“,”heading”:””,”fullWindow”:false,”fullBleed”:false,”showFullBleedOnMobile”:false,”headColor”:””,”type”:”html5mobile”,”textColor”:””,”mobileImageUrl”:””,”bgColor”:””,”imageUrl”:””,”registeredOnly”:false,”linkUrl”:””,”internalScroll”:false,”displayStyle”:”small-up”},”text”:”Read the full story from the Star’s Steve McKinley.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”12:27 p.m.: Quebec is reporting 17 new deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including 11 in the last 24 hours. There were also 53 new cases, for a total of 54,937.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”There are 500 people in hospital, down 15 from the previous day. Of those, 52 are in intensive care.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The province also announced today it would cease providing daily updates as of Friday, in favour of once-a-week updates every Thursday.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”A total of 5,441 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Quebec, and 23,710 have recovered.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”12:20 p.m. (updated): Florida’s Department of Health on Wednesday confirmed 5,508 additional cases of COVID-19, setting another daily total record high since the start of the pandemic. The state now has a total of 109,014 confirmed cases.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”snippet”:” “,”heading”:””,”fullWindow”:false,”fullBleed”:false,”showFullBleedOnMobile”:false,”headColor”:””,”type”:”html5mobile”,”textColor”:””,”mobileImageUrl”:””,”bgColor”:””,”imageUrl”:””,”registeredOnly”:false,”linkUrl”:””,”internalScroll”:false,”displayStyle”:”small-up”,”text”:”Previously, the highest daily total of newly confirmed cases was on Saturday, with 4,049 cases. There were also 44 new deaths announced Wednesday, raising the statewide death toll to 3,281.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Less than half of the new cases were in South Florida. It is still unclear if any of the new deaths were in South Florida.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”On Tuesday, Miami-Dade hospitalizations hit an all-time high for the second day in a row with 818 patients, according to Miami-Dade County’s “New Normal” dashboard data. According to Tuesday’s data, 108 people were discharged and 114 people were admitted.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”While a record number of COVID-19 patients are filling Miami-Dade hospitals, with one medical center in Homestead reaching ICU capacity on Tuesday, hospitals countywide say they still have more beds available than beds filled with COVID-19 patients.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Hospital administrators say there is also a silver lining in the growing number of new cases and hospitalizations in Florida’s hardest-hit county: The patients are younger and not as severely ill as they were during the first wave in April, and doctors and nurses have gained valuable experience in the months-long pandemic — leading to shorter hospital stays and better outcomes.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Scientists are also still working to learn more about the virus, including how many people in the community are infected and have mild or no symptoms, which can make it difficult to determine what percentage of the cases hospitalizations represent.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”10:52 a.m.: Ontario has extended its state of emergency to July 15.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Premier Doug Ford has said he is hopeful that will be the last extension of the emergency declaration. The motion passed the legislature this morning.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Many of the emergency orders made under the state of emergency are expected to continue even after July 15, including bans on large gatherings.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”After the state of emergency expires, the province won’t be able to make new emergency orders, amend them, or re-enact old ones, but existing ones can be extended.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Local medical officers of health will still have certain powers under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, which is what some have used to require masks in commercial establishments.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Read the full story from the Star’s Rob Ferguson and Robert Benzie. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”snippet”:”n”,”heading”:””,”fullWindow”:false,”fullBleed”:false,”showFullBleedOnMobile”:false,”headColor”:””,”type”:”html5mobile”,”textColor”:””,”mobileImageUrl”:””,”bgColor”:””,”imageUrl”:””,”registeredOnly”:false,”linkUrl”:””,”internalScroll”:false,”displayStyle”:”small-up”,”text”:”10:37 a.m.: The Toronto International Film Festival has announced plans for this year’s annual movie marathon, which will include both physical and digital screenings, virtual red carpets and drive-ins.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The festival’s 45th edition is slated to run Sept. 10-19 and has been reimagined to follow the protocols set by authorities to avoid the spread of COVID-19.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Organizers say the 10-day event will have a lineup of 50 new feature films, five programs of shorts and an online industry conference.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”It will also have outdoor experiences, press conferences, interactive talks, and Q-and-As with cast and filmmakers.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”TIFF didn’t provide specific details on how such events will unfold, but it’s clear this will be a much different festival than the usual extravaganza of hundreds of films and a city crawling with stars, cinephiles and celebrity watchers.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The films include Francis Lee’s “Ammonite,” starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised,” and “Concrete Cowboy” by Ricky Staub, starring Idris Elba, Jharrel Jerome, and Lorraine Toussaint.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”10:35 a.m.: The New York City Marathon, the world’s largest marathon and one of the city’s biggest annual spectacles, has been cancelled this year as concerns about the spread of the coronavirus continue to dash hopes of holding large-scale events, organizers announced Wednesday.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The race, one of the most prestigious and lucrative events of its kind, would have celebrated its 50th anniversary in November. It is one of the highlights of fall in New York and on the endurance sports calendar, attracting more than 50,000 runners, 10,000 volunteers and roughly one million fans, who line nearly every accessible yard of the 42.1-km course through the five boroughs.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”City officials and New York Road Runners, which owns and organizes the event, decided holding the race would be too risky. Public health experts have said mass events, especially those that bring people together from across the globe, will remain a danger until a treatment or a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, is widely available.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”With the announcement, New York became the third of the six major international marathons to be canceled in 2020.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”10:30 a.m.: The Toronto International Film Festival will go ahead Sept. 10-19 but will be much smaller, with a lineup of 50 new feature films, five programs of short films, virtual red carpets, press conferences and industry talks. as well as interactive talks.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”10 a.m.: The COVID-19 outbreak has sparked “an ugly ticketing pandemic” rife with racial profiling by overzealous enforcement officers, a new Canadian Civil Liberties Association report finds.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”In a 37-page study entitled “Stay Off The Grass: COVID-19 and Law Enforcement in Canada,” the rights watchdog calculates 10,000 tickets were issued between April 1 and June 15.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Read the full story from the Star’s Robert Benzie.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”8:10 a.m. (updated): Modified ferry service to the Toronto Islands will resume Saturday, Mayor John Tory announced Wednesday morning.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”type”:”cta”,”buttonText”:”Sign Up Now”,”buttonLink”:”/emails.html?nsrc=article-inline-covid”,”description”:”Never miss the latest news from the Star, including up-to-date coronavirus coverage, with our email newsletters”,”title”:”Get the latest in your inbox”,”text”:”Ferries will operate at 50 per cent capacity, Tory told reporters at a news conference at Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Passengers will be required to bring their own masks and wear them on the boat. Visitors are being urged to buy their ferry tickets in advance online at www.toronto.ca/ferry — only 5,000 tickets a day will be sold. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Passengers are also urged to plan a visit at non-peak hours if possible — 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. are the busiest times.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Only one ferry had been operating during the COVID-19 lockdown, principally for the 700 residents of the islands.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”While washrooms on the islands will be open, Centreville Amusement Park and play structures on the islands will remain closed.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Ferry tickets must be purchased ahead of time online and are only valid for the date selected at the time of purchase. Additional staff will be on hand at the ferry terminal to assist visitors with these new requirements.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Read the full story from the Star’s Francine Kopun.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”7:28 a.m. Oxford University said testing for coronavirus infection could become quicker and more accurate, following the launch of a multicenter national program of research to evaluate how new diagnostic tests perform in hospitals, general practices and care homes.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The COVID-19 National DiagnOstic Research and Evaluation Platform, or CONDOR, will create a single national route for evaluating new diagnostic tests in hospitals and in community healthcare settings, according to a statement on the university’s website on Tuesday morning.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The research program seeks to bring together experts who are “highly experienced in evaluating diagnostic tests and generating the robust evidence required” for a test to be used in the U.K.’s National Health Service statement.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Jointly led by the University of Oxford and the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the program will put the many tests developed by the life sciences industry to either detect current coronavirus infection or to find out if someone has previously been infected through their paces in hospital, general practice, and care home environments.