Final 2023 NBA Draft Rankings

Here's my final top 60 for the 2023 NBA Draft.  Obviously the rankings would be slightly different depending on which team they were being applied to, but this is the best general guide I could come up with.

Overrated/Underrated, 2023 NBA Draft

The overrated/underrated segment identifies either overrated, underrated, or a mix of both, either players or teams, and I’m gonna keep this one positive and focus on players that look to be underrated going into the 2023 NBA Draft.  I’m basing this on what I’ve seen in most mock drafts up to this point.

 

Underrated

 

Ausar Thompson

From my perspective Ausar Thompson is on level footing with anyone being considered for the #2 spot in this draft.  An argument could be made for him being the 2nd best prospect, and for that reason he’s one of the most underrated players coming into Thursday’s draft.  He’s smart, strong, physical, super-competitive, and has every skill you’d want on both ends of the floor.  I look for him to continue improving over the course of his career, and if I’m drafting anywhere in the top six spots I’m strongly considering him.

Amari Bailey

Amari Bailey is probably my most underrated player in relation to where he’s projected to get drafted.  Most mocks have him going somewhere in the early-to-mid 2nd round, where I view him as a lottery-level talent.  He’s an elite offensive player capable of doing everything well on that end of the floor, and if he’s able to be just a solid defender he’s got star potential in the NBA.  It took him a little while to find his place on a very good and experienced UCLA squad, but by season’s end he looked like the most talented player on the team.

Jordan Hawkins

Jordan Hawkins is another guy I think will fall much farther than he should this year.  I view him as the best shooter in this draft, and a guy who will be one of the best shooters in the NBA pretty much right away.  If he can develop a better handle and expand his game into a player who creates plays for his teammates, Hawkins has the ability to be one of the best players in this draft.  Even if he doesn’t, he’ll be a major problem for opposing defenses, and with some added strength I believe he’ll be a very good defender himself.

Noah Clowney

Noah Clowney possesses a versatile skill-set that is increasingly valuable in today’s NBA.  Big men who can handle a little, pass, and knock down open shots still pretty rare, but might be necessary now to win championships.  Clowney is a guy who can do a little of everything on both ends of the floor, and outside of Wembanyama, Clowney might be the best big in this draft.  His size, length, and athleticism give him all the tools to be a great defender along with his versatile offensive game, so I view him as a major steal anywhere outside of the lottery.

 

Tristan Vukcevic

Although the sample size is extremely small, I loved the little glimpse I saw into Vukcevic’s game at the NBA combine.  He displayed a lot of skill finishing around the basket and knocking down both threes and mid-range jumpers, and the tendency of these overseas players to get far less playing time than they should makes guys like this much tougher to evaluate.  For this reason, and the fact that a guy like Nikola Jokic was severely overlooked in the draft, I’d take a shot on Vukcevic if I was in need of a big man this year.

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Trayce Jackson-Davis was completely dominant in college, and while he is a little bit undersized as a big man in the NBA, his extremely versatile skill-set will make him an uncomfortable matchup for almost anyone.  He’s a great passer and ball-handler with incredible athleticism, and if he can develop a jump-shot he’s got a chance to be extremely good.  If nothing else he’ll be a tough rebounder and offensive facilitator, but a reliable jumper will certainly take his game to the next level.  I’d bet on him developing one sooner rather than later.

Dariq Whitehead

I thought Dariq Whitehead was the best player coming out of high school last year, and while injuries led to a very disappointing freshman season, they will also likely result in him falling too far in this draft.  Concerns about his foot are certainly valid, but if he’s able to get fully healthy he’s got a chance to be one of the best 10 players in this draft. He was shooting the three and defending extremely well late in the season, and if he can rediscover the attacking dribble-drive game he showed in high school, he could end up being a guy who was worthy of a lottery selection.

Julian Strawther

Strawther is a tremendous shooter with size, and he’s shown the ability to knock down shots in the game’s biggest moments.  He’s got a great floater and has flashed glimpses of creating off the dribble, and if he can continue expanding his game and adding strength he’s got a chance to be extremely good.  He’s being projected as an early-to-mid 2nd round selection, but he’s got a great chance to be a steal in that range.

