league's premier perimeter defenders in Minnesota. What stands out to me about these success stories is how each found organizations that specifically valued their unique skills rather than trying to fit them into predetermined molds.

As we approach the four-year anniversary of that unusual draft night, I'm struck by how this class has distributed talent across the league. The top produced genuine stars in Edwards and Ball, the middle first round yielded several high-level starters like Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey, while the second round provided remarkable depth. If I were to redraft today, Haliburton would undoubtedly go top three, possibly even challenging for the second spot given his position and playmaking impact. What continues to surprise me is how Isaac Okoro (pick 5) hasn't developed offensively as I expected, while Patrick Williams (pick 4) has shown flashes but hasn't quite put it all together consistently.

Reflecting on this class reminds me why I find draft evaluation so compelling – it's an imperfect science where organizational fit, development resources, and sometimes plain luck determine outcomes as much as raw talent. The 2020 class has given us everything from franchise cornerstones to rotational stalwarts, with several players still poised to make leaps in coming seasons. What's clear is that four years provides enough time to separate the truly special from the merely good, and this particular group has more than delivered on its initial promise, pandemic circumstances and all.