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”7:26 a.m.: New virus cases declined Wednesday in China and its capital, Beijing, where a roughly two-week spike appears to be firmly on the wane.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”A total of 12 cases were reported nationwide, compared to 22 the day before. Beijing had seven cases, down from 13. There were two cases in neighbouring Hebei province and three that were brought in from abroad.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”No new deaths were reported and 359 people remained in treatment for COVID-19, with another 118 in monitoring and isolation for testing positive while showing no symptoms or for being suspected cases.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”China has reported 4,634 deaths from 83,430 cases since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Beijing’s ongoing outbreak has topped 250 cases, virtually all linked to the city’s biggest wholesale market, and led to lockdowns of some neighbourhoods and the closing of recently re-opened schools.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”7 a.m.: Sicily’s governor says 28 migrants who were rescued at sea have tested positive for the coronavirus, confirming a new complication in Italy’s efforts to manage waves of migrants smuggled across the Mediterranean from Africa.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The migrants were being held on a ship off Porto Empedocle where they’re taken to quarantine after being rescued.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Sicily Governor Nello Musumeci said in a Facebook post Wednesday that the positive tests confirmed that he was right to demand special at-sea quarantine measures for migrants to prevent new clusters from forming in Italy, the onetime European epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The positive tests come as an Italian parliamentary commission is visiting Porto Empedocle precisely to check on migrant and health care issues.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”type”:”relatedStories”,”relatedStories”:[],”text”:”Summertime has traditionally been peak season for migrant smugglers operating in lawless Libya, and officials have predicted an increase in efforts to reach Europe with the easing of the health emergency in Italy and the resumption of activities of humanitarian rescue ships in the Mediterranean.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”6:10 a.m.: You can finally get a haircut, eat at a restaurant patio, or visit malls in Toronto and Peel Region for the first time in 13 weeks on Wednesday as they join the majority of Ontario in entering Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The province announced Monday that more businesses and services will be allowed to open with appropriate public health measures in place. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Restaurants and bars will be open for delivery, takeout and outdoor dining only, according to the City of Toronto. Shopping malls will be open, but you’ll have to go elsewhere to enjoy the food court as dining spaces will be prohibited. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Personal care services like barber shops, hair styling, nails, tattoos and esthetic services will be allowed to open. Though you will have to hold off on face-related pampering like facials and beard trims a while longer. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Recreational and cultural spaces are also allowed to reopen, including water recreational services like indoor and outdoor swimming pools and splash pads. Community centres will reopen for “a very limited number of modified uses,” the City says, including certain outdoor sports and recreational activities. Campgrounds, museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and heritage institutions are also reopening. As are libraries with limited on-site services, film and television production, tours and guide services.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”6:05 a.m.: New coronavirus cases in the U.S. have surged to their highest level in two months and are now back to where they were at the peak of the outbreak.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The U.S. on Tuesday reported 34,700 new cases of the virus, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University that was published Wednesday. There have been only two previous days that the U.S. has reported more cases: April 9 and April 24, when a record 36,400 cases were logged.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”New cases in the U.S. have been surging for more than a week after trending down for more than six weeks. While early hot spots like New York and New Jersey have seen cases steadily decrease, the virus has been hitting the south and west. Several states on Tuesday set single-day records, including Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Cases were also surging in other parts of the world. India reported a record daily increase of nearly 16,000 new cases. Mexico, where testing rates have been low, also set a record with more than 6,200 new cases.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”But China appears to have tamed a new outbreak of the virus in Beijing, once again demonstrating its ability to quickly mobilize vast resources by testing nearly 2.5 million people in 11 days. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Tuesday 7 p.m.: The owner of a farm where some 199 migrant workers have tested positive for COVID-19 says his operation assiduously followed public health guidelines to prevent an outbreak, and has previously been lauded for providing quality accommodation to migrant workers.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”In an interview with the Star on Tuesday, Scotlynn Growers president Scott Biddle said the local health department has “always used us as an example for what other farmers should be doing.””,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”“We’re building housing for another hundred men this year,” Biddle told the Star, adding that the new accommodation will be larger than what’s currently required by Health Canada to account for any changes to federally-mandated housing standards.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”The comments come after a Star investigation revealed a history of complaints at Scotlynn by Mexican migrant workers about substandard housing and other concerns.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”In reports to the Mexican Ministry of Labour between 2016 and 2018, workers described overcrowded bunkhouses, bedbug infestations, and sometimes failure to receive timely medical attention. Scotlynn received 33 complaints over the two year period, the highest number of any Canadian farm. “,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”On Saturday, 55-year-old father of four Juan López Chaparro, who worked at Scotlynn, died after fighting COVID-19 for three weeks.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Read the full story from Sara Mojtehedzadeh here.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Tuesday 6:50 p.m.: Canada could avoid a second wave of the coronavirus if it learns the lessons of South Korea and Taiwan and attacks testing, tracing and treatment of COVID-19 cases and practices “dynamic distancing” from the get-go, MPs heard Tuesday.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”That means as the economy reopens, communities must be ready to reimpose physical distancing and socially restrictive measures periodically with surges in disease activity in order to contain outbreaks and allow economic revitalization to continue, Asaph Young Chun, head of Korea’s Statistics Research Institute, told the Commons health committee.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Those “nonpharmaceutical” interventions are the best “exit strategy” from the COVID-19 lockdowns, he said.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Two American health experts said South Korea and Taiwan showed the path for other countries to follow, but they warned Canada against reopening too quickly even to its neighbours, the United States.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”Read the full story from Tonda MacCharles here.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”text”:”-“,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”type”:”textBreakPoint”,”insertAt”:”contentEndBreakPoint”,”text”:”Click here for more news from Tuesday.”,”type”:”text”,”isParagraph”:true,”type”:”shareBar”,”type”:”trustbar”],”assetTags”:[“smg_canada”,”covid_updates”,”covid_19″,”coronavirus”,”canada”,”bn1″,”covid”,”kmi2″,”smg2_news”,”coronarolling”,”coronafree”],”seoKeywords”:”coronavirus,COVID-19,covid,Canada,coronarolling,coronafree,covid updates,BN1,KMI2,smg_canada,smg2_news”,”excludeInRecommendations”:false,”promo”:[],”related”:”pubdays”:0,”strategy”:0,”speciallabel”:”name”:”Free Digital Access”,”seoHead”:”Several players and staff members on the Toronto Blue Jays have tested positive ; Windsor-Essex gets green light to go to Stage 2; Ferry service to Toronto Islands resumes Saturday”,”headline”:”Several players and staff members on the Toronto Blue Jays have tested positive ; Windsor-Essex gets green light to go to Stage 2; Ferry service to Toronto Islands resumes Saturday”,”subheadline”:”New coronavirus cases in the U.S. have surged to their highest level in two months and back to where they were at the outbreak’s peak.”,”removeInterestedInFlag”:true,”canonicalUrl”:”https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/06/24/coronavirus-covid-19-updates-canada-toronto-gta-june-24.html”,”seoDescription”:”New coronavirus cases in the U.S. have surged to their highest level in two months and back to where they were at the outbreak’s peak.”,”storytag”:”Updated”,”publishedepoch”:1592993700000,”lastmodifiedepoch”:1593030801419,”abstractVisible”:false,”relatedLinks”:[],”paywallMode”:”outofwall”,”storyuuid”:”3c2d12e7-a05a-4295-9ff7-50ff70848dad”,”republish”:true,”slideshowid”:”B881171393Z.1″,”lastmodified”:”06 24 2020″,”lastreplicated”:”4:33 PM, Wed., June 24, 2020″,”readtime”:13,”breadcrumbs”:[“label”:”News”,”relurl”:”/news”,”url”:”https://www.thestar.com/content/thestar/news.html”,”label”:”Canada”,”relurl”:”/news/canada”,”url”:”https://www.thestar.com/content/thestar/news/canada.html”],”authors”:[“author”:”Star staff”,”photo”:,”author”:”wire services”,”photo”:],”paywall”:true,”ogUrlMetatag”:”https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/06/24/coronavirus-covid-19-updates-canada-toronto-gta-june-24.html”,”numOfParagraphs”:100,”liftigImage”:”captionPosition”:”overlay”,”fullWindowMainart”:false,”type”:”image”,”imageid”:”GL2VSID8.3″,”origImageSize”:”1200×800″,”cropthumb”:”0,0,1200,800″,”lastmodified”:1593030801684,”forceoriginal”:false,”caption”:”Queen West Barber Shop is cutting hair again as Toronto joins the rest of Ontario in phase two of reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto. 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The NFL had an ugly day on Saturday.

