NBA Draft 2023: Latest mock draft after San Antonio Spurs get No. 1 overall pick
. PG. New Orleans Pelicans. Nick Smith. 14. player. 69
At one point, Smith was a projected top-5 NBA Draft pick. But that was before the injury setback, which limited the 6’5 combo guard to just 12.5 ppg in 17 games played on 38% shooting. He still managed to have five 20+ point games, including 26 points on 5/8 shooting from deep against Georgia. His injury woes could come to someone’s benefit as he’s likely to slide down the draft a bit.
CJ McCollum is entering the end of his prime, while the Dyson Daniels experiment (former top-10 pick) could also be entering its final stage. Smith at his best is a quality scorer and would give the backcourt a boost off the bench. But if he’s fully healthy, maybe the former five-star prospect could end up starting in the future.
player. 81. . Wing. Toronto Raptors. Maxwell Lewis. 13
Lewis is a 6’7 forward that was a breakout star at Pepperdine, leading his team with 17.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg on 47% shooting from the field. He’s an incredibly skilled athlete that can score at high volume, including seven straight games with at least 20 points, one being a 30-point and 14-rebound performance versus Pacific.
After seeing what Jalen Williams of Santa Clara did at OKC in his rookie season, Maxwell could be the next non-Gonzaga star to come out of the WCC. Toronto is at a crossroads with some of its top talent and outside of Scottie Barnes, could be turning over. It’s a good spot to take the best player available with the most potential and Lewis fits that description.