2023 Draft Discussion Part III

[ItsDanger]

TJD is a 2nd round pick. Has flaws in his game that will get exposed in NBA. He's got to improve several aspects or else it will be a struggle. Already 23, he's close to a finished product and obviously would have turned pro earlier if there was great interest.

[ArthurVandelay]

It's hard to find stats on the Thompson twins. On the overtime elite site they don't list any shooting %s at all, unless I missed something.

You're basically going off hope with them because the competition they're facing is garbage.

And they are 20

[Yallbecrazy]

It's hard to find stats on the Thompson twins. On the overtime elite site they don't list any shooting %s at all, unless I missed something.

You're basically going off hope with them because the competition they're facing is garbage.

And they are 20

20 years old, can't shoot, and playing against high schoolers. I wouldn't take them in the top 20 even in a weak draft.
If you look at RSCI and the players in the 3-10 range every year, only about 1-2 make it to be succesful pros each year and the vast majority don't even make a NBA roster. There's a > 3/4ths chance they aren't even on a NBA roster in 5 years in my opinion.

[WuTang_CMB]

Watched more tape on Hendricks. The defensive instincts are really good. Makes sense that he played centre in highschool

[Dalek]

I got the pick that the Raps shock the world with in 2023. With the 16th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Raptors select: Mike Sharavjamts from Dayton Flyers.

-He would be the first ever Mongolian player to be drafted to the NBA
-Dad is a former Harlem Globetrotter
-6'9 PG - 21.6 AST%
-32 3P%

Don't know if he fully commits to the draft, he is only a freshman, but his film looks intriguing. Really fluid mover and reminds me of Dalano a bit, but his skinniness and finishing ability are question marks:

Watch on YouTube

[CanadaB-Ball]

I got the pick that the Raps shock the world with in 2023. With the 16th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Raptors select: Mike Sharavjamts from Dayton Flyers.

-He would be the first ever Mongolian player to be drafted to the NBA
-Dad is a former Harlem Globetrotter
-6'9 PG - 21.6 AST%
-32 3P%

Don't know if he fully commits to the draft, he is only a freshman, but his film looks intriguing. Really fluid mover and reminds me of Dalano a bit, but his skinniness and finishing ability are question marks:

Watch on YouTube

I don’t think he’ll declare.

I’m a big fan, though.

[Dalek]

I got the pick that the Raps shock the world with in 2023. With the 16th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Raptors select: Mike Sharavjamts from Dayton Flyers.

-He would be the first ever Mongolian player to be drafted to the NBA
-Dad is a former Harlem Globetrotter
-6'9 PG - 21.6 AST%
-32 3P%

Don't know if he fully commits to the draft, he is only a freshman, but his film looks intriguing. Really fluid mover and reminds me of Dalano a bit, but his skinniness and finishing ability are question marks:

Watch on YouTube

I don’t think he’ll declare.

I’m a big fan, though.

He is declaring for now, but he might transfer too:

Read on Twitter

[ATLTimekeeper]

He should definitely return to school. Yikes.

[CanadaB-Ball]

I got the pick that the Raps shock the world with in 2023. With the 16th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Raptors select: Mike Sharavjamts from Dayton Flyers.

-He would be the first ever Mongolian player to be drafted to the NBA
-Dad is a former Harlem Globetrotter
-6'9 PG - 21.6 AST%
-32 3P%

Don't know if he fully commits to the draft, he is only a freshman, but his film looks intriguing. Really fluid mover and reminds me of Dalano a bit, but his skinniness and finishing ability are question marks:

Watch on YouTube

I don’t think he’ll declare.

I’m a big fan, though.

He is declaring for now, but he might transfer too:

Read on Twitter

I fully expect him to transfer, but I could be wrong.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Yuck

[Kevin Willis]

It's hard to find stats on the Thompson twins. On the overtime elite site they don't list any shooting %s at all, unless I missed something.

You're basically going off hope with them because the competition they're facing is garbage.

https://www.overtimeelite.com/players/cbb0c3ec-f9f2-43e6-bb6e-6e4ef5702d92

[WuTang_CMB]

It's hard to find stats on the Thompson twins. On the overtime elite site they don't list any shooting %s at all, unless I missed something.

