Tag: Amen Thompson

Twin brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson declare for 2023 NBA draft

Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers from Overtime Elite, have officially declared for the 2023 NBA draft.

Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers from Overtime Elite, have declared for the 2023 NBA draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Amen Thompson averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds on 56.6% shooting from the field this past season with the City Reapers. He produced five 20-point games and was named to the All-OTE first team after helping his team to the championship.

Ausar Thompson was named MVP in the regular season and playoffs with the Reapers after posting averages of 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He improved his scoring to 21 points per game in five appearances during the playoffs.

The two are projected to be lottery picks this year after a productive two years with Overtime Elite. Each has elite athleticism, which has allowed the duo to dazzle in the open court. Both can score from virtually all over the court.

Of the two, Amen Thompson is viewed more as a point guard with his ability to run the offense and get others involved. Ausar Thompson plays more on the wing and dazzled down the stretch of the season and in the playoffs with his scoring.

They are both viewed as raw prospects and have perhaps as high of a ceiling as any player in the draft. They ooze potential on both ends of the court and should be high picks on June 22, as a result.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projections for every pick post-March Madness

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the NCAA Tournament.

The NBA pre-draft process is in full swing as prospects around the world prepare to transition to the next level.

Teams around the league will begin hosting private workouts in the coming weeks as they finalize their draft boards. There will be various pro days on the radar and, of course, the draft combine and G League Elite Camp next month in Chicago, Illinois.

Underclassmen have until April 23 to declare for the draft. Several notable players have already decided to return to school, including Kyle Filipowski, Harrison Ingram, Baylor Scheierman and Kel’el Ware. Others are still mulling over their decisions.

Related: Key dates for NBA draft, combine, lottery and deadlines

With players still in the process of making decisions, some prospects were excluded from this mock draft because they are projected to return to school next season. However, most players projected to be drafted have already announced their decisions.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the NCAA Tournament. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of April 14. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and 76ers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.

2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Predictions for UConn’s Jordan Hawkins and all 58 picks

UConn’s Jordan Hawkins is the most notable draft prospect in the Final Four.

While it’s not smart to put too much weight on a player’s performance during March Madness, it’s still a great scouting opportunity.

We had several breakout stars during the NCAA men’s tournament and some disappointing performances as well. Although the Final Four does not feature many projectable NBA players, there are still a few prospects who could hear their names called on the night of the draft.

The most notable is UConn’s Jordan Hawkins, who scored at least 20 points in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight. Some players (e.g. UConn’s Donovan Clingan or FAU’s Johnell Davis) would likely appear on our mock draft if they decide to turn pro.

Our draft order is based on what was listed on Tankathon on March 30. The official order will be set after the much-anticipated lottery in Chicago on May 16.

Unless noted otherwise, all data was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally.

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Podcast: Watching NCAA’s March Madness from a Rockets perspective

Today’s @TheLagerLine explores March Madness from a #Rockets perspective, starting with NBA draft prospects like Brandon Miller and Jarace Walker who could be in play for Houston.

French big man Victor Wembanyama and NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson are widely viewed as the top two prospects entering the 2023 NBA draft. But, who comes next? Enter the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, known best as March Madness.

Though the Houston Rockets are tied for the fewest wins in the NBA this season, that only results in a 27% chance of obtaining one of the top two draft selections due to flattened lottery odds. They are, however, nearly certain to land a top-seven selection.

With that in mind, Monday’s episode of “The Lager Line,” sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, examines the next draft tier after the two phenoms. Hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves and draft analyst Madison Moore, evaluated college prospects such as Alabama’s Brandon Miller, Houston’s Jarace Walker, Baylor’s Keyonte George and Arkansas’ Nick Smith Jr.

The show also explores the differing competition levels between Wembanyama and Henderson’s professional teams, the NCAA Tournament, and other prospects such as Amen and Ausar Thompson of the Overtime Elite, as well as the NBA projectability of each.

Monday’s full podcast can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Predicting all 58 picks before March Madness begins

Let’s check the temperature before March Madness shakes everything up.

As college basketball fans gear up for conference tournaments and March Madness, NBA scouts are busier than ever in their evaluation process.

Prospects are beginning to separate themselves as lottery picks and first-round talents, while others are fighting and clawing their way up big boards to find themselves in a draftable range.

While we can expect a ton of movement after the tournament is over, it is always helpful to take a barometer read of where things stood before all of the March Madness chaos.

Some of the players who were excluded from these projections were not listed because we project they will go back to school. We will have a much clearer picture of who is actually declaring for the draft after the early entry deadline on April 13.

Our draft order is from Tankathon and is accurate as of March 3. We will have an official draft order after the lottery on May 16. It is one of the most anticipated lotteries in recent memory as the winner will, in all likelihood, select Victor Wembanyama. But what comes next?

