2020 NBA Draft Big Board: Part 4 (#30-#24)

By Aidan Maher | November 10, 2020 1:32 pm ET

With the NBA Draft just about a week away, it’s time for part four of my big board for the 2020 NBA Draft. After scouting well over 70 players in this upcoming class, I have narrowed my list down to a top 60. Parts 1-3 featured prospects #60-#31 on my big board, so make sure you go check those out if you haven’t already done so. Anyways, let’s get going, starting with number 30.

#30. Daniel Oturu

Center / Minnesota / 21 Years Old

Daniel Oturu is an old school big man out of Minnesota. The first thing that really pops out at you was Oturu’s 72% at the rim last season. He’s a great finisher in the paint, with great footwork and a nice arsenal of post moves. Not too mention, he’s got a lot of potential as a pick and roll guy. He sets hard screens, and he’s an agile big who rolls well and attacks the rim.

On the glass, Oturu is a monster. He’s got a very high motor in the boards, and he does a great job at getting position inside with a great box out. All this explains why he averaged 11.3 rebounds per game last season.

As a shooter, Oturu has his question marks, but he certainly has a lot of potential as well. He shot 37% from downtown last season, but on just 52 total attempts all year. His 71% from the charity stripe isn’t fantastic, and his release has to get faster, but he’s got a solid form overall. I really like his balance, footwork, and touch on his shot.

On defense, Oturu is a presence down low. He uses his strength and length well inside, denying post-ups and sending shots at the rim back the other way. He’s still a little foul prone inside, but he’s getting better. Oturu may be a presence inside, but he’s anything but out in space. Against the pick-and-roll, he gets beat constantly.

Oturu is a terrible defender in space, and this will cost him minutes in the NBA. As a playmaker, his vision and court awareness is poor. This leads to him essentially being a black hole on the post, and this really limits his upside as a post player. Oturu also needs to get in better shape, and there are serious questions as to how his post-oriented play will translate into an NBA offense. With all of this being said, I see Oturu finding a nice role in the NBA, most likely off the bench.

#29. Ty-Shon Alexander

Guard / Creighton / 22 Years Old

Ty-Shon Alexander is a 22 year old guard out of Creighton. The first thing that pops out in Alexander’s game is his defense, as he’s one of the best defensive guards in this draft. He’s a very pesky defender with quick feet, nice athleticism, and a 6’7-6’8 that allows him to jump into passing lanes for steals, plus it gives him solid defensive versatility. Alexander’s also got a great defensive IQ, and although he needs to become a bit more consistent, mainly by gaining some more strength, he’s a lockdown defender, mainly on opposing guards.

As a shooter, Alexander has really made some big strides. In his 3 seasons at Creighton, Alexander improved from distance each season, and last season he finished with a 40% three point percentage on 6.5 attempts per game. Not to mention, I’ll take 86% from the charity stripe on over four attempts per game any day of the week. I would like to see him get better at creating his own shot and becoming a better movement shooter, but Alexander’s still a great shooter who can make some of the toughest, big time shots.

One knock I have on Alexander’s game is his ball handling. Although you can rely on him not to turn the ball over, he’s still not a great ball handler as he struggles to create separation, and this also definitely limits his ability and upside as a playmaker. Speaking of playmaking, Alexander is just an average one. Again, he won’t turn the ball over, and he’ll make the basic reads, but that’s it. This is also why I see Alexander being more of a shooting guard in the NBA, which is also why he’s got to continue improving as a movement shooter. Not to mention, he’s a lackluster finisher as well. Alexander’s got a nice touch around the rim, but he doesn’t have much bounce, and he struggles at creating separation. Although he can hit contested shots from behind the arc, this doesn’t exactly translate to his finishing where he shot under 50% at the rim last season.

Offensively and defensively, Alexander just makes big time, winning plays. He projects to be a really nice 3&D guard, but he should focus on gaining strength and improving as a movement shooter to maximize his potential here.

#28. Killian Tillie

Forward / Gonzaga / 22 Years Old

Killian Tillie is a 22 year old prospect out of Gonzaga. First off, Tillie is a great shooter. He shot 40% from three last season on 3.8 attempts per game. He’s got a really nice form and release, and moves well without the basketball, and he’s a great pick-and-pop shooter. Tillie is one of, if not the best, shooting big man in this year’s draft.

Then, there’s his IQ. Tillie is easily one of the smartest players in this year’s class. Both offensively and defensively he’s a very smart player who reads the floor really well and he always seems to be a step ahead of everyone else. As a finisher, Tillie is an efficient one. He’ll most definitely play more of a perimeter-orientated role in the NBA, but he’s certainly shown he has inside-out ability thanks to his solid finishing ability from multiple roles.

