Early Top 5 Candidates

[The-Power]

Who are the players who you think have a realistic chance to end up being a top 5 pick come draft time? Realistic doesn't have to mean likely but simply that you see a path for the player that doesn't involve completely unexpected or far-fetched improvements or transformations.

Thus far, I have:

Victor Wembanyama
Scoot Henderson
Dariq Whitehead
Cam Whitmore
Keyonte George
Jett Howard
Brandon Miller
Jarace Walker

Roughly from more to less likely (with the first two being locks). I'm wait-and-see on Nick Smith as I want to see him versus college competition first. Anyone else with a realistic shot in your eyes?

I don't know much about Overtime Elite but from the little I've seen I'm not all that enamored with the Thompson twins yet. Still, they seem to be highly ranked so perhaps I should pay more attention to them. I don't see it with the highly ranked bigs yet but maybe someone wants to make an argument for them? Or C.G. Jackson? Anthony Black – I feel like he already had only a very narrow path and I doubt he gets there this season. Dillon Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Julian Phillips – they look like potentially good role players but hard for me to imagine them having enough appeal to a team picking in the top 5. It seems unlikely that a Sophomore like Terquavion Smith makes a leap large enough to enter this strong-looking group but crazier things have happened I suppose. I haven't looked into any international prospects besides Victor yet.

Am I missing someone? Kris Murray if he has a season like his brother had last year and Keegan is in the NBA RoY race and the Kings pick in the top 5 again?

[clyde21]

i'd add GG and Black to that list, otherwise agree

[Catchall]

Victor, Scoot and Amen appear to be the top 3, imo.
GG Jackson, Keyonte George, Nick Smith and maybe Cam Whitmore are candidates to round out the top 5, again imo.
Dark horses could include Ausar Thompson, Dariq Whitehead or Brandon Miller.