Project Spurs 2023 NBA Draft Big Boards – Preseason

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Project Spurs 2023 NBA Draft Prospects Big Board

The college basketball season is upon us as games get going on Monday, November 7th. That makes this the perfect time to get you ready with a couple of 2023 NBA Draft big boards. While I’ve previously written pieces on top prospects for schools like Duke and  Arkansas, they hardly paint the picture of the entire class. This should help everyone look out for specific players throughout the college basketball season.

Below you’ll find the 2023 NBA Draft Big Boards for Ben (me) and my Project Spurs colleague Evan Townsend. These are complete two-round boards of 60 names, one for each pick in the draft. The projections are side-by-side separated by round so you can see where we differ. Below, we’ll highlight some of the bigger names we are high on and why.

 

Evan’s 2023 NBA Draft Big Board Analysis

Evan has been effusive in his praise for Arkansas wing Jordan Walsh. Walsh has generally been mocked as a guy just outside the lottery, but Evan has other ideas. Here is what he has to say about the 6-foot-7, 205-pound freshman.

“[I saw] Jordan Walsh in person and witness[ed] his will to stay on a court with the second and third units, switching onto multiple positions all while guarding the longhorns’ best-opposing wings on the floor. he’s a lottery pick in my opinion and has an NBA-ready frame today.”

Ben Round 1Evan Round 1
1. Victor Wembenyama1. Victor Wembanyama
2. Scoot Henderson2. Scoot Henderson
3. Amen Thompson3. Cam Whitmore
4. Nick Smith4. Amen Thompson
5. Cam Whitmore5. Dariq Whitehead
6. Keyonte George6. Ausar Thompson
7. Ausar Thompson7. Keyonte George
8. Dariq Whitehead8. Nick Smith
9. Dereck Lively II9. Dereck Lively II
10. Cason Wallace10. Anthony Black
11. Dillon Mitchell11. Cason Wallace
12. Kel’el Ware12. Jordan Walsh
13. Brandon Miller13. Dillon Mitchell
14. Jarace Walker14. Kel’el Ware
15. Terquavion Smith15. Jarace Walker
16. GG Jackson16. Tyrese Proctor
17. Anthony Black17. Terquavion Smith
18. Julian Phillips18. Nikola Durisic
19. Kris Murray19. GG Jackson
20. DaRon Holmes20. Arthur Kaluma
21. Julian Strawther21. Brandon Miller
22. Nikola Durisic22. Mike Miles
23. Adem Bona23. Julian Strawther
24. Amari Bailey24. Daron Holmes
25. Rayan Rupert25. Harrison Ingram
26. Gradey Dick26. Yohan Traore
27. Marcus Sasser27. Rayan Rupert
28. Harrison Ingram28. Sidy Cissoko
29. Leonard Miller29. Marcus Sasser
30. Jordan Hawkins30. JJ Starling

Evan might seem a little low on Matthew Cleveland as a second-rounder, but Evan also thinks he could jump up quite depending on how he plays at Florida State this season. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound sophomore could be special.

“Matthew Cleveland has a chance of being THE GUY now at Florida State, but is he ready for that role? Will he shoot himself out of the first round? Sill he shows any improvements to his outside game? I honestly don’t think so. He’s a second-rounder for now. Definitely could find his way in the back of an NBA rotation one day.”

Now that you’ve gotten inside the mind of Evan, you can compare it to my big board.

 

Ben’s 2023 NBA Draft Big Board Analysis

Oregon’s Kel’el Ware is a bit high right now and that is based solely on his potential. He will have to show that he can be consistent and can be more than a dunker and lob target. The debate between him and Dereck Lively II is basically a high ceiling/low floor (Ware) and low ceiling/high floor (Lively) discussion that happens often between big men like these two.

Ben Round 2Evan Round 2
31. Baba Miller31. Paulius Murauskas
32. Jordan Hawkins32. James White
33. Chris Livingston33. Judah Mintz
34. Tyrese Proctor34. Kyle Filipowski
35. Matthew Cleveland35. Leonard Miller
36. Jalen Bridges36. Alex Fudge
37. Kyle Filipowski37. Jayden Nunn
38. Jaime Jacquez Jr38. Brandin Podziemski
39. Colby Jones39. Amari Bailey
40. Caleb Love40. Skyy Clark
41. Cidy Sissoko41. Julian Phillips
42. Leonard Miller42. Kowacie Reeves
43. Oscar Tshiebwe43. Adem Bona
44. Arthur Kaluma44. Kris Murray
45. Drew Timme45. Gradey Dick
46. Mike Miles46. Roddy Gayle Jr.
47. Trayce Jackson-Davis47. Jordan Hawkins
48. Tyrese Hunter48. CJ Gunn
49. Adam Flagler49. Will Richard
50. Armando Bacot50. Trevon Brazile
51. Colin Castleton51. Jordan Akins
52. Jacob Toppin52. Mark Armstrong
53. Mouhamed Gueye53. Langston Love
54. Baylor Scheierman54. Chris Livingston
55. James Nnaji55. RJ Melendez
56. Adama Sanogo56. Matthew Cleveland
57. Yohan Traore57. Isaiah Wong
58. Jalen Wilson58. Eric Gaines
59. Kowacie Reeves59. Trayce Jackson-Davis
60. Azuolas Tubelis60. Fedor Zugic

Florida State’s Baba Miller might be a bit low, but with his suspension lasting 16 games (nearly half a season) he will have to show a lot of what he can do in a little bit of time. He will have to get chemistry with his teammates in real games, and in conference play to boot. His potential is intriguing and what had him as a first-rounder before the NCAA decided cut his season short.

Duke’s Kyle Filipowski is an intriguing prospect as he has some great offensive tools and could even have an offense run through him. This season, he will have to show he can move his feet and play some defense if he wants to move up into the first round. As of now, he sits squarely in the second round.

What Do You Think?

Are we buying in on any players too much? Is there someone that didn’t make the boards that are flying under the radar? Let us know in the comments below.

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