2020 NBA Draft: Who will pick Josh Green? Aussie swingman a hot target for Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks
With the NBA draft looming large, one of the picks that Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks have expressed interest in is Australian rookie Josh Green. The name was a regular in multiple mock drafts, according to ESPN. The Athletic and Bleacher Report threw up the name in their mock rosters and felt he was a neat fit in the Brooklyn Nets camp. (Please note the mock draft predictions does not reflect the views of the Nets).
The 19-year-old from New South Wales moved to the US when he was 13 and was one of the top players in high schoolbefore playing a season with the University of Arizona. The 2019-20 season with Arizona saw him play 30 games with a 12 PPG and a 4.6 RPG.
In addition, he had 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Wildcats as a freshman while shooting 36.1% from three-point range. Green, according to the NBA official site has been looked at as one of the versatile defensers with size, speed and the ability to defend across multiple positions. His ball-handling is quite impressive and with a bit of fine-tuning, can be a prize asset for the Nets.
At 6-foot-6, Green was a top 10 recruit and was picked for the McDonald’s All-American Game and recruited by Villanova, North Carolina and Kansas before he finally zeroed in on Arizona. The shooting guard has had quite the reviews from experts. The Stadium's Jeff Goodman says he can be a elite defender. "Green is an athletic wing originally from Australia who can become an elite defender, and he’s shown the ability to thrive in transition and knock down enough shots from the perimeter to keep defenses honest."
The NBADraft.Net called him an impact player. "Considered a likely late lottery to mid first round pick … Looks to be an impactful role player early on in his career, which will give him good minutes," the site reckoned. "Won’t be a star right away but a year or two of development on a consistent jump shot will turn him from good to great.” According to the New York Post, some of the talent scouts and evaluators, with an eye on the teams' requirements felt Green would do well with the New York Knicks.
"He’s an NBA athlete,’’ one NBA scout said reviewing Green. "He excels in transition and has potential as a defender with good awareness. He probably still needs to improve his outside shooting," according to the site, while another added he was "a perfect fit" for the Knicks.
What are your thoughts on which team would lap up Green? The NBA Draft will be held on November 18.