2023 NBA Draft – Thurs, 8PM, June 22

[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..

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

Yeah. 40 seems low for Clowney. Crazy to me to have him 30 spots lower than Leonard Miller.

If we get Clowney at 33 or 35, that's a great pick.

Year 1, don't expect much. It's a learning and development year. Most of his minutes will be in g league. But by year 2, he'll be in there contributing. Possibly starting by year 3.

[playa-hater]

Trayce Jackson Davis..

I love his physical strength speed quickness combination.. Looks like he ha A dog mentality...

Since he's older he physically looks ready to be able to step in right away.

But Just doesn't shoot well enough to be considered I think.. With Boston and our coach loving shooters I just don't see how he would be a fit..

That and him favoring his left all the time kind of turns me off a little...

If he shoots really well in workouts for Boston and they like him I will be OK with him.

But once again I just don't believe hes enough of a shooter or shows enough shooting potential to fit what Boston needs..

[playa-hater]

GG Jackson.

I can't believe how physically strong he is for someone who's not even going to be 19 years old When the season starts..

He has legit crazy talent everything you want from a scoring standpoint.

He does seem to have a Bit of tunnel vision like J Brown has..

I also feel his draft position May move up because of his talent or slide down because of his age..

I certainly would consider him if we can trade up...

[playa-hater]

DaRon Holmes

Not impressed with him Too much.. I don't see the athleticism they claim he has.. Seems to be very limited in skills... And for someone who's supposedly a lob threat he doesn't seem to get up too high like Robert Williams..

I certainly hope someone better than him falls to our pick or we can trade up for a better prospect.

[Hal14]

Damn. Toumani Camara is growing on me. He could be a really solid PF. Could be a solid backup and if he really pans out, he could even develop into a starter at the 4.

Look at the switchability here on defense, how he's able to defend the perimeter and the interior. Nice combination of on-ball defense and help defense.

Nothing flashy. But seems like a guy who just plays hard, gives it his all out there, tough, hard nosed dude with some good size.

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?s=20

Might be a little bit of a reach at 33 or 35. But who knows, depending on who's available for our pick , he could be a good option. And if he's still there as an UDFA, you jump all over it.

[Hal14]

For sh&ts and giggles, my current top 35 prospects:

1 Victor Wembanyama
2 Brandon Miller
3 Scoot Henderson
4 Ausar Thompson
5 Amen Thompson
6 Cam Whitmore
7 Taylor Hendricks
8 Jarace Walker
9 Cason Wallace
10 Anthony Black
11 GG Jackson
12 Bilal Coulibaly
13 Brice Sensabaugh
14 Dereck Lively
15 Gradey Dick
16 Nick Smith Jr.
17 Sidy Cissoko
18 Jett Howard
19 Kris Murray
20 Noah Clowney
21 Leonard Miller
22 Keyonte George
23 Kobe Bufkin
24 Isaiah Miranda
25 Jordan Hawkins
26 Dariq Whitehead
27 Colby Jones
28 Jalen Hood-Schifino
29 James Nnaji
30 Adem Bona
31 Bobi Klintman
32 Maxwell Lewis
33 Trayce Jackson-Davis
34 Julian Strawther
35 Rayan Rupert

[playa-hater]

For sh&ts and giggles, my current top 35 prospects:

1 Victor Wembanyama
2 Brandon Miller
3 Scoot Henderson
4 Ausar Thompson
5 Amen Thompson
6 Cam Whitmore
7 Taylor Hendricks
8 Jarace Walker
9 Cason Wallace
10 Anthony Black
11 GG Jackson
12 Bilal Coulibaly
13 Brice Sensabaugh
14 Dereck Lively
15 Gradey Dick
16 Nick Smith Jr.
17 Sidy Cissoko
18 Jett Howard
19 Kris Murray
20 Noah Clowney
21 Leonard Miller
22 Keyonte George
23 Kobe Bufkin
24 Isaiah Miranda
25 Jordan Hawkins
26 Dariq Whitehead
27 Colby Jones
28 Jalen Hood-Schifino
29 James Nnaji
30 Adem Bona
31 Bobi Klintman
32 Maxwell Lewis
33 Trayce Jackson-Davis
34 Julian Strawther
35 Rayan Rupert

Man you have Bilal high..

[jfs1000d]

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.

Is a center at 35 gonna be better than Kornet?

Brad likes shooting, so maybe Jackson isn’t the guy, but I want energy guys that I know are gonna bring it, play defense and pass the ball.


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[Hal14]

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.

Is a center at 35 gonna be better than Kornet?

Brad likes shooting, so maybe Jackson isn’t the guy, but I want energy guys that I know are gonna bring it, play defense and pass the ball.


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During their rookie year, probably not. But long term, there's a good chance that you could snag a big man with this pick (like Clowney, Nnaji, Bona, Jackson-Davis or Miranda) and they could absolutely develop into a guy who's better than Kornet. Hell, if they work hard, with a little luck and if the team does a good enough job developing them, they could even be a starter for us eventually.

With that being said, Andre Jackson is an intriguing option. Good chance he's still there when we pick (although there's also a chance he withdraws before the deadline and returns to UConn for another year). Jackson isn't a scorer but is an exceptional passer who is so unselfish, throws dimes all over the floor, constantly setting teammates up for good looks. Plays fast, pushes the pace, explosive athlete, good defender. I have him ranked in that 31-40 range, which is where we're picking..

