Memphis Grizzlies: Malcolm Cazalon (Mega MIS, SG, 2001). Its obviously important for the shooting to continue, though the early consistency remains promising, as hes at 41% from deep on 4.4 attempts per game while converting 79.1% of his free throws. Look for his minutes at UCLA to increase and NBA scouts to start to take notice. You play defense, his father told him, youre going to force your way onto the floor.. 1 of 5. . https://t.co/U121NFDPe5 pic.twitter.com/WwqEFYXtyr. Despite taking just 6.8 shots per game, Noah Clowney is building a strong NBA case with a valued mix of shooting, defense and finishing efficiency. Fans love mock draftsand big boards (click here to see Travis Branham's first big board)but theres a reason NBA front offices dont rank potential draft prospects this early in the season, because things change at such a rapid rate. Though it may require him to accelerate his pace or have the Bruins go on a deep postseason run, Clark can see it happening. And then, when its on the opposite side, hes very good at helping and trying to read skip passes and things like that.. 1. Offensively, while he doesnt offer much one-on-one firepower, hes demonstrated a knack for capitalizing on what the defense gives up by either improvising with various touch shots, driving past closeouts or timing his cuts. He figures to only make more fans during the predraft process with his measurements, workouts in front of executives and interviews. He does remain limited in creation situations, but hes ultraefficient when converting in transition (99th percentile), and hes produced by mostly playing to his strengths, play-finishing fast-breaks, rolls, cuts and catch-and-shoot chances. About Jalen Suggs Jalen Suggs is an athletic guard with great competitive instincts who turned the corner in his lone collegiate season while helping Gonzaga to a National Championship appearance. 6. Coming up with more rebounds and steals some nights than others, Williams has room to be a more consistent factor off the ball as he showed good instincts in spurts. Each front office will do its own due diligence by investigating and interviewing, making it difficult to assess how Miller's involvement will affect his draft stock. 29. . 52. Photo by Ethan . The statistical jump is true across the board though as his rebounds are up from 3.8 to 7.7 and his assists from 1.0 to 2.5. He was a top ten prospect in the country last year . 44. At 6'8" and 225 pounds, Wilson has the physicality and tools to continue attacking, finishing and rebounding in the NBA. Guarding as many ball screens as almost any player in the country, he had some solid moments blowing up perimeter actions with his length, but was not immune to lapses and gave up quickness in some matchups. Teams interested in just adding a scoring weapon will want Sensabaugh. He picks his spots well to attack, and he uses his strength and off hand to convert around the basket. He's a strong, efficient self-creator and shot-maker who won't offer much playmaking value or defensive upside. Unlike Smith and Sasser, Miles makes his teammates better. 19. B/R draft expert Jonathan Wasserman updates his mock draft following new developments. Brooklyn Nets (via Suns): GG Jackson II (South Carolina, PF, Freshman). Defense wasnt always his top priority. Teams will bet on Nnaji's 6'11", 250-pound frame for finishing, rebounding and rim protection, especially given his comfort level playing in the Spanish ACB at 18 years old. The shot-blocking and finishing alone could be worth a first-round pick to the right team with scoring and a need for more easy baskets and interior defense. 1 to the Orlando . In short, hes solid across the board and someone scouts are looking at as a two-way connective piece. While Henderson's explosiveness, power and off-the-dribble burst separate Henderson from the rest of his draft classmates, a recent 20-point (2-of-4 3PT), 14-assist game against a Memphis Hustle team with multiple NBA-caliber players highlighted his skill improvement, playmaking and shot-making potential. Omier is powerful, physically imposing against bigger players, a high volume-rebounder, and even fairly light on his feet. The play of Brandon Miller, Nick Smith Jr.'s return and the Thompsons' upside may at least make the Spurs think before taking Henderson. Jaylen Clark solidifies his place among The Draftables By Adam Finkelstein Dec 15, 2022 2 We began this year's NBA Draft coverage by ascertaining exactly how things work behind the scenes.. Stuck in a shooting slump the last few weeks, Clark might want to remind himself that earlier this season he became the only NBA, WNBA or Division I mens or womens player in the last 20 years to collect at least 15 points, seven rebounds and seven steals while making all seven shots during a rout of Sacramento State. Boston Celtics (via Blazers): Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA, SF/PF, Senior). 16. His attitude changed when he joined a stacked club team featuring eventual NBA first-round draft picks Evan Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu, among other older and more decorated players. Hes a high-floor low-ceiling type prospect who could stick as a role player because of the various supportive ways he can impact a game. A change of scenery for the World Cup Qualifiers didn't throw off Wembanyama, who went for 22 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks in France's win over Czech Republic. Already deserving of NBA attention thanks to early signs of 3-point improvement (18-for-40), Colby Jones made another strong statement to scouts with 16 points, five assists and two steals in a win over No. 26. Thompson's shot also hasn't looked totally broken lately, while his 6'7" size, foot/hand speed and leaping give him wild defensive potential as well. Rising prospects such as Pepperdines Maxwell Lewis, Ohio States Brice Sensabaugh and Illinois Coleman Hawkins have ultimately become too well known to be considered sleepers anymore. He's taken on more scoring responsibility, which has highlighted an effective combination of 6'6" positional size, pacing off the dribble and three-level shot-making. Keep an eye on him! But he shows excellent patience, timing and cleverness for making plays within a half-court offensive set. As a hybrid shooting guard-small forward, he