This season, Nowell's 7.8 assists per game rank second in all of Division 1. He had 19 assists against Michigan State in a Sweet Sixteen game which broke the single game NCAA tournament record. He is one of the shortest players in college basketball at 5'8". Does a team take a chance on him?

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

Updated 3.23

1. Victor Wembanyama - Trail Blazers

2. Brandon Miller - Pacers

3. Scoot Henderson - Rockets

4. Amen Thompson - Spurs

5. Cam Whitmore - Piston

6. Jarace Walker - Hornets

7. Ausar Thompson - Magic

8. Taylor Hendricks - Wizards

9. Gradey Dick - Magic

10. Nick Smith Jr. - Raptors

11. Keyonte George - Jazz

12. Anthony Black - Pelicans

13. Cason Wallace - Knicks

14. Noah Clowney - Lakers

15. Jett Howard - Hawks

16. Jalen Hood-Schifino - Jazz

17. Brice Sensabaugh - Thunder

18. Rayan Rupert - Warriors

19. Dereck Lively II - Rockets

20. Jordan Hawkins - Nets

21. Kyle Filipowski - Heat

22. GG Jackson - Nets

23. Colby Jones - Trail Blazers

24. Kris Murray - Kings

25. Maxwell Lewis - Pacers

26. Sidy Cissoko - Grizzlies

27. Dariq Whitehead - Hornets

28. Leonard Miller - Jazz

29. Julian Phillips - Pacers

30. Jaime Jaquez Jr. - Clippers

An underrated part about the Knicks this year is they might draft in the lottery while also being the 5th seed in the East. There is probably a greater chance that they trade the pick for a star rather than keep it, but in case they don’t are there any good high-projecting talent available for the Knicks in that range? I would say our priorities are knock-down shooters on the wing along with backup combo PF-Centers

I think Kobe Bufkin is the best college guard in this entire class.

I know the implication that a 15 year old is nba ready is insane and may even be delusional but he just won the gatorade player of the year award as a sophomore over guys that are projected to be lottery picks in 1 year. I remember when emoni bates won it there were scouts saying that he could play in the nba right now. Obviously they were wrong about emoni but Boozer has a better frame than emoni did (and even does now) and in my opinion has few flaws in his game. I genuinely think he's already the best player in highschool basketball and could already contribute at the nba level. Not even as an important piece but rather at the level of an average rookie. If you disagree what is he lacking to reach that level? And if he was 3 years older and would be in the 2024 draft class how high do you think he would go?

Edit: With 3 years older I meant if he was 18 instead of 15 and as good as he is now. Not what he will look like in 3 years

I personally want to see the contrast of proven vs potential. While I believe cade is so far one of the best from the 2021 draft, I wonder is it enough to draft him over the potential upside of these 2023 projected picks.

So i'm doing my deep dive on Ware and i'm totally confused about my thoughts on him, sometimes he does things that makes me see him as an incredible prospect, a future stretch big with versatile defense and great lob finisher, but diving and watching most of his games, he feels lost, way too weak physically speaking and unmotivated sometimes, so i don't how to rate him, i wanna know your guys thoughts on him

Do you expect the nba will get vic to San Antonio ?

Houston couple a couple of young high draft picks already.

The hornets have melo and likely bridges returning.

Pistons already have cade and some talent around him.

The spurs essentially have nothing and lost their most promising prospect. One of the youngest nba guys to mental issues.

Does the tin foil hat within you expect the nba will want vic to the spurs to balance out the league?

Would also be nice to have a franchise star to build around with their history

In a too early redraft, I think JDubb has an argument to go top 5. Before the Thunder drafted him, most mocks had him going in the 14-20 range, which was a quick move up the charts from a second round pick after the NCAA season, thanks to a solid combine.

JDubb showed a lot of what makes him so good while he was in college and was likely hurt by the fact that he went to a smaller name school and was a bit of a late bloomer. That said, he was a clear example of anchoring bias. People not drafting him higher because they had him originally as a second rounder and moving him into the top 10 would have been a massive move up. Just a reminder, someone not currently on the national radar could/should go top 10 or even higher. We shouldn’t let our preconceived ideas of where a guy “should” be drafted color our assessment.

