Guest Javier Pesquera believes LaMelo Ball is the 2020 draft class’ top prospect and accordingly expects him to go No. 1 to the Timberwolves (Foxlifevisuals/Creative Commons).

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Javier Pesquera, roving NBA draft analyst and occasional consultant for The Stepien, returns to break down the fast-approaching 2020 draft. Then, after the break, Agu Ibañez Baldor stops by to discuss his book, “Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Teams in NBA History.”

*Due to dynamic advertising, time stamps may vary:

Javier Pesquera at 7:28-7:39: “At No. 1, I do have LaMelo Ball in his own tier by himself, and I think LaMelo Ball is gonna go No. 1 unless Minnesota actually finds a trade that they like, which I don’t think is happening at this point.”

12:25-12:42 (JP): “I think there are a lot of doubters as well. I do like him [Obi Toppin]. He has as much potential as anybody in this class, and that’s related to his physical tools. … The comparison to Amar’e Stoudemire pops in your head right away because of the way he leaps off the floor and the way he finishes in transition. He has that type of ability.”

21:03-21:32 (JP): “I like the depth of the class OK. The top is the problem. I think in a top-heavy draft, LaMelo is more of a third overall pick, and he’s one by a mile for me in this one. And then after that, it’s also that the rankings between No. 2 and No. 9 or No. 10, so the rest of the top 10 is where the problem is, more or less. It’s problematic in every

23:49-24:14 (JP): “I guess if Golden State surprises the world and takes somebody else other than [James] Wiseman or [Anthony] Edwards, that would also change things quite a bit. I don’t expect any trades in the top 10. I think the only one that could happen and it’s, more or less, the most possible one is if Charlotte actually trades up with Golden State and they give some sort of minor asset to secure themselves selecting Wiseman No. 2 instead of risking Golden State taking him.”

Agu Ibañez-Baldor at 34:38-34:48: “I just wrote it the way I talk, honestly. I’m a bit sarcastic. I’m a bit opinionated. I’m a bit mean, but in a let’s get along kind of way.”

38:01-38:21 (AIB): “I think my favorite’s Pat Riley though. Pat Riley’s just an assassin. He’s a basketball assassin. He takes teams to the highest level and makes them win every single time. Even with the Knicks, he’s probably had the most competitive and successful rosters and teams since their championship days in the ‘70s.”

40:20-40:34 (AIB): “I don’t know if it’s with the Heat, but I think he [Andre Iguodala] is gonna be a valuable bench piece for another championship before he’s done at this point. The teams that he joins just have a mentality: It’s always tough as nails, and they’re always playing defense.”

48:22-48:36 (AIB): “I put them [the Nuggets] down specifically because both [Nikola] Jokic and [Jamal] Murray recently signed long-term max contracts, so they have their two best players for the next five or six years locked down. And for that I think they have a very good chance, just for that continuity.”

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Music: “Who Likes to Party” by Kevin MacLeod.