spends less time guarding the ball than anticipating where it might be headed. Jaylen Clark SG #0 Current Team: UCLA Born: Oct 13, 2001 (21 years old) Birthplace/Hometown: Corona, California Nationality: United States Height: 6-5 (196cm) Weight: 210 (95kg) Current NBA Status: Draft Eligible in 2025 Draft Entry: 2025 NBA Draft Pre-Draft Team: UCLA (Jr) High School: Etiwanda High School [Rancho Cucamonga, California] Jaylen Clark is making room for it in his mind. His defensive activity and energy have been selling points as well, as Mintz is averaging 2.3 spg off ball pressure, happy feet and good intensity. A lot of Clarks steals come off trapping and double-teaming, his lively arms and feet making him tough to get around. While his vertical jump numbers earned him some buzz at the combine, his efficiency is rooted in his ability to methodically work his way past defenders before using his length and touch to score in close. At 6-foot-5, he can move his feet, check smaller guards, and be versatile on the perimeter. Overlooked because of:athletic limitations, lack of self-creation, low-volume shooting, Undervalued because of:versatility/projected fit, two-way tools, improving shooting. Jones isnt the sharpest creator off the dribble, and a limited pull-up game and low volume of 3-point attempts suggest he doesnt project as a high-upside scorer. His shooting development is starting to look like a gamble worth taking, based on his 11-of-31 start on 3-pointers and the likelihood that his off-ball finishing, on-ball decision-making and defense can translate in a supporting role. Kind of reminds me of Halliburton. Still 18 years old, the flashes of shot-making, drives past closeouts and screener baskets outweigh his suspect 28.2% shooting on 3-pointers and clear lack of polish. Jaylen Clark should be playing himself onto draft boards, more so with versatility and consistent impact plays than his 14.1 points per game. It seems like hes a ball of energy in covering ground.. Judah Mintz Syracuse. 9. 35. The 6-foot-5 junior has started in 25 games . Utah Jazz (via Timberwolves): Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana, PG/SG, Freshman). UCLAs Jaylen Clark could be a valuable pick in the late first or early second round of the 2023 draft. You see, like, if you do something and he crosses over, now youre like, OK, thats his tendency, said Edney, whose 11 steals against George Mason in December 1994 remain a Pac-12 record. Orlando Magic (via Bulls): Gradey Dick (Kansas, SF, Freshman). He stayed in front of even the speediest counterparts, hounding them with his active hands to swipe the ball or at the very least prevent them from making the easy pass. Early on, NBA coaches may find more use for his defensive tools and activity, given his 6-foot-9, 210-pound frame, mobility, motor and ability to contest shots at the rim and away from it. Though Jordan Hawkins hasnt taken a step forward with his creation and off-the-dribble play, NBA teams should start to picture his shot-making translating to off-ball scoring. George has been erratic, though the inconsistency is more so a product of his particular shot selection and style of play. San Antonio Spurs: James Nnaji (Barcelona, C, 2004). 51. If he can sustain what weve seen so far for the rest of the season, he could end up being a surprise one-and-done candidate. Hes shooting 70.8% at the rim and 19-of-37 on one-handers around the key. At 6'7", he has plenty of shot-making skill and improved creation ability for one-on-one scoring and secondary playmaking. While it may be unrealistic to expect him to shoot the ball this well all season long, if the floor-spacing is real (he shot 20% from three as a freshman and 26% as a sophomore), hell project as a three-and-D type versatile guard. The most iconic shot in UCLA history by Tyus Edney with 4.8 seconds left in a 1995 March Madness game originated on a makeshift driveway court. The only clear path to upside calls for significant improvement to his shooting/mechanics, though there will be teams willing to bet on it given his age (19) and what a jumper could do for a 6'10" wing. He's just crossing off reasons to doubt him. Carter was not scheduled to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, but was scheduled to speak with teams and undergo his physical at the event. I'd be happy to draft him anywhere outside the lottery and feel good about it. Were looking at a mix of breakout returners and freshmen who didnt receive much one-and-done hype entering the season. Inconsistent shooting has affected Whitmore's scoring, but between his functional ball-handling moves to break down defenses and his explosiveness and power in the lane, he's still been able to create and finish opportunities in the half court. Howard remains out with an ankle injury, though he's already shown enough shot-making for a 6'8" freshman to lock in top-20 interest. A significant rise in playing time as a junior has ensured a breakthrough. Doing much of his damage out of ball screens, his deceptiveness with the ball and ability to score from anywhere on the floor allowed him to put significant pressure on opposing defenses. 41. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Brothers Discovery. The bone goes everywhere the team does, accompanying the Bruins this week to the Pacific Northwest. After a nearly two-month layoff, it took Smith only four games to put up 26 points and deliver the creation and shot-making flashes that fueled top-five hype in the preseason. Both coaches favored forcing players toward the baseline and used similar help rotations. Im going to go to his crossover, so now you can sit on it once and maybe he relaxes and you go at him and poke it away and get a steal. 4 steals & 12 deflections in 22 minutes. Coming off a season-high 34 points against George Mason, Holmes continues to strengthen his NBA case around physical tools and athleticism for finishing, inside scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking. Later in the day, Carter released a statement on his official Twitter account, saying that he will return to Athens to answer the charges against him, while expressing his goal to clear his name. Select the second team from the drop down menu. Clarks father, Cornelius, warned him that hed never get to play if he didnt follow one rule.