2023 NBA Draft: Breaking Down the Tiers

Placing the top 2023 NBA Draft prospects in tiers ahead of Thursday’s event.

Arya Chawla | Jun 21, 2023

2023 NBA Draft: Breaking Down the Tiers /

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With the NBA Draft finally taking place tomorrow, let’s take a look at which tier each of the top prospects fall in.

It’s important to remember that NBA Draft prospects are nowhere near finished products. Ultimately, their outcome will depend on the context in which they are developed.

Tier One:

Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitans 92, 2023 NBA Draft — Lucas Peltier / USA TODAY Sports

Victor Wembenyama

Height: 7'4", Age: 19.5 Years

Arguably the greatest prospect of all time, Wembenyama is on track to break the game of basketball...on both ends of the court.

Tier Two:

Scoot Henderson

Height: 6'2", Age: 19.5 Years

A physical specimen in his own right, Henderson is set to be next in the lineage of superstar athletic point guards.

Tier 3:

Brandon Miller

Height: 6'9", Age: 20.6 Years

A truly elite pull-up shooter and handler, Miller's upside stretches beyond his scoring to his underrated talents as a distributor and defender.

Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite — Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Ausar Thomspon

Height: 6'7", Age: 20.4 Years

The rarest of rare athletes, Thompson's slashing, playmaking, defensive dominance, and burgeoning shooting make him the slightly better prospect than his twin.

Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite — Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Amen Thomspon

Height: 6'7", Age: 20.4 Years

An even more rare athlete, Thompson's slashing and playmaking give him a sky-high ceiling in his own right.

Tier 4:

Cam Whitmore

Height: 6'7", Age: 18.9 Years

A powerful attacker, Whitmore has paths to two-way stardom by way of the interior while simultaneously possessing intriguing, but flawed, perimeter skill.

Maxwell Lewis

Height: 6'7", Age: 20.9 Years

While maintaining the baseline abilities of a productive wing, Lewis possesses a punishing handle, freakish physical tools, endless creativity, and legitimate shot-making chops, the foundational skills of a star wing creator.

Nick Smith Jr.

Height: 6'5", Age: 19.2 Years

An innovative ball handler, Smith Jr.’s astonishing touch gives him limitless upside as an outside scorer while his solid defensive ability lays a foundation as he continues to add functional athleticism.

Tier 5:

G.G. Jackson

Height: 6'9", Age: 18.5 Years

The youngest player in this draft, Jackson’s undeniable talent gives him immense potential as a scorer while he quietly boasts valuable complementary skills to get him on the floor early.

Jalen Hood-Schifino

Height: 6'6", Age: 19.9 Years

A savvy playmaker with smooth touch, Hood-Schifino currently possesses valuable complementary skills on both ends of the court as his upside looms should he extend his range.

Taylor Hendricks

Height: 6'9", Age: 19.7 Years

A talented two-way complimentary talent, Hendricks brings versatile defense and play-finishing abilities even if his potential isn’t through the roof.

Jarace Walker

Height: 6'8", Age: 19.8 Years

While lacking the foundational offensive talent to make him much of an upside swing, Walker should add enough on that end to make the most of his monstrous all-around defensive prowess.

Keyonte George

Height: 6'4", Age: 19.6 Years

A sturdy, sharpshooting, guard, George brings a mix of on and off-ball skills that will bring value in the league while giving him sneaky upside.

Cason Wallace

Height: 6'4", Age: 19.6 Years

A menacing defensive guard, Wallace is a jack-of-all-trades offensively even if no particular skill indicates hidden potential on this end.

Tier 6:

Dereck Lively, Duke Blue Devils — Russell Lansford-USA TODAY Sports

Dereck Lively II

Height: 7'1", Age: 19.5 Years

A fortifying interior defender, Lively II’s looming shooting potential gives him legitimacy as a possible multi-dimensional play-finisher should he solidify his touch around the rim.

Kobe Bufkin

Height: 6'4", Age: 19.5 Years

A skillful two-way guard, Bufkin brings an intriguing mix of slashing and shot-making to the table without sacrificing much elsewhere.

Jett Howard

Height: 6'8", Age: 19.8 Years

A potent shot-maker, Howard will quickly bring and outside punch to an NBA offense as the rest of his game develops.

Gradey Dick

Height: 6'7", Age: 19.5 Years

Arguably the best shooter in this draft class, Dick will also quickly add value as a team defender, rebounder, and connective passer even if his ceiling is capped by sub-optimal handling prowess.

Brice Sensabaugh

Height: 6'6", Age: 19.6 Years

A mid-range maestro, Sensabaugh’s shot-making proficiency will find value in the league, and potentially take him even further, as he looks for additional ways to impact the game.

Jordan Walsh

Height: 6'7", Age: 19.3 Years

A fearsome defender, any form of impact Walsh can string together from his scattered offensive skills will allow him to wreak havoc on opposing NBA offenses.

Next Best:

Leonard Miller

Andrew Jackson

Jordan Hawkins

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Dariq Whitehead

Brandon Podziemski

Ricky Council IV

Bilal Coulibaly

Sidy Cissoko

Julian Strawther

Ben Sheppard

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Published Jun 21, 2023

ARYA CHAWLA

Arya is an NBA & NBA Draft analyst from Boston, Massachusetts. He has produced content on specific players and teams as well as general basketball philosophy.