Two More NBA Draft Prospects You Should Care About

Plus, Scoot and Wemby clash in hyped rematch

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The Hit Sequel: Scoot and Wemby face off again, but things don't go quite as planned...

Draymond's in trouble: Warriors mainstay gets into scuffle during practice

Next Up: Two more 2023 draft prospects to keep an early eye on this season

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Scoot vs Wemby II

On Tuesday, we witnessed perhaps the best game between two top prospects in basketball history. And you’re telling us we only had to wait two days for the sequel? It almost seemed too good to be true.

And, in a way, it was. 

Scoot played all of 4 minutes before banging knees with Wembanyama, ending his night early. He did flash some nice passes during his short time on the court and looked especially adept in the pick-and-roll, but we were robbed of the chance to see a complete rematch between two future NBA titans.

Luckily, in Scoot's absence, Wembanyama completely stole the show. After putting on an all-time performance in Tuesday's matchup, he somehow topped it with a dominating    36 point 11 rebound 4 assist 4 block performance in a come-from-behind Metropolitans victory. If you want to see what the future of the NBA has to offer, watch this highlight tape (especially the part where he nails the three while falling out of bounds).

He may not have made seven threes this time around, but the young French center showed off other parts of his game that weren’t featured as much in the first matchup. Wembanyama was much more aggressive on the offensive glass in this game as well as around the rim overall. That extra aggression got him to the line early and often, where he proved he could execute effectively, making 12 of his 16 free throws. He also seemed much more comfortable as a passer, consistently finding the open man when double-teamed.

Even though it wasn’t the rematch we wanted, it was the individual performance we deserved from one of the NBA’s future legends. 

Draymond Gets Into Trouble

What happened: Draymond Green had a physical altercation with teammate Jordan Poole during a recent practice that led to disciplinary action from the Golden State Warriors. Green then apologized the next morning to team players and staff.

Why it matters: While Draymond isn't expected to miss any games after reportedly punching Jordan Poole, it's still usually not a good thing to get in a fight with your teammate during practice. But, at the same time, Draymond infamously beefed with superstar teammate Kevin Durant, and the two won a pair of titles together. And knowing the Warriors, this will probably all go away as soon as they're winning games by the boatload.

Prospect Preview

Scoot and Wemby might be generational prospects, but let’s not let them overshadow some of the other incredible talents the 2023 NBA Draft has to offer. Read below to learn a bit more about two other likely top-ten picks with loads of potential.

Amen Thompson

One half of the wunderkind duo vying to dethrone the Morris brothers as the best twins in basketball, Amen Thompson is a wholly unique prospect who molds an explosive high-energy style with some truly impressive playmaking instincts.

The 6-foot-6, 190-pound combo guard isn’t just one of the best athletes in his class; he’s one of the best athletes in basketball period. Don’t believe us? Well, good thing he already has a twenty-minute-long highlight tape filled with above-the-rim plays. Mixtapes don’t mean everything, but having one this good before you’re even in the league has to count for something. 

But seriously, Thompson is a world-class athlete, and it’s a big part of why he might be the best scorer around the rim in this draft. It’s not just his leaping ability either. Sure, Thompson can jump right over you, but he also has the poise to finish through contact and the fluidity to glide around defenders when needed.

Thompson might not yet be quite the elite defender that his brother Ausar is, but all the physical tools are there for him to blossom into a highly effective switchable wing on that side of the ball. Especially encouraging is his anticipation as a help defender. He’s great at coming over to force steals and can be an absolute menace as a weak side blocker.

And as a playmaker, Thompson has IQ and instincts well beyond his years. Not only does he consistently make the right read, but the Overtime Elite product is adept at using his eyes and ball fakes to constantly keep defenders guessing. Combine that with the technical ability to sling the ball through tight windows, and you have, at the very least, a quality secondary playmaker at the NBA level, with the makings of a lead guard in the right situation. Also, he can do this, which doesn't even seem physically possible.

Despite all the positives and intrigue, there is one glaring hole in Thompson's game that’s holding him back from being truly special: his shooting. Whether it's from downtown, in the midrange, or from the line, he has struggled to find any sort of consistency when it comes to putting the ball in the basket at a distance.

Before the NBA Draft, Thompson will have a full season to work on his jumper with some of the best trainers around. How he develops as a shooter during this time will play a huge role in whether he’s a top-five pick or a later first-round selection. For now, Thompson should focus on making his jumper respectable. He doesn’t need to be a 40% volume shooter from deep, but being able to consistently make open threes will go a long way toward opening up the rest of his game and makes his elite driving and playmaking skills that much more impactful. 

A bit like: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander minus the shooting, what Josh Jackson should have been.

Cam Whitmore

A five-star forward set to attend Villanova this season, Cam Whitmore raised a lot of eyebrows with his dominating play at the U18 FIBA Americas Championships this summer, where he won tournament MVP en route to a dominating Team USA victory.