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

2023 aggregate NBA mock draft: Potential Rockets picks entering March

In a newly released 2023 aggregate mock draft, @HoopsHype spoke to NBA executives and scouts regarding options for the #Rockets and other teams near the top of the first round.

Based on current standings and draft lottery odds, the Houston Rockets would be guaranteed a top-five overall selection in the upcoming 2023 NBA draft. They also have another pick headed their way later in the round, most likely from the Los Angeles Clippers.

“Pray for Victor” (Wembanyama), some might say.

To project where Wembanyama and other top prospects stand, HoopsHype compiled 10 mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, NBADraft.net, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, Yahoo, SB Nation, and USA TODAY’s For The Win.

Then, HoopsHype gathered thoughts from multiple NBA executives and scouts for their insight on the projected first-round picks for the fourth edition of the aggregate mock draft to find the answer.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not HoopsHype’s opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 60 points. If a player was second, he received 59 points, and so on. Each player’s consensus ranking was tabulated based on total points.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto compiled this analysis, while Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report. 

2023 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Wembanyama, Henderson on top; Freshmen rising in latest projections

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands at the midway point of the season.

The 2022-23 basketball season is in full swing as the next wave of prospects across the college level and the professional ranks look ahead to the 2023 NBA draft on June 22.

Of course, Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson remain at the top of draft boards at the start of the new year. Both could shut down their seasons right now and still be viewed as the best two players in the class. In other words: They are locked in at Nos. 1 and 2.

Elsewhere, though, fortunes change seemingly nightly.

Several prospects have improved upon their preseason rankings, while others have struggled and had their stock fall. The latest look at the class even has several freshmen on the rise after some impressive performances through the first half of the year.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the first round stands at the midway point of the season. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of Jan. 10. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and Sixers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.

2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Must-know stats for each prospect projected in the first round

You’re going to want to see this data.

It is the start of a new calendar year, so let’s update our NBA mock draft.

While most fans already knew Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson before the season began, we are starting to get a more clear picture of who else will hear their names called in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Quite a bit has changed since our last update before the season began.

Some players, like Duke’s Dereck Lively III and Kentucky’s Chris Livingston, have not lived up to preseason expectations. Others, like UCF’s Taylor Hendricks and Alabama’s Noah Clowney, have already surpassed what any could have hoped for from them.

Of course, it is still early enough in the season that these predictions will continue to evolve as we get closer to conference tournaments and March Madness. But until then, we’ve used our intel and our scouting to make some projections.

The draft order was based on averaging win projections from ESPN, FiveThirtyEight, and Basketball Reference. All traded picks were accounted for and included.

Unless noted otherwise, all data was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally.

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

2023 NBA mock draft roundup: Potential Houston Rockets picks entering January

Amen Thompson and Scoot Henderson are among the more popular #Rockets picks in the latest wave of 2023 NBA mock drafts. Houston also owns a 2023 first-round pick from Milwaukee.

Entering 2023, the bad news for the young Houston Rockets is that they’ve lost eight times over their past nine games and are tied for the fewest wins (10) of any NBA team during the 2022-23 season.

The good news is that led by the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, the 2023 NBA draft class is widely viewed as a strong one, and the Rockets are currently slated to have full control of their own pick once this year’s draft takes place on Thursday, June 22.

They also have a first-round selection headed their way from Milwaukee, which is likely to be near the bottom of the round. For playoff teams, like the Bucks, draft slot is determined solely by record — whereas for the 14 non-playoff teams, like the Rockets, the top-four picks are determined from a weighted lottery system. From there, the remainder of those top-14 selections are decided by record.

Here’s a roundup of who the various draft experts have going to Houston in recent mock drafts, along with a look at the lottery odds. As of Monday, the Rockets (10-26) had the league’s third-worst record, with only Detroit and Charlotte holding better lottery odds.

Report: OKC Thunder scout Thompson twins, Nikola Druidic

The OKC Thunder sent scout(s) overseas to watch the Thompson twins, Nikola Druidic.

It looks like the Oklahoma City Thunder are getting at it early to prepare for the 2023 NBA draft.

The Thunder — along with the Utah Jazz — sent a scout to Serbia to watch the Thompson twins — Amen and Ausar — and Nikola Druidic, per Yahoo Sports’ Krysteen Peek.

While it’s still extremely early in the draft process and 10 months remain, the Thompson twins are viewed as high-lottery picks. Druidic is viewed as a potential first-round pick.

The Thompson twins will forgo playing in college next season, instead electing to sign with Overtime Elite. Druidic will play overseas.

With Chet Holmgren out for the season, the Thunder will likely receive another lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

It’s also noteworthy to point out that one of Ausar Thompson’s three likes on Twitter is about the Thunder going after him and him being the missing piece in the frontcourt.

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