NBA Mock Draft: ESPN Has the Thunder Landing Henderson and Kaluma

NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony released the latest version of his 2023 NBA mock draft and has the Thunder selecting two very intriguing prospects.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony released his latest 2023 NBA mock draft ahead of the long-awaited game between the top two projected picks, Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembanyama.

In Givony’s pretend draft, the 7-foot-5 Wembanyama was selected number one by the Houston Rockets. Henderson, a tantalizing point guard prospect, went second to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Givony’s top two selections were the other way around back in May. He had the Rockets taking Henderson at two and the Thunder taking Wembanyama at one. Perhaps he now thinks Oklahoma City will win more games than Houston this season.

Henderson is an incredibly shifty and robust guard who measures 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, according to the NBA website.

Darren Yamashita / USA TODAY Sports

While those numbers aren’t the most appealing, his game is. Henderson looks much stronger and bigger when you watch him play. Maybe it’s due to the combination of his insane vertical explosiveness and 6-foot-9 wingspan.

The 18-year-old’s stop-and-go ability makes him such an effective perimeter player as he’s capable of blowing by you and finishing over the top of bigs or stopping and popping for jumpers from all over the floor.

Henderson’s ability to self-create also translates into playmaking for others. He doesn’t have the same vision as Nikola Jokic or LeBron James, but he’s already adept at reading the defense and making the necessary passes to find open teammates.

The mix of Henderson’s god-given size, gifts, and skillset at such a young age is something that is rarely seen. In fact, he might be the best point guard prospect to come out of the NBA Draft since Kyrie Irving.

Adding Henderson to the Thunder would be the cherry on top of what is already a promising stable of guards that features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, and Josh Giddey.

At pick 32, one other player that was fictiously selected by the Thunder was Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma. The 20-year-old Kaluma projects to play the three or four interchangeably and is a dynamic athlete. His game reminds you a lot of Toronto’s Pascal Siakam.

Standing at about 6-foot-8 and weighing 225 pounds, the Ugandan is strong. He also has about a seven-foot wingspan.

He’s very nimble and utilizes his strength and handle to slice and dice his way to the basket and is able to finish from a variety of angles. Kaluma is also adept at playing in the post, using excellent footwork and patience to create easy looks around the basket.

Kaluma’s long arms, lateral athleticism, and strength also lend to him being a very good defensive prospect for the Thunder should they actually bring him in.

The actual 2023 NBA Draft probably won’t play out the same way as Givony’s mock, but it’s fun to think about adding even more talent to a Thunder roster that already has plenty.

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