You're basically going off hope with them because the competition they're facing is garbage.

https://www.overtimeelite.com/players/cbb0c3ec-f9f2-43e6-bb6e-6e4ef5702d92

Charlotte drafting one of them ... for sure.

[WuTang_CMB]

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[WuTang_CMB]

Read on Twitter

[WuTang_CMB]

Watch on YouTube

[WuTang_CMB]

Raps better draft a good one

[WuTang_CMB]

9. Orlando Magic (via CHI)
Taylor Hendricks | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | UCF
I mentioned in my most recent Big Board that Taylor Hendricks is the name I get most from scouts when I ask them which player will go higher than currently projected. So I’ve reflected that here. I’d expect Hendricks to go somewhere in the top 15.

The appeal of his game is easy to see. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward who can hit shots from distance, having made 39.4 percent from 3 this season on five attempts per game. He’s also a sharp defender who moves around the court well and is consistently sound with his help rotations. He blocked 1.7 shots per game, got about one steal per game and grabbed seven rebounds. Hendricks is still at a rudimentary stage of his development as an on-ball player, and he’s not the most impressive passer. But a terrific athlete at 6-foot-9 with real NBA length who can shoot and defend is a strong starting point for an NBA starter.

These are the kinds of players the Magic have coveted in previous drafts. While you can certainly make a case that they have other holes to fill, teams often stick to their previous inclinations and the value propositions they know and love. If the Magic believes in either Markelle Fultz or Jalen Suggs as a lead creator and also buys into Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner being able to initiate offense long term, they might actually be able to play four 6-foot-9 or taller guys on the court at once.

10. Toronto Raptors
Cason Wallace | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Kentucky
Cason Wallace is ranked somewhere in the No. 8 to No. 20 range, depending on the evaluator. Some love his defensive ability and didn’t think we got a chance to see Wallace’s offensive game at Kentucky – playing next to Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler often cramped the spacing around Wallace this season. His college numbers don’t look all that different from Tyrese Maxey’s, another combo guard who has exceeded his draft position after playing at Kentucky a few years ago. Wallace doesn’t quite have Maxey’s level of burst, but he’s already a better defender and was a more consistent playmaker in college. The closer stylistic comparison to Wallace is Jrue Holiday, although Wallace isn’t quite as skilled off the bounce as Holiday was as a one-and-done at UCLA years ago.

The Raptors will need some depth in the backcourt next season with Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. potentially hitting free agency if they decline their player options. Wallace would give them cover if either decided to depart, and his toughness defensively would likely appeal to this organization.

[WuTang_CMB]

1. Detroit Pistons
Victor Wembanyama | 7-4 center | 19 years old | Metropolitans 92
Victor Wembanyama is going to go No. 1. The only drama is in which team wins the lottery to select him.

He’s a 7-foot-4 center who can create his own shot from all three levels in some regard. He’s a terrific pick-and-roll player as a ballhandler or screener. His handle is better than any teenage supergiant in history. Defensively, his near-8-foot wingspan changes the geometry of the game around the rim. And he’s ready to help teams win now. Metropolitans 92 is typically a mid-table team in France that rose to third last season before Wembanyama’s arrival. This season, they’re up to second in the league and are a real threat to win the league’s title, despite losing a couple of games recently.

The Pistons have expended a lot of resources at the center position recently, including cap space on Marvin Bagley in free agency, a 2022 lottery pick on Jalen Duren and a trade for 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman. Duran and Wiseman both have starting center upside, and Isaiah Stewart also looks like a valuable big in the rotation. But none of them should stop the team from selecting Wembanyama at No. 1, especially given that it might be valuable to play him next to another big if only to limit the physical pounding he will be subjected to early in his career.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

The Unicorn Era: Victor Wembanyama heads a coming stampede of skilled big men

2. Houston Rockets
Scoot Henderson | 6-2 lead guard | 19 years old | G League Ignite
As I wrote recently, the race for No. 2 is on in NBA front offices. Scoot Henderson didn’t close the season particularly well for the Ignite after the All-Star break, averaging just 14.9 points while shooting 39 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3 in those eight games. With that being the end of his second season with the Ignite, with nothing left to prove or to play for, I think Henderson put things in neutral to get him to the next stage of his career.

