Tag: Leonard Miller

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.

G League: Leonard Miller was tied for the most double-doubles in February

Miller averaged 17.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and two assists in eight games during the month of February.

Leonard Miller produced another double-double and played a key role on Tuesday to help lead the G League Ignite to a win over the Iowa Wolves at home.

Miller recorded 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and one steal in the 110-102 victory at The Dollar Loan Center. He finished 6-of-14 from the field in 36 minutes as the Ignite improved to 9-13.

The 19-year-old registered his seventh straight double-double, and 10th of the season, with the performance. He was tied with Alize Johnson (Wisconsin) for the most double-doubles in the G League during the month of February.

Miller averaged 17.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and two assists on 49.2% shooting from the field in eight games in February. He was fifth in rebounding among all players and third in offensive rebounding with 4.1 per game.

On a team that features Scoot Henderson, Miller is also projected to be a first-round pick this year in the NBA draft. He tested the pre-draft process last year, but withdrew from consideration and signed with the Ignite this season.

Miller, who was born in Canada, is highly touted for his ability on both ends of the floor. He does the majority of his work in the paint and has a great package of finishes. He is active as a cutter who hits the offensive glass hard, and he is good for a few putbacks each game.

He will need to improve as a shooter, but the 6-foot-11 forward has the tools to be an impact player at the next level with his 7-foot-2 wingspan. He has improved throughout the year and projects to continue to get better at the next level.

With Henderson playing as the prized prospect on the Ignite, Miller is next in line to be drafted and is commonly projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round. The decision to hold out on the draft for one more year appears to be paying off.

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NBA Rising Stars 2023: Full rosters revealed in draft announcement

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2023 NBA Rising Stars game.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2023 NBA Rising Stars competition set to take place on Feb. 17 as part of All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The showcase will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games for the second straight year. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.

The pool of 28 players for the game consists of 11 first-year players, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The rookies and sophomores were selected by assistant coaches, and the G League players were chosen by the league office.

The G League players will comprise one of the four teams.

The three teams from the NBA will be coached by Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Deron Williams. The three former players each selected seven players to their teams on Tuesday in an order determined by career All-Star appearances: Gasol (6), Williams (3) and Noah (2).

Here are the four rosters for the NBA Rising Stars competition.

NBA Rising Stars 2023: Player pool revealed for annual showcase

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 17.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the list of 28 players set to participate in the annual Rising Stars game on Feb. 17 as part of All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The showcase game will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games for the second straight year. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.

The pool of 28 players for the game consists of 11 first-year players, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The rookies and sophomores were selected by assistant coaches and the G League players were chosen by the league office.

The 21 NBA players were selected by assistant coaches across the league. Each team submitted a rookie ballot and sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position, in order of preference.

The three NBA teams will be coached by Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Deron Williams. Jazz assistant coach Jason Terry, who previously coached the Grand Rapids Gold, will lead the G League team. Assistants from the All-Star Game staffs will also coach in the event.

TNT will televise the competition beginning at 9 p.m. EST.

Midseason 2023 mock NBA draft has the Boston Celtics taking trio of forwards

As the 2022-23 season advances in the NCAA ranks, a number of prospects at that level have seen some significant change in where they are projected to be drafted.

As the 2022-23 season advances in the NCAA ranks, a number of prospects at that level have seen some significant change in where they are projected to be drafted (if anywhere) in the 2023 NBA draft this summer. At the NBA level, a clearer picture of what individual teams like the Boston Celtics around the league will be doing at the season’s end also has an effect on draft projections.

With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman assembled a new 2023 mock draft that has seen him adjust his projections about which teams will take what players this coming offseason on the big day.

And with three second-round picks in this year’s draft, Wasserman has found three prospects he could see the Celtics drafting — let’s take a look at the trio of prospects.

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.

Mojave King, Leonard Miller officially sign contracts with G League Ignite

The news of the two players joining the Ignite was previously reported over the summer.

New Zealand guard Mojave King and Canadian guard Leonard Miller  signed contracts with the NBA G League Ignite, the team announced on Wednesday.

