NBA Draft: Amen Thompson Offers High Upside, Low Floor for Teams in Top Five
One of the toughest draft evaluations in year, Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson is set to be a top-five selection in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft due to his combination of feel and athleticism.
Draft Digest writer Derek Parker broke down Thompson’s smooth game in the latest edition of his Heat Check series on YouTube:
At 6-foot-7 with world-class athleticism, Thompson offers one of the more intriguing draft evaluations in recent memory. The essential starting point guard for the City Reapers of the Overtime Elite, he has premier scoring and passing upside, solid defensive instincts and the bells and whistles to go along with it.
But his stats, in a relatively unapproached league for many talent evaluators, left a bit to be desired. Especially in terms of half court offense and shooting overall. Through 16 regular season games with the City Reapers he averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and assists, 2.3 steals and nearly a block on 57 percent shooting from the field, 25 percent shooting from 3-point land and 66 percent shooting from the charity stripe.
Still, his intangibles skyrocket his potential, and teams in the range could very well be ready to look past the negatives if they trust their developmental system.
Regardless, Thompson is going to be a work in progress for whoever lands him on draft night 2023.
The rest of the Heat Check series, featuring what is sure to be plenty of the 2023 draft's top selections, can be found here.
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