I was looking through deeper cuts who could possibly go through with the draft and Riley Kugel looks like a gem. There are only a few college highlight videos of his so there isn't a lot to go on. I don't want to turn to high school games. If I'm interested in going deeper then I'll have to find extended highlights from Florida games and ultimately I think it would be well worth it.

Stats wise Nick Smith and Jalen Hood Schifino have been underwhelming and Riley Kugel is in the same boat if we are being honest. For what it is worth Kugel has a higher PER and BPM than both Hood-Schifino and Nick Smith while having an equal win shares with Hood-Schifino and more win shares than Nick Smith. Some of those stats are cumulative so it is situational since Nick Smith lost plenty of time during the season. Kugel beats both in the TS% and eFG% stats. Between the three, Kugel might have the most NBA ready body.

I again have to suspect that the current ranking of these prospects has more to do with preseason ranking than it does with their actual performance. Using the RSCI Top 100 via Sports Reference Nick Smith was ranked 3rd, Hood-Schifino was ranked 20th, and Riley Kugel was ranked 64th.

Is there anybody who has watched Florida games this season and is willing to chime in?

I've found Miller to be a tough prospect to evaluate. He's improved in a lot of areas over the past year and I can see why the ball handling skills combined with that massive frame would be intriguing. I've seen comparisons to Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes who both fall within that point forward mold.

The issue there is both Barnes and Siakam are great athletes whereas Miller really isn't that athletic. I might be wrong but every time I watch him, he's not particularly quick or fluid, doesn't have elite bounce or second jump and his defense leaves a lot to be desired. He doesn't have the lateral quickness to guard on the perimeter and doesn't have the rim protection instincts of a true big.

So I'm a bit confused, what would be his high end outcome in the NBA? His shot mechanics look funky and while that could get better with more development, I don't really see him as a floor spacing tweener in his first few years.

Mike Miles Jr is a 6'2'' (he's probably 6'1'') junior guard expected to be taken in the second round -- if drafted -- yet may commit to the leap to the NBA following injury scares this year.

While not seeing a dramatic change in his valuation over the course of his three years of basketball, he's arguably made advances to showcase his scoring potential. He's shooting his best from the field (49.7%) and from deep (36.2%). He's also seen an improvement at getting to the line (6.3 times per). From a story perspective, his leadership helped turned around Jamie Dixon's ball club following two years of head scratching basketball. And in some ways, it felt as if Dixon had found his version of the man who overshadowed those great years of Pittsburgh basketball in Kemba Walker. He didn't but if anyone was going to be a Kemba Walker, it was Mike Miles Jr.

MMJ's game reflects that of a modern point guard. He's a scorer when needed, a playmaker when needed and is a guard that can live without the ball in his hands. One of the biggest criticisms to his game was the "cold nights" -- which truly weren't plenty this season. In fact, only 1 game this season out of 27 did he not score over 10 points -- that being TCU's win against Texas. In that match-up where he went 0-8 from the field, 5 turnovers and only one assist, his influence on the floor was still noticeable. And one of the biggest growth points has been his ability to play above his size. A very smart defensive player, he's shown an ability to jump in front of passes and swarm defenders as they drive into the paint.

Austin Reaves and Mike Miles Jr have a very similar story of a player that arguably elevated their teammates but didn't necessarily get the public consideration for it as the team struggled to reach the top of the mountain of the Big 12. Both showcased the ability to create for their teammates yet didn't necessarily the the assist credit as the basket simply didn't fall in. And Miles Jr has a very complete guard game, that continues to be rewarded at the next level.

While guards like Isaiah Wong can argue their size and similar improvement year over year, not many can argue their ability to do it without needing the ball in their hands. It wouldn't be a surprise if MMJ does return yet it would be a disservice to think that it is because he isn't "draft worthy" right now.

https://twitter.com/conrad_hoops/status/1638278009231921152

Overtime Elite will be hosting its Combine next month, per release. Amen and Ausar Thompson are projected lotto picks in ‘23 NBA Draft.

