2023 NBA Draft: Current Player Comps for Upcoming Class
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Especially in the modern NBA, no two players are even close to the same. With that in mind, with every rookie class that comes through it's natural to attempt to compare each prospect to current players.
We're getting later in the cycle for the 2023 NBA Draft, and there's still similarities between some of the upcoming draftees and NBA players.
Here's a few initial player comps for some of the top prospects in the upcoming draft class. In general, most of these guys are actually blends of several current NBA players, but there's always one player that feels most similar from a style of play standpoint for each.
As these prospects have the chance to showcase their talent over the coming months in the pre-draft process, we will continue to update the comparisons for each.
Adama Sanogo - Jalen Smith
Although somewhat undersized if he wants to play center at the next level, it’s easy to see a scenario in which he can play either frontcourt spot effectively.
Adem Bona - Khem Birch
Bona is still raw, but has a ton of upside as an athletic and versatile big.
Alex Fudge - Wenyan Gabriel
He prefers to score in the paint, but if his perimeter game begins to develop, an ultra athletic forward like Fudge could make a huge impact at the next level.
Amari Bailey - Cole Anthony
When it comes down to it, Bailey has plenty of ways to get his team a bucket.
Amen Thompson - Ja Morant
There’s no doubt Thompson has a ways to go as a shooter, but the athleticism and playmaking is extremely similar to that of Morant.
Andre Jackson - Dejounte Murray
While he still has a long way to go as a scorer, Jackson is one of the more impactful two-way guards in this class with his ability to be an extremely disruptive point of attack defender on one end and an excellent passer on the other.
Anthony Black - Josh Giddey
Jumbo guards are beginning to become more common in the NBA, meaning Black could have similar the success Giddey has.
Arthur Kaluma - Pascal Siakam
It’s unclear if Kaluma has the long-term upside of Siakam, but their college games are wildly similar.
Ausar Thompson - Scottie Barnes
Rare size, defensive upside and the ability to make plays could vault Thompson into future NBA Rookie of the Year conversations.
Azuolas Tubelis - Domantas Sabonis
A strong forward that has a ton of versatility, Tubelis showcases lefty moves that resemble Sabonis.
Baba Miller - Ousmane Dieng
Prospects that grew up as guards and then experienced growth spurts result in unique jumbo wings like Miller and Dieng.
Bilal Coulibaly - Trey Murphy III
While he's spent most of the season under the radar, Coulibaly has everything NBA teams want in a modern wing.
Bobi Klintman - Nicolas Batum
A 6-foot-10 prospect with guard skills, it's hard not to see Klintman find a way into the NBA some day.
Brandin Podzeimski - Josh Hart
While Podziemski has a long way to go in order to make the impact that Hart does, the positional rebounding, scoring and size are similar at the college level.
Brandon Miller - Paul George
With two-way upside and a ton of length, Miller could be the next highly impactful wing to make his way into the league.
Brice Sensabaugh - Tobias Harris
A quick riser in the freshman class, the Ohio State freshman has great size and skill to be a high impact scorer at the next level.
Cam Whitmore - OG Anunoby
The unique combination of strength and skill could has Whitmore in the conversation of a top-three pick next summer.
Cason Wallace - Marcus Smart
There’s a guard that comes along every few years that simply understands the importance of defense and dominates that end of the floor.
Chris Livingston - Josh Christopher
The frame Livingston has is NBA ready and should allow him to generate buckets early in his professional career.
Colby Jones - Malcolm Brogdon
His perimeter jumper is not reliable at this point, but the rest of his game truly impacts winning.
Coleman Hawkins - Kyle Anderson
A fantastic connector, Hawkins is extremely smart and makes things happen offensively as a forward.
Dariq Whitehead - Keldon Johnson
Perhaps the best wing in this class, Whitehead could easily end up being better than Johnson but currently has a similar skillset as a college prospect.
DaRon Holmes II - Marvin Bagley
He's not a perimeter threat yet, but Holmes is an athletic forward with a natural feel for the game.
