2023 NBA Mock Draft With Analysis – 1/10/23

Draft order and lottery, as always, courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com

Pick	Team	Player	Stats	Commentary
1	Detroit Pistons	C Victor Wembanyama, France – 7’4, 240 lbs	22.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.1 bpg	No need to type up a team/player fit for Victor Wembanyama. He is 100% guaranteed to be the top pick. The most hyped prospect in years has lived up to the billing, with jaw dropping performances on national television. He is a legit 7’4 with the ball handling skills of a guard, a great shooting stroke and all defensive NBA potential. Just pray to the basketball gods that he can stay healthy. History has not been kind to players as tall as him. Detroit has a few nice pieces, but are so far away from contention. Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey would be a nice foundation to build upon.
2	Houston Rockets	PG Scoot Henderson, USA/G-League – 6’3, 180 lbs	20.6 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.0 rpg	Scoot Henderson is more than just a consolation prize for whoever loses out on the top pick. He is an elite talent, and is a perfect fit as a 2023 NBA point guard. He is big, strong, an aggressive scorer and talented distributor and defender. He has 20/5/5 potential right out of the gate. Eric Gordon recently mentioned that the Rockets have not improved at all and I agree. I would feel a lot more comfortable as a Houston fan with Henderson at point guard instead of Kevin Porter.
3	Charlotte Hornets	SF Amen Thompson, USA/OT Elite – 6’7, 202 lbs	17.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, 6.0 rpg	Amen Thompson needs to work on his jumpshot, and it is a legit concern that he is almost 20 years old playing against a bunch of high school kids, but he is a top notch athlete and may be the best on the ball defender in this class. Throw in his ability to be a true point guard and the total package is probably at the top of tier three. Thompson has the kind of all around game that would make him a nice fit for any team. Charlotte desperately needs talent on the roster at nearly every position.
4	New Orleans Pelicans	SF Ausar Thompson, USA/OT Elite – 6’7, 207 lbs	18.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 5.0 apg	From LAL An extremely unimpressive freshman class means four non-college prospects headline this particular mock. Ausar Thompson has been just as impressive as his twin brother Amen. Scouts say he is not quite the athlete Ausar is, but also has the ability to be a defensive minded, athletic point forward that can do a ton of little things to help his team win. The Pelicans are star heavy, and adding Thompson to the second unit would be a great gift from the Lakers.
5	San Antonio Spurs	SF Brandon Miller, Fr, Alabama – 6’9, 200 lbs	19.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.9 apg	Brandon Miller seems to be the last man standing as far as hyped college freshmen go. He has been a very consistent scorer all season, shooting over 43% from the three. Alabama is sitting at 13-2 on the season and Miller’s offense is the main reason why. He is also a willing defender and should be the top college player chosen if things continue this way. The Spurs are quite guard heavy right now, and Miller would be a nice fit at small forward.
6	Orlando Magic	SG Keyonte George, Fr, Baylor – 6’4, 185 lbs	16.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 4.5 rpg	Things really open up prospect wise after the top five guys are off the board. The next tier is full of talented players with serious flaws. Keyonte George has struggled badly with efficiency, but has shown enough explosiveness and scoring ability that he should be a solid lottery pick. The Magic should have two lottery picks, and with most of their best players playing in the front court, should go guard here.
7	Washington Wizards	SF Cam Whitmore, Fr, Villanova – 6’7, 232 lbs	12.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.0 spg	Villanova is struggling badly, and Cam Whitmore has been hit and miss in the early going, but he has a great deal of potential. He is coming off of his best scoring output, dropping 26 points in a loss to Xavier. He turns the ball over too much and is not much of a shooter yet, but he is quite athletic and adept at getting to the basket. He will fight for minutes in Washington with a lot of recent wing draft picks.
8	Toronto Raptors	SG Nick Smith Jr., Fr, Arkansas – 6’5, 185 lbs	12.8 ppg, 1.8 apg, 1.8 rpg	It has been a freshman season to forget for Nick Smith Jr. He missed time to start the year and now may be done for the season with a knee injury. I still find it hard to believe he will fall out of the top ten, however. He is a very gifted scorer, and every team in the NBA is clamoring for guards who can get their own offense. He is the best player available for a Raptors team in freefall.
