NBA Draft: Former NBA Scout Evaluates Rayan Rupert
After evaluating 2023 NBA Draft prospect Rayan Rupert of the New Zealand Breakers, former NBA scout Jason Filippi shared his evaluation and scouting report with Draft Digest Pro:
Team: New Zealand Breakers (Australia) | Position: Guard | Class: International | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 190
Roles: versatility, slasher, creator, defender.
Comparisons: smaller OG Anunoby, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes
Draft Projection: mid-late first round
Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images
Strengths:
- Positional size
- Defensive versatility
- Slashing ability
Concerns:
- Three-point shooting
- Opponents may back off and dare him to shoot it, limiting his ability to create off the dribble
Questions:
- Can he be a primary ball-handler at the NBA level?
- Can he improve his shooting and scoring abilities enough?
- Can he become more than just a perimeter defender?
Bottom Line:
Rupert made a controversial decision last summer and moved to Australia to make his pro career debut, but his gamble appears to have paid off. He had a slow start to the season and was slowed by injuries. But once he hit his stride, he played pretty well in the second half of the season, helping lead his team to the Australian League finals. Rupert has positional size with very long arms, with a reported 7-foot-3 wingspan. I would not consider him an elite athlete, but he can make athletic plays on both ends of the court.
Rupert can play at both guard spots and small forward and has shown potential as a combo guard for the NBA level. He showed improvements in his playmaking – in particular, he looked more confident later in the season and was much more assertive than in the past. Rupert was solid both in the open court and in the half-court. He's a good passer and a very unselfish player. Rupert is also a team guy who doesn't necessarily need to score to contribute. He can make plays in pick and roll and does an excellent job at finding big men cutting to the basket and shooters out on the perimeter.
Rupert is more of a slasher than a shooter and can score one-on-one. He attacks closeouts well. He can post up smaller guards and takes advantage of favorable mismatches. Rupert's glaring weakness is his three-point shooting which is very unreliable; he is a career sub-30 % three-point shooter. He also has a slow release on his shot which doesn't help. Rupert needs to improve his shooting and pull-up game.
Rupert has displayed versatility on both ends of the court: he can already defend multiple positions at a high level, which could allow him to play some early in his career. In particular, he's effective when pressuring the ball but can switch on to much bigger players too. In addition, thanks to his length, Rupert is disruptive on the defensive end and deflects many passes.
Rayan Rupert still needs to work on his jump shot, but I like his potential as a two-way player, and I think his game will translate to the NBA well. Therefore, I consider Rupert a legitimate option for teams selecting in the mid-to-late first-round NBA.