His assists numbers won’t wow you, but as I mentioned earlier, Tillie is a very smart player that reads the court really well. He has great court vision, IQ, instincts, and decision-making as a playmaker.

Defensively, Tillie has his positives and negatives, but we’ll start with the good. As I said, he’s got the high IQ, plus he’s a very mobile forward with great lateral quickness, making him a versatile and capable perimeter defender that moves and reads defensive rotations well. At the same time, Tillie’s injuries have hindered at his defensive mobility, and his footwork leaves a lot to be desired. In the paint, Tillie plays hard, but rim protection is definitely a negative of his. He’s only got a 6’10-6’11 wingspan, and his lack of verticality, strength, and athleticism doesn’t make up for this. All this also explains why he’s a lackluster rebounder.

Another cause for concern is injuries. Tillie suffered from a surplus of injuries in his 4 years at Gonzaga, and it’s the biggest reason he’s not higher on my big board, along with so many more. All these injuries lead to him constantly being off the court, and it’s also really limited his athletic ceiling, confidence, and dependability. Not to mention, he’s already 22 years old. Luckily, Tillie is more skill based, but this still hurts. Despite his injuries, Tillie’s talent is enough to make him a first round prospect on my big board.

#27. Xavier Tillman

Power Forward/Center / Michigan State / 21 Years Old

Xavier Tillman is a big man and former Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year out of Michigan State. Speaking of his defense, that’s where we’ll start with Tillman. He’s got a very high IQ defensively, a good amount of mobility, which makes him a capable defender in space, and he was an absolute presence in college to say the very least.

With all this being said, there are still question marks defensively. He’s undersized for a rim protector at just 6’8 with a 7’1 wingspan, and he doesn’t have the verticality to overcome this. Not too mention, he’s still a bit foul prone, although this issue is getting much better. He was a beast defensively in the paint at Michigan State, and although I believe he’ll be a great defender at the next level due to his IQ, hustle, and positioning, he will never be a true rim protector.

As a passer, Tillman is arguably the best amongst the big men in this class. He’s a great decision maker with really nice court vision that allows him to make advanced reads. In terms of inside scoring, this is also a positive for Tillman. He uses his space to create space down low, and he’s got a nice touch around the basket with both hands. Not to mention, he’s great out of the pick-and-roll. Tillman sets really good screens, and he rolls hard to the basket as well. On the glass, he gives great effort and boxes out really well. And before we go all negative, Tillman has proven he’s a capable ball handler, which also expands his potential as a playmaker and slasher.

With all this being said, he’s got his question as a three point shooter. He shot just 26% from downtown last season on 1.6 attempts per game, and his 67% on 4 attempts per game is worrisome. With all of this being said, I still hold faith. Tillman has clearly shown both progress and flashes from deep, and although his form is still very inconsistent, it looks more than fine when things go well. The development of his three point shot will mean a lot for him in the NBA.

All in all. Tillman is a really well rounded big man that I have a lot of faith in, and although his size does hinder his stock a little bit, his ceiling honestly all comes down to how good of a three point shooter he can become.

#26. Isaac Okoro

Small Forward / Auburn / 19 Years Old

Isaac Okoro is a freshman prospect out of Auburn University. The first thing that stands out about Okoro to everyone is his defense. He is one of, if not the best, defender in this year’s class. He’s got a really high IQ to pair with awesome athleticism, length, strength, and fundamentals. Not to mention, his superb footwork and very limited number of mistakes. Okoro was a lockdown defender at Auburn.

In terms of scoring, he sees a bulk of his production as a slasher. Although I even have my questions about him as a slasher, he gets to the hoop hard and finishes well thanks to a nice touch and great leaping ability, making him one of the best dunkers in the draft.

On the glass, Okoro’s overall athleticism and motor make him a very solid rebounder for a small forward. He certainly doesn’t stun you on the boards, but I’d definitely consider it an asset of his. As a playmaker, Okoro’s got nice decision making and a very solid handle that should help his long term upside. Similar to his rebounding, he doesn’t wow you here, but it’s an asset.

Perhaps his biggest weakness is his three point shot. He shot just 29% from downtown last season on 2.5 attempts per game. His 67% from the charity stripe on 4.8 attempts per game is also concerning. And to top this all off, his mechanics are just flat out bad. Now yes, he’s still young, and his nice touch around the basket gives the development of his shot some faith, but I don’t see his three pointer developing into much more than it already is if you want the complete and honest truth, and that is not a good thing at all. Not to mention, he can’t create his own shot. He does have a solid handle, but he flat out can’t shoot off the dribble, and his lack of burst and control when driving to the hoop is why I have my questions about his slashing ability as well.