Four NFL players were taken into police custody in a span of less than 24 hours from early Saturday morning to Saturday evening.

The first player arrested was Washington wide receiver Cody Latimer, in an incident that started with a shots fired call shortly after midnight. Latimer was booked on charges of assault in the second degree, menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

During the day on Saturday two NFL players, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar and Giants cornerback Deandre Baker both turned themselves in. Arrest warrants were issued for the two players on Thursday, after Baker was accused of using a semi-automatic firearm on Wednesday to rob multiple people, with Dunbar’s help, of more than $11,000 in cash plus watches and other valuables worth more than $60,000.

On Saturday evening, Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver was arrested on charges of DWI and unlawful possession of a weapon.

At a time when NFL facilities are closed and offseason work is all done virtually, players may have more time and more opportunities to get themselves into trouble. That came to a head on Saturday.

Four NFL players were taken into custody on Saturday originally appeared on Pro Football Talk

Here is an updated 2020 NBA mock draft. Who are the best 2020 NBA Draft prospects?

This mock draft, however, is going to be slightly different than some of the past mock drafts that we have run here at NBC Sports.

I joined forces with Pro Basketball Talk’s Kurt Helin over the weekend to go through the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft pick by pick. I know the players. Kurt knows the teams. We recorded the entire conversation and published them as a pair of podcasts. The first ten picks ran in the College Basketball Talk feed, which can be found here. Picks 11-30 can be found in the Pro Basketball Talk feed, which is here.

This is how the breakdowns are going to work: I’m going to embed the CBT podcast at the top, complete with timestamps for when each pick is actually discussed. I’ll embed the PBT podcast after the top ten picks with the timestamps for the final 20 picks listed as well. The breakdown of why each player fits on each team can be found in the podcasts. In the body of this post will be breakdowns of the actual prospects themselves.

One programming note: We simply used the order that teams finished for the order of selection. We’ll be repeating this exercise a couple of more times before the draft itself takes place using different draft orders. This year, more than years past, the order at the top of the draft is going to impact what the top five looks like.

CBT’S 2020 MOCK DRAFT PODCAST

1. Golden State Warriors: (11:22)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: (19:03)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves: (23:25)
4. Atlanta Hawks: 27:53)
5. Detroit Pistons: (31:58)
6. New York Knicks: (37:40)
7. Chicago Bulls: (43:15)
8. Charlotte Hornets: (47:57)
9. Washington Wizards: (55:23)
10. Phoenix Suns: (58:30)

Preseason Top 25 | Mock Draft 2.0 | Early Entry Tracker

1. Golden State Warriors: JAMES WISEMAN, Memphis

Details: 19 years old, 7-foot-1, 240 pounds
Key Stats: 19.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.0 bpg

Wiseman has all the physical tools that you want out of a five in the modern NBA. He’s 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, an exceptional athlete that can really get up and down the floor and finish above the rim. He has all the tools to be a rim protector that can guard in ball-screens and switch on the perimeter if needed. He’s not Dirk Nowitzki but he’s not Clint Capela, either — he’s shown some flashes of being capable on the perimeter.

The red flags with Wiseman are two-fold. For starters, his competitiveness has been questioned throughout his career. He hasn’t always controlled games the way someone his size should be able to. He isn’t as tough or as physical as some would like, and he seems to have a habit of trying to prove that he can play away from the basket instead of overpowering anyone that gets between him and the rim. None of these concerns were helped by his decision to quit on his Memphis team in December, halfway through a suspension for break (admittedly silly) NCAA rules.

My gut feeling on Wiseman is that if he decided he wanted to be, say, the next Myles Turner, he could end up one of the eight-to-ten best centers in the NBA. If he decides that he wants to be the next Giannis, I don’t think it will go as well.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers: ANTHONY EDWARDS, Georgia

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-4, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 19.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 40% FG, 29% 3PT

Edwards is the best scorer in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft. At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and explosive athleticism, he’s proven himself to be a dangerous three-level bucket-getter that can get hot and do things like score 33 points in a half. Ask Michigan State. He also has the physical profile of a guard that can defend two or three different positions in the NBA. It’s all there.

But Edwards is still learning how to play and how to be consistent. Far too often he settled for deep, contested threes. They looked great when he hit a couple in a row, but he shot 29 percent from three as a freshman. That speaks for itself, although part of that inefficiency absolutely stems from the load he was asked to carry. Edwards was not getting too many easy looks created for him.

There are also too many stretches where he looks disengaged in the game, whether it’s due to his lack of focus on the defensive end of his passivity offensively. He’s developed a reputation dating all the way back to his high school days for being a guy that starts slow and puts up huge second half numbers in a losing effort.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves: OBI TOPPIN, Dayton

Details: 22 years old, 6-foot-9, 220 lbs
Key Stats: 20.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 bpg, 1.0 bpg, 63% FG, 39% 3PT

Toppin is one of three guys in this draft that, if I were an NBA GM, I would want to definitively be higher than the field on, and the reason for that is two-fold: On the one hand, Toppin is one of just a handful of players in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft that I believe can make a significant impact in the NBA as a rookie, and given that the top of this draft class is made up of players that are going to be drafted on their potential without having the upside of being a franchise-changing talent, I think there is value in drafting a guy with a rock-solid floor.