[Hal14]

Another mock that was posted recently.

1st round: https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2023-nba-mock-draft/
2nd round: https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2023-2nd-round/

With this one, they have Clowney, Jackson-Davis, Bona and Nnaji all gone before our pick.

Interestingly, they have us taking Dariq Whitehead. Whitehead is a wing. Coming into the season was a consensus top 10 pick (some even had him top 5 or even top 3). But needed foot surgery right before the season, missed the first few games, then came and back shot the ball well, but didn't do much else well, didn't show the explosiveness/athleticism he had in HS. But news just broke the other day that he is now gonna have a second surgery on the same foot. So the bad news is, 2 surgeries on same foot in less than a year before turning 19 is a red flag. The good news is, we can assume that the lack of athleticism/explosiveness he showed at Duke is because of the foot injury and if he can make a full recovery after this surgery (reports say he's expected to be fully recovered by the time the season starts in October), then he could end up being a steal for someone who gets a lottery talent later in the draft.

Also interestingly, this mock lists a whopping 117 guys yet none of them are Bobi Klintman or Isaiah Miranda. These 2 are underrated - especially Miranda.

[165bows]

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.

Is a center at 35 gonna be better than Kornet?

Brad likes shooting, so maybe Jackson isn’t the guy, but I want energy guys that I know are gonna bring it, play defense and pass the ball.


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During their rookie year, probably not. But long term, there's a good chance that you could snag a big man with this pick (like Clowney, Nnaji, Bona, Jackson-Davis or Miranda) and they could absolutely develop into a guy who's better than Kornet. Hell, if they work hard, with a little luck and if the team does a good enough job developing them, they could even be a starter for us eventually.

With that being said, Andre Jackson is an intriguing option. Good chance he's still there when we pick (although there's also a chance he withdraws before the deadline and returns to UConn for another year). Jackson isn't a scorer but is an exceptional passer who is so unselfish, throws dimes all over the floor, constantly setting teammates up for good looks. Plays fast, pushes the pace, explosive athlete, good defender. I have him ranked in that 31-40 range, which iswhere we're picking..

Three starters out of 40 at least in the conference semifinals were undrafted - Reaves, Strus and Vincent. Plus Hauser's played in the playoffs, Kornet wasn't even drafted (not that he's getting off the bench at this point).

Actually this year might be a record in that category. Brunson and Mitchell Robinson were 2nd rounders. Heck Butler, Derrick White, Hart, all near the 30th pick in the draft.

[Hal14]

This gives a good idea of where each prospect might go. Still a lot could change over the next weeks, especially once the combine happens..

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[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.

Is a center at 35 gonna be better than Kornet?

Brad likes shooting, so maybe Jackson isn’t the guy, but I want energy guys that I know are gonna bring it, play defense and pass the ball.


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Like Hal said, probably not right away. If you are very lucky, you can find a Jokic in the 2nd but that is probably 1 in a million chance. Knicks center Mitchell was a 2nd round pick and he is not so bad.

[165bows]

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.

Is a center at 35 gonna be better than Kornet?

Brad likes shooting, so maybe Jackson isn’t the guy, but I want energy guys that I know are gonna bring it, play defense and pass the ball.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Like Hal said, probably not right away. If you are very lucky, you can find a Jokic in the 2nd but that is probably 1 in a million chance. Knicks center Mitchell was a 2nd round pick and he is not so bad.

I'd have to take a closer look but it seems like these playoff teams are playing way more guys taken 20+ than are taken 10-20. Seems like very few guys if I look at the rosters off the top of my head. T. Harris is one. Don't think the Celtics are playing a single guy picked 10-20.

Just looking at Philly/Boston, the only guy on either team in the rotation taken in the draft at #10-20 is T. Harris.

[djFan71]

This gives a good idea of where each prospect might go. Still a lot could change over the next weeks, especially once the combine happens..

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Man, I like most of that top 5 on the second page.... which is 26-30. Hopefully one of them slips to our pick.

[Hal14]

This gives a good idea of where each prospect might go. Still a lot could change over the next weeks, especially once the combine happens..

Read on Twitter

Man, I like most of that top 5 on the second page.... which is 26-30. Hopefully one of them slips to our pick.

I like all 5 of them haha.

Jones, Coulibaly, Cissoko, Jackson-Davis, Clowney. Yeah I mean, if any of them fall to our pick, you really can't go wrong. All good prospects who could do well here.

[playa-hater]

So Bilal Is now listed at 6' 8??

When he was 6' 6 I wasn't too crazy.. But at 6 for 8 he can definitely play the 3 ball... And at is current age and shooting possibly get bigger... So now I am definitely intrigued.

[Hal14]

So Bilal Is now listed at 6' 8??

When he was 6' 6 I wasn't too crazy.. But at 6 for 8 he can definitely play the 3 ball... And at is current age and shooting possibly get bigger... So now I am definitely intrigued.

He's being listed at 6'8" by a couple of different sources. On film I think he looks more like 6'7". He's still only 18 so could be still growing..

[jonige94]

We should get the Lakers scouts, they seem to always have success on late rounders.

Unlike us.

[Parliament10]

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