2023 NBA Draft – Thurs, 8PM, June 22

[jfs1000d]

Oscar Tshiebwe is a poor man's Bam Adebayo. Not sure why he's projected so low in the draft, unless it's his age.

Age and size. He isn't as big as bam and isn't as mobile.

I like UConn's Andre Jackson at 35. Defensive player, great athlete, high motor, good passer and dribbler and he doesn't shoot. He will keep the ball moving on offense and defend.

He can't shoot. But he knows that too.

[playa-hater]

Again, If a truly good prospect is not available at Big (my first choice) I want a good size Wing that can defend 1st and shoot 2nd as a counter to Hauser who can shoot 1st and defend second. Give me a junk yard Dog versatile defender who is at least capable of making open shots.

A Trey Murphy or Vanderbilt type etc..

[Curmudgeon]

Again, If a truly good prospect is not available at Big (my first choice) I want a good size Wing that can defend 1st and shoot 2nd as a counter to Hauser who can shoot 1st and defend second. Give me a junk yard Dog versatile defender who is at least capable of making open shots.

A Trey Murphy or Vanderbilt type etc..

You mean like Justin Champagnie or Justin Jackson?

[shackles10]

I've seen his name thrown around a few times so I do wonder if news of Dickerson going to Kansas means Oscar Tshiebwe is heading back to UK. I don't like him at our Rockets pick, and can't imagine he's excited about lasting until our later pick so might as well return to NCAA and try for a title.

[playa-hater]

Again, If a truly good prospect is not available at Big (my first choice) I want a good size Wing that can defend 1st and shoot 2nd as a counter to Hauser who can shoot 1st and defend second. Give me a junk yard Dog versatile defender who is at least capable of making open shots.

A Trey Murphy or Vanderbilt type etc..

You mean like Justin Champagnie or Justin Jackson?

A 3 and D player with no 3 and no D?

[Hal14]

Seems like he will probably go 1st round, but you never know. He could still be there - especially if we get pick 33 instead of 35.

Watch on YouTube

It's interesting. Watching the scouting report vid on Nnaji, Bona and Lively, they all have fairly similar strengths and weaknesses. All with good size, good athleticism. Good rim runner, lob threat, rim protector types. All are pretty limited with ball skills, especially in terms of creating anything off the dribble. All are a little bit foul prone and have some issues defending the perimeter. But they're all young enough that they should be able to clean up/improve upon their weaknesses.

I feel like you could actually argue that Nnaji is a better prospect than Lively. They're pretty similar strengths and weaknesses. But Nnaji is clearly built stronger physically - which helps him to better handle big guys on the low block like Embiid, Jokic, etc. Lively has struggled a little bit matching up in the paint vs big/strong centers. And Nnaji is a little bit younger than Lively, too.

But I have Lively ranked just barely ahead, because he's a little lighter on his feet (to better handle the fast, up tempo style of play in the NBA), he's a little bit taller and shows more passing + shooting flashes. Plus, Lively got like double the amount of playing time this season compared to Nnaji so Lively is more proven, more of a sure bet. It's hard to know for sure what you're getting w/ Nnaji, since he only played 9 mins a game.

As for Nnaji vs Bona, really the only edge Bona has is the disparity in playing time (like I explained with Lively vs Nnaji). But Nnaji is clearly bigger (an inch, maybe 2) taller than Bona, Nnaji just plays bigger, stronger, with more force and with more power - Nnaji looks like a monster out there, and it's crazy cause he's only 18 (younger than both Lively and Bona). Honestly, Nnaji and Bona very similar players, similar strengths and weaknesses. But Nnaji is bigger, stronger and about a year and a half younger. That gives him the slight edge, IMO. The cherry on top for Nnaji is that Bona recently had shoulder surgery and is aiming for a return to the court in October. Only advantage for Bona is being a little more proven (more than double the minutes this season) and is a little bit lighter on his feet, quicker getting up and down the floor. So it is close, but I give the slight edge to Bona.

My ranking is:
1. Lively
2. Nnaji
3. Bona

[return2glory]

Oscar Tshiebwe is a poor man's Bam Adebayo. Not sure why he's projected so low in the draft, unless it's his age.

I wouldn't compare him to Bam at all. Bam is really good defensively. Tshiebwe's weakness is his defense. But I love the way Oscar rebounds, he is a great rebounder. Goes after every rebound, like Enes Kantar.

[Hal14]

Noah Clowney:

Watch on YouTube

Good chance he's off the board by the time we pick (especially if we get pick 35 instead of 33). But if he's still there, you gotta think long and hard about taking him.

Sure, he's got his flaws. But a guy with this type of size and talent at such a young age (doesn't turn 19 till middle of july). You get a guy like that in the 2nd round, it's a very good pick.