The reason that Toppin’s floor is so high is because of how well he fits as a role player at the next level. Anthony Grant’s offense at Dayton was as close to a modern NBA scheme as you are going to find in the college game, and the reason he is able to play that way has everything to do with Toppin’s skill set. At 6-foot-9, he’s an explosive leaper that is versatile offensively — he can hit a three, he can score off the bounce, he has a pretty good feel for the game, he’s a capable and willing passer. He also has the size and physical tools where it is conceivable that he can play the four or the five in small-ball lineups, although he’ll need some development here; he has high hips and a slender waist which casts some doubt on how well he’ll be able to put on weight and how well he can sit in a stance and guard on the perimeter. And while there is some value in being capable of guarding fours or fives, there are some valid questions about whether or not he’ll be above average guarding either.

I do think that will come with time spent in the right NBA strength and conditioning program, and the fact that he’s a late-bloomer that was just 6-foot-2 as a high school junior is relevant here as well.

I broke down why Toppin is such a good fit for Dayton’s offense last month, and all of that applies to why he’ll be such a good fit at the next level as well:

4. Atlanta Hawks: ISAAC OKORO, Auburn

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-6, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 29% 3PT

Okoro is another guy that I would want to be higher than consensus on, because I think he has a chance to be a really good starter on an NBA team for the next 12 years. I’m not sure there is anything more valuable in the modern NBA than a wing that is a multi-positional defender, that can guard in space and that is capable of creating against a close out or in isolation, but I am sure that there is no one in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft that better fits that role than Okoro.

I don’t think it’s crazy to say that Okoro was the best perimeter defender in college basketball this season. He can guard up, he can guard down, he can move his feet, he’s already built like a pro, he’s shown the ability to block shots as a help-side defender. It’s what he hangs his hat on. But he’s also proven to be particularly adept off the dribble, where he’s a nightmare to stop once he gets a step. He can finish above the rim, but perhaps his most underrated skill is his ability to read defenses and pass the ball. He definitely is a capable and willing playmaker.

The one question mark is the shooting, but in conversations I’ve had with people that know Isaac, both at the collegiate and high school levels, the consensus is that he’s a worker. He’ll put in the hours that he needs to in order to make himself a threat from three.

Here’s a breakdown from January:

5. Detroit Pistons: LAMELO BALL, Australia

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-7, 180 lbs
Key Stats: 17 ppg, 7 apg, 7.5 rpg
Full Scouting Report

I know what you’re going to think when you hear LaMelo Ball’s name. The reaction is going to be you thinking back to the little 5-foot-11 kid with braces and a blonde mohawk launching shots from halfcourt and cherry-picking against overmatched competition to try and get to 100 points in a game. You’re going to immediately think of all the things you hated about Lavar Ball, and I get it.

But Melo grew up. He’s not just the baby brother anymore. He’s now a 6-foot-7 lead guard that has all of the tools that would lead you to believe that he can be a star feature guard in the NBA. He’s a terrific passer that can make every read you want a point guard to make out of ball-screens with either hand, and he has the size to see those passes over the defense. His feel for the game and basketball IQ are elite. He’s been an inconsistent and inefficient shooter throughout his career, but he’s always been a good free throw shooter and while he certainly needs to tweak his mechanics, some of those low percentages can be explained away by the degree of difficulty of the shots he is taking.

Which leads me to what may be the most important point here: Not only is Melo one of the youngest players in this draft, he is also a late-bloomer. He’s still growing into his frame, and while I doubt he’s ever be on par with someone like Russell Westbrook, he’s definitely going to get stronger and more athletic as he matures physically and gets into an NBA strength training program. When that happens, it should help his explosiveness and ability to handle physicality. There are risks here, but I don’t think it’s crazy to say he has the highest ceiling of anyone in this draft class.

The bigger issue is the off-the-court stuff. He has a reputation, fairly or unfairly, of being a lazy defender with a lacking work ethic. Teams picking at the top of the draft will have to do their due diligence. He may have a high ceiling, but there’s also some bust potential at play. If it all works out, he could end up being the second-coming of Luka Doncic.

6. New York Knicks: KILLIAN HAYES, Ratiopharm Ulm

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-5, 200 lbs
Key Stats: 11.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 29.4% 3PT

Hayes is a flat-out terrific passer out of ball-screens, and the coaches at Ulm this past season knew as much. To put this into perspective, Hayes played 33 games for Ulm this past season and, according to Synergy’s video logs, ended a possession by using a ball-screen 428 times. That’s an averaged of 13 ball-screens per game. He played 25 minutes per game. Do the math, and Hayes played out of a ball-screen once every two minutes for the course of an entire season, and that only counts the possessions where those actions resulted in a shot or a turnover.

That’s insane.

And given the direction the NBA is heading, the success that Hayes had in that kind of action is notable. As I mentioned, he is a terrific passer that can makes all of the reads when he is going to his dominant left hand. He can get to the rim, his floater is solid and he has the size (6-foot-5) to be able to see over defenses. Where he struggles a bit is when he is forced to go to his right. He also was an inconsistent three-point shooter, hitting just 29 percent while attempting more than three threes per game. The stroke doesn’t look bad, and he has terrific feet and handle, creating all kinds of space for himself to get step-back jumpers off.

The key is his jumper. If that comes around, if he develops into a guy that can play on or off the ball, he’ll be a great pick up at No. 6. But that is a big ‘if’.

7. Chicago Bulls: DENI AVDIJA, Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-9, 218 lbs
Key Stats: 12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 apg, 37.5% 3PT

The intrigue with Avdija is the shooting and playmaking that he provides as a 6-foot-9 power forward type. At the lower levels of international basketball, he played as something of a point forward, and while he’s someone that profiles more as a complimentary players that a full Luka Doncic, his ability to pass and operate in pick-and-rolls at his size is going to make him a useful player down the road.

The key for Avdija long-term is two-fold: What does he turn into defensively, and how well can he shoot the ball? He’s never consistently shot it at a high percentage from beyond the arc, and that’s concerning given the fact that he has consistently been a sub-70 percent FT shooter throughout his time in the youth ranks. But passing translates, size translates and shooting can be taught. If he continues to improve defensively, he’s got a chance to be a good starter in the league for a long time.

8. Charlotte Hornets: ONYEKA OKONGWU, USC

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-9, 245 lbs
Key Stats: 16.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 1.2 spg, 72% FT
Full Scouting Report

For me, the intrigue with Okongwu is pretty simple. He is a 6-foot-9 five that is an explosive athlete with an already-sturdy frame. He produced at the college level, both as a scorer, a rebounder and a rim protector, and has shown some pretty solid post moves for a 19-year old. He can defend the rim. He’s athletic enough that being a switchable five seems like his floor. He has a soft touch around the basket, and while he’s shooting just 15-for-35 on jumpers this season, according to Synergy, he’s 9-for-19 on jumpers inside 17 feet and shooting 72 percent from the free throw line on 143 free throws.