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He is still among the best teenage lead guards I’ve ever evaluated. His first step is lightning quick, and he possesses a real blend of explosiveness and power. His handle is terrific, as is passing and playmaking vision. He’s comfortable pulling up from the midrange — almost too comfortable given how often he settles for those shots — but needs to work on his efficiency from those spots around the elbows and from beyond the 3-point line. Still, I’m expecting him to be an instant impact player and project him as a potential All-NBA guard down the road.

The Rockets desperately need an answer at the lead guard spot. Kevin Porter Jr. can be a useful sixth man, but he can’t be the guy running the show and initiating a team’s offense night after night. Jalen Green also needs someone who can set the table and make life easier for him on a night-to-night basis. Getting one of Henderson or Wembanyama would allow things to fall more solidly in place in Houston around the team’s young core, making these last three disastrous years worthwhile.

3. San Antonio Spurs
Brandon Miller | 6-9 wing | 20 years old | Alabama
I’ve talked to evaluators and high-level decision-makers who have Brandon Miller ahead of Henderson. They tend to fall back on the idea that the NBA is desperately looking for players with legitimate positional size and skill, along with shooting ability and defense. At 6-foot-9 with solid mobility, role flexibility and potential to create shots in space, Miller has a lot of the tools NBA teams look for in wing prospects. He also was the best player on what was the best team in the country for large swaths of the season as a freshman (albeit a bit of an older freshman).

Having said that, it’s hard to overemphasize Miller’s cold streak to finish the season. He ended up at 38 percent from 3 after making just 25 percent from distance in his final nine games. Over those last nine games as a whole, he had just a 47.5 true shooting percentage. Many of the issues Miller has creating his own shot were particularly on display in the Crimson Tide’s loss to San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament, during which Miller shot 3-for-19 and turned it over six times.

Still, expect Miller to go somewhere in the top five. Because of that intersection of positional size and skill, he’s seen as a safe bet to turn into a valuable player, and he does have All-Star upside if things break right. The Spurs could use another wing — especially one with Miller’s size given that Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are more in the 6-foot-6 range. Miller would really fit this young core well and provide them with another creation option as the team looks to continue rebuilding the roster.

4. Charlotte Hornets
Amen Thompson | 6-7 lead guard | 20 years old | Overtime Elite
Amen Thompson is the best athlete in this draft class, an explosive 6-foot-7 lead guard who is all sorts of twitchy. He will enter the NBA as one of the five most athletic players in the entire league.

We know Thompson will thrive early in his career in transition. Amen is an aggressive rebounder who immediately starts fast breaks, attacking with reckless abandon in the open floor. He passes at a very high-level, seeing advanced reads easily on the court. Defensively, he is capable of generating steals and deflections with his aggressiveness, but still possesses rudimentary technique, standing straight up a bit too often.

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Teams do still have real questions about how Thompson will thrive in the half court. Right now, Amen is a non-factor as a shooter, and it’s going to take some time for him to add that to his game — if he ever can. Additionally, he doesn’t have a lot of ball-screen reps against difficult competition in half-court settings because Overtime Elite games are often played at a breakneck pace.

Still, Amen’s upside is sky high. It’s almost impossible to find players this athletic at 6-foot-7 with long arms, high basketball IQs and professional mindsets. The Hornets could use an upside swing like this, and Thompson pairing with LaMelo Ball would create potentially one of the most interesting up-tempo attacking duos in NBA history.

go-deeper
GO DEEPER

Once viewed as a threat, Overtime Elite now a valued resource for college coaches

5. Orlando Magic
Cam Whitmore | 6-7 wing | 18 years old | Villanova
Cam Whitmore is a polarizing prospect. Some love his potential as a shot creator, and I count myself among that group. He’s a terrific driver and above-the-rim finisher. Athletically, he’s a powerful 230-pound force; defenders bounce off him on his way to the basket. Away from the basket, his handle is relatively developed in terms of change of pace, and he can separate from his man to get to his stepback regularly. The jumper is a work in progress, but he did hit 34 percent of his 3s on a difficult shot diet that featured a ton of contested looks.

Having said that, the rest of Whitmore’s game won’t blow you away. He’s not a sharp passer, and his assist rate will be among the lowest in lottery history for a wing. Defensively, he didn’t quite figure out how to best use his tools this season after getting on the court late following a preseason thumb injury.

