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

16. Phoenix Suns – Keyonte George – Baylor – 6’4, 185 lbs – November 2003

The raw numbers would support George, a former five-star, as a lottery pick, but my in-person viewings have skewed my general thoughts on George. He’s scored over 20 points in four of his last five games, but he hasn’t been as efficient as some hoped this season (40/36/81) shooting splits. George gets tunnel vision as a scorer at times.

Still, it’s hard to ignore his raw talent. He’s a well-built guard that can beat defenders with ease and is a pretty good leaper. He gets streaky, but can undeniably hit some tough shots. If George can look for others when getting downhill, his offensive outcome will look ostensibly way better.

The Suns can use some more punch in the backcourt and Chris Paul can serve as a good mentor for George. The talent is too undeniable for him to fall too far and I like this fit.

17. Los Angeles Clippers – Brice Sensabaugh – Ohio State – 6’6, 235 lbs – October 2003

With no dire holes to fill, I went to the best player available here, which on my board is Brice Sensabaugh. The Ohio State freshman has been filling it up as a scorer. The freshman is one of the most productive players in his class, averaging 16 points per game on 50/46/82 shooting splits. He shoots over contests with ease and uses his size to back down smaller defenders. Despite not being the best athlete, Sensabaugh has good rim-finishing numbers. His assist rate is a bit low, but I think Sensabaugh can pass when he chooses to.

The defense is by no means bad, and Ohio State is generally much better on the floor when he plays. Sensabaugh will have to provide some value other than scoring, but his body can be trimmed down a bit. There’s a lot to work with though, and it’s hard to ignore his sheer production and bucket-getting ability.

18. Miami Heat – Taylor Hendricks – UCF – 6’9, 210 lbs – November 2003

With a large chunk of their backcourt signed, the Heat opt for Hendricks, who has some long-term upside but can also play right away. He’s disruptive and active on defense, playing with an incredibly high motor, and his movement skills allow him to be in so many plays. Even as a four-man, Hendricks has an impressive 6.9 block rate. There’s some hope he can be a switchable defender on the perimeter and as he bulks up, he should be able to bang with bigs down low.

Offensively, It’s impressive how Hendricks has scored so easily without a ton of touches or plays run for him. Hendricks’ pick-and-pop ability has been really good. He is a confident shooter that is comfortable rising over defenders and willing to shoot corner threes when defenses close out to him. Hendricks’ skills should allow him to blend into any team context and succeed without much usage. Role players that can contribute without a ton of touches, protect the rim, and hit some threes are always valuable.