2023 NBA Draft Roundtable: Underrated Prospects
Each week, our staff will be diving into an interesting topic surrounding this crucial draft for the Charlotte Hornets.
With five picks in the top 45, the Hornets really have a chance to inject some young talent into their roster and get right back into playoff contention. Our staff gives their thoughts on some of the more underrated prospects in this year's draft.
James Plowright: Keyonte George - Baylor
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills seeing Keyonte George slipping into the late teens and 20s in recent reports. The history of undersized, inefficient combo guards on draft night sliding down the board isn't great (See Jaden Hardy and Kennedy Chandler). George might suffer the same fate, but I think teams will regret it.
Keyonte is one of the most dynamic scorers in the draft, he's elusive with his dribble, creates shots for teammates and has a talent for drawing fouls. On top of all of this, he's in my opinion the most underrated shooter in the draft. The percentages don't show it (33.8% from three), but George hurt his own efficiency by poor shot selection and playing through an ankle injury late in the year. I see some traits similar to Tyrese Maxey and he's ranked 11th on my board.
Jon Yeager: Brice Sensabaugh - Ohio State
The 6'6 wing is as talented of a pure scorer as you will see in the draft. He has an incredible ability to make tough, highly contested shots. He shot 45% on catch and shoot threes and he doesn't seem to be bothered by a hand in his face. He can connect running off of ball screens and other actions. He has shown tremendous ability in isolation and late-clock opportunities due to how well he can hit tough jumpers. The elite scoring package he will bring to the league should end up being extremely valuable to the team that ends up selecting him.
He has a really strong frame which allows for the hope he will be able to use that strength to his advantage on the defensive end. I have been seeing him slipping into the 20s in mock drafts around the internet lately, but I think he belongs in the late lottery or teens. There are concerns about his lateral quickness and how he can guard NBA guards/wings on the perimeter, but you can really see how the strength he already has can help him quiet those concerns. He has some steps to take defensively in order to impact that end positively, but I think his shot-making and scoring package is more than enough to take a chance on him in the 12-17 range.
Israel Omondi: Leonard Miller - G League Ignite
Leonard Miller is a 6’10 wing/forward with a 7’2 wingspan that can shoot, operate as a ball handler, run fast-breaks, and create his own shot. He just averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, and two stocks (steals + blocks) on 54% shooting at 19-years old. Yet, I keep seeing him around the late first round in mock drafts. Leonard Miller didn’t even get a green room invite which is pretty shocking because I believe he’s better than quite a few players that were invited. I believe he’s a late lottery type of talent, in that 12-18 range. I think whatever team drafts him will be getting a huge steal because guys like him are what the modern NBA is about. Dynamic, long athletes who can basically do it all to a certain extent.
Miller definitely plays in an unorthodox way, but I love the creativity he displays every night. It can look awkward at times, but I think if a team really invests in him and gives him the freedom to play his game they could be getting an All-Star caliber player one day. He’s elusive, a great off-ball player, and you can put the ball in his hands on the perimeter and he can make a play for himself or others. I’m high on his two-way ability. His defense wasn’t always consistent, which is to be expected for young players, but he can really defend the 1-4 and might even stretch out to the 5 if he fills out his frame.
Ian Black: Noah Clowney - Alabama
A player I’ve fallen in love with over the pre-draft process is Alabama big man Noah Clowney. I absolutely love the energy and edge he plays the game with. He hustles for lose balls, contests shots all over the court, boxes out, rebounds with purpose, and possesses the awareness to make smart decisions consistently. He’s not just effort though! The 6’10” big has great length with a 7’2” wingspan. He’s as quick as he is long too, with enough mobility to be a versatile defender on the switch. On offense he’s already a great screen threat as a roller, and projects to have the shooting to pop as well.
Clowney is absolutely going to have to bulk up once he gets to the league to see the court, but he’s one of the youngest players in the draft and teams are absolutely going to have a plan for him to do that. Based on where he’s been projected to go, I’m expecting a team to be very happy with their selection in the back half of the first round.
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