2023 NBA Mock Draft: Victor Wembanyama is a clear No.1, but there’s a close competition for who goes No. 2

No matter who wins the lottery, Wembanyama will be the first player selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s a 7-4 rim protector on defense and shot-creator on offense, the likes of which the sport has literally never seen before.

There’s an ongoing debate about which prospect should go second in this draft — Henderson or Alabama’s Brandon Miller. I can see both sides of it, but for now I’d still lean slightly toward the G-League Ignite star who has the athleticism and strength to be a franchise-changing lead guard as long as his still-developing 3-point shot eventually becomes reliable.

If Miller doesn’t go second, I can’t imagine him going any lower than third. He’s a wing with size who just made 38.4% of the 7.5 3-pointers he attempted per game while leading Alabama to the outright SEC regular-season title.

Thompson is a big and super-athletic guard with a unique ability to shot-create and deliver passes most prospects his age can’t even see. His lack of a perimeter jumper is the only obvious thing that could prevent him from being a high-level NBA player for a long time.

Walker is a physical specimen, especially for his age, who exerts energy on both ends of the court. He’ll enter the NBA as a versatile defender who can play power forward or even some small-ball center.

Dick is a wing with size who made more than 40% of the 5.7 3-pointers he attempted per game for the outright Big 12 regular-season champs. His shooting ability is his greatest strength, but he’s a lot more than just a shooter.

Whitmore is one of those prospects who just looks different. He’s an incredible athlete capable of playing either forward position whose ability was mostly off the national radar in part because he played for a subpar Villanova team relative to normal Villanova standards.

The other Thompson twin is a big athlete just like his brother. He’s something of a traditional driver and slasher with enough athleticism to guard multiple positions well.

Black is a lead guard with great size who is a gifted passer and nice pick-and-roll playmaker. If he ever develops a reliable jumper, All-Star Game appearances could be in his future.

I’ve been a believer in Hood-Schifino since I first saw him as a high school prospect playing for Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit. He’s a combo guard with size who should be a more-dependable 3-point shooter than he showed in his one season at Indiana.

Hawkins made more than 38% of his 3-point attempts this season while helping UConn win the national championship. He’s not a top-shelf athlete, but he’s still a capable perimeter defender.

Hendricks is an out-of-nowhere one-and-done prospect who established himself as a likely lottery pick because he’s a 6-9 athlete who made 39.4% of the 4.6 3-pointers he attempted per game at UCF. He’ll be a stretch-4 at the NBA level and could play some small-ball center if he adds enough strength.

Sensabaugh, like Hendricks, was a sub-80 prospect in the Class of 2022 who was surprisingly great in his one year at Ohio State. If he improves as a perimeter defender, the 6-6 wing could develop into the type of 3-and-D player everybody wants in the modern NBA.

George wasn’t the most consistent freshman in the country in his one season in the Big 12, but his ability to score with the ball in his hands from the perimeter is undeniable. His high school shooting percentages are better than what he did for the Bears, which is among the reasons front offices can reasonably look past the 33.8% he shot from 3-point range at Baylor.

Wallace is a lead guard who is impactful on both sides of the ball. He wasn’t great in his one year at Kentucky but showed enough flashes to reassure front offices that he’s worthy of being a top-15 pick in this draft.

Howard was the MVP of the Iverson Classic before his freshman season at Michigan. He can play multiple positions, make shots from the perimeter and is just, broadly speaking, a good-sized player with a well-rounded skillset, in part because he’s the son of a former NBA player and high-major college coach.

Smith dealt with a less-than-perfect knee all season that limited him to just 17 games, most of which he struggled in relative to expectations that accompanied him to Arkansas. That’s among the reasons he won’t be selected where most projected he’d go a year ago, but he should still go somewhere inside the top 20 based on the ability to score he showed when he was healthy in high school.

Much like his brother who plays for the Kings, Murray projects as a combo forward who can stretch the floor on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. The Iowa alum won’t be a top-five pick like his twin was last year, but he should comfortably go somewhere in the first round.

Lively’s one season at Duke got off to a rough start and was statistically unimpressive. But he showed enough as a rim-protecting big down the stretch to solidify himself as a first-round pick.

Bufkin didn’t enter the season with first-round projections but eventually established himself at Michigan as an interesting two-way player. He made 35.5% of the 3.7 3-pointers he attempted per game, which is a respectable number for a 6-4 guard.

Jackson is one of the youngest players in this draft, in part because he reclassified and enrolled at South Carolina a year early. He was off the radar much of the season because he played for a bad team, but the former top-ranked recruit showed enough to keep NBA front offices interested in his obvious talent.

Miller had a nice season with the G-League Ignite, averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds as a 19 year-old playing against professionals. There’s still a lot of development that needs to be done, but the physical tools to make it are all in place.

Whitehead had an underwhelming one season at Duke, where he only averaged 8.3 points per game. But he did shoot 42.4% from 3-point range as a 6-7 wing, and at this point in the draft he’s worth a flyer even though he’s expected to soon have another procedure performed on his injured right foot.

Jaquez should enter the NBA at the age of 22 ready to contribute immediately. He’s not going to wow anybody in individual workouts or test off the charts, but there are a lot of reasons to believe he has the stuff to be, at worst, an impactful role player on a winning team for many years to come.

Rupert remains unreliable offensively and very much a project. But he’s a 6-6 wing with a 7-3 wingspan who has all the prerequisites to be a great perimeter defender if his shooting comes around enough to make him playable at the NBA level.

Sasser is a combo guard who played a big role in helping Houston secure a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. His ability to playmake and reliably make jumpers will give him a chance to stick in the NBA even if he is a little on the small side.

Defensive versatility is a desired skillset these days, and it also happens to be Clowney’s strongest attribute. The 6-10 forward has a 7-2 wingspan and the necessary enthusiasm to guard different types of players all over the court.

Wilson is the latest Kansas alum to develop into a legitimate NBA player after spending multiple years under Bill Self. He made a huge leap from his third season to his fourth season with the Jayhawks while earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors.

Smith already has a strong pull-up game and the athleticism to make big plays on both sides of the court. If he becomes a more efficient version of himself and adds strength, he’ll turn out to be very worthy of a late first-round selection.

Lewis is the rare non-Gonzaga WCC player with realistic first-round aspirations. He’s a 6-7 wing with a 6-10 wingspan who can shot-create and punish teams from the 3-point line, both of which are qualities NBA franchises value immensely.