Looking back at the 2020 NBA Draft, I still find myself shaking my head at some of the twists and turns that night. As someone who's covered basketball for over a decade, I thought I had a pretty good read on how things would unfold, but the actual results delivered several genuine shockers that have significantly impacted the league's landscape in ways we're still unraveling today.
The most glaring surprise came right at the top with Anthony Edwards going first to Minnesota. While his talent was undeniable, many scouts I spoke with were concerned about his inconsistent motor at Georgia. I remember sitting in my home office watching the broadcast, thinking LaMelo Ball's playmaking vision made him the safer bet for number one. Yet here we are three seasons later, and Edwards has blossomed into exactly the explosive scorer Minnesota needed, averaging 24.6 points per game last season while showing dramatic defensive improvement. What surprised me even more was how quickly he embraced being the face of a franchise that's historically struggled to develop top picks.
Then came the real stunner at pick two. The Warriors passing on James Wiseman for... well, nobody actually, because they kept the pick despite having Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all healthy and hungry for another championship run. In my professional opinion, this was a classic case of overthinking it. Golden State had a perfect opportunity to trade down or select a ready-now contributor like Tyrese Haliburton, who many teams had graded as the draft's most complete player. Instead, they took the raw but physically gifted Wiseman, who played just three college games at Memphis. I've never understood this pick, especially considering their championship timeline, and the subsequent trade that sent him to Detroit only confirms it was a misstep.
The third pick brought another fascinating twist with LaMelo Ball landing in Charlotte. What many casual fans might not realize is that Michael Jordan's organization wasn't initially sold on Ball, with several sources indicating they preferred Wiseman. But when Golden State snatched him, Charlotte pivoted to Ball, and my goodness, what a fortunate turn of events that proved to be. Ball immediately transformed their offense with his breathtaking passing and won Rookie of the Year, averaging 6.1 assists that first season despite starting just 31 games. Sometimes the best draft decisions are the ones forced upon you.
Perhaps the most personally resonant surprise came later in the lottery when the Spurs selected Devin Vassell at 11. I'd followed Vassell closely at Florida State and thought he'd be perfect for San Antonio's system, but mock drafts consistently had him going several picks later. When Adam Silver announced his name, I actually texted a fellow analyst "He's facing a longtime rival, and I know how much this means to him" regarding Vassell joining a franchise known for developing wings similar to his game. That pick exemplified how teams with strong developmental systems like San Antonio often zag when others zig, trusting their evaluation over consensus.
Looking back, what strikes me most about that unconventional draft night is how it reinforced that team fit and development matter as much as raw talent. The biggest "surprises" often stem from teams having better intel on how a player's mentality and skills will mesh with their existing structure. Three years later, we can see that the 2020 draft, while initially puzzling, actually distributed talent in ways that have created fascinating new dynamics across the league. It serves as a perfect reminder that in the NBA draft, the most shocking picks sometimes become the most logical in hindsight.
