Bills-Bengals preview, Chargers collapse and more, 3 reasons Daniel Jones should be the Giants QB of the future, most unique prospect in modern NBA history. Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite, SG/SF, 2003). In regard to Wembanyama's candidacy for the top pick, it's worth keeping a close eye on how the three big men who just heard their names called atop the 2022 NBA draft -- Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero -- fare as rookies. Hes statistically a very poor 3-point shooter, but his touch closer to the rim is a positive indicator long-term. 10. 43 Their tools and talent suggest they very well could be in it if they make another jump with their productivity and skill level. James will graduate from high school in 2023 and enroll in college for the following season. What will Banchero bring to the Orlando Magic? New Orleans has first-round swap rights with the Los Angeles Lakers. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. But he's so athletic and quick defensively that he won't need to be a dangerous scoring threat to eventually earn NBA interest. Undeniable talent with vast tools, but a far too inconsistent motor. Scoot Henderson, the number two pick, might have been living in Wemby's shadow, but is still garnering his own attention. Below, youll find in-depth scouting reports of the best players in this class. Hes 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, nimble feet, and impressive defensive instincts. Hes more of a wing than Amen, but Ausar profiles as a better defender and a perfectly impressive slasher with room to expand his abilities as a shot-creator. Dallas' first-rounder is owned by New York if Dallas' pick falls between 11 and 30 in 2023. Hes playing important minutes against professional, high-level competition. March 3, 2023 9:46 pm ET Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra revealed during the preseason that rookie Nikola Jovic hadn't yet graduated from high school, and the 19-year-old confirmed that. Check out our detailed scouting report on Amen Thompson here. John Butler (Florida State, PF, Freshman). Also, the abundance of young talent found throughout the 2022 crop caused several highly regarded talents to drop on draft night into the second round, or even go undrafted altogether. The 19-year-old point guard has showcased himself as the perfect clutch player, with silky ballhandling skills. Instant Analysis; Mock Drafts. 7. On draft night, Charlotte scored a protected top-14 protected first-rounder from Denver via Oklahoma City and New York in a three-way trade. Alabama is leaning on him to great effect, and its easy to decipher the path to stardom when watching a player his size move so fluidly with the ball. Even if he shows limited creation or scoring at the rim, NBA teams could see the right off-ball skill set and intangibles for a role player. Adjusting to a new role at Kansas, fourth-year wing Kevin McCullar Jr. has upped his 3-point rate without sacrificing the small things that make him unique. [23] He can make every pass in the book, his head constantly on a swivel when hes probing the defense or driving downhill. Hes an elite shooter with the size to compete on defense and enough secondary skills to keep the defense honest. After starting the season slowly, hes beginning to absolutely wreck teams in the paint more in line with preseason expectations. These 14 teams are then entered into a lottery system to decide the draft order in which they get to pick new players. 1 is an ideal use of a team's resources, in terms of the value they return in the modern game. To put it in perspective: In the past 10 years, there have been only six non-college players selected in the top five total. His main challenge is proving to NBA teams that he can shoot. His shooting and touch are worrisome, as he's only shot 8-of-41 from three and 47.1 percent from the line with Team OTE. This big board, by definition, cannot take into account individual team fit, so therefore it hinges on the broader stylistic trends of NBA basketball, my personal idiosyncrasies as a basketball watcher, and to state it plainly who I think will make the best NBA players, however imprecise and subjective the method to get there may be. He has excellent size on the wing at 6-foot-7, combined with comfort shooting on the move and the ability to attack downhill, using long and purposeful strides to keep the defense off-balance. Dariq Whitehead (Duke) Shooting guard/small forward, 6-foot-6, 190 pounds. 19: 7'4 220 Pivot Metropolitan92 (France). Though Ingram looked like a one-and-done prospect earlier in the year, he hit a wall over the past month, and scouts still need more convincing. His 3-point numbers are through the rough. On defense, thanks to his broad shoulders and impressive bulk, he can guard bigger wings or stick with guards at the point of attack. Where this group is very strong is with towering big men, as three 7-footers make up the top 11 prospects, and eight overall 7-footers are currently projected to be drafted. Prior to this, the draft would be held at Madison Square Garden in New York and the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Offense won't run through him, but he'll fill the role of energizer and play-finisher, a job he likely has the physical tools, mobility and mentality to play at the highest level. On defense, he just inhales shots in the paint and is too long to actually drive by. Sidy Cissoko is getting plenty of run with the G-League Ignite. