Top 10 Guards in the 2023 NBA Draft
By: Bryce Williams
Draft rankings are very hard to do. It often comes back to bite you in the butt, but here we are. Below are my top 10 guards in the 2023 NBA Draft. If you want a more in-depth analysis of any of these prospects, check out our page for our NBA Draft Scouting Reports.
- Scoot Henderson
If it weren’t for Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson would be the number 1 pick in this draft. Scoot has unreal athleticism and bounce, and it jumps off of the tape. He is an elite finisher at the rim, whether he opts for a layup or dunk. There are some catch-and-shoot concerns, but as a lead guard, he shoots the ball well off the bounce.
2. Amen Thompson
The Thompson twins are some of the more intriguing prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft. It is worth noting before you read the rest of the article that I view Ausar as a wing more than a guard. He is lethal in transition and is also a very good passer. Amen is up there with Scoot in terms of athleticism and finishing, but the holes in his games are a lot more glaring than Scoot’s. His jump shot is nowhere near NBA-ready, a major cause for concern in the NBA Draft world.
3. Anthony Black
I am very bullish on Anthony Black. I think he can be Lonzo Ball minus the defense, which when he plays is an elite playmaker and slasher. Black almost always makes the right read and is lethal in the pick and roll. His change of pace is so much fun to watch as he dissects defenses with his basketball IQ. Black does struggle with shot creation on the offensive end which hampers his passing ability.
4. Cason Wallace
Cason Wallace is an elite defender. He is the best defensive guard in his class. Wallace is a tough, physical defender who loves to get in your face and rip the ball out of your hands. He uses his quickness to get downhill and ambush defenders at the rim. Wallace likes to pull up into the mid-range for jumpers, but his three-point shot is a little inconsistent. Wallace’s shot creation is also a little sparse, but it should improve as he continues to develop.
5. Brice Sensabaugh
Brice Sensabaugh is the best shot creator/maker in this draft class. It is not pretty, but he uses fundamentals and a simplified approach to create shots for himself. His build allows him to bully defenders in order to get to his spots, which should translate to the next level. When asked to pass, Sensabaugh was turnover prone, with 2 TOs to 1.2 assists last year. His defense is unfortunately putrid. He consistently got beat, and there weren’t many flashes of excellence in his lone year at Ohio State.
6. Keyonte George
Keyonte George is just a step back from Sensabaugh in terms of shot creation, but the rest of his game makes up for it, so I have him just below Sensabaugh in my rankings. George has the frame and skill set to be a lead guard at the next level. Will he become one? We truly never know when it comes to prospects. George is a crafty finisher and made tough shot after tough shot last year at Baylor. If you wanted to move him off the ball, he was good as a catch and shoot option, and his slashing ability should make him serviceable as an off-ball guard. His defense is also not NBA-ready, but it is much better than Sensabaugh’s. George also struggles with ball pressure from longer perimeter defenders.
7. Kobe Bufkin
Bufkin is a guy who has been flying up draft boards recently. He is a silky smooth guard with plus defensive upside. He uses change of pace to negate his lack of athleticism with the ball in his hands. Bufkin likes the mid-range jumper and showed 3-point upside in his second year at Michigan. His defense has room to improve, as he needs to get a little stronger. His active hands and high effort keep him glued to his matchup. We could see Bufkin go anywhere from late lottery to the end of the first round.
8. Marcus Sasser
Sasser is one of the few seniors that I am confident about in the 2023 NBA Draft. He has been the best shooter in the pre-draft process, lighting up the combine from deep. Sasser is a good shot-creator and grew as a playmaker over his four years at Houston. He’s also a more than capable defender and possesses the toughness that Kelvin Sampson forces out of his players.
9. Jordan Hawkins
While Sasser has been the best pre-draft shooter, Jordan Hawkins is the best pure shooter in this draft. His game reminds me a lot of a modern Rip Hamilton, as he constantly puts pressure on the defense with his unbelievable cardio. He curls and fades off screens effortlessly and gets his shot up in a hurry to elevate over defenders. Hawkins shot 38.8% from three on 7.6 attempts per game, a ridiculous line. There is not much else to his game, but he has athletic upside that could see him develop into a slashing threat from the perimeter. His effort makes him a serviceable defender, which should help him see the court in his rookie year.
10. Jalen Hood-Schifino
Hood-Schifino carried a lot of responsibilities at Indiana when Xavier Johnson went down for the season with a foot injury. He showed great poise and maturity as a freshman, quickly becoming a leader on an Indiana team that swept their in-state rival, Purdue. He has great poise in the pick and roll, and is a good passer out of set situations. Schifino loves the elbow area, as he commonly pulled up in transition and off of screens to set up his lethal mid-range shot. JHS is an athletic finisher at the rim, carrying a multitude of finishes in his bag of tricks. Schifino showed up in big games last year, something you cannot say about most freshmen. His perimeter shot lacks consistency, but he has shown flashes of elite shooting (vs Ohio State last year). There were times he seemed disinterested defensively, which lead to lapses in coverage for easy layups.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Well, I’m sure this won’t backfire on me at all. In all seriousness, I hope you enjoy this list and check out the rest of our draft coverage on Medium as well as our other social media platforms like Twitter @NextManUpSport and TikTok @nextmansup, as it has taken a large effort to try to put together draft coverage to this degree.