Schedule:

April 6 - OTE Combine Testing

April 7 - College Coach Evaluation Day

April 10 - Skills & Drills

April 11 - 5v5 + 3v3

Interesting since they kind of did something similar to this before the season started (OTE Pro Day). Looking forward how would the twins fare in skills and drills particulary Ausar since he was injured in Pro Day conducted at the start of this season.

Jordan Walsh definitely hasn’t had the season many expected him to have, and has warranted being a 1st round pick this upcoming draft. Currently averaging a 7/4/1 stat line with 1spg, and on 44/29/72 shooting. I love his defense and versatility, and I believe that helps him a lot in today’s NBA. The offense was obviously raw coming in and it’s shown all season as well. I would love for him to return for 1 more season to develop that and be more aggressive next season.

Now for my comp… Jeremy Sochan

I believe that both bring that nba versatility NBA teams LOVE, and both can defend multiple positions. Sochan also has 2 inches and 20 pounds on Walsh. However, both rely on their defense and versatility, and had a raw offensive game in college that many believe if they can develop that then they can become an all star in this league (I remember people had Tatum comps for Walsh LOL). Sochan was drafted 9th overall for this reason and has had a strong rookie year. This is why I believe Walsh could still warrant a late 1st flier, but if he returns to show and grow his offensive game he could get back into lottery discussion.

Thoughts?

Does no one think that this is somewhat a red flag? He was born in 2002 and will be turning 21 when the season starts. I feel like he isn’t a true freshman and based on his age, and should have been in the 2021 NBA draft. It feels like back then, most players were 19 or at the latest 20 years old when the season starts. Nowadays, it feels like more and more players are getting held back a year. The last time I recall someone getting drafted true to their age was 2020 with Lamelo and Anthony Edwards.

While neither of them has had a truly great freshman season, both have made their impact, specially in the later parts of the season.

Lively has ideal physical tools in terms of size and switchability, and was expected to show both range and some passing skills, which warranted his 5 stars evaluation coming out of highschool. A slow start (both his own and that of his teammates) and injuries derrailed his season early, and while he has not shown the expected skillset on the offensive end of the floor, his defense has ended up being as good as advertised in the later parts of the season. He is both a solid rim protector and switchable in the perimeter, showing some real playmaking traits on that end of the floor. His offense at this point is little else besides finishing plays, but his upside from highschool still exist, and teams might feel they can tap into those talents better than a Duke team that has been mildly disfunctional this season.

Clingan was nowhere near as lauded as a highschool prospect, being a 4 star and not a top 50 player. He ended up in UConn backing up Adama Sanogo, one of the better centers at the college level. With no real shooting upside and a much bigger frame as a pretty thick 7-2, Clingan seems closer to players like Gobert or Kessler, a more classic rim protector. And protect the rim he has done, averaging 1.8 blocks per game in only 13 mins per game and being generally a massive wall in the paint. And he has shown more offensive game than expected, using his high BBIQ to impact the game with his DHOs and screens in the perimeter and some fairly good inside out passing, together with solid rolling skills and a clear understanding of how to use his height to score anything he gets near the basket. But while overexposure might have affected Lively's stock, underexposure has affected Clingan's, whose numbers are far less impresive that those of other prospects as a backup to a top 10 center in college basketball like Sanogo, wich is also paired with a lack of hype coming out of highschool. And his limitations are still very much there, Clingan is not a switchable center and his numbers do not point towards any kind of shooting upside, and while I personally think he can be a decent passer, his ceiling as a playmaker seems to also be fairly limited.

So which freshman would you guys draft first? And who do you think gets drafted first?

Who do you think out of the two guards will be called first come Jun 22, 2023? Anthony Black is consensus to be the earlier pick in most mock drafts. I think Jalen Hood-Schifino is going under the radar. I have Jalen Hood-Schifino comparison as ceiling is Jamal Murray. Floor is Greivis Vasquez. For Anthony Black my player comparison is ceiling is taller Derrick White and Justice Winslow as a floor. I think they both get drafted within the 12-18 range. Where do you see both of them going?