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The NBA Draft is now less than three weeks away and things are getting sorted out. Prospects have decided whether to stay in the draft pool or return to school. Moreover, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes, the Draft Combine and agents’ Pro Days — where multiple teams watch multiple players — are in the rear view mirror. Now, teams are working out individual players with greater frequency, greater intensity.
Typically, the Nets work out more than 60 players at HSS Training Center. In the past, they have brought players in for workouts and/or interviews right up to the day before the Draft. But Brooklyn’s brain trust stopped disclosing who they’re looking at years ago.
So, draftniks — and fans — don’t have a lot to work with, but those who follow things seem to believe that the Nets are more likely to take a wing in the first round with either the 21st (Suns) or 22nd (their own) pick unless of course they trade it.
But in this, our second, Draft Watch, there is a slight change in preferences among the draftniks. While, in our first Draft Watch, 6’10” G League Ignite wing Leonard Miller was the unabashed favorite with five of 10 mentions at 21 or 22, he’s now just behind French wing Bilal Coulibaly, Victor Wembanyama’s 18-year-old teammate on Metropolitans 92. Coulibably now gets four mentions at either 21 or 22 out of 12 mocks. ESPN has the Nets taking both Coulibaly and Miller in that order.
Coulibaly, 6’6” with a 7’3” wingspan, has risen in mocks and the eyes of NBA scouts recently, no doubt in part because of the exposure his teammate has attracted to the Mets92. Still, he has shown a number of skills starting with high-flying athleticism, solid defense and 3-point shooting, hitting 40% of his three’s in the French League. Here’s some highlights, including his alleying the oop with Wemby.
Wembanyama told SLAM this about him:
“An all-terrain weapon, he can posterize a player and on the very next play block him. Players keep on underestimating him because he is young,” said Wemby. “They go for a layup thinking they are safe and they get annihilated. Every game he does something crazy. I think he is the player I’m looking for the most on the court.”
This could in fact be France’s big year in the NBA Draft with as many as four Frenchmen going in the first round: Wembanyama, Coulibaly, 6’7” Rayon Rupert (who Sean Marks personally scouted earlier this year) and Sidy Cissoko, another 6’7” wing who played for G League Ignite. (The Nets, by the way, have a well-regarded international scouting department led by Simone Casali, a former Euroleague GM.)
Alex Schiffer has reported that the Nets have interest in Emoni Bates, the 6’10” wing who has gone from being projected as the overall No. 1 two years ago to player who may not get drafted at all. Two mocks have the Nets taking the Eastern Michigan product at No. 51.
One thing that even the most cursory look at the mock drafts will tell you: After the top three, maybe four, picks, there is no consensus where prospects will land (and we haven’t even talked about trades!) There is a wide divergence in the assessments. Prospects who are at the bottom of the first round in one mock are listed near the bottom of the second in another. There’s always some divergence of course but this year, it seems more so.
With all that said, here’s the latest round-up. We link to the team-by-team mocks, except in places where the outlet’s top 100 is more up-to-date, As new mock drafts get published, we will add and adjust.
ESPN
21. Bilal Coulibaly, 6’7” wing, Metropolitans92, 18 years old
22. Leonard Miller, 6’10” forward, G League Ignite, 19 years old
51. Emoni Bates, 6’10” wing, Eastern Michigan, sophomore
NBADraft.net
21. G.G. Jackson, 6’9” forward, South Carolina, freshman
22. Kris Murray, 6’8” forward, Iowa, junior
51. Colby Jones, 6’6” wing, Xavier, junior
The Ringer
21. Rayan Rupert, 6’7” guard, New Zealand Breakers, 18 years old
22. Jalen Hood-Schifino, 6’6” combo guard, Indiana, freshman
AP News
21. Jett Howard, 6’8” wing, Michigan, freshman
22. Leonard Miller, 6’10” forward, G League Ignite, 19 years old
Rookie Wire
21. Jalen Hood-Schifino, 6’6” combo guard, Indiana, freshman
22. Bilal Coulibaly, 6’7” wing, Metropolitans92, 18 years old
Tankathon
21. Jett Howard, 6’8” wing, Michigan, freshman
22. G.G. Jackson, 6’9” forward, South Carolina, freshman
51. Keyontae Johnson, 6’5” small forward, Kansas State, senior
Bleacher Report
21. Dariq Whitehead, 6’7” wing, Duke, freshman
22. Leonard Miller, 6’10” forward, G League Ignite, 19 years old
51. Emoni Bates, 6’10” wing, Eastern Michigan, sophomore
CBS Sports
21. Nick Smith Jr, 6’5” shooting guard, Arkansas, freshman
22. Bilal Coulibaly, 6’7” wing, Metropolitans92, 18 years old
Yardbarker
21. Leonard Miller, 6’10” forward, G League Ignite, 19 years old
22. James Nnaji, 6’11” center, F.C. Barcelona, 18 years old
Clutch Points
21. Max Lewis, 6’7” wing, Pepperdine, sophomore
22. Kobe Bufkin, 6’4” combo guard, Michigan, sophomore
Draft Digest
21. Bilal Coulibaly, 6’7” wing, Metropolitans92, 18 years old
22. Rayan Rupert, 6’7” guard, New Zealand Breakers, 18 years old
amNewYork
21. Dariq Whitehead, 6’7” wing, Duke, freshman
22. Bilal Coulibaly, 6’7” wing, Metropolitans92, 18 years old
- The 2023 NBA Draft is an uncommon Sean Marks chance — what it means for the Nets’ picks - Brian Lewis - New York Post Sports+
- Nets 2023 NBA Mock Draft Roundup: Who can Brooklyn target with back-to-back first round picks? - John Flanigan - SNY
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