Basketball is one of the most beloved sports. People rely on it for entertainment and community bonding. However, due to the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, everything has suffered, including Basketball.
Along with the sport, the selection of new talent to Basketball is also taking a hit. NBA Draft of 2020 is facing many challenges because of the nation-wide lockdowns and the distancing norms imposed by the Government.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball association in North America and is composed of 30 teams. One of the four major sports leagues in America, the NBA holds drafts every year to recruit new members to the teams.
Here is all you need to know about the NBA Draft 2020.
How does the NBA Draft work?
Before we delve into the changes in the NBA Draft, it is essential first to understand how it works.
The 30 teams of the NBA take turns choosing players. When they choose a player, it is called a pick. Worse performing teams that are the teams that won fewer matches get to pick the players first. This lets bad teams become better by selecting good players.
Generally, the 14 teams that had not qualified for play-offs the previous year pick first in reverse order of their rankings.
The Draft is divided into two rounds. Both the rounds allow 30 picks, which means there are a total of 60 picks in the whole Draft.
Every team has one choice per round, but sometimes, a team can have more than one selection in a round or none at all. It is because teams can trade exchange picks for players for other Draft picks or money.
The impact of the pandemic on the Draft
This year the draft slots have come down to 60. The number has reduced from 175 from last year. It's almost 20 players fewer than 2018's incomparable record number of 181 declarations.
Various coaches and scouts believe that the surge of COVID-19 has made an enormous impact on the Draft's early entry trend.
There is a possibility that before the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) deadline that is on June 3, many players will withdraw their names and go back to school. It's also possible that the NCAA deadline will get extended because of the pandemic as well.
The NBA has already announced that it will postpone the Draft Lottery and Draft Combine. They were both scheduled to take place in the latter half of May. With the season on a halt, 14 lottery teams remain undecided.
We will possibly see more than half of the 163 registered classmen returning to schools. It will not come as a surprise because Basketball's global economy is in dangerous waters.
What the future holds for the NBA Draft
The NBA Draft 2020 will take place this year on June 25 in the Barclays stadium of Brooklyn, New York. NBA teams will be selecting amateur college basketball players from US Universities and other eligible players, including international players.
The much-awaited sports event will be televised on ESPN. While the NBA has not yet announced any rescheduling changes regarding the Draft, it may get postponed due to the pandemic.
205 candidates have declared for the early entry line with 163 players from colleges and institutions and 42 international players. Even though most players will decide to go back to colleges, there are still many basketball stars that have certain unpredictability.
The Draft order is not set yet, and teams are trying to evaluate their prospects. Unlike last year, when Zion Williamson headlines the class, it is not clear who will go number one this year.
Top rookies like Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Killian Hayes, LaMelo Ball, are all competing for the top spot among others.
The bottom line
The future of Basketball in the global market is in jeopardy, which is making all NBA proceedings vulnerable. However, all hope is still not lost with the NBA Draft looking at some great new selections this year.
If the Draft does take place at the end of June, it will be a sigh of relief for the NBA and Basketball fans alike. If the NBA Draft becomes successful, Basketball lovers still have a chance of looking forward to a great season.
