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The Best Basketball Prospects of the 2023 NBA Draft Rankings

Ranking the best basketball prospects going into the 2023 NBA Draft as Victor Wembanyama leads the way

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By admin | May 14, 2023

The 2023 NBA Draft is fast approaching as the 2022-23 NBA Season marches towards the NBA Finals. As you start to look around at the top NBA Draft Prospects for the upcoming NBA Draft the list is loaded with talent including the top stars that are all expected to go early on.

The 2023 NBA Draft set for Thursday June 22, 2023, has one clear cut favorite to be the first player taking overall with that honor going to Victor Wembanyama of the Metropolitans 92 who also owns the top spot among the Top 10 NBA Draft Prospects 2023 Rankings list. 

Wembanyama is an interesting prospect who has tremendous size at 7 foot 4 inches, while also owning a great arsenal of weapons at his disposal including ball handling skills, and his ability to shoot from the field.

Joining the talented on the list of the top prospects include talented freshman Brandon Miller of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers, Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite, and Jarace Walker of the Houston Cougars. Here is a look at the Top 10 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings of 2023.

 

Honorable Mention

Anthony Black

Team/School: Arkansas Razorbacks

Landing just outside of the Top 10 NBA Draft Rankings 2023 list is the talented Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black.

Black who is from Duncanville, Texas put together a strong freshman season for the Razorbacks while averaging 12.8 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. 

The former Razorbacks has solid size at 6 foot 7 inches tall while also having strong ball handling skills as well as above average to good passing abilities separating him from many of the other guards within this NBA draft.

 

Cam Whitmore

Team/School: Villanova Wildcats

Another talented freshman to land among the discussion as one of the best prospects entering the upcoming NBA Draft is the Villanova Wildcats freshman Cam Whitmore.

Whitmore, who played in 26 games this past season while dealing with a hand injury showcased his abilities at times over the course of the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball schedule.

The Wildcats freshman has the physical tools and quickness to be a strong player in the NBA for the years to come with the ability to attack the rim and find ways to score.

Only thing holding Whitmore back from a top 10 spot is his lack of shooting range that showed up at times during his freshman season.

 

Top 10 NBA Draft Prospects

10. Nick Smith Jr.

Team/School: Arkansas Razorbacks

Coming in at number 10 on the Top 10 NBA Draft Prospects Rankings 2023 list is another talented Arkansas Razorbacks freshman Nick Smith Jr.

Smith Jr who is coming off a freshman season averaging 12.5 points per game to go along with 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists is an interesting guard to monitor over the next few weeks including during the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft Combine taking place May 16, 2023, through May 18, 2023.

The former Razorbacks guard has the ability to open up his own shot however due to a knee injury suffered this past season his potential never really was displayed.

A strong NBA Draft Combine will move Smith Jr up the rankings while any types of struggles could land him in the bottom half of the first round.

 

9. Keyonte George

Team/School: Baylor Bears

A common trend setting in among the best players in all of college basketball and the top NBA Draft prospects is the fact many are young with a talented upside.

George, who finished the season averaging 15.3 points per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists is as dynamic as any guard entering the NBA Draft while having a huge upside. 

The Baylor Bears guard showcased at times his ability to take over a game while being a dynamic scorer for the team across the season.

While small limitations are holding him back including his ability to make decisions at various times of the game. Nonetheless it is hard to look past a player with as much upside as George during the 2023 NBA Draft.

 

8. Gradey Dick

Team/School: Kansas Jayhawks

Whether he remains at guard will be seen as he enters the NBA, one thing’s for certain is that Gradey Dick has the tangibles to be a great NBA player.

Dick who is from Wichita, Kansas, was a highly talented five-star recruit who elected to stay home and join the Kansas Jayhawks. The talented freshman for the Jayhawks finished the season averaging 14.1 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds.

At 6 foot 8 inches tall, Dick has tremendous size at the guard position while being one of the best overall shooters entering the upcoming draft. A strong performance at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine could have Dick move up as one of the top NBA lottery picks. 

