NBA Mock Draft 2023: San Antonio Spurs get Wembanyama
The NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, and the ping pong balls say the San Antonio Spurs have won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Prior to the draft lottery, we have only put out NBA Draft Big Boards, a ranking of the players in a vacuum. With the lottery order known, this is the first NBA Mock Draft of the cycle.
It is worth keeping in mind that the NBA Draft Combine is still going on; it will not end until May 21. That leaves one day and one month until the June 22 draft night. None of the players projected at the top of the draft are participating in the NBA Draft Combine, but the happenings during this week typically be movement in the back half of the lottery.
In the month, and a day, between the NBA Draft Combine and draft night, teams will be bringing in players for individual and group workouts as they pair down their draft boards. As the days get closer, there will be movement across the board.
This draft has been much anticipated because of Wembanyama and the projected generational talent many say he possesses. As for the rest of the draft, here is a look at the lottery in our first version of an NBA Mock Draft.
2023 NBA Draft Big Board version 3.0 | 2023 NBA Draft particulars
1. San Antonio Spurs
C Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitans 92/France
7-3, 225 pounds | January 2004
2022-23 stats: 33 games, 21.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.1 blocks, 46.8% FG, 28.3% 3P, 83.7% FT
There is no real conversation to be had here. It did not matter who got this pick; Victor Wembanyama was going to be the guy. It just so happens there is a natural fit here with Wembanyama and the Spurs. At only 19 years old at the time of the draft, the Spurs will be able to build around Wembanyama for the foreseeable future.
2. Charlotte Hornets
G Scott Henderson, G-League Ignite
6-2, 195 pounds | February 2004
2022-23 stats: 19 games, 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 42.9% FG, 27.5% 3P, 76.4% FT
LaMelo Ball is Charlotte’s best player and central piece. The problem currently is he becomes a restricted free agent after the 2023-24 season. Scoot Henderson is the second-best player in this class. He is an explosive lead guard who plays aggressively but is also under control. Having two players in the backcourt who can create offense by way of playmaking and scoring is a plus. Henderson and Ball are both also Puma athletes.
In the last five years, the Hornets have averaged 33 wins and have not made it to the playoffs. Take the best player available.
3. Portland Trailblazers
F Brandon Miller, Alabama
6-9, 200 pounds | January 2002
2022-23 stats: 37 games, 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 43% FG, 38.4% 3P, 85.9% FG
Brandon Miller brings shooting to the Pacific Northwest as the Trailblazers have 32-year-old Damian Lillard under contract for two more seasons. The fit will be interesting with Jerami Grant on the roster, and Miller raised questions as he shot 31.4 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from three in six SEC and NCAA Tournament post-season games. While he was not asked to do so at Alabama, in high school, Miller showed more than capable in the mid-range, and he shot 38.4 percent from three on 7.5 attempts on the season. Despite his freshman status, he is the oldest player projected to go in this lottery, but there is still some ceiling to his game.
4. Houston Rockets
G Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
6-6, 200 | January 2003
2022-23 stats: 16 games, 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 55.6% FG, 25.0% 3P, 65.6% FT
The physical gifts of Amen Thompson are undeniable. He has a great frame, quick-twitch explosion, length, and 0-to-60 burst like no one else in this draft class. The shooting is the glaring question mark. The Rockets have a young core with the likes of Jalen Green, KJ Martin, Jabari Smith, and Alperen Sengun. The fit with Kevin Porter could be interesting, possibly causing them to make a decision at some point down the line. But the upside of Thompson makes it tough to look past him here.
5. Detroit Pistons
F Cam Whitmore, Villanova
6-6, 235 pounds | July 2004
2022-23 stats: 26 games, 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 47.8% FG, 34.3% 3P, 70.3% FT
Cam Whitmore is one of the more physically explosive in this class; he is also one of the younger collegiate players, as he will still be 18 on draft night. At 235 pounds, Whitmore measured a 6-foot-8.5 wingspan and a 40.5-inch max vert. He showed shot-making promise and has upside as a defender. The Pistons have a young roster, and Whitmore connects their stable of bigs and the Jaden Ivey/Cade Cunningham backcourt.
6. Orlando Magic
F Taylor Hendricks, UCF
6-9, 205 pounds | November 2003
2022-23 stats: 34 games, 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.7 blocks, 47.8% FG, 39.4% 3P, 78.2% FT
The Magic have traditionally loved lengthy, versatile players. Taylor Hendricks fits that mold. He has natural defensive instincts, especially as a team defender. Hendricks also brings shooting, going 39.4 percent from three. The Magic have a young frontcourt core with Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter, and Paolo Banchero. There is nothing like a natural three and D player to connect pieces. Hendricks’ defensive versatility and shooting fit in well.
