NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets were one of the lucky teams that had more than one pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. With their initial first-round pick (21st overall), they selected Alabama big man Noah Clowney. With their second pick of the first round (22nd overall), the Nets select Duke wing Dariq Whitehead.
Whitehead, native of Newark, NJ, seems to be one of the more talented players in the draft, but a foot injury that ended up needing a second surgery appeared to have weakened his draft stock. Whitehead, listed at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, is a guy who was pretty dominant in high school and while he was slowed by the foot injury to start the 2022-23 season, he still showed flashes of his more athletic self.
What Whitehead, 18, brings to the Nets is the ability to score the basketball and has the physical tools, when healthy, to be a force on the defensive end. Brooklyn has more than enough wings that can play right now, but that is a good thing for both parties as Whitehead can be brought along slowly and possibly be needed to play when he is fully healthy.
Here is a video breakdown of Whitehead’s tape by Adam Spinella:
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