People will hate me for this ranking, but I’m just not high on Okoro at all. He’s shown flashes here and there offensively, but I don’t see him ever being a contributor on offense, and that’s an absolute killer. His defense is great, although one could argue he won’t even be the best defender in this class, but that’s not the point. The point is, his defense just doesn’t overcome his bad offense.

#25. Cassius Stanley

Shooting Guard/Small Forward / Duke / 21 Years Old

Cassius Stanley is a freshman prospect out of Duke University. Despite attending a school as prestigious as Duke, there’s a case to be made that Stanley is actually underrated. I am a firm believer that he is. The first thing that stands out about Stanley is most definitely his elite athleticism. He has an insane 44 inch vertical at the combine, which helps him in so many areas.

One area where Stanley dominates is in transition. He is constantly beating players in transition and finishing dunks. As a shooter, Stanley is a solid one in general, but he is particularly good off the catch. He shot 36% from three on three attempts per game, but he shot over 43% on catch and shoot threes, which will be his main role as a shooter in the NBA. Not to mention, his mechanics are great as a shooter.

On the glass, Stanley is very good, mainly due to his leaping ability. He’s not going to grab an insane amount of boards in the NBA, but it’s an asset of his. Defensively, Stanley has his positives and negatives. His footwork and overall fundamentals need to improve, but I believe he’s a much better defender than given credit for, and the upside is clearly there. He definitely has work to do defensively, but he did a great job in college, and he clearly has the athletic tools and effort to be a great defender, and I have faith in this.

With all of this being said, he’s still a poor ball handler as well that really struggles when driving to the hoop due to this and the fact that he gets tunnel vision and his touch around the hoop needs to improve. With all of this being said, I believe Stanley is being overlooked. He was forced into a very limited role at Duke that may have caused this, but there’s great two way potential with Stanley, and I believe he’s much closer to his ceiling than many may realize.

#24. RJ Hampton

Guard / New Zealand / 19 Years Old

People, such as myself, may not be as high on RJ Hampton as we were a year ago, but this 19 year old guard still has a lot of potential and is an intriguing prospect. Hampton is an amazing athlete, shifty athlete with great speed, and this is where most of his potential comes from. He is a menace in transition due to his speed, hustle, and ability to change direction, which is great for today’s NBA. In halfcourt sets, Hampton is great out of the pick-and-roll, not necessarily for shooting, but for getting to the hoop and dishing out dimes from time to time.

Hampton was at his best when he was attacking the hoop last season. He’s a creative finisher at the basket who gets downhill fast and does a really nice job of finishing above the rim thanks to his high vertical leap. As a playmaker, he isn’t bad by any means, but he isn’t anything special either. Hampton runs so much of his offense out of pick-and-roll sets as the ball handler, so if his vision could become a little more advanced, he would benefit tremendously. Defensively however, Hampton has real issues. His 6’7-6’8 wingspan paired with his amazing athleticism gives him a lot of defensive potential, but he’s still very raw here. His stance, footwork, IQ, effort, and fundamentals all need to improve on the defensive end of the court.

As a shooter, this is where Hampton will make or break his game. He has shown great flashes from behind the arc, and his form doesn’t look bad at all, but he was very, very inconsistent from three. He only shot 30% on 2.9 attempts per game last season, and his 68% from the freethrow line is worrisome, although that was on just 28 total free throws. Hampton just needs to improve his poor shooting footwork and balance. On a high note, Hampton has been working out with Memphis head coach Jerry Stackhouse and former NBA player Mike Miller, and he has made strides as both a shooter and a ball handler. If he can improve as a shooter, that’s awesome. If he can’t, Hampton’s upside takes a severe hit, and his impact won’t be very high.

Last, but not least, he’s got to get stronger. More strength would help Hampton finish through contact and draw more fouls, and it would also benefit him on the defensive end of the court. Hampton is a very raw, yet confident player. His play overseas helped us discover many question marks in his game that we were unaware of before, but he still maintains a very high ceiling, making him a very intriguing prospect.

Big Board So Far

#60. Jahmi’us Ramsey

#59. Cassius Winston

#58. Jay Scrubb

#57. Leandro Bolmaro

#56. Yam Madar

#55. Devon Dotson

#54. Nico Mannion

#53. Trevelin Queen

#52. Mason Jones

#51. Kevon Harris

#50. Reggie Perry