The first thing you’ll notice when watching Cam Whitmore is his strength and verticality. Whether it's forcing himself into prime position for an offensive rebound or bowling helpless defenders over for an easy slam, the 6-foot-7 232-pound forward knows how to bully his way for position inside. Whitmore's leaping ability only helps to accentuate his raw strength. He's a constant lob threat and needs what feels like no time at all to rise up for a dunk. These traits also make him an elite rebounder for his size, which is particularly apparent on the offensive glass. 

Whitmore has the skills to beat defenders one-on-one with his physicality alone. Combine that with great change of pace and a direct, aggressive dribbling style, and you have one of the best off-the-dribble scorers in the entire class. He still has some work to do on the technical side, but regardless, Whitmore will be a dangerous iso scorer, especially against smaller forwards and guards.

But perhaps nowhere does Whitmore shine more brightly than in the open court. His aggressive end-to-end dribbling combined with his overwhelming physicality makes the young forward a proverbial wrecking ball in transition. Check out some of his summer highlights and you’ll get an idea of just how impactful he can be on the break. 

Whitmore is a capable long-range shooter and can even go on the occasional hot streak, as seen at the U18 Americas Championship, but he still has some work to do in that area. His slow shooting form, combined with below-average lift on his jumper, makes it challenging for him to get his shot off in limited space. That being said, Whitmore should have no problem spacing the floor from the corner at the very least, where he can also wreak havoc as an off-ball cutter and lob threat.

On defense, Whitmore brings enough positives to the table to make himself an asset. He doesn’t have the greatest lateral quickness, but he should have no trouble guarding larger forwards and wings. Whitmore’s talents as a rebounder and leaper even make him an intriguing option as a small ball five.

At Villanova this season, pay particular attention to how Whitmore develops as a shooter and in the half-court on offense. If he can improve in both those regards, he has a real shot at being the first player off the board after Scoot and Wemby.

A bit like: Aaron Gordon, Gerald Wallace, Miles Bridges.

Preseason Roundup

Magic 102 Spurs 99: The Magic looked incredibly poised for such a young team during their fourth-quarter comeback against the Spurs. The two top-ten picks, Paolo Banchero and Jeremy Sochan, were relatively quiet, which allowed Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. (20PTS 10REBS) to steal the show. Check out the full highlights of this close one here.

Thunder 131 36ers 98: Sadly, the 36ers' magic seems to have run out after their shocking upset win over the Phoenix Suns last time out. Tre Mann led the way for OKC with a hyper-efficient 26 points on just 11 shots, including eight made threes. But once again, Adelaide 36ers guard Craig Randall stole the show with a dazzling 27 points. Somebody get this man in the league ASAP!

Heat 109 Nets 80: We know it's just preseason, but it can't be good to see the Nets losing by 29 in a game where Kevin Durant played a non-insignificant amount of minutes. It doesn't help to see Ben Simmons struggle with more points (4) than turnovers (6). 

Hawks 123 Bucks 113: Every Hawks fan on the planet has to be buzzing after that superb performance, preseason or not. Dejounte Murray's fit alongside Trae Young was almost impossibly seamless, with the two combining for 47 points and 12 assists.    Atlanta might be a scary squad this year.

Lakers 114 Timberwolves 99: With the Wolves giving their starting lineup some limited run and the Lakers resting the majority of their team, this was sure to be a blowout from the start. One big bright spot for LA: Thomas Bryant (18PTS 7REBS). The Lakers were astoundingly a +9 when Bryant played and a -24 when he sat.

Blazers 138 Maccabi 85: In a game against second-division Israeli team Maccabi Ra'anana, the Blazers got to see some extended minutes from their young players, and there was a lot to be excited about. But front and center was 7th overall pick Shaedon Sharpe. After a shaky first two preseason games, he exploded for 27 points in 23 minutes, with plenty of electrifying plays along the way.

Good Reads

NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could have bounce-back shooting years - Ethan Fuller (Basketball News)

‘I was missing that journey’: Why Mike Schmitz left ESPN to join Trail Blazers’ front office - Mike Vorkunov (The Athletic)

How the NBL's Adelaide 36ers made their mark during a historic NBA preseason voyage - Tim MacMahon (ESPN)

Signing Off

That's it for today. After reading this newsletter, we hope you'll feel a bit better about your team if they don't get a top-two pick, because there's so much talent in this upcoming class. Have a safe weekend and keep on enjoying basketball!

Until next time,

 -Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to Wednesday's trivia question is Chris Paul! The Point God has been voted as the best future coach three times in a row by NBA GMs. 

Trivia Question: Keeping up the prospect theme, which player holds the record for the most points scored in the Rising Stars Challenge?

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