Season 3 Draft Recap - NBA 2K League

Season 3 Draft Recap

This article represents the opinions and thoughts of the writer and not of the NBA or the NBA 2K League.

After an epic journey of team tournaments, Qualifiers, Invitationals and the Combine, the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft delivered by Panera has officially come to a close. A total of 68 players were selected out of a pool of 229 and they will now begin preparations for the regular season. Let’s go team by team and break down their selections. To read about each team’s need heading into the draft, check out our article here.

76ers GC (Needs: Lock to replace Newdini, 6th man)
Picks:
47. USERPICK
67. TuckerLocksUp

After speaking with Head Coach Jeff Terrell, it is very clear he got the two guys he wanted. He especially noted how well USERPICK played last season at Lock without a Rim Protector playing behind him, so adding him to the defensive wall that is the Breadwinner-Steez combo down low could be lethal. The TuckerLocksUp pick gives them versatility at the 6th man spot and gives Coach Terrell a 2-season veteran with experience in the role. It was a tough draft to mess up with the roster they already have, but 76ers GC walk away with as good of a starting 5 as you’re going to find in the league heading into Season 3. The Season 2 runner-ups have cemented themselves as title contenders once again.

Blazer5 Gaming (Needs: G, PF)
Picks:
40. Hood
66. OOC SLIM

Blazer5 entered the offseason needing a secondary scoring option in the backcourt next to Mama Im Dat Man. After a full offseason and the Draft, they’ve seemingly addressed that need. A combination of Hood, Majes7ic, and OOC Slim gives them three bites at the apple to ensure they have someone to fill that role. Hood will be playing for his fourth team in three years, but has connections with both OneWildWalnut and Mama that date back a long time, so it appears this could be a situation that sticks. OOC Slim at the 6th man spot is a fine pick, especially after their 6th man for the past two seasons, Jomar12-PR, got picked by Pacers Gaming in the 2nd Round. 1st-year coach Sceeezus has a heck of a roster to work with.

Bucks Gaming (Needs: PG, Lock, PF/C)
Picks:
12. Regg
33. Squidris
53. TDJ
58. ChaChingSingh

It was inevitable that one of the top-ranked point guards was going to fall, but the fact that it was Regg surprised many. Arguably the best player in the entire draft class, Bucks Gaming got a potential franchise-changing point guard at No. 12 overall. After being selected Regg was feeling fortunate, claiming that Milwaukee was the team he wanted to play for, but never imagined it would ever happen. He joins a great core of Plondo and Regg’s good friend, Arooks. The rest of their Draft was all about supporting those guys on the defensive end and filling out a starting 5. Nabbing two incredibly versatile players in Squidris and TDJ were excellent selections. Squidris proved on Knicks Gaming last year that he can play multiple positions at a high level and TDJ has been playing multiple positions in pro-am next to Arooks for years. ChaChingSingh is the 6th-man cherry on top of a delicious Bucks sundae, a true candidate for the best draft of any team this year.

https://twitter.com/IlRegglI/status/1231967019530096641?s=20

Cavs Legion GC (Needs: 6th man)
Picks:
59. JoshJay

Slow night in Cleveland, Ohio with only one pick to make in the draft. After waiting 58 picks, Cavs Legion picked up JoshJay at No. 59. Some of you may know him better as ClassicLoc, but a name change doesn’t change his skill level. He’s a talented shooter who can shoot the 3-ball very well, a point proven by him dropping 33.7 PPG during the Combine. He’s a through-and-through shooter, so Cavs Legion is really banking on Doza improving as a point guard without a true backup on the roster.

CLTX Gaming (Needs: 6th man)
Picks:
64. TOOXCOOL

A trade saw CLTX Gaming moving up to take oFAB’s pro-am teammate and former Blazer5 starter, TOOXCOOL (formerly Daveed 3x). The trade had them sending their 4th round pick (#66 overall) and a 2021 3rd for Blazer5’s 4th round pick (#64 overall) and a 2021 4th. This CLTX lineup needed another big man and TOOXCOOL is capable of playing both the PF and C positions at a high level. Whether he gets playing time this season is up for debate, but his talent can’t be denied.

