NBA Draft 2023: Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson leads January mock draft

13. Utah Jazz (Via Timberwolves) – Maxwell Lewis – Pepperdine – 6’7, 195 lbs – July 2002

The Jazz are a tough team to figure out, owning three first-round picks and a multitude of role players on their roster. Expected to be a potential tanking team, Lauri Markannen’s All-Star-like performance has made them a bit too good for the “Wembanyama” sweepstakes, and they will be a team to monitor at the upcoming trade deadline.

With some of their wings potentially leaving this offense, the Jazz go for wing-depth here with Lewis. A somewhat interesting prospect last season, Lewis has looked like the clear best-returning prospect. He’s averaging just under 20 points per game on impressive 52/41/83 shooting splits. He’s got good positional size and length and can score from all three levels. Lewis’ processing has also taken a leap and he’s been taking more risks as a decision-maker. While I don’t expect him to carry a big offensive load, Lewis can run some pick-and-roll, space the floor, and finish as a cutter. He needs to shore up some defensive tendencies, but he has the positional size to be a difference-maker and rotational wing piece,

14. Utah Jazz   – G.G. Jackson – South Carolina – 6’9, 215 lbs – December 2004

The Jazz go for some long-term upside with their second pick in Jackson. Jackson has shown some real shake with the ball in his hands and can create space for shots. His iso attempts though are more midrange jumpers than rim attempts right now, and he’s shooting 27% on “other twos”. You’d like to see him get to the rim and bend defenses better. His passing has waned at times and I don’t think he processes the game at a super-high speed. The defense has been pretty subpar, both from an effort and instincts standpoint.

My biggest question with Jackson is does he know how to play within a team context? His usage and shot selection can be attributed to his team’s lack of guard play, but there are still plenty of times you want to see him be a more-willing ball-mover. It’s worth noting that Jackson is one of the youngest players in this class, turning 18 just two weeks ago.

There are a bunch of different ways Jackson can become a valuable NBA player, but there’s also no clear path to an early NBA role. I could see Jackson going top 10 or slipping into the 20’s, but the Jazz have the flexibility to take him and watch him grow.

15. Golden State Warriors – Gradey Dick – Kansas – 6’8, 205 lbs – November 2003

The defending champions are off to a bit of a slower start than expected, and a part of that can be linked to their young core not performing as well as they had hoped. Just a freshman, Dick is already one of the best shooters in the NCAA and in this draft class. He can splash from anywhere and has a high-releasing shot that is hard to contest. Dick doesn’t get to the rim a ton, but he is a crafty finisher with some impressive body control.

He doesn’t add much else aside from shooting, and while his defense hasn’t been great, I think it’s been a bit better as of late. Dick’s floor spacing should pair well with the Warriors passing and stars and he should be able to contribute right away.