This one is all about weighing the upside of a potential high-level shot creator. Whitmore has all the tools necessary to become a 20-point-per-game NBA scorer, but can the rest of his game grow out? My bet is someone takes that shot between picks No. 4 and No. 10. The Magic would be an ideal landing spot, as they could use a play-finishing, scoring wing next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. On top of that, Whitmore fits the organization’s emphasis on length and athleticism when making draft decisions.

[WuTang_CMB]

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[WuTang_CMB]

6.Washington Wizards
Ausar Thompson | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Overtime Elite
There’s a case to be made that Ausar Thompson actually had a better season this year in Overtime Elite than his brother, Amen. That’s largely because Ausar’s game is a bit more polished at this stage. His footwork is a bit cleaner, his jumper is a bit more mature and his passing ability really stands out considering he plays like a wing as opposed to a point guard with wing size. Defensively, Ausar is a bit more sound with his fundamentals and off-ball rotations.

But Ausar doesn’t quite have that same quick-twitch, athletic upside that Amen does. Don’t get it twisted; Ausar will probably be a top-30 athlete in the NBA. He’s more than top-10 percent athlete league-wide. But he’s not quite a 1-percenter like Amen.

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Ultimately, the big question with Ausar is similar to that of his brother: Is he a good enough shooter for the role he’ll have to play offensively? If he develops his jumper, he has genuine All-Star upside. If he does not, he might be more of a role-playing wing.

I get a lot of Andre Iguodala vibes the more I watch Ausar. He has great feel for the game, a professional’s maturity, high basketball IQ and elite athleticism. The Wizards could use all of that after years of drafting players you wouldn’t exactly define as high-level athletes across the board. He’d form a nice wing rotation with Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert.

7. Portland Trail Blazers
Anthony Black | 6-7 guard | 19 years old | Arkansas
Anthony Black is another eye-of-the-beholder type of player for teams. Some see him as a candidate to go as high as No. 5 because his feel for the game is incredible. He’s maybe the smartest, most reactive player in the class; a genuine point guard at 6-foot-7 who makes rapid decisions on the fly to keep the offense in flow. He’s also a very tough, switchable defender. Early in the season, when he had space to operate prior to Trevon Brazile’s injury, he also pressured the basket regularly and got downhill both in transition and out of ball screens. But later in the season, as Arkansas’ offense bogged down and he was surrounded by zero shooting, things became a slog, and he struggled. He’ll never play in a situation with that limited spacing again.

But questions have long persisted regarding his shot. Black averaged 13 points, five rebounds and four assists per game this season, but couldn’t consistently punish teams from the outside, making just 30 percent of his attempts from distance. These were often wide-open looks. Black has a funky-looking shot that will take some work. But teams really love the way he sees the game.

For the Blazers, this would be an investment in a big point guard with positional size who could give their backcourt more options. You could play Black next to either Damian Lillard or Anfernee Simons, with last year’s first-rounder Shaedon Sharpe on the wing. You could look at Black as the start of a long-term enormous backcourt combination with he and Sharpe alone if the team decides to pivot this offseason. Black has upside due to his feel for the game and athleticism, and would really help the Blazers move forward even if their most pressing need is up front.

8. Indiana Pacers
Jarace Walker | 6-8 forward | 19 years old | Houston
Jarace Walker is a fascinating proposition. On one hand, there may not be a player in this class other than Wembanyama with a higher defensive upside. Walker is switchable and reactive all over the court; at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a chiseled 240-pound frame, he’s ready physically to play in the NBA right now and should be able to occasionally see some minutes as a small-ball center.

The more likely scenario is that he’s a physical four whose NBA career will be determined by what he becomes offensively. Walker is a really sharp processor of the game, especially excelling this season as a short-roll passer who can also put the ball on the deck. But teams have real questions about the shot. The numbers were fine on a limited basis, as he made 34.7 percent from 3. But the mechanics give some pause, as Walker has a bit of a hitch at the top of his shot. Teams also have some questions about his finishing, as he seems to not be above the rim often enough, instead preferring to settle for floaters. He has the tools to be an effective offensive player, and he was productive this season across the stat sheet. But he has some work to do.

The Pacers need defensive playmakers like this around guys such as Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedcit Mathurin moving forward. Walker would be a strong fit on the interior as well if Myles Turner sticks around for the long haul.


Jarace Walker (Marvin Gentry / USA Today)