Worst-case scenario, Okongwu turns into an off-the-bench big that provides energy, rebounding and defense. If the jumper — and, especially, the passing — comes along, he can be much more than that.

9. Washington Wizards: TYRESE HALIBURTON, Iowa State

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-5, 175 lbs
Key Stats: 15.2 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5.9 rpg, 41.9% 3PT
Full Scouting Report

Haliburton’s numbers jump off the page. At 6-foot-5, he’s a lead guard with terrific vision that can throw every pass a point guard is going to be asked to make. He’s an excellent three-point shooter that has positional size and has shown himself to be, at the very least, adequate as an on- and off-ball defender. He was the best player on the floor for Team USA at the U-19 World Championships over the summer. All of that adds up.

If there is a concern with Haliburton, it’s his physical tools. He’s not an explosive athlete and, at 175 pounds, there are valid concerns about how well he is going to handle the rigors of getting to the rim in the NBA. He also has a slow, funky release on his jumper — think Shawn Marion. Will he be able to get that shot off at the next level?

I’m high on Haliburton because, after seeing the way that elite passers like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Trae Young have thrived early in their NBA career, I’m willing to take the risk on a 6-foot-5 point guard that can make those passes in a year where the opportunity of rolling the dice at the top is relatively low.

10. Phoenix Suns: DEVIN VASSELL, Florida State

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-6, 180 lbs
Key Stats: 12.7 ppg, 1.4 spg, 1.0 bpg, 42% 3PT

Vassell was one of the breakout stars of the ACC, leading a good Florida State team in scoring and doubles as their best three-point shooter. He’s got the size and the length to be a good defender at the NBA level, and he’s proven to be a playmaker on that end of the floor — he averaged 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks. Playing for Leonard Hamilton, you can be sure he got plenty of reps switching defensively and guarding bigger and smaller players. He’s not much of a playmaker on the offensive end, and at 180 pounds, he definitely needs to add some weight to his frame. But he’s precisely what you look for as a 3-and-D wing. In a 2020 NBA Mock Draft where it’s hard to find sure things, Vassell, on paper, seems to be as close to a known quantity as you are going to get in this range.

PBT’S 2020 MOCK DRAFT PODCAST

11. San Antonio Spurs: (Open)
12. Sacramento Kings: (5:52)
13. New Orleans Pelicans: (8:58)
14. Portland Trail Blazers: (13:50)
15. Orlando Magic: (19:01)
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): (21:32)
17. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): (25:53)
18. Dallas Mavericks: (28:10)
19. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): (30:30)
20. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): (36:54)
21. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): (40:34)
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): (44:27)
23. Miami Heat: (46:10)
24. Utah Jazz: (49:07)
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): (51:20)
26. Boston Celtics: (53:02)
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): (56:34)
28. Toronto Raptors: (58:24)
29. Los Angeles Lakers: (1:00:12)
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): (1:03:46)

11. San Antonio Spurs: PRECIOUS ACHIUWA, Memphis

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-9, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 15.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.1 spg, 33% 3PT

The biggest question mark for me when it comes to Achiuwa is whether or not he is going embrace what he actually is. For my money, he’s something of a poor man’s Bam Adebayo, a big man that can be used at the four and, ideally, as a small-ball five. He plays hard, he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and he’s proven himself as a rebounder. He also has some perimeter skill, and he did make some threes this season. There’s a market for that in the NBA, and it’s a role Achiuwa should be able to thrive in.

But is that what he wants to be? Or does he think that he’s a three? The potential is there for Achiuwa to be effective as a face-up forward against bigger, slower centers. I’m not sure the same can be said for him as a three. Remember, Achiuwa will turn 21 years old before he plays in his first NBA game. He was a freshman this season and he is just two months younger than Kaleb Wesson, who was a junior. If Achiuwa embraces who he is, he has a long and profitable basketball career in front of him.

12. Sacramento Kings: AARON NESMITH, Vanderbilt

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-6, 213 lbs
Key Stats: 23 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 52.2% 3PT, 8.2 3PAs

Again, this one is pretty simple for me. Nesmith is a 6-foot-6 wing with a 6-foot-10 wingspan that was shooting a ridiculous 52.2% from three while taking more than eight threes per game before suffering a foot injury that ended his season. He’s not the most explosive athlete, but he was one of the most improved players in the country before he got hurt. I’m willing to take a bet on a guard with those measureables when he’s a hard enough worker to go from 33.7 percent shooting as a freshman to this. That’s the kind of leap that Buddy Hield made heading into his senior season. Nesmith is just a sophomore.

That said, Hield won at a significantly higher clip than Nesmith did, and Hield did it against Big 12 competition. Nesmith’s season was cut short before he really got into the teeth of SEC play. But I’d be willing to roll the dice on his shooting carrying him to a role in the league.

13. New Orleans Pelicans: COLE ANTHONY, North Carolina

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs
Key Stats: 18.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.0 apg, 35% 3PT

I’m torn on Cole as a prospect. On the one hand, I love everything about the way he is wired. He’s tough, confident and competitive, the ultimate alpha. He’s a worker that will put in the hours in the gym. Given the way he grew up, he’s not going to be intimidated by anything. In an era where draft prospects are quitting their teams, what they call “shutting it down”, midseason once they’ve earned a spot near the top of the lottery, Cole fought back from a knee injury that required surgery to get back on the court and fight with his team despite the fact that they really don’t have much left to play for during the season.

I respect that. If I’m an NBA GM, I want players wired that way.

The problem with Cole is the way that he plays. He’s tough and athletic, but given his average height and length, he’s more or less going to have to guard point guards at the next level. I’m not sure he’s quite good enough to be the guy in the NBA that he has been throughout his career. He plays like Russell Westbrook, a hyper-kinetic athlete that is a streaky, sometimes inefficient shooter with a limited passing range that has a habit of dribbling the air out of the ball and shooting his team out of games on off nights. He’ll be 20 years old by the time he’s drafted. How much more room is there for him to change?

What I will say is this: Anthony did become a better passer later in the season, as he gained more confidence in his teammates and after he went through a stretch where he was shooting the Tar Heels out of games. That’s a good sign, but I still have my doubts.

NBA DRAFT PROSPECT PROFILES

14. Portland Trail Blazers: SADDIQ BEY, Villanova

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-8, 216 lbs
Key Stats: 16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 45% 3PT
Full Scouting Report

Saddiq Bey is the third guy that I would want to be higher than anyone on, because I think that he has a chance to be one of the best players to come out of this 2020 NBA Mock Draft. Bey is something of a late-bloomer. He’s was a 6-foot-1 guard when he was a sophomore, and according to the Villanova coaching staff, he has actually grown an inch or two since he arrived on campus. He’s listed at 6-foot-8 and may be closer to 6-foot-9 by the time it’s all said and done.