Dereck Lively - Myles Turner
In the modern NBA, if you can be a dominant rim protector and space the floor you’re in for a successful career.
Dillon Mitchell - Darius Bazley
A smooth lefty that plays with flash, Mitchell could be the scoring punch that elevates the team that selects him next summer if he can develop a jumper.
Emanuel Miller - Jared Vanderbilt
A long wing with two-way talent, Miller could end up being a highly impactful player like Vanderbilt in the right system.
Emoni Bates - Carmelo Anthony
Even if he’s digressed of late, Bates is a certified scorer and has the size to create mismatches.
GG Jackson - Julius Randle
A strong forward with the ability to facilitate and handle the ball, Jackson should thrive at the next level.
Gradey Dick - Bogdan Bogdanovic
Every team needs shooting, with Dick being perhaps the best in this entire class.
Isaiah Wong - Will Barton
An advanced shot maker, especially in big moments, Wong has the self-creation ability to get much needed buckets.
Jaime Jaquez - Cedi Osman
Jaquez has great size for a player with such a guard-oriented skillset.
Jalen Bridges - Darius Bazley
An athletic combo forward, Bridges impacts the game on both ends.
Jalen Hood-Schifino - Killian Hayes
The jumper needs a lot of work, but Hood-Schifino has a natural feel for the game and is a great lead guard.
Jalen Slawson - Rudy Gay
Slawson is one of the more underrated players in this class with his size to play effectively as a forward, but also maintaining perimeter skills.
Jalen Wilson - Bobby Portis
Although he's a forward that's known for cleaning the glass at a high level, Wilson is also an improved perimeter scorer.
James Nnaji - Serge Ibaka
Although raw, Nnaji has all of the physical tools a team needs to see in a long-term project that could blossom down the road.
Jarace Walker - Aaron Gordon
When it comes to energy and doing anything it takes to win on both ends, Walker has championship DNA and would fit in any NBA system.
Jaylen Clark - Josh Okogie
An absolute anchor on defense, Clark should still be a quality draft pick despite a season-ending injury.
Jett Howard - Cam Johnson
With a ton of shooting upside and height, Howard could be a key piece on a contending team.
Jordan Hawkins - Devin Vassell
Especially as he continues to improve, Hawkins has the perfect combination of length and skill for the NBA level.
Jordan Miller - Kenrich Williams
A fairly unique prospect, Miller stands at 6-foot-6 and has both guard and forward skills making him extremely versatile.
Jordan Walsh - Jeremy Sochan
Although he’s not an elite scorer like others in this class, Walsh might be the most versatile with his ability to do literally everything on the floor.
Judah Mintz - Jalen Suggs
A natural lead guard, Mintz has a knack for scoring with his quick first step and athleticism.
Julian Phillips - Jalen McDaniels
He needs to get stronger to reach his ceiling, but Phillips has the ideal size of a combo forward with defensive upside.
Julian Strawther - Otto Porter Jr.
Every winning team needs players that understand their roles and realize what they need to do in order to accomplish goals.
Kevin McCullar - Dillon Brooks
A two-way talent, McCullar is known for being a stellar defender but also has offensive upside at 6-foot-6.
Keyontae Johnson - Jae Crowder
A strong wing that will likely play combo forward at the next level, Johnson does a little bit of everything on both ends.
Keyonte George - Jalen Brunson
With a strong frame, George is able to bully defenders and score from all three levels.
Kobe Bufkin - D’Angelo Russell
A smooth lefty, Bufkin was a sophomore riser with advanced shot making abilities.
Kobe Brown - Jeff Green
When it comes to impacting winning and being versatile as a forward, Brown fits the bill.
Kris Murray - PJ Washington
Stretch fours that can knock down triples and defend multiple positions are a hot commodity in the NBA.
Leonard Miller - Jerami Grant
He’s still raw, which is why he dropped out of the 2022 NBA Draft, but Miller has the tools to evolve over time into a starting caliber forward in the right system.