Gen.G (Needs: Everything except a Lock)
Picks:
5. ShiftyKaii
21. Deadeye
32. x I Kno Killeyy
34. Gen
56. Luck_Yi_Wesley

Wow! From a talent perspective, first-year coach Len Griffey seemingly aced his test with his five picks. A backcourt of ShiftyKaii and Killeyy should be an instant offensive force in the league and a combination of Gen and Deadeye in the frontcourt is a great combo. Gen usually plays at the sharp spot, but he’s one of the best pure shooters in the Draft and seems eager to make it work at the 4. Alongside them is the first player ever to be drafted from China, Lucky_Yi_Wesley! Check out his twitter video below and you can see just how excited he is to join the Shanghai Tigers. All 5 join Season 2 champion Turnupdefense for a roster that will be one to keep an eye on this season.

Grizz Gaming (Needs: Sharp, PF, 6th man)
Picks:
45. Jrod
54. Lav

GM Lang Whitaker had a plan coming into the offseason to improve the roster without touching the core. He succeeded on that plan in a big way and brings Jrod to back a stacked roster. The way Lang actually puts together his starting 5 remains to be seen. He has Vandi and Goofy penciled in at PG and C, but he has to decide where to place AuthenticAfrican, Ddouble, and Jrod at the 2, 3, and 4. Regardless, the talent is undeniable and adding Lav only adds more depth to their backcourt. Grizz Gaming is definitely a team to watch for Season 3.

Hawks Talon GC (Needs: Everything except PG, Lock)
Picks:
16. Lee
38. Kel
46. followTHEGOD
62. Arkele

Before we talk about the players that were picked, it needs to be stressed once more that Hawks Talon GC is not building a typical 2K League team. They are hyper-focused on building the perfect Bp support team after making the blockbuster trade for him this offseason. With that being said, they mostly achieved that goal. Lee and followTHEGOD are good defensive players and should be a fine frontcourt with Atlanta-raised Kel being added as Bp’s lead shooter on the perimeter. There may have been more “talented” guys on the board when the Hawks decided on their picks, but again, this wasn’t about accumulating the most talent, this was about building the perfect team for Bp.

Heat Check Gaming (Needs: Everything except C)
Picks:
8. Glennratty7688
13. Shiftay
41. Delusion_HD
48. King Peroxide
49. Deedz

GM FamousEnough is not messing around. He went best player available at almost every single spot and leaves the draft with a fascinating roster. Their backcourt will likely feature a dual-ball handler system of Glennratty7688 and Delusion_HD that has a ton of scoring potential. Shiftay was widely regarded as one of the three best wings in the entire draft and having him play next to 2-year pro King PeroXide, now back at his natural position at PF, is a great call. The bow on top of the Heat Check present is former Jazz Gaming player, Deedz, who can play either as a wing or big when needed and is a prime 6th man. You want to make Hotshot happy? This is the caliber team you draft.

Hornets Venom GT (Needs: Everything except C)
Picks:
6. Expose
18. Snubby
19. Zae
28. Trap
55. Gliz

This Hornets Venom GT team has NachoTraynor’s fingerprints all over it. A team that echoes T-Wolves Gaming of last season, the Hornets strategy was not necessarily to nab the best players but to try and build the best team. Were there better PGs on the board when Expose got picked? Same thing with Snubby at SG or Zae at PF? You could make a “yes” argument for all three, however, the strength of this team comes from how well it all fits together. Expose is a fantastic passer and pairing him with arguably the best rookie spot-up shooter in Snubby is a calculated move. Zae and Trap are two of the smartest defenders in the Draft and putting them with Type is a bit unfair. If they find that the team isn’t scoring enough around mid-season, Gliz can slot in at the 3 or 4 and provide some easy scoring off the bench. Nacho clearly paid attention last season with T-Wolves Gaming, another team that may not have had the MOST “talent,” but became the best “team” by the end of the season.

Jazz Gaming (Needs: PG, PF, 6th man)
Picks:
10. Splashy
31. GetonMylevel41
57. Lord Beezus

Jazz Gaming is in the middle of a big change. Yeah I Compete is moving off of point guard and Utah found his replacement with Splashy at No. 10 overall. He’s a very good player and is one of the best pure scorers in the entire draft. Pairing him with GetOnMyLevel is going to make the Jazz lethal from 3-point range, especially with Lotty_ likely playing on a 2-way build this season representing even more shooting. Lord Beezus was a great pick at No. 57 and should perform well at the 4 or as a 6th man. Their starting 5 is a bit of a mystery right now, but their talent has undeniably improved from last year. One thing to note about Splashy is that he was full of energy on draft night. He figures to be a great influence on that team, despite his young age.

