We’re two months removed from the 2022 draft and hurtling straight into 2023, where Victor Wembanyama lies in wait atop an intriguing group of incoming freshmen, college returners and international prospects. Now that I’ve had sufficient time to watch film, do research, canvas some early opinions around the NBA and clear my head (and not necessarily in that order), our first Big Board for the 2023 draft class is ready to go.
While it’s important to keep in mind that this is more of a watch list than anything else, given how far away we are from June and how quickly things will shift as soon as the season starts, I actually feel more optimistic than originally expected about next year’s draft. I’ve had an opportunity to see most of these players live at various junctures during their careers to this point and spent a lot of time digging back into old games to try and make this list as responsibly as possible. Projecting most things with certainty this early in a draft cycle is often folly, but it’s still fun to think about.
While this thing seems destined to go down as the Wembanyama draft, here’s an early look at the top prospects on my radar as we move toward the fall. Keep in mind, again, that this is not a mock draft, but an objective exercise to look at these players relative to one another in a vacuum, which is driven by my personal process and preferences. So, here’s some food for thought.
