2023 YSD NBA Draft Big Board
(Updated as of 6/21)
(Updated as of 6/21)
Generational talent, able to shoot any type of shot from anywhere. Has the ability to take the ball up the court and handle on offense. Underrated passer and knows where his spots are. Only “flaw” is his defensive ability. Struggles with defensive awareness and lateral quickness isn’t all there obviously at 7'4, but easily can make up for it with his length.
Explosive point guard with great passing ability but thrives mostly at attacking the rim. Okay three point shooter but doesn’t utilizes the mid range as much with space. Great on ball defender and uses aggressiveness to attack ball handler. Will be an all-star caliber player some day.
Elite scorer, uses length to get to his shots and spots, very Brandon Ingram and Kevin Durant -esqe with his length, size and shot selection from the mid-range. Able to crash glass and grew as a solid defender throughout his freshman season.
Slow start to his season with injuries, but picked up his play as the season went on. Super explosive and loves to attack/finish around the basket. 40% on catch and shoot threes this year. Shot needs to speed up a bit and needs to be less of a chucker. Great on ball defender, with great size and strength, so will find himself a spot on any team.
All around player and can score at any level. Quick but also uses his strength to finish around the rim. Great 3pt shooter who isn’t afraid to score off the dribble. Incredible defender especially shot blocker. His craftiness for his size will make him stand out, but seems to get in foul trouble a lot.
One half of the Thompson Twins, Ausar in my opinion is more intriguing. Arguably just as good of a playmaker as his brother is. Won Overtime MVP for the league. Fantastic defender and finisher around the rim with jump out the gym athleticism. Only concern is the shot and form and level of play in the league he was in.
The other half of the Thompson Twins. Best playmaker in the draft class, and has great defensive skills. Worries are in his jump shot and if that can improve at all especially with a very odd form. Questions also come with playing for the Overtime Elite and how much can one take from his strength of opponents playing. But still a fantastic prospect nonetheless.
NBA ready body and athleticism for his size. Built like a lineman at 6’8, 240 lbs. Fantastic defender, especially shot blocker, winning AAC DPOY. Super athletic that excels in the PnR game and can run out in transition as a power forward. Shot is a work in progress but has potential.
This will 100% be surprise to most, but Bufkin might be my favorite guy in this class. Reminds me of a hybrid De'Aaron Fox and Jalen Brunson. Excellent finisher, having shot 71% from shots in the paint as a guard. Not afraid to pull from three with a good form, and loves a dribble pull up. Also great defender overall as well. He's mocked in the late teens but he is a top 10 talent.
Elite defender, especially on ball who suffocates on dribblers. Long arms and quick hands allow him to jump passing lanes and get easier deflections. Great playmaker and brings size at 6’7 playing 1-3. Struggles with turnovers and will hopefully develop his shot over time.
The former number one ranked high school player had a rough start to his season. Didn't show much offensively but there was no question about his defensive skill. Elite shot blocker and help side defender. Showing that he is working on his shot and can stretch the floor allows him to jump up so high on my list, assuming he will translate it to the pros.
Great scorer who started the season off inefficient but started to find his stride as the season went on. Wanting to shoot the three a ton and the end of the season proved he can knock them down. Uses his energy and aggressiveness to be a solid defender. Very confident so he will shoot a ton of shots, and struggles with his playmaking ability a bit.
Amazing on ball defender who is aggressive and has an instinct for the basketball. Solid playmaker but more importantly, a great three point shooter with a good form. Doesn't use his strength to attack the basket much and that holds him back. If he can find a way to score around the rim, he could be a steal for any team.
Every year there is the one international guy that rises up the boards. This year it's Bilal Coulibaly, and it doesn't hurt his attraction that he played with Victor Wembanyama. But Coulibaly is a fantastic defender in all aspects and uses his long arms to deflect and contest shots. Super athletic and isn't afraid to finish through contact. Only flaw is his shot and form, as it is kind of stiff from his base. Teams will be calling all over to try and get him in.
Overlooked because of playing with Scoot Henderson, but he had a fantastic season for the G League Ignite. Didn’t shoot many threes in season, but at the combine it looks more smooth than before. Fantastic rebounder as a wing and great at cutting to the basket, as well as getting out in transition. His athleticism will carry him on the defensive end, but it will eventually come to him as an adjustment.
Fantastic 3pt shooter who knows how to get to his spots, and even has a great dribble pull up game. Not going to stop any star player but will play decent enough defense to not be a liability, but excels jumping passing lanes. More than just a catch and shoot, come off screen player that will shine in the right system.
Unfortunately, Nick was sidelined with an injury to start the season. Once he came back, he struggled to fully find his footing, which leads to his percentages being low. But he was once looked at as a top 3 pick for a reason. His floater and runners are pure as butter, with his catch and shoot ability being his biggest upside. Decent defender but needs to improve on consistency on both ends and his decision making.
One of the top pure three point shooters in the class in all abilities. Works well off the ball in his movements getting to the right spots. Scores off dribble hand offs and isn't bothered by any contest. Loves the corner. Some defensive upside with good off-ball defense. Teams would be drafting him for his shooting ability beyond the arc and could go higher than projected.