Bey’s shooting ability speaks for itself. He hit 45 percent of his threes while shooting more than five per game, and he finished in the 98th percentile nationally in spot-up shooting, according to Synergy. He has shown some playmaking ability, and while he’s not much of an off-the-dribble shooter at this point in his development, he is capable of playing as the handler in ball-screen actions. Most importantly, as we have seen with the wings that have come out of the Villanova program of late, they just know how to play. You won’t see the floor there if you don’t, and given the fact that Bey was asked to be the do-it-all point guard on his high school team, he has experience being more than just a scorer.

But the thing that has really stood out about Bey since he arrived on the Main Line is his ability to defend. He’s the best defender in the program, and while Villanova has not always been known for how they guard, they were the second-best defensive team in the Big East behind Seton Hall, who was a top-eight defense nationally. They’ve put him on lightening quick point guards like Devon Dotson and Kamar Baldwin, and Villanova’s tendency to switch means that Bey has spent plenty of time guarding bigs as well.

So what we have here is a multi-positional defender that shoots the cover off the ball and can be a playmaker off the bounce. I think he’s just as good of a prospect as Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Eric Paschall and Josh Hart, and all four of those guys have turned into players that will last in the NBA for a while. Bey is next in line.

15. Orlando Magic: TYRESE MAXEY, Kentucky

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-3, 198 pounds
Key Stats: 14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 29% 3PT

Taking a risk on Maxey this high in the 2020 NBA Mock Draft means betting on the fact that his 29 percent three-point shooting as a freshman has more to do with adjusting to the college level than it does his actual shooting ability. Coming through high school, Maxey had the reputation for being a big-time scorer because of his ability to make deep jumpers off the bounce and because of the way that he can finish around the rim with a variety of floaters and layups.

And while he would show flashes of being the dominant scorer Kentucky needed him to be, the Wildcats late-season surge was a direct result of Immanuel Quickley’s improvement, not Maxey finding consistency. We spent the entire season saying “just wait until Maxey finds his stroke” and he never really did. He needs to be able to make that shot because the rest of his game is somewhat limited. He’s not a natural creator, he’s wired to score more than anything else, and he certainly isn’t an elite athlete by NBA combo-guard standards, although he is a pretty good on-ball defender. He’s also a worker, and by all accounts a great kid and competitor. I think there’s a real chance his ceiling is as a second-unit scorer, but if it all comes together I can see him putting together a career on par with Lou Williams.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): JOSH GREEN, Arizona

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-6, 210 lbs
Key Stats: 12.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 36% 3PT

Green is a consistent jumper away from being a guy that can stick in the league as a role player for a decade. He’s really athletic, he’s terrific in transition and he’s a willing defender that gives effort. He can be coached up on that end. But he was limited as a scorer in the half court — 1.19 PPP in transition vs. 0.825 in the half court — and part of that is due to the fact that he shot just 33.3 percent on jumpers in half court offense.

17. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): PATRICK WILLIAMS, Florida State

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-8, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 32% 3PT

The numbers look fairly pedestrian, admittedly, but putting them in context is important: Williams was coming off the bench for a Florida State team that goes 11 deep and gives everyone pretty equal minutes. No one ever puts up huge numbers in a Leonard Hamilton program. What they do is incubate players that project as role guys in the league. At 6-foot-8, Williams is a terrific athlete and a burgeoning defender and that can protect the rim and guard out on the perimeter when needed. And while the shooting stroke was somewhat inconsistent this past season, the potential is there — he did shoot 84 percent from three this year.

18. Dallas Mavericks: R.J HAMPTON, New Zealand

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-5, 188 lbs
Key Stats: 9.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 31.7% 3PT

Hampton is a kid that has quite a bit of potential, but he’ll need time to develop at the next level. He’s a 6-foot-5 guard that can play on or off the ball, but needs to continue to develop his ball-handling and his perimeter jumper to be able to do either at the NBA level. He has the length, quickness and athleticism to be able to defend either backcourt spot in time, but he is something of a late-bloomer that needs to put on some weight and strength. He’ll try defensively, too, but he needs to be coached up. Again, that will come with time.

The biggest concern I have with Hampton — who played this past season in Australia — is that I’m not sure if he has an elite skill yet.

19. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): JADEN MCDANIELS, Washington

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-10, 200 lbs
Key Stats: 13.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.4 bpg, 34% 3PT

On the one hand, it is very easy to see why McDaniels is such a tantalizing prospect. Players with his size and his length aren’t supposed to be able to do the things that he does on the perimeter. He has impressive handle, he can knock down tough perimeter jumpers and every once in a while he will do something during a game that will make it to the House of Highlights page. His ‘wow’ moments pop.

On the other hand, McDaniels is 200 pounds soaking wet with slender shoulders and skinny legs. He hasn’t handled contact all that well this season, and he is not all that explosive of an athlete. And during Pac-12 play, all of the red flags came to the forefront. Emotional outbursts led to far too many technical fouls. He led the Pac-12 in fouls and turnovers. He averaged just 11 points during conference play. He was benched for the last ten games, and Washington wasn’t definitively better with him on the floor.

He’s the lottery ticket in this 2020 NBA mock draft.

20. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): TYLER BEY, Colorado

Details: 22 years old, 6-foot-7, 218 lbs
Key Stats: 13.8 ppg, 9.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg, 41.9% 3PT

Bey is one of the most underrated players in this year’s draft class. At 6-foot-7, he’s an exceptionally springy athlete that has proven himself to be an impact rebounder at the collegiate level throughout his career. He’s also proven himself to be a playmaker defensive – averaging more than a block and a steal per game as a redshirt junior – while hitting 42 percent of his threes this past season. The consistency of his jumper may end up being what determines whether he sticks in the NBA for good. He profiles as a versatile forward at the next level in a draft where, in the late-first and early-second, there aren’t many of those available.

21. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): TRE JONES, Duke

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-3, 185 lbs
Key Stats: 16.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 1.8 spg, 36.1% 3PT

Jones is a really good passer, a terrific defender and the kind of point guard that checks all the cliche boxes about being a winner, a leader and a facilitator. He was the ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. His box score numbers were impressive, and his impact on basketball games goes well beyond the box score.

But more importantly, his jump shot showed real, tangible improvement. Jones made 36 percent of his threes and shot four of them per night. In catch-and-shoot situations, he made 40 percent of his jumpers and hit them at a 1.18 points-per-possession clip (or a 59% eFG, which was in the 82nd percentile nationally). His pull-up game isn’t there yet, but if he went from being a guy that teams flat-out did not guard beyond 12 feet as a freshman to a 36 percent shooter as a sophomore, whose to say his pull-up game won’t be next?

If Jones never gets any better, if this is who he is for the rest of his basketball career, he’s a backup point guard in the league until he doesn’t want to play anymore. If he continues to develop his shot, however, he could end up being a starting point guard. I find it hard to believe this kid isn’t going to keep getting better. In a draft like this, that’s great value this late.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): JAHMI’US RAMSEY, Texas Tech

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-4, 195 lbs
Key Stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 43% 3PT

I’ve gone through stages with Ramsey. I loved him in high school. I was frustrated by him early on in his college career, as Texas Tech worked through figuring out what the best way to use him is. What they’ve settled on is as a scorer and an elite shot-maker. The big red flag for me is that I expected Ramsey to play the Jarrett Culver-Keenan Evans role for Texas Tech, but he’s not that guy because he is not on their level at creating out of ball-screens or as a passer. Since he is only 6-foot-4, that’s something to monitor in the longterm.