Kings Guard Gaming (Needs: PG, Lock, Center, 6th man)
Picks:
3. Crush
17. BASH
26. Nasthetic

Kings Guard came into the draft primarily needing a Lock and a PG. They quickly crossed off both by adding Crush and Bash in the 1st round. It was rumored for weeks that Crush wasn’t going to make it past the third pick and with that coming true, it all came down to the PG they took at 17. The Kings decided to stay West Coast and pick up California-native Bash, known as a stellar passer. For a team that has multiple veterans and guys who can score in BallLikeSeem and DatBoyShotz, Bash is an excellent fit on this roster. Nasthetic, who may wind up as the 6th man, can flat-out get buckets. He’ll be a great 6th man if they need more shooting on the perimeter.

Knicks Gaming (Needs: PG, Lock, C, 6th man)
Picks:
2. Duck
15. CantGuardRob
25. BigRiM
36. NIKO

You never want to jump to conclusions too quickly, but on paper, the Season 1 champs may be back. Duck is the perfect franchise PG to replace the retired Kuda and CantGuardRob was the top-ranked Center on most team’s boards. Getting BigRiM outside of the 1st round is a bonafide steal and NIKO (you know of him as EhTruth) is an elite prospect at the PF position. The only two questions left about their roster is who starts at PF between Hazza and NIKO, which is a really good problem to have. The other is a question of who becomes the leader of this team. Duck is who the team will look to first, but he’s still a rookie, and while it could be Hazza, he may not be a starter every week. Filling out leadership roles for this team will be just as important as the starting 5, but they have the right players on the roster and for now, that’s all that matters.

Lakers Gaming (Needs: PG, PF, 6th man)
Picks:
7. SAV
24. Tactuk
44. Dweq

Lakers Gaming had a huge challenge on their hands in the Draft. Despite their 3-13 record last year, they were unable to secure a top 5 pick in the lottery and dropped all the way to No. 7. The good news? They appear to have nailed the Draft. Sav at #7 is the point guard they dreamed about last season and bringing his personality to LA is a match made in Hollywood. A huge need at lock was filled when player-turned-coach Insanity picked coach-turned-player Tactuk, who helmed Bucks Gaming in Season 2. Dweq was a great sleeper for them to develop off the bench. If Mootyy, Kev and Vert can return to playing at a high-level, we could see an instant run around from the Tinsel Town 2K Players.

Magic Gaming (Needs: Sharp, 6th man)
Picks:
35. Profusion
60. djbama

Relatively low-key draft for Magic Gaming, who came into the night with their top four set in stone. They needed a sharp and took the best unretained one from Season 2 in Profusion. Coach Jonah Edwards decided to not mess around with a rookie in his starting 5 and will roll out an entire team full of league veterans. Jonah spoke with us about Profusion’s ability to conform to the league’s meta and his long-term relationship with multiple members on the team as their basis for picking him. He also pointed to how well he will complement Reizey on the offensive end, which makes sense as Profusion was one of the best 3-point shooters in the whole league last season. djbama was a good 6th man pick and can play either guard spots or at the 3 if needed.

Mavs Gaming (Needs: PF, 6th man)
Picks:
39. Sleetys_
63. Spartan

Much like Magic Gaming, it was a relatively uneventful night for the Mavs and they ended up going with the player they were widely-expected to take. Sleetys_ has been playing with Dimez on their pro-am team Breakout for a long time and can be easily slotted in at Rux’s spot. He’s a good two-way player, Dallas found a good one with him. Spartan will be a useful player as their 6th man this season.