9	Oklahoma City Thunder	PF GG Jackson II, Fr, South Carolina – 6’9, 215 lbs	15.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.9 bpg	GG Jackson II, one of the youngest players in college basketball, is holding his own on an over-matched South Carolina team. He is a great athlete who can score off lobs and put backs, and his perimeter shot has been promising. A project to be sure, but he would fit the Thunder timeline, which seems to be in the forever rebuilding stage.
10	Orlando Magic	PG Cason Wallace, Fr, Kentucky – 6’4, 193 lbs	12.1 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.7 rpg	From CHI For Orlando’s second pick, they basically draft the anti-Keyonte George with Cason Wallace. He is an NBA level defender already, and has the ability to really score when needed. If Jalen Suggs can show something, Orlando suddenly has a very deep and talented back court.
11	Utah Jazz	SF Gradey Dick, Fr, Kansas – 6’8, 205 lbs	14.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 apg	It is all about shooting with Gradey Dick. He has ideal size, length and the shooting stroke to be a real asset offensively. He is a better athlete than expected, and is a surprisingly effective defender. The Jazz are simply in talent collecting mode at this point, ignoring positions and team needs.
12	Atlanta Hawks	PF Kris Murray, Jr, Iowa – 6’8, 225 lbs	20.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.6 apg	Kris Murray is looking like a spitting image of his twin brother Keegan. He should average 20 ppg for Iowa this year, showing the same type of offensive game that landed his broter in the lottery. The only worry is that he will be 23 by the time the season starts, but playoff teams do not mind that, as they would welcome the immediate production. The Hawks have been a mess and should probably move on from John Collins, which would open up a spot for Murray to take over.
13	Portland Trail Blazers	PF Jarace Walker, Fr, Houston – 6’8, 240 lbs	10.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.8 apg	There is the Jarace Walker that has made scouts so excited. Walker, relegated to fourth or fifth option on offense, is coming off of back to back 20 point games. At his best, he is a versatile power forward who can knock down shots and play some point forward. A project, but a definite lottery talent. The Trail Blazers will look to resign Jerami Grant long term, which would make Walker a nice first big off the bench.
14	Utah Jazz	PG Anthony Black, Fr, Arkansas – 6’7, 198 lbs	12.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.8 apg	From MIN Anthony Black is a unique prospect. He is big and strong, a solid scorer with a better than anticipated jump shot. He plays solid defense, and can absolutely run the point guard position full time. He still needs to be more consistent offensively, but the potential is there to be a starting point guard in this league. Read the last Jazz blurb.
15	Phoenix Suns	SF Jett Howard, Fr, Michigan – 6’8, 215 lbs	14.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 apg	Jett Howard is a solid 3 and D type that every team would love to have coming off it’s bench. He is a very consistent scorer, can handle the rock and get some blocks and steals. He is basically a younger version of Cameron Johnson, making him an easy fit for the Suns.
16	Los Angeles Clippers	SG Maxwell Lewis, So, Pepperdine – 6’7, 195 lbs	20.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.9 apg	Gonzaga is not the only WCC team that produces NBA products. In 2022 it was Jalen Williams of Santa Clara, and this year Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis looks like a legitimate talent. He is basically the complete package as a wing, able to handle the ball, shoot and play some great defense. Guys like him are in high demand, and he could realistically find his way into the lottery come draft time. The Clippers are very veteran heavy and usually do not have any use for rookies, but Lewis should force himself into the rotation.
17	Golden State Warriors	SF Dariq Whitehead, Fr, Duke – 6’7, 220 lbs	8.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg	If Dariq Whitehead continues to produce the way he has, he should wind up in the lottery. He has been a consistent scorer the past four games for Duke. He has not offered much more than points, but has the strength and ability to be a solid defender as well.
18	Miami Heat	SG Terquavion Smith, So, NC State – 6’4, 165 lbs	18.6 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.6 rpg	Terquavion Smith has not improved much from a solid freshman year, still struggling to shoot over 40%. He is the majority of the offense for NC State, however, and does a lot of things even when his shot is not falling. He may max out as a Lou Williams type, but he could battle for Sixth Man of the Year awards during his prime. Any team would love his instant offense off of the bench.
19	New York Knicks	SG Colby Jones, Jr, Xavier – 6’6, 205 lbs	14.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 5.1 rpg	Colby Jones has exploded on the scene as a junior, doing it all for Xavier. Teams in the 20’s are going after these types of upperclassmen more and more, since they are cheap labor so to speak. The Knicks have struggled with consistency on offense, and Jones could offer that, if the head coach ever decides to play him.