I'm optimistic with his shooting. Mechanics are pretty good. He shot 3's at a pretty high volume. And his 3 pt % looks worse, because he got off to a really rough start to the season (2/16 over his first 7 games) which was probably just because he was getting used to the college game and the deeper 3 pt line. After that, he shot 31% from 3, which is solid for a 6'10" freshman big man playing in the SEC.

He's a 1st round talent, IMO. I've got him ranked #25 on my big board. So yeah, if he's still there when we pick, certainly someone to look at.

[Hal14]

Yeah. Not looking like he will fall to the 2nd round..

Read on Twitter

[playa-hater]

Yeah. Not looking like he will fall to the 2nd round..

Read on Twitter

Started doing my own research... Have focused in on 7 players.. Noah was one of them... I put him right up there with lively... But as you say it appears very unlikely he will last... Still looking at players that maybe drafted after 20. Too many players will move up-and-down Before the draft...

We'll list the 7 or so players tonight or tomorrow.

[djFan71]

Yeah. Not looking like he will fall to the 2nd round..

Read on Twitter

Pritch & 33|35 for something in the 20s and picking Noah is still my dream. If he goes late lotto, I guess no such luck, but somebody else drops. If we stay at 33|35 and he's gone, give me Noho Hank (aka Jordan Walsh).

[playa-hater]

After looking at Leonard Miller versus Noah clowney, I actually think Noah has the better ceiling.. But most Say Miller will go before him.. Miller's shot looks totally broken... And while it certainly can be improved I think at some point natural abilities Will overcome correcting mechanic issues.... And Noah seems to have that more..

I am also becoming a big fan of Maxwell Lewis... Shooting scoring and defense combine he would be a great pick up for us.. If he does fully measure out what they listed as.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

After looking at Leonard Miller versus Noah clowney, I actually think Noah has the better ceiling.. But most Say Miller will go before him.. Miller's shot looks totally broken... And while it certainly can be improved I think at some point natural abilities Will overcome correcting mechanic issues.... And Noah seems to have that more..

I am also becoming a big fan of Maxwell Lewis... Shooting scoring and defense combine he would be a great pick up for us.. If he does fully measure out what they listed as.

There's really a NBA prospect called Maxwell Lewis ? I guess I'll need to be on the look out for Russell Bird now

[Hal14]

After looking at Leonard Miller versus Noah clowney, I actually think Noah has the better ceiling.. But most Say Miller will go before him.. Miller's shot looks totally broken... And while it certainly can be improved I think at some point natural abilities Will overcome correcting mechanic issues.... And Noah seems to have that more..

I am also becoming a big fan of Maxwell Lewis... Shooting scoring and defense combine he would be a great pick up for us.. If he does fully measure out what they listed as.

Leonard miller vs Clowney. That's a tough one. I have both of them ranked on the same tier. They're close. Both with good upside. But both have some red flags too. I'd be happy with either. But most mocks have them both going in the 1st round.

Miller has gone 1st round it pretty much every mock i've seen. Clowney has fallen into the 2nd in a couple that i've seen. But i kind of doubt either will still be there.

Although they're both 6'10", clowney I think has more ability to play the 5. I actually see him as more of a 5 who can also play the 4. Miller is more of a 4. His secondary position is probably small ball 5 but I think he could even play some at the 3.

It's close, but I'd probably take clowney, cause I'd like a guy who can play the 5, given our situation at center (al being old, rob being injury prone).

As for Lewis, he's good. He has some flaws, some red flags. But there's a lot to like with him. Has some upside for sure. Can shoot it. Pretty good athleticism and length. Some intriguing flashes of creating off the dribble. He's a good flier to take late in the 1st or early in the 2nd round. If he's still there at 33 or 35, that's good value. If he pans out, could be similar to Cam Johnson. And Johnson is a guy a lot of C's fans would like to see us get.

But Lewis is a wing. I guess he could play some at the 4, but he's really more of a 3. Would definitely need to bulk up a bit to play the 4. If he's still there and we want to go for a wing, sure go for it. But I think he has gone 1st round in pretty much every mock I have seen.

But like you say, someone is gonna slip - someone is gonna be there at 33/35 who people thought was gonna go 1st round - it seems to always happen.

[Hal14]

After looking at Leonard Miller versus Noah clowney, I actually think Noah has the better ceiling.. But most Say Miller will go before him.. Miller's shot looks totally broken... And while it certainly can be improved I think at some point natural abilities Will overcome correcting mechanic issues.... And Noah seems to have that more..

I am also becoming a big fan of Maxwell Lewis... Shooting scoring and defense combine he would be a great pick up for us.. If he does fully measure out what they listed as.

There's really a NBA prospect called Maxwell Lewis ? I guess I'll need to be on the look out for Russell Bird now

Yeah, I still find it funny that there's a player named Duncan Robinson. Incidentally, he was born before Tim Duncan and David Robinson were teammates on the spurs. He was born at the end of tim duncan's freshman year at Wake Forest, when David robinson was in his prime..

[Hal14]

Let's look at a mock that just got posted yesterday:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nba-mock-draft-2023-victor-wembanyama-lottery

-Wow, they have Leonard MIller going 10th !

