The 2020 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Nico Mannion 2020 NBA Draft Profile.

Background

Position: Point Guard

Size: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds

School: Arizona

Class: Freshman

Mannion was a five-star recruit from Arizona and decided to stay in state for college and play for the Wildcats. He had a decent year for Arizona and is now one of a handful of prospects preparing for the 2020 NBA Draft.

As the point guard for Arizona, Mannion averaged 14 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He had six games where he scored 20 points or more. One of his best games came against Illinois, where he put up 21 points and nine assists. Mannion led the team to a 21-11 record, as the team was looking forward to an NCAA Tournament appearance before the season was cancelled.

He decided to t leave Arizona for the NBA after his one season in college basketball. Mannion is likely going to be selected in the middle of the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Strengths

Mannion is a good ball-handler and can be trusted to protect the ball. His ability to take care of the basketball means he can be trusted to run the point guard spot in the NBA, even though he is very young. He isn’t the best athlete, but he can use his handles to get around defenders and get to the basket. Mannion can keep everything under control as a calm and collected point guard.

He is able to set up his teammates well as a passer. Mannion averaged 5.3 assists per game at Arizona and showed the ability to find the open man in transition as well as in their halfcourt offense. In pick and roll or pick and pop situations, Mannion can be trusted to make the pass to the screener if they are open.

His shooting is solid from deep. He shot 32.7 percent from three-point range at Arizona, showcasing his ability to make open shots. Mannion will want to improve his shooting to become more of an offensive threat, but he has a good starting point to work from. He has shot better from deep before Arizona so it may take time for him to adjust to the NBA three-point line before he can really be successful in this area.

Weaknesses

Mannion does not have great height and length, as he stands at just 6-foot-3 and weighs 190 pounds. He’ll have to add strength to his frame to fill out a little bit, but his length is a bigger issue. With just a 6-foot-2.5 inch wingspan, it will be hard for Mannion to create separation on offense and contest shots on the defensive end of the floor.

He will be a below the basket player in the NBA, as he has some decent quickness, but he isn’t a great athlete. His handling and good first step quickness help him beat his man on offense, but better athletes will be able to recover and play good defense against him. While he tries on defense, his athleticism could hold him back there as well.

Because of his lack of height and athleticism, Mannion has shown to have trouble finishing at the basket consistently. He can make some layups where defenders are in close proximity, but often times he has trouble finishing with bigger players around. Mannion draws fouls well, which will help when he doesn’t convert, but he needs to convert more often when going to the basket.

Projected Draft Range: Mid-Late First Round Pick

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