2023 NBA Draft Assessment

  

    The 2023 NBA Draft is quickly approaching and history is about to be made with Victor Wembanyama becoming most hyped player in the draft since LeBron. We have some intrigue at the 2 spot and a few other guys in the lottery who could have a big impact on their new teams. Others...won't. Without further ado, here are 16 guys I watched tape on and my predictions, which are the best on the web. Hopefully a smart front office doesn't find out about this blog or it's over for the rest of the league. Behold my crystal ball...

Victor Wembanyama - Best prospect since LeBron. The first guy on my blog to be rated a 100 point prospect and I’ve been writing since 2009. There’s not much to say other than I believe the hype and think he has top 5 of all time potential. My prediction is rookie of the year, defensive player of the year 5+ times, 4+ championship rings, 3 MVP’s if he wants them (aka Spurs let him play enough to get them). An incredible player that only comes around every twenty years. We had Jordan in 84 (great fucking year), LeBron in 03 and now in 23 we have the asparagus, Victor. It’s going to be fun to watch. Rating 100

Scoot Henderson - Scoot can fly. That’s for sure. There’s even an airline named after him. Google that shit (it’s not named after him, but there is a Scoot Airline). The first player I think of when I see highlights os Scoot is Russ, the BRODIE! Hopefully he has less of an ego and more of a J though. The tenacity, the leaping ability, even that elbow jumper is vintage Westbrook. And he definitely keeps his bod pretty tight. There’s definitely some holes in his game, the defense, the jumper, but with the fire he brings and the improvements he’s made in the last 2 years, it’s hard to doubt his trajectory as an All-star and possibly All-NBA guy. Despite his size being smaller than basically everyone else in the lottery, I would still take him at the 2 spot. I would rather bet on guys with passion for the game, not problem children like Miller. And Scoot has about 4 Rottweilers in him. Rating 91

Cam Whitmore - Damn Cam! Now this kid I’m high on. Makes me wonder why we aren’t talking about a big 4 in this draft. He has the size and explosiveness to be a great two-way player. Yes the shot could use some work, but it’s good enough for now. Only 18, he has a lot of upside. Reminds me of Scottie Barnes. Definitely not the same court vision, but comes into the league as a better shooter. I could see him having this kind of impact. I think he has a few All-star selections in his future and would be an easy fit to any team. That’s not something you can say about everyone in the lottery. Rating 88

Brandon Miller - I didn’t follow him much in college and really only knew that he was a lock for a top-3 pick and was favored to be the 2nd player taken in this draft. Not really sure about his character, but it’s never a good start when you’re associated with a homicide, but that’s just my opinion. I watched his highlights and am just not as impressed as the consensus. He seems slow. He doesn’t have a first step, he’s not quick, and his jump shot has a low release that doesn’t appear very quick either. When you combine those things, it’s not a good combination and caps his upside in my eyes. This is reflected in numbers when he faced top-50 NCAA teams, his percentages plummeted. If we’re talking Scoot vs Miller, Scoot is easily the better choice. Now if we’re talking Cam vs Miller, it’s a bit tighter, but I’m going Whitmore. Miller is a year and a half older and seems like a ding dong. He has NBA skills, no doubt, but he’s a fringe all-star at best and more likely a solid starter. Let’s pump the brakes on this guy.  Rating 82

Bilal Coulibaly - God damn this French bias of mine, but I like this kid! Super long and explosive, Coulibaly can impact both ends of the floor. The jump shot from basically every spot is a question mark for sure. Starts his release below his hips right now and it slows everything down. This is fixable, but it’s going to take 2-3 years before he scratches the surface of how good he can be. Bilal is not even 19 yet and has been progressing quickly. I think if he stayed in the French league another year, he would be a top-5 pick next year so I’m pretty high on him. Could be as good as OG Anunoby. Rating 81

Amen Thompson - After hearing so much about the twins, I thought their games and potential would be pretty identical. But after watching the scouting report on Amen, I can see he has another level to reach. He feels like an NBA2K create-a-player when you select the athletic swingman build. Super bouncy, but his shot form looks unredeemable. Comparison-wise I would say he reminds me of a taller DeAaron Fox with a worse jump shot. The passing looks pretty creative, especially in transition. The concern will be when the game slows down, like it does in the playoffs, how will he make a positive impact in a half court offense. I don’t have an answer for that right now. I’m not even sure he can be an average mid-range shooter. Maybe he’s Ben Simmons pre-mental breakdown and you have to put him in the dunker spot. The guy’s jump shot looks like Dwight Howard. But there is something here. I wouldn’t write him off and I see the potential. Most likely outcome I would give him would be a 5th or 6th guy who can cause havoc on a fast paced team. Rating 79 but if he starts to show that Thompson character, then it’s gonna be Amen Dropson to a 70.

