Top available Bigs in the 2023 Nba draft
In a draft class dominated by lengthy ball-handling wings, a few bigs in this year’s draft class have the potential to develop into key contributors to any team. Here’s a list of the top 5 bigs in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Victor Wenbanyama (Metropolitans 92, LBN Pro A)
Wenbanyama has been the consensus top prospect in the 2023 NBA draft for the past two years, and it’s not hard to imagine why he has assumed this position. A 7’4 mobile center with great perimeter ball skills and an 8-foot wingspan fits the modern NBA very well, and his impressive stats are backed up by jaw-dropping highlight plays from the top level of competition in France. Wenbanyama has been on the NBA radar since age 19 at the 2019 U19 FIBA International competition but proved he can play against the senior competition this past season after averaging 21.6 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game while adding three blocks per contest on the defensive end. Wenbanyama’s shooting from deep needs to become more efficient, and he could use some weight to his slender frame to be the most effective weapon in the NBA. Despite the flaws in the 19-year-old’s game, the San Antonio Spurs are ecstatic with the French Phenom coming to their team.
Dereck Lively II (Duke, Freshman)
Dereck Lively’s draft stock has risen significantly in the pre-draft process thanks to his success in team workouts demonstrating his athleticism for his size. Lively’s main appeal is his rim protection, but he also has the potential to become a dominant lob threat. He led the country in blocks for freshmen and is such a polarizing shot-blocking presence because of his ability to quickly rotate to the paint as a help defender and reject anything that comes his way. His numbers at Duke last year weren’t what you’d expect out of the number two overall prospect in his draft class, as he only put up 5.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.4 blocks per game at Duke last year. But at 7’1 with an imposing 7’4 plus wingspan and projectable mobility, he has gotten a lot of attention for his potential impact as a shot blocker and rim-runner. He’s projected to be a late lottery or mid-first-round draft selection. The clip below displays his prowess as an athletic weak-side rotational shot blocker and lob threat.
Noah Clowney (Alabama, Freshman)
Noah Clowney has yielded a lot of attention from NBA teams for his versatile offensive arsenal and mobility as a 6’10 big with loads of upsides. He’s one of the youngest prospects in the draft at 18 years old, and he has the ability to develop into a true threat as a screener in the pick-and-roll action. Clowney has already shown his ability as an above-the-rim finisher with good hands from the pick-and-roll, and will only become more of a potential threat in this action as he puts on more weight to be a stronger screen setter and as he refines his three-point jumper for the pick-and-pop action. The clip below shows some ability to score off the pick-and-pop, but Clowney needs to become a more efficient scorer from this area of the court.
He only shot 28.3 percent from deep on 3.3 attempts per game, so scouts would love to see him progress this aspect of his game to become even more versatile on the offensive end. Clowney’s stats look very solid on paper, as he put up 9.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and around one block per contest in one year at Alabama. He moves extremely well in the open court and that helps him in transition as a chase-down shot-blocking threat and a rim-runner. This mobility gives him an advantage defensively, as it helps him stay in front of perimeter players when switched on the perimeter. He rebounds at a strong rate, which will help him stay on the floor early in his career. His weaknesses are limited playmaking ability and a lack of refined ball-handling, so Clowney will need to recognize his inefficiencies in these aspects of his game and focus on impacting the game offensively as a screen setter and lob threat. Currently slated to be a late first-round selection.
James Nnaji (FC Barcelona, Euroleague)
James Nnaji is the most physically imposing big in this draft class, and his play style certainly revolves around his off-the-chart measurements. He didn’t make it to the NBA Combine in May due to Barcelona’s ongoing season, but he sent in his measurements by the Combine’s standards and they were quite impressive. He was listed at 7’0 in shoes with a 7’7 wingspan and a 9’4 standing reach, all on top of a muscular 251-pound frame. He’s a high-energy big that is surprisingly quick for his staggering size, which allows him to run the floor well in transition and stay in front of perimeter players in switches. He has impressive leaping ability off of one and two feet, enabling him to finish above the rim on lobs from the pick and roll and dump-offs in the dunker’s spot. His strong frame makes him a very good screen setter, as he is great at taking angles on defenders to create space for the pick-and-role handler. Off of the pick-and-role action, Nnaji is able to run to the rim effectively with long strides and has great hands to corral any entry passes down low. His strength and size help him to finish through contact around the rim and defensively in post-defense. Nnaji’s non-stop motor is another reason why he excels on the defensive end, and it explains why Nnaji attacks the glass on both ends tenaciously. The clip below demonstrates his relentless pursuit of the ball on the offensive glass, and his ability to absorb contact and finish strong.
He understands his limitations on the offensive end and doesn’t try to do too much in isolation situations, as his post-up game and jump shot are still unrefined. Expect Nnaji to be a mid to late first-round selection.
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana, Senior)
Trayce Jackson-Davis, TJD for short, may be the most NBA-ready big behind Wenbanyama in this class. During his career at IU, he showed the world that he was one of the most prolific scoring post players in the nation, but he took a step above that this year and upped his production on the court outside of scoring. This past season, he displayed his abilities as a playmaker from the post averaging a career-high four assists per game, on top of 20.9 PPG and 10.8 RPG. This clip displays his impressive court vision and feel for the game, as he habitually hits open teammates on the perimeter and cuts to the rim.
He is a dynamic athlete that plays above the rim with his springy leaping ability, and his high vertical makes him an elite shot-blocker despite only being 6’9. He excels as a finisher around the rim because he has the bounce to finish above the rim and the strength to finish through contact around the paint. TDJ has a very refined post-up game and can be relied on to get a bucket operating in post-isolations with strong footwork and great touch around the painted area. He has a great motor and makes an effort to be an elite rebounder. There are concerns about his lack of perimeter shooting as an undersized big, but he shot 70 percent from the free-throw line last season, meaning he’s shown flashes of developing more feel for his jumper. Regardless of his lack of shooting and his being slightly undersized, TJD is an NBA-ready prospect due to his keen finishing ability, dynamic athleticism, and unrelenting motor on the glass and defensively. Expect TJD to be a late first-round or early second-round selection.
