21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Thomas Bryant
The basic stats say Bryant should have gone several picks earlier, but his 18.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per 36 minutes have yet to improve the quality of his team's play. Bryant's on-off splits have been negative in all three years of his career.
He's an efficient scorer, particularly inside, as he's been above the 88th percentile among bigs in points per attempt over the last two years. His defense is brutal, though, and Bryant will have to improve there to avoid being an empty-stats producer who winds up spending lots of time running up numbers for losing teams.
22. Brooklyn Nets: Justin Jackson
A low-usage wing who's shown intermittent shooting skill, Jackson hit 37.2 percent from deep in 29 games with the Mavs down the stretch of the 2018-19 season. He's regressed in 2019-20, falling to 29.8 percent on long balls and disappearing a bit too often.
Still, the lanky 6'7" forward has the frame and stay-out-of-the-way game good teams covet in role-playing wings. A little added muscle would make a lot of difference to his defense, and Jackson is quietly an efficient scorer inside the arc, particularly on contested floaters.
23. Toronto Raptors: Chris Boucher
As skinny as skinny gets, the originally undrafted Boucher relies on length and energy to finish above the rim on one end and defend it on the other.
It's been tough for the G League vet to secure consistent playing time in the Raptors' stacked frontcourt, so landing with his real-life team won't open up any extra opportunities. Toronto fans will probably be happy to have Boucher back in the fold, though, as his minutes are always exciting.
Don't forget: He played a key role in the largest comeback in Raptors history, scoring 21 points, blocking four shots and hitting the go-ahead bucket to beat the Mavericks on Dec. 22, 2019.
24. Utah Jazz: Harry Giles III
Knee troubles caused Giles to slip in the draft, miss his entire rookie season and play just 96 games over the last two years. The red flags are flying high from a health perspective.
The 6'11" center was an elite high school prospect with obvious skills. He's a bold, intuitive passer who, despite missing so much time, exudes confidence and competes hard. A player with such a long injury history shouldn't dive on the floor as often as Giles does, but that hustle is endearing.
Good hands produce a high steal rate for Giles, and he's been a quality defensive rebounder while averaging 7.0 points per game for the Kings over the last two years. The odds of good health seem slim, but there's a nonzero chance that Giles, if his body cooperates, turns into a high-energy facilitator who wreaks havoc on defense.
25. Orlando Magic: Josh Jackson
Jackson effectively washed out with the Suns, landing with the Grizzlies following a salary-dump trade in October 2019. Phoenix had already declined Jackson's fourth-year option, a drastic step for a player picked fourth overall.
After some G League purgatory, Jackson has made the most of his chance with Memphis, improving his shot selection and playing under better control after a frighteningly freewheeling two years with the Suns. It's not right to say Jackson has reclaimed his game, but he's an athletic 6'8" forward with obvious upside. He's worth a flier this late.
26. Portland Trail Blazers: Semi Ojeleye
Combat muscles and a reputation for defending Giannis Antetokounmpo about as effectively as any human can are Ojeleye's calling cards. A ripped-up 6'6", the combo forward can hold his ground against anyone. All it'd take to secure a 10-year career would be a moderately improved off-the-dribble game and a touch more accuracy from deep.
Offensively, Ojeleye is strictly a catch-and-shoot three-point specialist, so his career conversion rate of 33.3 percent has to come up. Encouragingly, he's hit 36.7 percent of his treys in 61 games during the 2019-20 season.
27. Brooklyn Nets: Malik Monk
Monk was suspended indefinitely in February for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug program. That obviously casts doubt over his future, and it's not even a certainty the streaky scoring guard will have a role in the NBA going forward.
Never stingy with the flash, Monk's game felt purposefully built for a future as a bench spark plug—right down to the high-usage, barely tolerable efficiency makeup that always seems to define those types of players.
Maybe that's unfair to Monk, though. He shot over 50 percent from the field in each of his six 20-point games during 2019-20.
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Damyean Dotson
Damyean Dotson shoots a pretty ball, and he looks very much like a future three-point specialist when he takes a little hop into his shot without hesitation. Though he hasn't settled into a clear role, never playing more than three consecutive games of over 20 minutes, he's posted double figures in 13 of his 48 contests.
We've received a handful of hints that Dotson can create his own looks, but he's mostly a spot-up threat at the moment. If he defends more consistently and gets his three-point percentage (36.2) up a tick or two, he might find himself back in the semiregular starting role he occupied in 2018-19.
29. San Antonio Spurs: Terrance Ferguson
You might not meet much resistance if you argued Ferguson has been the worst regular starting guard in the NBA. He's averaging 4.2 points on 37.2 percent from the field in 2019-20.
Nonetheless, the soon-to-be 22-year-old has the willowy 6'6" frame, boundless athleticism and a highlight reel that demands patience. He's one in a long line of physically gifted Thunder picks who the franchise hopes it can teach how to shoot. It's not too late for that plan to finally work out, and maybe a Spurs system with a great track record for player development would coax the most out of Ferguson's game.
30. Utah Jazz: Jordan Bell
Bell has the speed, hops and versatility you'd want in a modern undersized frontcourt defender, but he hasn't quite nailed down the nuances of NBA basketball. He's often lost on defense, and it was common to see Warriors teammates telling a confused Bell where he was supposed to be during his first two years.
Bell has the potential to be a switchable, rim-running difference-maker. He had a five-by-five game in the 2017 summer league, which...sure, it's summer league. But that's a clue as to what potential exists in the 6'8" forward. He just has to solidify his grasp on the small stuff.
