Why I Expect an International Flavor to the 2020 2nd Round

For the next few weeks, I plan on putting out a few shorter-burst philosophy pieces to talk about predicting what teams do as a means of informing how each should act. This piece, particular to 2020's draft and not a longstanding belief that is transferrable to multiple years. It surveys the current climate we're in and makes predictions as such.

The global COVID pandemic has challenged and changed the way this draft takes place. From delaying nearly five months to cancelling draft workouts, this has been anything but a typical cycle. To expect that, once draft night arrives, that cycle will cease to have an impact on who gets drafted where would be short-sighted. Next season, we may not have a G-League season, with travel being limited and budgets being slashed from the top of the league.

​As a result, I would expect a long run on international or draft-and-stash prospects in the second round of the draft. There are many ways this manifests itself, but let's break it down here.