20	Sacramento Kings	SF Taylor Hendricks, Fr, UCF – 6’9, 210 lbs	14.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.6 bps	While so many top freshman have struggled, a little known Central Florida recruit named Taylor Hendricks has exploded. He fits the new age power forward archetype to a tee. He can run the floor, block shots and score out to three point range.
21	New York Knicks	PF DaRon Holmes II, So, Dayton – 6’10, 225 lbs	19.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg	From DAL DaRon Holmes II was perhaps the highest rated Dayton recruit ever, and he has been as good as advertised. Holmes is coming off of three straight double doubles and has the look of a young Bobby Portis. He is not a pure three point shooter, but can score, rebound and block shots. He should take over for fellow Flyer Obi Toppin as the top backup big man on the Knicks roster.
22	Indiana Pacers	SF Brice Sensabaugh, Fr, Ohio State – 6’6, 235 lbs	16.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.5 spg	Brice Sensabaugh has not been asked to do much more than score, but he has exceled at that role, shooting 50% from the field. He has been a PER superstar thanks to his ability to chip in a few blocks and steals. He would give the surprising Pacers yet another solid wing scorer.
23	Los Angeles Lakers	SG Julian Strawther, Jr, Gonzaga – 6’7, 205 lbs	13.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 0.8 spg	From NO Gonzaga has struggled at times this year, and so has Julian Strawther, but I remain a fan. He has nice size, is a good defender and can really shoot the ball. As an upperclassman, he could come in right away and give the Lakers, a team with three or four legit rotation players, some real minutes.
24	Brooklyn Nets	SF Emoni Bates, So, Eastern Michigan – 6’10, 170 lbs	20.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.9 apg	From PHI Hey look, it is Emoni Bates. Remember this guy? The former “Next LeBron James” is putting up very strong, efficient numbers for a terrible Eastern Michigan team. If Patrick Baldwin Jr. can wind up in the first round, I do not see why Bates cannot as well. He would not have to do anything other than score a few points off of the bench for a veteran team like the Nets.
25	Indiana Pacers	C Kyle Filipowski, Fr, Duke – 7’0, 230 lbs	13.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.3 spg	From CLE Kyle Filipowski is not overly athletic or strong, but he is already showing the ability to grab rebounds, knock down jump shots and play passing lanes on defense. He could have a nice career as a backup stretch-type big man.
26	Houston Rockets	PG Marcus Sasser, Sr, Houston – 6’2, 195 lbs	15.8 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.9 rpg	From MIL Houston completely remakes the point guard position with Scoot Henderson and now Marcus Sasser. Sasser is not the most efficient or a natural “true” point guard, but he is athletic, can play some great defense and should bring quite a bit of veteran leadership to Houston, for whatever that is worth.
27	Utah Jazz	C Kel’el Ware, Fr, Oregon – 7’0, 210 lbs	8.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.6 bpg	From BKN Kel’el Ware has battled with Nathan Bittle for center minutes for Oregon, but has been productive during his 23 minutes per game. He is a peremiter oriented big man who can block shots and rebound at a high rate. Effort is sometimes a concern, but with the third of three picks, Utah could do worse.
28	Charlotte Hornets	PF Jalen Wilson, Jr, Kansas – 6’8, 225 lbs	20.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.8 apg	From DEN Jalen Wilson is definitely in consideration for College Basketball Player of the Year. He has had a monster junior season for Kansas. He is not the best athlete and may struggle to score this well in the NBA, but he does the dirty work rebounding and playing defense as well. Maybe not a starter, but he should be a productive bench combo-forward for Charlotte.
29	Memphis Grizzlies	SG Rayan Rupert, France – 6’6, 192 lbs	8.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.8 spg	Rayan Rupert is a long way from being a productive NBA player, but he is young and versatile, and could be a nice 3 and D player if he develops. The Grizzlies are one of the deepest teams in the NBA and would have no issue throwing him to the G-League wolves to slowly develop.
30	Indiana Pacers	PF Noah Clowney, Fr, Alabama – 6’10, 210 lbs	9.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg	From BOS Brandon Miller has not quite been a one man show for Alabama. Fellow lanky freshman Noah Clowney has been great as well. A project ofensively, he offers nice potential as a rebounder and shot blocker, and can knock down jump shots as well.