 

7. Jordan Hawkins

Team/School: UConn Huskies

Entering the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball season Jordan Hawkins name wasn’t even mentioned as an NBA lottery pick during the 2023 NBA Draft.

After a strong season that saw the sophomore guard help lead his UConn Huskies to the National Championship, Hawkins is projected to be a top 10 NBA Draft Pick.

Coming off a season in which he averaged 16.2 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists, Hawkins posted at least 13 points in each of the team’s wins during the NCAA Tournament. Add in Hawkins ability to shoot from behind the three-point line makes him an interesting NBA prospect.

 

6. Cason Wallace

Team/School: Kentucky Wildcats

While his statistics were solid during his freshman season with the Kentucky Wildcats including averaging 11.7 points per game, his true potential was never on display over the course of the season.

Cason Wallace is a tremendous athlete with speed and athleticism while having tremendous court vision on both ends of the floor including on the defensive end of the floor.

The Wildcats guard was also a solid passer posting at least six assists in nine different games during the 2022-23 NCAA Season while also posting at least two steals in 18 different games.

5. Zach Edey

Team/School: Purdue Boilermakers

Rounding out the top five on the Top 10 NBA Draft Prospects 2023 Rankings list is the Purdue Boilermakers junior Zach Edey. Edey, who is projected to be one of the top centers available during the 2023 NBA Draft, lacks the athleticism abilities as many of the other top NBA Draft prospects.

However, Edey is as polished as any big man in the upcoming draft with great size at 7 foot 4 inches while being a strong finisher by the rim and strong on the glass. Edey will enter the NBA Draft in need of a strong combine performance to showcase his ability to play on both ends of the floor.

 

4. Jarace Walker

Team/School: Houston Cougars

As you look around the landscape of college basketball the talent on the floor is at an all-time level while the freshman classes continue to improve year in and year out.

One of those freshmen who put together a strong season is Jarace Walker of the Houston Cougars. Walker, who sits at 6 foot 8 inches has size and speed to go with his ability to handle the ball while also finding ways to shoot off the catch.

In addition, averaging 11.2 points per game as a freshman, Walker posted 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor.

Despite his up and down freshman season, the tangibles, and his ability to put the ball in the hoop with his shot making abilities and floater used inside the paint makes him a valuable prospect for many teams around the NBA. 

 

3. Scoot Henderson

Team/School: G League Ignite

Electing to skip playing at the college ranks, Scoot Henderson elected to join the NBA G League Ignite while putting together a strong season over the course of the 2022-23 NBA G League Season.

Henderson averaged 17.6 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. While his upside is extremely high among guards entering the NBA draft, his overall shot needs work while shooting just 27.5 percent from behind the three-point line.

 

2. Brandon Miller

Team/School: Alabama Crimson Tide

The race for the 2nd overall pick during the 2023 NBA Draft is believed to be between Scoot Henderson from the G League Ignite and Brandon Miller of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The talented Crimson Tide freshman is coming off a season in which he averaged 18.8 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Miller was strong both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor while also being aggressive on the glass. While off the court issues may be a concern, on the floor performance is nothing to worry about as Miller showcased his ability to make plays while also showing his ability to shoot at all areas of the floor this season.

 

1. Victor Wembanyama

Team/School: Metropolitans 92

For over a year now all eyes have been set on Victor Wembanyama of the Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A league in France.

Wembanyama is an interesting player who has size at 7 foot 4 inches while also having the abilities to run the floor, handle the basketball and shoot from a wide range on the floor.

The seven-footer has great wingspan at over eight feet while having the ability to play at a wide range of positions on both ends of the floor.

There isn’t really anything Wembanyama can do at a high level including being a true rim protector with great blocking abilities as well as a strong passer on the offensive end of the floor. It is hard to imagine the French big man from going number one overall during the 2023 NBA Draft.

How would you rank these players on your NBA Draft Board for the 2023-2024 NBA Season? Rank below to be added in the NBA Power Rankings..

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