Charlotte Hornets 2020 NBA Draft Monthly Big Board: A shakeup at the top

#11-20

*Stats provided as of 1/14/20

Duke freshman Vernon Carey Jr has a bit of an old-school game, and that’s perfectly fine. He’s always going to be extremely productive on the court, finishing around the rim and rebounding the ball. His perimeter skills aren’t the greatest, and neither is his defense, but his production (17.4 points, 8.6 rebounds) in just 23.6 minutes is hard to ignore.

Tre Jones made a great decision returning to Duke for his sophomore year. He’s taken his game to another level this season, averaging 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting 45 percent overall and 37 percent from deep. He’s efficient, he’s an elite defender and I have a feeling a team picking late in the first round will fall in love with him.

Josh Green is a really promising “3&D” prospect from Arizona. The 6’6″ guard got off to a fast start for the Wildcats, but has struggled a bit with consistency since then, which should be expected from a 19 year old. Green is averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists so far this season, shooting 44 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep.

He started the season a bit slow, but Precious Achiuwa has been dominant as of late, solidifying his status as a potential lottery selection. He’s an intriguing prospect with his size and mobility. He can switch and guard the perimeter, which is a really valuable skill to have in today’s game. Achiuwa is averaging 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds and was recently named the AAC Freshman of the Week.

Paul Reed continues to be one of my favorite prospects in all of college basketball. I love everything about his game. He moves very well for his size, protects the rim, is improving as a shooter and can switch on the perimeter. He’s also got a soft-touch floater in his bag. The junior is averaging 15.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks.

He’s out with a stress fracture right now, but Aaron Nesmith made a name for himself before his injury, averaging 23.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals for Vanderbilt as a sophomore. His stock has soared this season, so hopefully this injury doesn’t stop that momentum. I love his all-around potential on both ends of the floor.

Boy, it sure is a plus to have size and length at the point guard position, and that’s exactly what France’s Theo Maledon has. He stands 6’4″ with a 6’8″ wingspan. Maledon is a dynamic athlete in the open court with long strides. He can finish around the basket, has a floater and is slowly improving as a shooter. He’s averaging 5.4 points and 2.2 assists in 15.4 minutes so far this season.

Deni Avdija hasn’t played a big role for his club during the 2019-20 season, but we’ve seen enough of him in the past to get a good assessment of his talent. He’s a do-it-all point forward that is capable of creating for himself. He’s only 19 years old, is 6’8″ and can play three different positions right away.

Killian Hayes continues to make an impression playing overseas at a very high level. The 18 year old point guard is averaging 12.8 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 39 percent from downtown in 10 games played this season. He can score from all three levels, has good size for his position and is improving as a playmaker.

Jaden McDaniels, the brother of Charlotte Hornets rookie Jalen McDaniels, has one of the highest upsides of anyone in this draft class. McDaniels is super long and lengthy at 6’9″, which helps him on both ends of the court. He can create his own shot, but his decision making is shaky right now. The freshman is averaging 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds for Washington this season.