But he’s a bouncy athlete that can play in transition, shoots the cover off of the ball and should be able to attack closeouts. The two major question marks are on the defensive end of the floor and shooting off of the dribble, but those are things that can be improved with time. He’s not the player that I thought he would be, but he’s still good enough that using a top 25 pick on him makes sense.

23. Miami Heat: XAVIER TILLMAN, Michigan State

Details: 21 years old, 6-foot-8, 245 lbs
Key Stats: 13.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.1 bpg, 1.2 spg

I may be out on a limb here, but I truly believe that Tillman is worth a first round pick, especially in this year’s draft class. There’s really two reasons for this: For starters, he is a terrific passer. No one in college basketball is better than making the right play in a 4-on-3 scenario when the defense traps a pick-and-roll ball-handler than Tillman. But he is also an excellent defender that can really read the game. Talk to people around the Michigan State program and they’ll tell you he ran everything defensively. It was his voice that teammates heard. Now, the major question mark is his size. At just 6-foot-8, can he defend fives? Is he quick enough to play the four? If we knew for a fact that the answer to both of those questions would be ‘yes, and he can do it very well,’ I would have him slotted as a top 20 pick.

The first clip here shows how effective he can be as the fulcrum of an offense. The second? Men his size aren’t supposed to be able to avoid a charge like that. pic.twitter.com/5EUGu4EUql

— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) January 4, 2020

24. Utah Jazz: KIRA LEWIS, Alabama

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-3, 165 lbs
Key Stats: 18.5 ppg, 5.2 apg, 4.8 rpg, 1.7 spg, 37% 3PT

Lewis checks a lot of boxes. He’s young for a sophomore — he enrolled at Alabama as a 17-year old and won’t turn 19 until April — and he put up huge numbers for an Alabama team that is built to run, run, run and shoot nothing but threes and layups. He also shot 37 percent from three for the second consecutive season. He’s slender, he’s turnover prone and part of the reason he produced as much as he did this season was because of the pace that Alabama played at. He’s worth a first round pick, especially considering his age.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): THEO MALEDON, ASVEL

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-4, 185 lbs
Key Stats: 7.3 ppg, 2.7 apg

Maledon is an interesting prospect in a couple of different senses. On the one hand, he was 16 years old when he started getting senior minutes for an ASVEL club that make it back to the Euroleague this year. He’s trained with the French senior national team. He started 23 of the 46 games that he played in. But his role fluctuated throughout the season, his consistency waned and he battled a shoulder injury throughout the season. But he is a 6-foot-4 guard that can play on or off the ball that has shown the ability to play at a high level throughout his career.

26. Boston Celtics: ISAIAH STEWART, Washington

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-9, 250 lbs
Key Stats: 17.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 77% FT 

What you see is what you get with Stewart. He’s a tireless rebounder that, at 250 pounds of solid muscle, is ready to compete in the paint against NBA bigs right now. He’s a good post scorer that has shown some glimpses of being able to make threes — the Washington staff will tell you he’s lights out in practice. That’s the good. The bad is that he is an undersized center at 6-foot-9 that doesn’t have the length or explosiveness to be able to protect the rim at the NBA level, and while he’ll put in the effort to guard on the perimeter, he has never really shown that ability. Playing in that Washington zone hasn’t helped quell those concerns, either. He’s tough, he has a motor, he’s really good at the things that he does well, but if he’s not going to protect the rim or guard on the perimeter, where does he fit in the modern NBA?

I also think Stewart is the kind of guy that will be hurt by the fact that there won’t be any workouts. He’s an impressive interview that could show off his shooting and, at least in theory, prove what he can do defensively.

27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): JALEN SMITH, Maryland

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-10, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 15.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 37 3PT%

Stix Smith was one of the best players in college basketball over the course of the last month. He’s a pogo-stick athletically that stsrted to make threes on a consistent basis. I’m worried about his frame — he checks in at 225 pounds, but looks like he’s closer to 200 pounds — and I’m not sure how much of a weapon he is offensively beyond being a spot-up shooter. Defensively, he can protect the rim, but will that translate to the NBA, where every five he goes up against will have 20 pounds on him? And while he is a terrific athlete, he plays stiff and upright. I’m not sure how well he will use that athleticism without a runway for takeoff.

All that said, over the course of the last eight weeks of the season, Smith’s potential turned into production. It was the biggest reason Maryland looked like one of the best teams in the country down the stretch. I’m willing to bet on him at the back end of the first round.

28. Toronto Raptors: DANIEL OTURU, Minnesota

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-10, 240 lbs
Key Stats: 20.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 37% 3PT

In a league where seemingly every team had a dominant interior player, Daniel Oturu has been arguably the best two-way center in the Big Ten. The numbers that he put up speak for themselves. He was one of the most improved players in the country. He doesn’t have the greatest feel for the game, and he’s something of a blackhole when he does get the ball in his hands, but he has shown off a bit of three-point range and is actually able to put the ball on the floor and make things happen off the bounce. I think his fit as a five in the NBA is better than some of the bigs slotted in front of him.

29. Los Angeles Lakers: CASSIUS WINSTON, Michigan State

Details: 22 years old, 6-foot-1, 185 lbs
Key Stats: 18.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, 43% 3PT

Winston did not have the season many of us expected him to have as a senior — understandably, given the death of his brother in November — but he still put up All-American numbers for a team that won a share of the Big Ten regular season title. He was playing his best basketball down the stretch, and he still have the highest basketball IQ of anyone in this 2020 NBA mock draft. He’s an elite passer and shooter that thrives in ball-screens. Yes, the defense and athleticism are concerns, but we said the same thing about numerous point guards that have made careers out of being backup point guards. Winston is the next in that pipeline.

30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): NICO MANNION, Arizona

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs
Key Stats: 14.0 ppg, 5.3 apg, 33% 3PT

I’m not sure whether or not Mannion will actually get drafted this high, but I’m willing to rank him this high because of what his floor is in a draft where there are a number of prospects that could end up being total busts. To me, Mannion has the same kind of prospect profile as the likes of Jalen Brunson, or Fred VanVleet, or T.J. McConnell, or Ryan Arcidiacono. He’s a guy that, at worst, will spend a decade playing in the NBA as a backup point guard because of his basketball IQ, his ability to makes shots and the fact that he can operate in a pick-and-roll.

My concern with drafting him this high is that he doesn’t really have an NBA skill. He’s a good athlete but not a great athlete, and that isn’t helped by the fact that his wingspan is reportedly 6-foot-2.5. He’s not great at beating defenders off the dribble in the halfcourt, which is a problem for an NBA point guard. He’s a good shooter but he’s not a great shooter. He’s a high-level passer but he’s not Trae Young or Luka Doncic. He tries defensively but he just doesn’t have the physical tools to be a lockdown defender. I’m just not sure what he does that truly sets him apart, and the fact that he was the leader of an Arizona team that kept losing games they shouldn’t lose is concerning.

