Charlotte Hornets 2020 NBA Draft Monthly Big Board: December Edition

#11-20

*Stats provided as of 12/2/19

Precious Achiuwa has a ton of talent, but he’s still fairly raw. Still, his upside is massive. The freshman is averaging 13.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, but is shooting 20 percent from deep. I believe he has one of the highest upsides in the draft, especially if he can develop that jumper even a little bit.

Going into the season, USC freshman Onyeka Okongwu was overlooked compared to other centers. Now, he may very well be the best center in this draft, and should be a lottery selection. He’s off to a very fast start, averaging 17.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. He’s an exciting prospect that can finish and protect the rim. He jumped +11 spots in this big board.

Arizona’s Josh Green has quickly become one of my favorite prospects in all of college basketball. He’s a hard-nosed defender (1.7 SPG) and is proving to be a shot-maker (13.0 PPG, 38% 3PT) as well. His two-way ability at 19 years old will attract teams picking late in the lottery. Compared to our previous big board, Green made a jump of +11.

Theo Maledon, the lengthy 6’5″ point guard from France, has a ton of upside. He’s not the best shooter yet, but he’s devastating in the open court with his size and speed. He’s got a good overall feel for the game on both ends of the court. In 13 games played this season, Maledon is averaging 5.5 points and 2.9 assists. Not the best numbers, but the upside is evident.

Dayton sophomore big Obi Toppin has blown up during his second college season, and could be a first round pick over the summer. He has a tremendous offensive skill set for his position, averaging 22.1 points and 8.6 rebounds. He can hurt you inside and outside and he’s not a bad defender, either.

Villanova doesn’t get a ton of one-and-done guys, but they may have one in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The 6’9″ big is averaging 13.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He’s a great athlete and is very fluid in transition. He’ll have the chance to be an intriguing two-way talent at the next level.

R.J. Hampton has been a highly coveted guard for years now, but I do feel that other guards are beginning to jump ahead of him when it comes to ranking. Still, Hampton has legit NBA skills that will likely earn him a first round selection. Playing in Australia, Hampton is averaging 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 23.2 minutes of action.

It’s been a breakout season thus far for Vanderbilt sophomore Aaron Nesmith. He leads the nation in three-pointers made and is shooting 54 percent from deep in the process. His scoring average is up from 11.0 to 23.7 and his defense has been very impressive. Nesmith is a two-way talent that could soar up big boards in the future. This is his debut on our big board.

Colorado’s combo-forward, Tyler Bey, continues to be one of the more underrated players in all of college basketball. He just plays hard and plays the right way, which really makes him an appealing prospect. He’s averaging a monster double-double of 14.2 points and 12.7 rebounds throughout the first six games of the season.

The one Arizona freshman who hasn’t gotten nearly enough of the recognition he deserves is Zeke Nnaji. This is his debut on our big board. The 6’11” big is averaging 17.1 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting an incredible 73% from the field. He finishes everything around the rim and could keep climbing our board if he keeps up this level of play.