2023 NBA Mock Draft: Where will the Dominoes fall?
2023 NBA Mock Draft Picks 5-20
PF. Detroit Pistons. Jarace Walker. 5. player. 64.
After the first four picks, it is impossible to select where the rest of the players might fall. Yet, for the Pistons the answer is clear: Get frontcourt help. With Wembanyama off the board, look for Walker to be the next man up. In the last two games of his college season, he grabbed in 10 and 11 rebounds, nearly matching his career high of 13.
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player. 38. . G/F. Orlando Magic. Ausar Thompson. 6
Like his brother, Ausar has the ability to stretch the floor. Drafting him would give Orlando an extra playmaker to pair alongside last year’s rookie of the year Paolo Banchero. Thompson can switch between the two and three spot and can be a tremendous defender when called up. The only thing he lacks is being a true shooting threat.
Cam Whitmore. 7. player. 100. . SF. Indiana Pacers
Previewed as the next Jerry Stackhouse, Whitmore would give Indiana the fierce competitiveness the team has been lacking. For a player who missed the first seven games of the season, Whitmore still tallied 326 points. Will he be the Pacers missing piece?
Taylor Hendricks. 8. player. 142. . PF. Washington Wizards
For a team lacking big man help, Hendricks would be just what the Wizards need. In his finals three games of his college career he tallied 9 rebounds a game and two blocks. Being able to pair him next a player like Kristaps Porzingis would allow the team to have a true defender and an extra scorer down low.
118. . PG. Utah Jazz. Anthony Black. 9. player
A flashy point guard who can play on both ends of the court, look for the Jazz to snatch their man of the future. In the sweet 16, Black dropped in 20 points, five steals and four rebounds. Along with that he shot 41.7 percent from the field. At his best he has the ability to drive to the basket and can create open opportunities for his teammates.
. SF. Dallas Mavericks. Gradey Dick. 10. player. 79
The former Kansas Jayhawk would be the perfect asset for a team that likes to shot the ball. Last season, Gradey Dick shot 40 percent from beyond the arc and and 44 percent from the field. While a big man would be tremendous here, passing up on an extra shooter would be a mistake for Dallas.
Orlando Magic. Gregory Jackson. 11. player. 38. . PF
Back on the clock, the Magic now shift their attention to their big man issues. Jackson would he a great help as he led his team last year with 26 blocks and 24 steals. Offensively he averaged 15 points. While he comes as a liability to his inconsistency, his size is something that Orlando will not pass up on.
12. player. 149. . SG. Oklahoma City Thunder. Jordan Hawkins
A team up and rising is the Oklahoma City Thunder. With a young core centered around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren look for OKC to continue to add to youth with Jordan Hawkins. The former UCONN Huskie played a key role in helping his team win the title. In the title game he dropped in 16 points on 55.6 shooting, as he made than half of his attempted three pointers.
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SG. Toronto Raptors. Keyonte George. 13. player. 81.
The Big 12 freshman of the year has the ability to make his presence known. One of his key assets is his ability to drive to the land and score on contact. If he can improve his shooting, then this is no doubt a steal for the city of Toronto.
Brice Sensabaugh. 14. player. 69. . SG. New Orleans Pelicans
With the final pick of the lottery, look for the Pelicans to make scoring their main priority. Brice Sensabaugh would be the perfect candidate to fit the team’s needs. At 6’6 he can shot the ball from all over. Last season, he made 40.5 percent of his attempted three pointers, while knocking down 48 percent of his shots. While he is not the perfect defender, his scoring presence is something that mustn’t be overlooked.
15. player. 125. . PG. Atlanta Hawks. Jalen Hood-Schifino
While Trae Young is the team’s guard of the future, Atlanta is still looking for someone to fill his role whenever he is on the bench. All signs point to Jalen Hood-Schifino to fill the role. The savvy guard has a good midrange shot, and is an excellent passer who can help spread the floor. This seems like a lock for both sides.
. SF. Utah Jazz. Jett Howard. 16. player. 118
With Utah on the clock once again, look for them to find size and shooting. This is where Jett Howard comes into play. The son of former player Juwan Howard, he is was one of college’s top shooters last season. The biggest question mark will be, can he use his size to improve on the defensive end?
2023 NBA Mock Draft continues…
Kobe Bufkin. 17. player. 20. . SG. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles does it again, they added another Kobe to their roster. The Michigan guard adds shooting power to a team struggling to make shots late in games. For the Wolverines last season, he 48.3 percent of his shot, knocking down 61.5 percent of his attempts in his game of the season.
SG. Miami Heat. Ryan Rupert. 18. player. 110.
The three and D player has plenty resemblance to that of Nic Batum and Jae Crowder. He can use his long arms to knock down passes and can create his own shots whether that be driving to the basket or knocking down a mid range shot. While his three point shot needs some work, he can be that extra player for teams looking to improve defensively.
41. . SG. Golden State Warriors. Sidy Cissoko. 19. player
The G League shooter would be a perfect option to pair next to the splash brothers. The 6’8 guard averaged 12.8 points on 45.5 percent shooting. The biggest issue is his shooting from the beyond the arc. If he can improve his three shot, then this is clearly a no brainer for the Warriors.
. PF. Houston Rockets. Leonard Miller. 20. player. 169
With Houston back on the clock, look for them to aim for size this next go round. Leonard Miller would be a great option for a team looking to improve defensively. In the G League last season he averaged 10.9 rebounds with seven of them being on the defensive end. At 6-10 he can switch between the three and four.