2023 NBA Draft: Breaking Down G League Ignite Prospects

The G League Ignite are coming off yet another successful year of player development. They could potentially have five players drafted in this year’s draft, but how do their games translate to the NBA?

The G League Ignite are expected to have at least three prospects drafted in this year’s draft.

Scoot Henderson is considered one of the best point guard prospects we’ve seen in a long time and will likely be a top three pick in the draft. Leonard Miller was extremely productive in his one year in the G League, and it’s highly anticipated he gets drafted in the first round.

Let’s dive into what these prospects do well and how it translates to the NBA:

Scoot Henderson | Guard

Henderson is one of the most explosive and dynamic lead guards we’ve seen in a long time. The projected top-three pick is an excellent finisher around the rim, as he has the ability to finish well above it, through defenders and use his solid touch inside the paint.

Henderson’s creativity as a finisher is pretty impressive as he has great body control and contortion. What makes him so unique for his archetype is that he has legit shot-making ability and 3-point shooting upside.

The 6-foot-3 guard thrives in the mid-range area, as he’s comfortable making difficult pull-up jumpers from all over the floor. As of right now, he’s a capable shooter from the outside, albeit a little inconsistent.

Defensively is where his unreal, 6-foot-9 wingspan and strong frame can come into play as he has the potential to be a really good point-of-attack defender. Henderson would be the number one pick in almost any other draft.

Leonard Miller | Forward

Miller is a 6-foot-10 forward that had an impressive season with Ignite. In the season he averaged a double-double, which most scouts didn’t anticipate coming into the season, as most perceived him as a major project and not someone who’s ready to produce quite yet.

One of the most remarkable things that Miller did was become one of the most efficient finishers in the entire G League at just 19-years old.

Miller has the ability to finish with either hand and his touch can be under discussed as he has some of the best touch amongst all forwards in the draft.

The outside shooting mechanics are a bit funky and need some work, but I strongly believe if you have extremely good touch, you can end up being a good shooter with some mechanical tweaks. It’s expected Miller gets drafted somewhere in the first round.

Sidy Cissoko | Wing

Sidy Cissoko is a 6-foot-7 wing who has some enticing two-way ability.

On the offensive end, he has very good secondary playmaking skills, as he has the vision, feel for the game and creativity to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. The jumper is pretty concerning, as he doesn’t ever project to be a lethal shooter and lacks a scoring arsenal, so teams not respecting him as a scorer at the next level could limit his impact in the half-court.

Defensively, Cissoko adds impact via his a strong frame and the tools to effectively defend one through three at a high level. He averaged one steal and block per game with Ignite this past season, which showcases his defensive playmaking ability. Sissoko could be a solid role player in the NBA and it’s expected he gets drafted in the second round with a chance to be a first round pick.

Mojave King | Wing

Mojave King is an Australian wing that used to play in the NBL before making the change to join the G League Ignite this past season.

The 6-foot-5 wing brings value as a shot-maker and shooter on the offensive end. He has a smooth pull-up jumper and is effective shooting it off the catch. The season didn’t always go ideal for him as he was very streaky shooting the ball all season long but the shot mechanics and touch are good.

The former NBL prospect is a good defender that has the tools to be able to effectively defend both wing positions. King also recorded one of the high vertical jumps in the combine this year. King projects to be a 3-and-D role player at the next level and it’s expected he goes undrafted but there’s a legitimate chance he gets drafted in the second round.

Efe Abogidi | Center

Efe Abogidi has a unique route to joining the G League Ignite squad as he came straight out of college to join this team. He sadly ended up suffering a season ending injury which impacted his stock in a negative way. But the 6-foot-10 big is one of the most explosive centers in the entire draft. An athletic big, he's is very quick getting off the ground and can have some explosive rim finishes.

There are some flashes of him stretching it out to three, but the jumper isn’t quite consistent yet.

Defensively he has some good mobility and tools to work with but his positioning and feel isn’t quite where it needs to be yet to be effective at the center position. It's expected that Abogidi goes undrafted but there is a slim chance a team takes a chance on him in the second round.

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