Sidy Cissoko

It looks like Cissoko will likely be a 2nd round pick, but with his size, skill-set, and competitive drive he’s certainly got a chance to be a 1st-round talent.  He’s got a very good handle with the ability to create for himself and his teammates, and if he can consistently knock down open threes he could be extremely good.  I admittedly didn’t see a whole lot of him this year, but from the little I saw he looked like a player who certainly could become an NBA starter.

 

Jordan Miller

Jordan Miller has always been a quiet and unheralded player, but he’s got a complete game and should fit in extremely well anywhere he goes.  Miller is a guy who doesn’t need any plays called for him.  He simply finds a way to be effective, and the fact that he’s being projected at the tail end of the draft or not even drafted at all is pretty crazy to me.  He’s exactly what you want from a role player, and he may even end up being an NBA starter for a long time.

Kobe Brown

Kobe Brown is a sneaky good player with a well-rounded game.  He’s got great size and strength, and he can play both in the post and on the wing.  He’s a very good shooter and passer, and can even handle a little bit.  He’s also a good rebounder and finisher inside, and can defend multiple positions.  He’s projected to be a mid-to-late 2nd round selection, and in that range he’s definitely underrated.

Souley Boum

Souley Boum is an elite athlete with an extremely quick first step.  He’s got a great handle and can get to the rim at will, but he’s also proven to be a pretty good shooter as well, shooting 40% from three for the season.  He’s a good passer, rebounder, and has all the tools to be a good defender, so it’s kind of bizarre that he doesn’t even crack the top 60 in most mock drafts.

Hunter Tyson

Hunter Tyson is a great shooter with size, but he also does everything else pretty well.  He’s a great passer and rebounder, as well as a tough and intelligent defender.  He’s the perfect role player for an NBA team, which makes it all the more surprising that he’s typically either been a late second-round selection or left out of most mock drafts entirely.  He was on his way to an impressive showing in Portsmouth before getting injured, which is definitely keeping him further under the radar than he would have been.

Azoulas Tubelis

I really liked Tubelis early in the season, but his subpar performance at the combine mixed with Arizona’s early exit in the NCAA tournament really hurt his stock.  However, he still has an extremely versatile skill-set for someone his size.  He has a pretty good handle, good court vision, runs the floor extremely well, is a good finisher around the basket, and is a good shooter with three-point range.  It was a little surprising to see him struggle at the combine, but it’s always harder for the big men to look good on teams that are thrown together last-second in these showcase events.  Most mocks currently have him as either a late-second round pick or going undrafted, which is pretty surprising for someone who was so dominant in college this season.

Sir’Jabari Rice

Sir’Jabari does everything well, and if it weren’t for him being a little undersized I’d have him even higher.  He’s an extremely intelligent player on both ends of the floor. He’s a great shooter with one of the best pump fakes in the game at any level, and he’s also a really good finisher around the basket.  He’s got a decent handle with great court vision, and he’s also a phenomenal defender both on and off the ball.  He’s mostly listed as a late-second-round pick or undrafted, and at that level is extremely underrated.

Jaylen Clark

Clark’s injury late in the season has definitely hurt his draft stock.  He’s an elite defender with really good size and athleticism, and he rebounds extremely well for someone his size.  He’s shown the ability to do a little bit of everything offensively, but he wasn’t asked to take on a huge scoring role at UCLA.  However, he was extremely consistent before the injury, and he’s mostly being listed as a late-second or undrafted player, which is way too low.

Mojave King

Mojave King is a great role player.  He moves extremely well without the ball and has a knack for finding the open space.  He’s also a very good three-point shooter, as well as a tough defender, and while I didn’t see a whole lot of him this year, I loved what I saw at the Combine.  He’s mostly projected as a late-second-round pick, but I think a player with his size, athleticism, and skill-set should certainly be drafted higher.