Four NFL players were arrested on Saturday, and are facing misdemeanor or felony charges ranging from armed robbery, assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Washington Redskins wide receiver Cody Latimer, Seattle Seahawk cornerback Quinton Dunbar, New York Giants cornerback Deandre Baker, and Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver were taken into custody on Saturday in three different incidents.

Latimer was the first of the four NFL players arrested. The 27-year-old was allegedly at a party in Douglass County, Colorado on Saturday when gunshots were reported. He was arrested by police and charged with assault in the second degree, illegal discharge of a firearm, prohibited use of a weapon, and reckless endangerment.

Harvey Steinberg, Latimer’s lawyer, said in a statement there are extenuating circumstances with his client.

“There’s an entire back story to this situation that constitutes one of the most highly provocative situations you can imagine,” the statement read. “Please withhold judgment until all the facts of what took place that night are known.”

The Redskins said in a separate statement that they are aware of the incident and reported it to league offices. Washington team officials didn’t mention anything regarding Latimer’s future with the team. He signed a free-agent deal with the Redskins last month. If the charges against him are upheld, the team could waive him.

Dunbar, Baker Incident Gets Cloudy

Quinton Dunbar and Deandre Baker surrendered to authorities in Miramar, Florida after being accused of robbing guests at a party on May 13. The duo was charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.

Lawyers for the men denied their clients had anything to do with the robbery. Michael Grieco, Dunbar’s lawyer, issued a statement on social media professing his client’s innocence, though he misspelled his name.

“Today our client, Quintin [sic] Dubar [sic] voluntarily surrendered at the Broward County jail pursuant to a bogus arrest warrant based solely on uncorroborated witness statements that have since been recanted,” Grieco said. “As I write this, an innocent man sits in jail facing charges that hold no water. His career and reputation have been put in jeopardy as a result of an overzealous [Miramar police department] that was so excited about arresting a pro football player that they tweeted out their celebration and even tagged his employer in their ‘virtual touchdown dance.’”

Baker’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, also said his client is not guilty. Both Cohen and Grieco said they have affidavits from party goers that the two were not involved.

Oliver Could Lose Millions Over DWI Arrest

Ed Oliver’s charges aren’t as serious as those faced by the other NFL players who were arrested. He could, however, face some serious financial consequences. Oliver was pulled over by Houston police Saturday night and arrested for driving while impaired and unlawfully carrying a handgun.

 

If convicted of the crimes, Oliver could be in violation of the league’s personal conduct policy and face suspension. That, according to Michael Ginnitti, founder of contracts website spotrac.com, could cause the second-year player to lose $81,725 in base salary for each week he misses. Ginnitti tweeted that the remaining $6.8 million on Oliver’s rookie contract would no longer be guaranteed.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott didn’t comment on Oliver’s situation. He is still participating in the team’s virtual offseason training program.

A defensive lineman with the Jacksonville Sharks was arrested in Columbus, Georgia, Sunday, accused of firing a gun in public in the hours after the team lost to the Columbus Lions.

The Columbus Police Department said Leon Mackey was charged with reckless conduct with a weapon and discharge of a gun near a public highway or street. He was booked into the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office Jail and released the same day.

The arrest report said video surveillance reviewed by officers showed Mackey firing a gun. He was arrested on Fourth Street and he was in possession of a Smith and Wesson 9mm. The report said that as he was taken into custody just before 1 a.m., he said, “It was an accident,” adding that the other team was talking down to him.

The Sharks released a statement saying Mackey fired shots into the air in the parking lot of the Columbus Civic Center after the two teens got into an altercation after the game.

“The Sharks organization and the National Arena League do not condone or approve of Mr. Mackey’s decision to utilize or carry a weapon during a team function, but do believe Mr. Mackey has a right to due process and is innocent until convicted of any charge,” the Sharks wrote.

Mackey was suspended by the league pending the outcome of the investigation. The Sharks said the team and the league were also reviewing all travel and arena security politics.

Jason Gibson, the head coach of the Columbus Lions, said that if Mackey played for his team, he would never play again.

“You can’t have a gun on a team bus. You can’t have a gun in the team locker room. You can’t have a gun at an event like that. You can’t do it,” Gibson told News4Jax.

It’s Mackey’s first year with the Sharks and his fifth year playing arena football, according to his team bio.

Copyright 2018 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.

University of Minnesota center Reggie Lynch is “still a part of” the basketball program and can practice with the team despite being found responsible for violating the U’s sexual misconduct policy, athletics director Mark Coyle said Friday.

After an investigation by the university’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, it was determined that Lynch violated the school’s policies on sexual misconduct and on university rules during an incident in a dorm room in May 2016.

Lynch, a senior from Edina, plans to appeal a decision to suspend him from school and ban him from campus until at least Aug. 1, 2020, according to EOAA findings obtained by the Pioneer Press. During the appeal, he will be suspended from playing in games but is eligible to practice, receive medical treatment and have access to an academic adviser.

“We felt that when we suspend a student-athlete, we suspend them from a competition,” Coyle said. “We want to make sure that student-athlete has access to athletic medicine and treatment, academic services, an opportunity to continue to compete and be around this team. So, we thought it was important to go in that direction.”

Lynch will not play in the Gophers’ home game Saturday against Indiana. It was unclear whether he will be at Williams Arena for the 4:15 p.m. tipoff. The 2016-17 Big Ten defensive player of the year has averaged 10 points, 7.7 points and 3.9 blocks in 15 games this season for the Gophers (13-3 overall, 2-1 Big Ten).

Wallabies and Queensland Reds player Karmichael Hunt is once again in trouble with the law after being charged with drug possession.

The 31-year-old Queensland Reds star was arrested and charged with two counts of drug possession after being searched by police at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley at about 12.40am on Saturday.

Hunt was issued with a notice to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on January 29.

It’s not the first time the former NRL and AFL player has been in trouble for drug offences, after he was fined in March 2015 after pleading guilty to four counts of possessing cocaine.

Hunt was one of several professional footballers to be caught up in a Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into a cocaine trafficking ring operating in the state’s southeast.

The investigation also led to several Gold Coast Titans players being charged.

Hunt, who made his debut for the Wallabies this year and has played six times for the national team, was also fined $30,000 and suspended for six weeks by the Rugby Australia after his 2015 incident.

A 32-year-old man who was with Hunt at the time has also been issued with a notice to appear.

Rugby Australia acknowledged the incident in a statement released on Saturday.

“It is understood Hunt was arrested and has subsequently been released by Queensland Police.”

“Rugby Australia takes all matters relating to the off-field behaviour of its players seriously and has commenced an investigation into the incident in conjunction with the Queensland Rugby Union.”

AAP

Wallabies and Queensland Reds player Karmichael Hunt is once again in trouble with the law after being charged with drug possession.

The 31-year-old Queensland Reds star was arrested and charged with two counts of drug possession after being searched by police at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley at about 12.40am on Saturday.

Hunt was issued with a notice to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on January 29.

It’s not the first time the former NRL and AFL player has been in trouble for drug offences, after he was fined in March 2015 after pleading guilty to four counts of possessing cocaine.

Hunt was one of several professional footballers to be caught up in a Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into a cocaine trafficking ring operating in the state’s southeast.