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The 2023 NBA Draft is Thursday at the Barclays Center (8 p.m. ET), and all 30 teams in the association will try and improve their rosters and hope to find a diamond in the rough as Denver did with Nikola Jokic in the second round of the 2015 draft.
While Victor Wembanyama is practically a lock to be selected as the top overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs, there are many questions about how the remainder of the night will play out.
In this guide, we’ll break down the NBA Draft odds, main favorites and sleepers to look out for.
2023 NBA Draft Odds: To be selected No. 1 overall
Contents
- Victor Wembanyama 1/100 (1.01)
- Scoot Henderson 50/1 (51)
- Brandon Miller 100/1 (101)
- Cam Whitmore 125/1 (126)
- Anthony Black 125/1 (126)
- Ausar Thompson 125/1 (126)
- Jarace Walker 125/1 (126)
Main Favorites
The following players are projected to go in the first top three picks by oddsmakers.
1. Victor Wembanyama 1/100 (1.01) to be selected first
The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama is the heavy favorite to be selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs.
The French phenom is highly regarded as one of the best prospects in history, and there hasn’t been as much interest in a player entering the draft since LeBron James.
Wembanyama contains all the intangibles to become an all-time great and has been labeled as a potential generational talent by many scouts and analysts.
The 19-year-old has played two seasons with the Metropolitans 92, located in Levallois-Perret. His 2022-2023 season stats are featured below.
Wembanyama’s averages per game (2022-2023)
- Minutes per game: 32.3
- Points: 21.6
- Rebounds: 10.4
- Assists: 2.4
- Steals: 0.7
- Blocks: 3.0
- Field goal %: 46.8
- Free throw %: 83.7
- 3-pt FG %: 27.5
- Turnovers: 2.6
The Le Chesnay, France native towers over his competitors and showcases a dangerous 8-foot wingspan. He has been called the “human highlight reel” by commentators.
The ability to score from anywhere on the court and protect the rim makes him practically impossible not to select No. 1 overall, hence the 1/1000 odds.
Despite being a center, Wembanyama shot 27.5% from three-point range in 2022-2023 with five attempts per game.
The center/forward has tasted massive success at such a young age having won the French Pro A championship with ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne last season and leading the Metropolitans 92 to a championship appearance this year.
The following list showcases the prospect’s trophy-filled cabinet since he’s played in the French League.
Wembanyama’s achievements
- Pro A champion (2022)
- Pro A Most Valuable Player (2023)
- Pro A Best Scorer (2023)
- Pro A Best Defender (2023)
- All-Pro A First Team (2023)
- LNB All-Star Game MVP (2022)
- 2× LNB All-Star (2021, 2022)
- 3× Pro A Best Young Player (2021–2023)
2. Brandon Miller 2/7 (1.28) to be selected second
Brandon Miller is the second prospect on our list and is favored to have his name called second behind Wembanyama on draft day.
The Alabama product was named the NABC Freshman of the Year after leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC regular season title and first place in the conference’s tournament.
The 6-foot-9 guard averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and shot 43% from the field during the 2022-2023 campaign.
He struggled with injury during the NCAA tournament and went just 8-for-41 during the event as the Tide were knocked out in the Sweet 16.
The 20-year-old’s 7-foot-1 wingspan and 200-pound build make him an excellent athlete, and show promise to becoming a good two-way player at the next level. He can also shoot the ball well from beyond the arc after recording a 38% clip in the SEC.
Miller’s achievements
- Consensus second-team All-American (2023)
- Wayman Tisdale Award (2023)
- NABC Freshman of the Year (2023)
- SEC Player of the Year (2023)
- SEC Rookie of the Year (2023)
- First-team All-SEC (2023)
- SEC tournament MVP (2023)
- McDonald’s All-American (2022)
- Jordan Brand Classic (2022)
- Tennessee Mr. Basketball (2022)
3. Scoot Henderson 1/3 (1.33) to be selected third
The Marietta, Georgia, native skipped college and signed a $1 million dollar deal to play for the Ignite in the G League.
Henderson has found success in the NBA’s developmental league and averaged 16.5 points per game, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 42.9% from the field. He did have trouble from distance shooting threes (27.5%).
Coming out of Kell High School, the 6-foot-2 guard (6-foot-9 wingspan) was a five-star recruit (class of 2022) and led his team to a runner-up in the state championship.
The 19-year-old has a high ceiling as an overall guard and defensively. He is the top-ranked point guard heading into the draft. There is a chance he could be taken second overall, with sportsbooks listing him at 2/1.
Top Sleepers
The following sleepers could be drafted higher than expected.
Jordan Hawkins
The 21-year-old was expected by many to have a breakout season at guard and could have climbed into the top 10 picks of the NBA Draft but dealt with injuries throughout the year.
Currently, he’s not guaranteed to be selected in the top 20, but with his potential, probably should be.
Hawkins did manage to go on a Cinderella run during March Madness and lead the UConn Huskies to a championship. During the regular season, the 6-foot-5 Hawkins averaged 16.2 points per game, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 40.9% from the floor.
The Gaithersburg, Maryland, native can rise up the draft boards and might have an organization choose him higher than expected due to his consistent shooting and ability to shoot from beyond the arc.
The 21-year-old averaged three successful conversions from downtown in only 26 minutes per game and on the biggest stage during the NCAA Tournament, shot 42.9% or better in five of the six games.
Two of his best games shooting the three in the tournament included 80% (four-of-five) in the second round against St. Mary’s and 60% (6-of-10) vs. Gonzaga in the Elite Eight.
Adama Sanogo
The UConn center/power forward is a deeper sleeper who initially wasn’t expected to be drafted, but after being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player and providing a remarkable tournament performance, he could be selected.
The 6-foot-9 big man averaged 17.2 points per game, 7.7 rebounds and shot 60.6% from the field during the regular season. When the lights shone brightly on him at the tournament, he put together three-straight doubles-doubles en route to winning the National Championship.
His ability to score in the low post and talent near the rim make him a great prospect. He’s also performed well in pre-draft workouts.
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