7. Indiana Pacers
F Jarace Walker, Houston
6-8, 240 pounds | September 2003
2022-23 stats: 36 games, 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, 46.5% FG, 34.7% 3P, 66.3% FT
The fit with Jarace Walker here is pretty clean. The Pacers have a nice core of players on the perimeter, along with 26-year-old center Myles Turner. Walker measured 249 pounds with a 7-foot-2.5 wing span and 38.0-inch max vert. He brings toughness to the team that could use some, and defensive versatility to a position of need. This fit will allow Walker’s offense to continue growing without much pressure to produce right away.
8. Washington Wizards
G Cason Wallace, Kentucky
6-4, 193 pounds | November 2003
2022-23: 32 games, 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 44.6% FG, 34.6% 3P, 75.7% FT
Cason Wallace is an intriguing fit beside Brad Beal, someone who can play on or off the ball and take on the responsibility of defending the opposing team’s top perimeter threat. Washington needs to overhaul the overall talent on the roster, as well as stay healthy. Each of the Wizards’ best three players, Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and Kristaps Porzingis, missed at least 20 percent of the season. Wallace is one of the higher-floor prospects in this draft class.
9. Utah Jazz
G Anthony Black, Arkansas
6-7, 195 pounds | January 2004
2022-23 stats: 36 games, 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 45.3% FG, 30.1% 3P, 70.5% FT
Anthony Black is a long, athletic, high-IQ guard. The Utah Jazz blew up their roster last off-season and are building for the future. Walker Kessler is a potential future all-defensive type presence in the paint. Lauri Markkanen is an all-star. Black provides a defensive presence with toughness that fits a similar timeline.
10. Dallas Mavericks
F GG Jackson, South Carolina
6-9, 215 pounds | December 2004
2022-23 stats: 32 games, 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 38.4% FG, 32.4% 3P, 67.7% FT
GG Jackson is the youngest player in the draft class; he is also one of the more naturally talented. Jackson was the consensus No. 1 player in the 2023 class before he chose to classify up into 2022. He was forced to carry a heavy load as an 18-year-old freshman, and he ran through a rough patch in the middle of the season on social media. His interviews will go a long way to answer maturity questions, and his individual workouts will certainly help his value. The talent has never been the question.
11. Orlando Magic
G Gradey Dick, Kansas
6-8, 205 pounds | November 2003
2022-23 stats: 36 games, 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 44.2% FG, 40.3% 3P, 85.4% FT
Orlando is building a young core to their roster, with each of last season’s top five scorers under 25. One thing that young core could use an injection of is shooting. Last season, as a team, the Magic shot 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. They already took Taylor Hendricks, who shot 39.4 percent from three, earlier in this draft. With this pick, Gradey Dick was one of college basketball’s most prolific three-point shooters making 40.3 percent from beyond the arc on 5.7 attempts per game.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
F Leonard Miller, G-League Ignite
6-10, 210 pounds | November 2003
2022-23 stats: 24 games, 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds. 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 55.4% FG, 32.7% 3P, 79.2% FT
Leonard Miller was one of the worst producers at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine. Fast-forward 12 months, and Miller had one of the most productive seasons of anyone on this list. Still just 19, with a year in the G-League under his belt, Miller is one of the most instinctive rebounders in this draft class. That should be a nice fit with last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Chet Holmgren. Miller has the ability to create his own offense and the acumen to make a pass, which is something the Thunder look for at all five positions.
13. Toronto Raptors
G Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
6-6, 200 pounds | January 2003
2022-23 stats: 21 games, 17.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.0 blocks, 51.8% FG, 33.0% 3P, 66.3% FT
The Toronto Raptors have some nice pieces up front, with Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poetl, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakim, and Precious Achiuwa all under 30. Ausar Thompson is a perimeter version of the lengthy and explosive forwards on the roster. There are shooting questions, but the natural physical traits are there, and the high upside guard fits with the makeup and timeline of the current roster.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
C Dereck Lively, Duke
7-1, 220 pounds | February 2004
2022-23 stats: 34 games, 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 65.8% FG, 15.4% 3P, 60.0% FT
While it was a rocky start to the season for Dereck Lively, by the last ten games, he was possibly the greatest defensive force in college basketball. Lively moves in a unique way that would grow nicely alongside Zion Williams and Brandon Ingram, adding another Duke Blue Devil to the roster.