2023 NBA Draft: Potential Second Round Steals

Every year in the NBA draft, there are prospects who tend to hear their name called later than expected. On occasions we see prospects outplay their draft position. Who are the potential steals of the 2023 NBA Draft?

Author:
Isaac Condra
Publish date:
Jun 15, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

In this story:

Houston Cougars

North Carolina State Wolfpack

San Jose State Spartans

The NBA draft is just a week away now and prospects are starting to wrap up their team workouts. Rumors and news will continue to fly around the NBA up until the night of the draft. Some prospects tend to get underrated and even forgotten about at times. Let’s dive into three underrated prospects that are projected second-round picks.

Marcus Sasser | Houston

Marcus Sasser is one of the most skilled offensive point guards in the draft, yet his name has been trending down in the 40s as of recently. The Houston guard was the best scorer on one of the best teams in the entire country as he showcased all year long his advanced shot-making ability and shot versatility. Sasser arguably has the best step-back jumper in the entire draft.

There’s also a conversation to be had that he is the best pure shooter amongst all point guards in the draft. It’s considered a weak point guard class as far as depth goes but I find it hard to believe that a high level shot-making guard with an advanced handle at 6-foot-2 should be falling out of the first round. Sasser has star potential that doesn't get talked about enough.

Terquavion Smith | North Carolina State

Terquavion Smith, NC State — Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Terquavion Smith coming into the year was considered the best sophomore prospect in the entire draft, and although he isn’t quite considered that anymore he’s still very much in the top of the conversation due to his ridiculous range and scoring prowess. Smith is projected to go in the middle of the second round but there’s a valuable role in the NBA that he could thrive at if given the opportunity.

A lot of NBA teams love having a microwave scorer off the bench who legitimately does nothing but get your second unit buckets. Smith has the shot-making ability from all over the floor to put up points in a hurry, even if it’s not the most efficient style of basketball. There’s an avenue where Smith ends up as one of the best bench scorers in the NBA.

Omari Moore | San Jose State

Omari Moore is a senior that showed improvements to his game every single year in college. Moore has positional size for a lead guard at 6-foot-6 and with length. It’s unique to see that all the big lead guards are projected lottery picks and then there’s Moore who for some reason is projected to go way lower. He’s an athletic lead guard that puts pressure on the rim and is a capable shooter from the outside.

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