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Victor Wembanyama Highlights vs. Lithuania, What to expect from Scoot Henderson at NBA level, Wembanyama erupts for 31 in French League play, NBA G League Next Up Game: Team Luka 178, Team Scoot 162, Top prospect Henderson shows go-to moves on NBA TV, Ignite's Scoot Henderson serves up huge poster slam, Wembanyama drops 20 points, 8 rebounds in loss, Wembanyama scores 27, wins LNB All-Star Game MVP, 8 G League Ignite games to stream for free on NBA App, NBA App to stream all Wembanyama games for free, Draft Lottery: Odds, history and how it works, B/R: NBA comps for projected 2023 Lottery picks, B/R: 9 under-the-radar prospects for 2023, B/R: Updated Mock Draft at college season's midpoint, B/R: Updated Mock Draft after 1st impressions, B/R: New prospects emerging in latest Mock Draft, B/R: Ranking top 50 college basketball prospects, French prodigy Wembanyama thrills Paris crowd, Durant: 'Can't wait' to see Wembanyama in NBA, France picks Wembanyama for World Cup qualifying, From Carroll to Banchero, every top pick since 1980, All-Access: Behind scenes at 2021 NBA Draft, 2020 NBA Draft Prospects: All-Access Pass, Who wore it best? To claim eligibility, it's also necessary to have completed four years of college in the US, or four years passed since their graduation. Dillon Mitchell is arguably the best athlete in the draft. The 2022-23 NBA season is past its midway point, and the upcoming draft class continues to look strong with the top prospects maintaining high levels of playnot to mention new, intriguing . defender as well. According to the terms of the agreement, a draftee must be at least 19 years old and within one year of. Ja Morant is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. If youre new to it, it may seem complicated, but theres not a lot to it once you sift away the jargon. Anthony Black (Duncanville SG/SF, Undecided). He has to get more efficient and choose his spots more wisely, but he has the foundation of a gifted multi-faceted contributor. In the meantime, he's still a threat to impact games with his transition offense and downhill slashing, passing and outstanding defensive tools. Nets vs Celtics, 11 p.m. Sunday, July 17 NBA Draft 2023. But he's promising enough from outside for a two-way scoring wing with his physical profile. Victor Wembanyama (France/ASVEL, PF/C, 2004). NBADraft.net. A 6-foot-7 wing who can shoot the everliving crap out of the ball, its not hard to see the path to NBA relevance for Gradey Dick. Oct 27, 2022. At 7'1", he's a giant presence around the basket for lobs, finishing, offensive rebounding and shot-blocking. That would open up a major opportunity for George, a strong, athletic slasher who defenders have trouble containing or stopping at the rim. By Ricky O'Donnell Dec. Man Utd revive interest in Barcelona star De Jong, Verstappen takes opening F1 2023 pole as Red Bull oust Ferrari, Alonso, Hits & misses: Problems still to solve for Potter; Newcastle must find goals, Rice: Brighton played us off the pitch, it was demoralising, Hamilton: Mercedes 'made step forward' despite 'average' car, Paolo Banchero drives against Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey, Victor Wembanyama (right) during the French National Basketball League game between the Paris Basket and the Metropolitans 92, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic makes NBA history with 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double in overtime win against the New York Knicks, Paolo Banchero this year who plays for the Orlando Magic, after all games have been completed in the playoff finals, see Wednesday's league-record, 60-point triple-double. Christie will just have a better chance at maximizing his draft stock in 2022-23, assuming his offense is more reliable as a sophomore. If youre curious about any aspect of this class, we have it covered. The 2023 NBA Draft is headlined by center Victor Wembanyama and guard Scoot . The senior, who transferred over from Texas Tech, appears to be making a shooting leap in his final collegiate season. Bronny James isn't a top-25 college recruit, but his NBA prospects appear to be much better. The lottery is conducted using numbered ping-pong balls which are then randomly selected by the machine. Regardless, scouts may still have a tough time resisting the way he earns easy baskets, defends wings or bigs, blocks shots, crashes the glass and impacts games without needing plays run for him. Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite, SG/SF, 2003). The NBA Academy graduates were top 10 picks in Thursday's NBA Draft. He gets after it and takes pride in making stops. Hes putting up numbers, albeit one has to remember the context of those numbers (its Eastern Michigan). That said, Bates complete lack of explosion at the rim is a concern when projecting his efficiency long-term. We can only project so much in January. Wallace is next in the . At 6'8", 230 pounds, he offers a unique mix of size, strength, shooting potential and passing IQ. NBA Mock Draft: Wembanyama, Henderson are 1-2, but behind them are lottery questions. He makes his presence felt consistently on the defensive end. Put him next to a couple good creators at the next level and Dick has serious Star In His Role potential. The 2023 NBA draft is 12 months away, but we've had our eyes on this group of players for quite some time, . Matthew Cleveland is an athletic wing who should be capable of guarding multiple positions at the next level. GG Jackson has been admirably productive as one of the youngest players in college basketball.