Underrated guy in this draft that is starting to get more attention. Fantastic shooter, especially from three where he shot 43% this year. Scores at a very high level and does it efficiently. Showed some playmaking skills towards the end of the year and in the NBA Combine. There is some issues defensively but again, it's a guy you're drafting to be that second ball handler and off-ball scorer.
Scoring might as well be Brice's middle name, cause this kid can score at any level. 45% on catch and shoot threes this year which is elite level. Scores well off of screens and pin downs, and even has a great mid range game. Asking him anything outside of scoring is a lot, but the range he will go, are teams that need that spark of scoring off the bench that Brice can bring.
Another one of those former top ranked prospects that had an injury to start the season that halted his year. Shines the most as a spot up guy, but is very comfortable creating his own shot and winning 1 on 1 matchups. Good defensive upside with his build and senses. His biggest downside is his second surgery in a two years at his age. Can improve on attacking and using his athleticism and confidence to do so.
Another one of the lights out shooters in this class that could go higher than I'm ranking them. A crucial part of UConn's National Championship run, Hawkins shows great upside of translating his shooting abilities to the NBA. Hitting 6 threes twice in the tournament and 5+ multiple other times throughout the year. Doesn't bring much else, but he is a winning player who makes big time shots and isn't afraid to pull up.
No, I did not just put a picture of Keegan, they look exactly alike. Kris and Keegan both have similar play styles, except Kris is a lefty. A 3&D guy who is just one of those players who does everything exceptionally well. The downside, he's a bit older and will be starting out his rookie year at 23 years old. Will have to play off the ball offensively to reach full potential.
Another guy that I think is falling under the radar is Colby Jones from Xavier. He's a 3&D guy with great playmaking ability. Not your super speedy and quick guard but is more of a built and stronger guard. Quick release from three will interest any NBA team. Only flaw is that he is very hesitant to drive or force any contact, which could end up being valuable with his size.
One of the many upcoming guys on this list who really shot up my board after the NBA Combine. Jump out the gym athleticism, runs out in transition and uses his size and length to finish everything at the rim. Great defender, with a strong base that rarely gets knocked off his plane. Will need to improve as a shooter but showed willingness to shoot more.
Good playmaker and solid defender. Falls down a lot from the lottery projections for me because of the lack of three point shooting and attacking the paint. He is inconsistent scoring wise and makes questionable decisions. But his on ball defense really keeps him up and helps him stand out above other guards.
A raw prospect but one I like a lot. He is a scorer at every level, especially relying on his pull up mid range, catch and shoot threes and backdown fadeaways. His defense is raw, likes to jump lanes but gets caught sleeping at times. Questions are about level of competition, but performed well against some tournament teams (Grand Canyon, Gonzaga, UCSB, Iona, Nevada)
Super athletic kid that has a ton of potential as a stretch big. Good rebounder with solid defensive skills both in the paint and as a perimeter defender. Lob threat underneath in the style you would see a Robert Williams for Boston do. Can shoot from outside, but obviously his consistency is his big key to work on. Good potential pick.
A guy who you can bring in and instantly helps to a winning culture. Great rebounder for his size and can jump out of the gym when you don't expect him to. A team who is looking to use their draft pick and get a guy who is a bit older but has a high basketball IQ, Jaime Jaquez is the type of guy you want to pick.
Another guy who impressed me even more after the NBA Combine, especially with a great end to his season. After Jaylen Clark went down for UCLA, Bailey stepped up as the guy. Great playmaker who loves to play off the PnR a lot. Smooth lefty stroke that is used in dribble pull ups and is a great three point shooter. But his on-ball defense has to be his greatest strength for his size. Any team would be lucky to get him at this spot.
32) GG Jackson: F - South Carolina
33) James Nnaji: C - NBA Africa
34) Jordan Walsh: F - Arkansas
35) Kobe Brown: F - Missouri
36) Trayce Jackson-Davis: F/C - Indiana
37) Sidy Cissoko: G - G League Ignite
38) Seth Lundy: G/F - Penn State
39) Ben Sheppard: G - Belmont
40) Julian Phillips: F - Tennessee
41) Julian Strawther: G/F - Gonzaga
42) Tristan Vukcevic: F/C - Serbia
43) Jaylen Clark: G/F - UCLA
44) Rayan Rupert: F - France
45) Adama Sanogo: F/C - UConn
46) Marcus Sasser: G - Houston
47) Keyontae Johnson: G/F - Kansas State
48) Jalen Wilson: F - Kansas
49) Isaiah Wong: G - Miami
50) Emoni Bates: F - Eastern Michigan
51) Chris Livingston: F - Kentucky
52) Jordan Miller: F - Miami
53) Oscar Tshiebwe: F/C - Kentucky
54) Ricky Council IV: G - Arkansas
55) Jalen Pickett: G - Penn State
56) Jalen Slawson: F - Furman
57) Colin Castleton: C - Florida
58) Mouhamad Gueye: F/C - Washington State
59) Charles Bediako: C - Alabama
60) Mojave King: F - NBA G League Ignite