Nets GC (Needs: PG, Lock, PF, 6th man)
Picks:
9. Choc DF
29. Randomz
50. Potts

The Nets plan for the Draft — and for the season — was predicated on their decision at No. 9. With that pick, they chose Choc DF, signaling that Wavy’s time at the 1 may be over. Choc is going to be one of the most-watched players in the league and his social following and ability to create content could elevate NetsGC to the top of the league. Randomz and Potts filled out the roster and gives Coach OG King Curt two really smart players at lock and at the 4 respectively. If this team can find the consistency they didn’t have last year, this team could be real good real soon.

https://twitter.com/choc/status/1231340370539286529?s=20

Pacers Gaming (Needs: PG, PF, 6th man)
Picks:
4. BOHIO-
23. Jomar-12PR
61. Bobby Buckets

No Draft would be complete without Head Coach Cody Parrent sending everybody for a loop with one of his picks. He started off the day by picking BOHIO- at No. 4 overall, securing the top-end point guard he has been missing for two seasons. After that, the opinion of how their Draft went is up to the individual. Nabbing $250K MyTeam tournament winner and 2-year vet Jomar-12PR with the 1st pick of the 2nd round registered as a surprise to many, but Cody’s love for MyTeam players is well-documented, especially last season when he took two of the best in Matty and Lord Beezus. Jomar-12PR might not necessarily play Center, but Jomar-12PR is really skilled at 2K and can play most positions effectively. Bobby Buckets is a great story and his self-made Draft Hopefuls video went viral in the 2K community that showed off what he could bring to a roster as a 6th man.

Pistons GT (Needs: PF, 6th man, Lock?)
Picks:
14. Charger
43. LYKaPRO

In past seasons, GM Adam Rubin has taken chances on some lesser-known guys. This year? He did the opposite. He selected a very talented and well-known player in Charger at No. 14 overall. Charger has been playing with Demon JT and Ramo on Space Jam for years and will play either lock or PF, depending on what they decided to do with Joseph. The LYKaPRO pick gives him a 3rd chance at finding league success, but where he plays remains to be seen. Demon JT was acquired to play PG this season and with DevGoss in tow, his path to playtime is unknown. Regardless, the roster turnover for this team is something that really needs to be acknowledged. From the last game of Season 2 to the start of Season 3, it’s hard to argue any team has improved more on paper.

Raptors Uprising GC (Needs: Sharp, Lock, PF)
Picks:
11. Timelycook
27. Wuan
42. Reece
52. Legit 973

Raptors Uprising’s plan was simple, support Kenny and Sick x 973. Timelycook and Reece have played with Kenny for years and give him two talented defenders on the wing who can also shoot the ball well from the perimeter. Wuan is really the key to all of this. A high-ceiling player, Wuan could be one of the best picks in this entire Draft. He doesn’t come without a bit of risk, but his upside is undeniable. One of the best moments in the entire Draft was when Toronto took Legit 973, Sick’s little brother. His emotions after he got picked when he embraced his brother was a beautiful moment that showed just how powerful getting drafted can be for some. He’ll take the 6th man role and according to Sick, continue to teach his brother how to dribble.

T-Wolves Gaming (Needs: Lock, 6th man)
Picks:

22. Big Saint
68. Detoxys

T-Wolves Gaming had an easy job in the draft: Select a replacement at lock for Turnupdefense at No. 22 and get a quality 6th man at No. 68. They did just that and got two very good fits at both spots. Big Saint is a good friend of BearDaBeast and a very good player in his own right. One of the best on-ball defenders in the entire Draft, he should serve as a fine replacement for Turnup and continue the good chemistry the team had last season. Detoxys is a 2-year pro who is now on his 3rd team. This is probably the best team he’s been on so far, so how much playing time he gets remains to be seen.

Warriors Gaming Squad (Needs: Big, 6th man)
Picks:
20. Slaughter
65. Matty

How Slaughter made it all the way to 20, we’ll never know. The Warriors saw arguably the best available center in the draft fall to them, giving them the perfect replacement for Type. A perfect fit for what they need down low, Slaughter will add another dimension as an offensive player and should make the pick and roll with CB13 a lethal combination. Matty will play the 6th man role after playing with Pacers Gaming in Season 2.

Wizards District Gaming: PG, Lock, PF, 6th man
Picks:
1. JBM
30. Just Awkward
37. Newdini
51. BRICH

Wizards DG selected JBM No. 1 overall, ending months of speculations about who they were going to select. JBM is a fantastic prospect, more of a floor general than a pure scorer, and he should be the perfect player to run the offense with ReeseDaGod and Dayfri. Just Awkward and Newdini should be a formidable defensive combo, however, it’ll be interesting to see if Newdini stays at the lock all season. He played point guard most of the offseason and at the combine so that positional versatility could help. With BRICH they’re getting another player who primarily played point guard, but it could just be an insurance policy.