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While much of the focus for Rookie of the Year has been on the 2020 NBA Draft's top picks, several young stars from the second round of selection have shown they have what it takes to compete at the top level.
Over the years, there have been numerous league champions that were overlooked in their draft class and fell below the top 30 picks. The likes of Draymond Green, Marc Gasol and Manu Ginobili were all second-round choices, while current MVP candidate Nikola Jokic was drafted 41st overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
This article will analyze five players from the 2020 NBA Draft class who have impressed despite being picked in the second round. All five have played in 20 games or more this season and in those matchups were on the floor for more than 10 minutes.
2020 NBA Draft: Ranking the top five most impressive second-round choices
Anthony Edwards currently leads the Rookie of the Year rankings for his NBA Draft class after LaMelo Ball's unfortunate injury looks to have put him out of the running. Further down the draft's pecking order, though, some of the league's other young stars are starting to flourish, benefitting from more frequent minutes on the floor. Let's take a look at our top five second-round NBA Draft picks.
#5 Nico Mannion
2020-21 NBA season: MP: 13.9, PPG: 5.0, AST: 2.6, TRB: 1.6, FG%: 34.4
Nico Mannion enjoyed an impressive nine games with the Santa Cruz Warriors this season before being recalled to the Golden State Warriors' roster in March. In the G-League, Mannion averaged 19.3 points and 6.9 assists and shot the ball at over 40% from the field.
His role with the Warriors going forward will very much be off the bench in support of Steph Curry. However, he has shown that he can provide efficient minutes and put up a career-high 19 points on the Sacramento Kings at the end of last month.
The 48th overall pick in the NBA Draft ranks top in our list for free-throw percentage, making 80% of attempts and grabbing 0.7 steals in his limited minutes.
Coming to the franchise where his father was also drafted will have been a dream come true for the 20-year-old. His ability can only improve under the experienced tutelage of championship winners.
#4 Saben Lee
2020-21 NBA season: MP: 15.4, PPG: 5.7, AST: 3.3, TRB: 1.9, FG%: 47.8
For a guard, it is impressive to see the Detroit Pistons' Saben Lee rank third for field-goal percentage among those from the second round of the NBA Draft who play significant minutes (> 10).
Initially selected by the Utah Jazz as the 38th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Lee will be thankful that he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he has seen more playing time in a team that is rebuilding for next season.
In fact, over the last 10 games, Lee's minutes have been upped to 17.8 per game and he has continued to shoot the ball above 45%.
Lee is also extremely efficient with his time on the floor, averaging 10.6 assists per 100 possessions and has an offensive rating of 115. In a team with several other young stars and fellow rookie Saddiq Bey, Lee will be able to develop and gain a regular starting spot in the coming seasons.
#3 Kenyon Martin Jr.
2020-21 NBA season: MP: 19.3, PPG: 7.1, AST: 0.7, TRB: 4.6, FG%: 55.3
Kenyon Martin Jr. was the lowest-picked player in the NBA Draft on our list but pushes Xavier Tillman for the second-best performing rookie from the second round. The 20-year-old was originally selected by the Sacramento Kings before being traded to Houston. Martin Jr. has been a backup forward for the franchise this campaign.
Martin Jr. is an athletic player who leads the second-round selections for rebounds per matchup and is not afraid of attacking the rim, as can be seen in his posterizing dunk below.
Despite having a losing season, the Houston Rockets have plenty of young talent for the years ahead. They will be excited about the development Martin Jr. can show after a solid breakout campaign.
#2 Xavier Tillman
2020-21 NBA season: MP: 18.4, PPG: 6.2, AST: 1.4, TRB: 4.2, FG%: 52.6
Michigan State center Xavier Tillman fell to 35th in the NBA Draft but has made a name for himself as a backup to Jonas Valanciunas at the Memphis Grizzlies. It's a tough role for any rookie to play, but the big man appears to be growing in confidence as the season has gone on.
Tillman currently ranks second in rebounds per game among those drafted in the second round and is also second in field-goal percentage among those that start regularly. The 22-year-old has also already amassed a defensive win share of 1.1 and has a +/- rating of +1, being one of only four rookies that has played more than 15 minutes to have a positive rating.
#1 Theo Maledon
2020-21 NBA season: MP: 27.3, PPG: 9.7, AST: 3.4, TRB: 3.4, FG%: 37.4
The Oklahoma City Thunder are putting together quite the array of young talent in their season of development. OKC acquired French guard Theo Maledon from the Philadelphia 76ers after he was chosen 34th in the NBA Draft. The 19-year-old has quickly become accustomed to life as a starter.
Maledon has been in the Thunder's starting lineup for 32 out of 48 games this season and has enjoyed a particularly consistent run while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been out injured.
The OKC guard is beginning to find his stride in the league and has scored double-digit points in 22 matchups this season, topped off with his season-high 33 points against the Phoenix Suns at the beginning of the month.
The teenager leads all of the NBA Draft's second-round picks in points per night, assists and minutes. From the beginning of March until now, he ranks fourth among all rookies for points at 12.7 per matchup and was afforded the fourth-most field-goal attempts, sinking 35.8%.
Guess the Lakers players!
