The only mystery surrounding the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft was solved a month ago. On May 16, the San Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery and were given the opportunity, or perhaps even the obligation, to pick Victor Wenbanyama with the first overall pick.
At 7-foot-4, the French superstar Wenbanyama is perhaps the NBA’s hottest prospect since LeBron James, and for good reason. He shoots the ball like a modern day lead guard and blocks it like a classic Paint Patrol center. Within an 8-foot wingspan, Wenbanyama has nearly every skill an NBA team could look for in a franchise player.
“There’s no better environment for him than the Spurs,” said ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Gibbony. He added, “Everyone around him is excited about him. I doubt the Spurs are screwing this up.”
But while 19-year-old Wenbanyama is the ultimate money-maker in the draft, the entire draw — the entire high-profile Top 14 pick, and even the second round — is rife with potential franchise-changing prospects. there is
“There are phases in this draft,” Gibbony said. “Victor is on his own level. Next up is Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. And from there, it really opens the door.”
Alabama guard Miller and NBA G League guard Ignite Henderson are expected to be drafted within the first few drafts.
Here are five other players you should know in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Anthony Black
6-6, 210 lbs, Gard, Arkansas
Anthony Black’s first college scholarship offer was from a football team.Black was pulled out as a sophomore wide receiver at Coppell High School in Texas 39 passes for 762 yards and 8 touchdowns. His play caught the attention of strong programs such as Arkansas, Baylor, and Cincinnati. But basketball was his first love.
“If I had focused on football, I definitely would have made it to the NFL,” said 19-year-old Black. “I was pretty raw about it.
Black was born into a sports family. His mother was a scholarship player at Baylor College of football. His father is a basketball player. But they never forced him to be a bear. So he went to Arkansas, where he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in one season. He’s become a more confident and reliable shooter as the season progresses, but it’s his defense that’s why he’s projected to be a potential top-10 pick. He puts a lot of pressure on the ball and can also defend big players thanks to his strength and size.
“Defense is where I always wear my hat,” Black said. “I was always the best defender in my team, in my league, or in my region. It’s pretty embarrassing to be
Jordan Hawkins
6-4, 186 lbs, guard, Connecticut
During the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, Jordan Hawkins watched from the sidelines as No. 12 seed New Mexico State defeated the No. 5 seed Connecticut Huskies in Round 64. Speaking to coach Dan Hurley in the locker room after the game, Hawkins said: “It won’t happen again next year.”
He spent the summer getting basketball advice from college graduates and NBA greats like Richard Hamilton and Ray Allen. He also prioritized his mental strength and started a daily meditation practice with the Calm app. All his hard work paid off. After the college’s second-round loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament and his worst performance of the season, scoring five points on 11 shots, Hawkins vowed to play better in the NCAA Tournament.
“The best players come in March,” said Hawkins, 21. “He wanted to prove that he was one of the best players in his position and one of the best in the country,” he said.
In the NCAA Tournament, Hawkins was named the West’s Most Valuable Player after averaging 22 points per game and making nine 3-pointers against Arkansas and Gonzaga. (He posted a season 3 success rate of 38.8 percent.)
Before the team’s Final Four game against Miami, Hawkins suffered a stomach ailment. He vomited a dozen times before the game and nearly passed out in the first half. But he remembered the promise he made to his coach. He led the Huskies to their fifth basketball title.
“That’s what I’m bringing to the NBA,” he said. “I believe that I am a great defender and I believe I am the best shooter in the draft. I know how.”
GG Jackson
6-8, 214 lbs, forward, South Carolina
Last year, GG Jackson was the No. 1 player in the 2023 class for the seventh straight month, committed to North Carolina, left North Carolina, and reclassified to the 2022 class and committed to South Carolina. It was a turbulent time for the player, not yet 18, but by the time the college basketball season began, Jackson believed he had made the right decision.
“The coaches told me that I could lift a lot of people in my home state by staying in South Carolina,” he said. “And my mother was very happy because we lived close to home.”
Jackson had a respectable 15.4 points per game this season, but shot only 38.4 percent. He also publicly criticized his coaches on Instagram Live after their February loss to Arkansas. Jackson apologized, he said, and he admitted to ranting during a meeting with the NBA team. He’s not expected to be a top-10 pick, but he has an unparalleled combination of size and skill that could persuade teams to pick him in the first round. .
“I remember where I came from with basketball,” Jackson said. “I was a weak kid who had to wear goggles. I’m serious about who I want to be, who I want to be.”
Chris Murray
6-8, 213 lbs, forward, Iowa
Keegan Murray entered the NBA last June, but his twin brother Chris decided to stay with Iowa for another season. A few weeks later, when the Hawkeye family gathered for training, Chris realized something. This will be my first practice without my brother.
“I knew I could one day be an NBA player, but going back to college gave me the chance to make a name for myself,” Murray, 22, said. “When it comes to basketball, I have to be the centerpiece of the team. It was an invaluable experience for me.”
It was also a successful experience. Murray doubled his scoring and playing time compared to last season, but maintained his field goal percentage and improved as a passer and rebounder. His 20.2 points per game fell just short of Keegan’s 23.5 points last season.
“He gives me shit, and I give him shit,” Chris said of his brother. “But we really like to fight with our father.”
Their father, Kenyon Murray, averaged just 9.9 points per game during his four years with the Hawkeyes in the mid-1990s.
In April, Chriss watched Keegan start and win the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors. And in May, the brothers were able to spend a week together training and preparing for the upcoming NBA season.
“I think the comparison of players in the draft is pretty clear,” Chris said. “It may be a little slow, but it’s pretty accurate.”
Ryan Rupert
6-6, 193lbs, forward, France
Nineteen-year-old Ryan Rupert was born into the best basketball family in France. His father Thierry was a former captain of the French national team. His sister Ileana won the WNBA championship last summer with the Las Vegas Aces. Thierry died when Ryan was eight years old, but he instilled in his children his love for the game he dedicated his life to.
“It’s important for me and my sister to have Rupert’s name represented,” Leian said. “I am very proud of my father. At the same time, I want to build my career. I want people to know me not only as Thierry’s son, but also as Ryan.”
After four years playing for France’s prestigious academy INSEP, Rupert signed with the New Zealand Breakers as part of the NBL’s next-star development programme. He followed in the footsteps of his best friend Ousmane Dien, who moved from INSEP to the Breakers to the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 11th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft.
He’s part of a movement of French first-round NBA draft picks and has known Wenbanyama since he was 12. But for now, he’s more interested in making a name for himself.
“I am very happy for Victor and all the French players in this class,” he said. “But my goal is to be one of the best players in this league. That’s my only focus.”