Taylor Hendricks - What’s not to like from Hendricks? He will serve as a very good 3 and D guy in the NBA. I see flashes of PJ Washington who is another swingman that knocks down 3s at a respectable rate and blocks shots on the other end. Could he be an all-star? Maybe once or twice if there was a lot of injuries and everything broke his way, but I think it’s more likely that his future is as a valuable piece to a playoff team that can give you 30 minutes of high level production. His college stats I believe will match his NBA production. 15 and 7 with a block and a half. Every team in the NBA can use a guy like that. Rating 78

Gradey Dick - To me, this Dick reminds me of another dick, Tyler Herro. In a draft short on shooting, and I think pretty much every team could use another knock down shooter, the Dick has to go in the top 10. Will he be an all-star? Very likely not, but will this Dick be in the league for 10+ years helping teams space the floor? Almost certainly. Rating 78

Anthony Black - Black’s got the reverse Bobby haircut, gotta get rid of some of that. Another guy with a questionable J (not to be confused with the hard J). He does have great court vision though. I like his ability to see the game and his IQ is definitely going to cover up some holes in his game. Black will be as good as his jump shot can carry him, because he’s above average at pretty much everything else. It’s critical he gets this to a serviceable level because it will be the difference between him being an impactful starter, and maybe even better. Or he will end up an average backup. Worth a swing in the top 10 of this draft. Rating 77 but a 35% 3 point shot would unlock his game and elevate him to 85. Curious to see the outcome.

Cason Wallace - Another one of those guys who if he can get a consistent 3 point shot going in the NBA, he will have a bright future. If he doesn’t then he might not do enough to stay in the league. The shot form doesn’t look bad so there is some hope. His defense is his calling card right now, being able to defend any guard in the NBA pretty well. Wallace has a weirdly high dribble that he also needs to tighten, but despite all that, Cason is worth the risk in the top-15. Rating 75

Kobe Bufkin - A late riser in the draft process. Bufkin has been moving up because of the progression he’s made as a freshman to sophomore and apparently had a strong showing at his Pro day. I like his game and can see him as some combination of Derrick White and Immanuel Quickley. Has a similar size/frame and can be above average on both sides of the ball. I see Bufkin as a solid contributor with some upside to be a 25-30 MPG guy on a good team in his prime. Rating 74

Keyonte George - Keyonte, who my computer loves to autocorrect to Keynote, will be a guy we inevitably see many times on House of Highlights. He has a tight handle, some creative footwork, and doesn’t mind letting it fly from anywhere. As far as experience goes, he seems like he has the least in the lottery discussion. Makes a lot of dumb mistakes and has a lot to learn, which leads me to think that we won’t know how good he can be until his second contract. Team culture will be a big thing for him to develop the right habits. I think 6th man is probably a good scenario for him. The things that cap his upside are that he’s not very big or long or explosive. That’s fine, but there’s a big risk here that he’s a one side only player and coaches don’t like that. He could turn out to be Jordan Clarkson, but it’s just as likely that he’s out of the league by 25. I wouldn’t take him in the top half of the lottery, but worth a swing after that for any team looking that doesn’t mind waiting for a contributor. Rating 73

Ausar Thompson - Truly don’t know what to think of this kid, except that his last name sucks. The shot mechanics look fatal and to me that caps his upside to borderline all star. His competition was basically the Washington Generals so I’m a bit lower on what I’ve seen in highlights. Speaks to his classic Thompson character that they chose to play in this lame league. One thing I like is the defense, especially the fact that he’s willing to pick up his man for 90 feet. If he can keep up his focus on this part of the game he can definitely earn some minutes. A special athlete, but is he something more than a 7th or 8th man? In my eyes, most likely not. Rating 73

Jarace Walker - I like him fine. Doesn’t wow me. If we’re talking about Walker and Hendricks as the 3 and D guys in the lottery, I have a strong preference for Hendricks. Walker looks less fluid in his shooting and his hip swivel. It’s no guarantee that he will be an average 3 point shooter at the next level. He does have youth on his side, being only 19, but anyone talking all-star potential is dreaming. Rotation guy, sure, but nothing too exciting to me. Rating 72

Derrick Lively II - Not so Lively averaged 5 POINTS A GAME. If you want a backup defensive big who only plays one side of the ball, here you go. Rating 68

Brandin Podziemski - I like him as a shooter. Is he the sleeper of the draft? Well…I think after his rookie contract he might be playing with Ben Simmons for the Shanghai Sharks. Rating BUST.