-Lively goes 20th. I've seen him go 20th to the rockets in a few mocks now. Don't see him falling much further than that

-Woah, they've got Bobi Klintman going 22nd! That's definitely the highest I've seen him in a mock so far. Was definitely thinking he'd be there when we pick but maybe not

-DaRon Holmes at 28 seems to be a reach. He's pretty good but I'm not as high on him as some people are. Seems to be weird pick their for Jazz, since they already have Kessler

-Prosper at 29, wow. That's definitely the highest I've seen him go. I can see him being a good fit for the Pacers, though

-Nnaji at 30. That seems to be right around where he goes in a lot of mocks - that 28-30 range. So he'll likely be off the board, but you never know - if he just slips a few spots then he could be there for our pick..

-They've got us picking Maxwell Lewis at 33 here.

-He's got Clowney going at 40 and Bona going 55th. Jackson-Davis goes 37th. So those 3 guys could definitely be available for our pick. And, like every mock I've seen, Isaiah Miranda goes undrafted so he will likely be there too..

[Kalela]

I like UConn's Andre Jackson at 35. Defensive player, great athlete, high motor, good passer and dribbler and he doesn't shoot. He will keep the ball moving on offense and defend.

He can't shoot. But he knows that too.

I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being the biggest steal in the draft. He is a winning player and does everything but shoot well. He is like a mini Draymond Green. The best fit for him is probably a team with a lot of shooters. While I like him and would be happy if he was drafted, I think the Celtics have a bigger need for a center (rob being injury prone/al being old) or a bigger wing (legit 6'7" or above) at the moment.

[playa-hater]

Let's look at a mock that just got posted yesterday:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nba-mock-draft-2023-victor-wembanyama-lottery

-Wow, they have Leonard MIller going 10th !

-Lively goes 20th. I've seen him go 20th to the rockets in a few mocks now. Don't see him falling much further than that

-Woah, they've got Bobi Klintman going 22nd! That's definitely the highest I've seen him in a mock so far. Was definitely thinking he'd be there when we pick but maybe not

-DaRon Holmes at 28 seems to be a reach. He's pretty good but I'm not as high on him as some people are. Seems to be weird pick their for Jazz, since they already have Kessler

-Prosper at 29, wow. That's definitely the highest I've seen him go. I can see him being a good fit for the Pacers, though

-Nnaji at 30. That seems to be right around where he goes in a lot of mocks - that 28-30 range. So he'll likely be off the board, but you never know - if he just slips a few spots then he could be there for our pick..

-They've got us picking Maxwell Lewis at 33 here.

-He's got Clowney going at 40 and Bona going 55th. Jackson-Davis goes 37th. So those 3 guys could definitely be available for our pick. And, like every mock I've seen, Isaiah Miranda goes undrafted so he will likely be there too..

Obviously no single mock draft will ever get it right or even close.. But I'm always looking at updates because msometimes a mocker will pic consensus or based on things he hears in rumors..

Happy to see that Maxwell Lewis a guy I said I liked is being picked by Boston however

Still shocked that Noah in this mock slipped to 40

[return2glory]

Let's look at a mock that just got posted yesterday:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nba-mock-draft-2023-victor-wembanyama-lottery

-Wow, they have Leonard MIller going 10th !

-Lively goes 20th. I've seen him go 20th to the rockets in a few mocks now. Don't see him falling much further than that

-Woah, they've got Bobi Klintman going 22nd! That's definitely the highest I've seen him in a mock so far. Was definitely thinking he'd be there when we pick but maybe not

-DaRon Holmes at 28 seems to be a reach. He's pretty good but I'm not as high on him as some people are. Seems to be weird pick their for Jazz, since they already have Kessler

-Prosper at 29, wow. That's definitely the highest I've seen him go. I can see him being a good fit for the Pacers, though

-Nnaji at 30. That seems to be right around where he goes in a lot of mocks - that 28-30 range. So he'll likely be off the board, but you never know - if he just slips a few spots then he could be there for our pick..

-They've got us picking Maxwell Lewis at 33 here.

-He's got Clowney going at 40 and Bona going 55th. Jackson-Davis goes 37th. So those 3 guys could definitely be available for our pick. And, like every mock I've seen, Isaiah Miranda goes undrafted so he will likely be there too..

I saw Maxwell Lewis play a few months ago and met him after the game. Seems like a cool dude. He can really play. Gets to different spots on the floor. I think he will go mid to late 1st round.

I like Jackson Davis and Zach Edey for us if they are available when we pick.

[playa-hater]

Just checked out a few videos of Bobi Klintman.. I like his offensive upside.. He has decent footwork and balance.... Not really quick with a first step... Shooting technique is pretty good... But since there isn't much footage yet I have no idea if he has any kind of perimeter footspeed... And certainly looks physically weak....

But based on his age and potential certainly a worthy pick at 33...