5 Best defensive players in NBA Draft 2020
The NBA Draft 2020 class has been rated by some experts as average. However, the top picks could have an impact in the league, and there are some specialists who could become great assets in the upcoming NBA seasons. In this article, we rank the five best defensive players in the NBA Draft 2020.
5 Best defenders in NBA Draft 2020
Naturally, the offense was a key aspect of the teams' evaluations of the prospects of the NBA Draft 2020. Nonetheless, Anthony Edwards was the first overall pick and his defense is highly-rated, along with his athleticism.
Defending in the NBA is an art that not every player manages to master during his career. However, teams with a solid defensive identity can aspire to achieve great things. Every franchise wants to be solid at protecting their rim and minimizing their rivals' offense.
The NBA Draft 2020 had some rock-solid defenders whose skillset will likely translate to the NBA too.
#5 Tre Jones - 41st pick in NBA Draft 2020
Tre Jones is a 6'3'' guard out of Duke who was picked with the 11th pick of the second round in NBA Draft 2020. He will play for the San Antonio Spurs.
Jones is a great perimeter defender who covers passing lanes well and can steal the ball by intercepting passing lanes. He also averaged 1.8 steals per game in his college career.
Tre Jones is a great on-ball defender who puts constant pressure on opposition guards. Moreover, Jones excels at guarding pick-and-roll situations, and he is smart while going around screens on defense.
#4 Precious Achiuwa - 20th pick in NBA Draft 2020
6'9'' Nigerian forward, Precious Achiuwa, was selected by the reigning Eastern Conference Champions, Miami Heat.
Achiuwa is a solid defender, as he showed in his only year at Memphis. He is a great rebounder and a nice rim protector for his size. Of course, the NBA is a completely different level, but he could be an asset for the Heat. He was the 20th pick of the NBA Draft 2020 and is a good addition to Miami's defensive crew.
Achiuwa was an elite defender in college. The Nigerian forward led the American Athletic Conference in defensive rating, defensive win shares, rebounds per game, total rebounds, and defensive rebounds.
More importantly, he ranked third in blocked shots. His defensive rating was 82.5, which led the entire ACC by almost three points.