Marcus Sasser - Malik Monk
When it comes to guards that can simply score the ball, Sasser is one of the best in the country.
Maxwell Lewis - Jalen Williams
Although he's the size of a wing, Lewis is extremely versatile and can fit into nearly any lineup.
Mike Miles - Cam Thomas
An explosive scorer, Miles is undersized for a modern guard but will absolutely get buckets at the next level.
Mohamed Gueye - Jaxson Hayes
Although he’s got a slender frame at 6-foot-11, Gueye makes up for it with his athleticism and vertical pop.
Mojave King - Reggie Bullock
It was an in consistent season with the G League Ignite shooting the ball, but there's no question King can fill it up from deep.
Nick Smith Jr. - Donovan Mitchell
Not only can Smith Jr. score with ease, but he’s got the offensive upside to be the top option on a successful NBA franchise.
Nikola Djurisic - Josh Richardson
While he’s still pretty inconsistent at this point, Djurisic looks like a prospect that could evolve into a legitimate complimentary scorer from all three levels.
Noah Clowney - Jaden McDaniels
NBA teams love tall forwards that are defensive minded but can also space the floor.
Oscar Tshiebwe - Derrick Favors
It's hard to find a comp for one of the most dominant college players in history, but Tshiebwe being a quality undersized big gives flashbacks of a young Favors.
Oumar Ballo - Clint Capela
A powerful big, Ballo is great in the paint and a lob threat but doesn't provide much as a shooter.
Rayan Rupert - Mikal Bridges
Knocking down 3-pointers and defending the opposing team’s best scorer often is reason enough to take a swing on Rupert.
Reece Beekman - Derrick White
Beekman is known for being a great passer and facilitator, but the defensive upside should be talked about more.
Ricky Council IV - Saddiq Bey
Since transferring to Arkansas, Council has emerged as a jumbo guard with wing size that can score in a hurry.
Ryan Kalkbrenner - Moritz Wagner
An improved 3-point shooting big, Kalkbrenner fits in the modern NBA as the game continues to shift towards the perimeter.
Scoot Henderson - Russell Westbrook
The sky is the limit with Henderson, but as of now he’s an elite point guard that does everything well besides shooting the deep ball.
Sidy Cissoko - Jarrett Culver
In a role where he’s asked to be a defensive stopper but not have to score at a high level, Cissoko could be an important piece of a team’s puzzle.
Taylor Hendricks - Christian Wood
Hendricks projects to be much more of an impactful defender than Wood, but the offensive upside mixed with his size is similar.
Terquavion Smith - Ish Smith
Although he lacks size, Smith is a dominant scorer that can really fill it up from beyond the arc.
Terrence Shannon Jr. - Justise Winslow
With a strong frame and explosive athleticism, Shannon is a smooth lefty scorer that has an NBA ready body.
Trayce Jackson-Davis - John Collins
He's not a perimeter threat at all, but Jackson-Davis is extremely strong in the paint and can generate a high level of production.
Tre White - Dalen Terry
Given his unique height and guard skills, White can play upwards of four positions effectively.
Tristen Vukcevic - Aleksej Pokusevski
While Vuckevic is more of a forward than Pokusevski, who slides down to guard at times, the skillsets and frames are similar.
Tucker DeVries - Doug McDermott
He's got much more upside than being just a shooter, but that will be the skill that ultimately gets him drafted this summer.
Tyrese Hunter - Tre Jones
He's not the jumbo guard many teams prefer, but Hunter can score points in a hurry and is also a pest on the defensive end.
Tyrese Proctor - Tyrese Haliburton
He does have some facilitation upside at this point, but Proctor is more known for being a crafty self-creator.
Victor Wembanyama - Kevin Durant
There’s absolutely no player on earth that Wembanyama can be compared to, but the closest thing is a taller Kevin Durant.
Zach Edey - Ivica Zubac
It's hard to compare a 7-foot-4 big to anyone in the modern NBA given the way the game is played, but he does have stylistic similarities to the Clippers' center.
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