King played the last two seasons in the NBL as part of the Next Stars program with the Cairns Terrapins and Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 3.6 points and one rebound on 37% shooting from the field in 26 games with the 36ers last season.

The 20-year-old also spent one year with the NBA Academy in Canberra, Australia. He emerged as one of the top prospects at the 2019 NBA Academy Games in front of scouts and teams and likely would have been a five-star prospect had he attended college in the United States.

Miller, who will turn 19 in November, tested the NBA draft this year but opted to withdraw and sign with the Ignite. He participated in the combine in May, averaging 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two scrimmage games.

The news of the two players joining the Ignite was reported over the summer, but the team had not announced the signings until Wednesday.

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They will join Scoot Henderson on the Ignite this season, along with Efe Abogidi, Sidy Cissoko and Shareef O’Neal. Starting this season, the team will play its home games in Henderson, Nevada, and have a full 50-game schedule. It will be eligible for the playoffs.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for those prospects looking to play professionally. The team offers the players a platform to showcase their skills in front of scouts and executives against G League competition.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: An early look at the top prospects next year

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor over the course of the 2022-23 season.

With the basketball world over a month removed from the NBA draft, many have started to look ahead to the next rookie class and which prospects may be available.

The class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is considered one of the top prospects in recent memory. He has performed well in the top basketball league in France and looks to already be locked in as the top pick in 2023.

Elsewhere, there are several other prospects that will be worth monitoring over the course of next season. The rankings will certainly change but it can be a productive exercise to see how prospects moved up and down draft boards ahead of next year.

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor as the 2022-23 season approaches in a couple of months.

Note: The order of the draft was determined by the reverse championship odds set by Tipico Sportsbook. The 2023 draft will only have 59 picks after the Bulls were stripped of their second-round pick by the NBA due to a tampering violation involving the signing of Lonzo Ball.

Canadian Leonard Miller to withdraw from draft, sign with Ignite

Miller becomes the second prospect to play with the Ignite next season, joining Scoot Henderson.

Leonard Miller, a 6-foot-11 forward from Canada, on Monday told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will withdraw from the 2022 NBA draft and sign with the NBA G League Ignite.

Miller, who will turn 19 in November, previously announced last month that he would forgo his collegiate eligibility and either remain in the draft or sign with the Ignite next season. He had received college interest from Arizona and Kentucky, among other programs.

The 6-foot-10 forward was ruled eligible for the draft after completing a postgraduate year at Fort Erie International Academy. He participated in the combine last month in Chicago, Illinois, averaging 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two scrimmage games.

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Miller projects to have the skills needed to eventually make the transition to the NBA. He has an all-around offensive game and boasts a 7-foot-2 wingspan that can help protect the paint on defense. With a year in the G League, Miller could transform into a first-round pick.

He will join Scoot Henderson on the Ignite next season. They are the only known players signed to the roster at this time with the likes of Dyson Daniels, Michael Foster Jr. and Jaden Hardy leaving the program for the draft this year.

The stated goal of the Ignite is to provide development opportunities for those prospects looking to play professionally. The team offers the players a platform to showcase their skills in front of scouts and executives against G League competition.

Miller had until 5 p.m. EDT on Monday to withdraw from the draft.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Leonard Miller will withdraw from 2022 NBA Draft to play for G League Ignite, and it’s the right call

As we wrote in May, his next decision was what mattered most.

Canada’s Leonard Miller was the most intriguing prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft. But as we wrote last month, his next decision was what mattered most.

Miller, who also considered attending Kentucky or Arizona, has decided to play for the G League Ignite. Considering that the 6-foot-10 lefty ball-handler was a potential first-round pick, he will likely be prominently featured in coach Jason Hart’s offense at the developmental program.

Miller was absolutely dominant at Fort Erie Academy in Canada, and he was also one of the best performers at Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore. back in April.

Although he had fantastic measurements at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, there were some concerns about Miller’s performance during his five-on-five scrimmages.

He struggled to score and the pace of play looked a bit too fast for Miller, who would have been the youngest player eligible to hear his name called had he opted to stay in this draft class.

While it will be interesting to see how Miller performs against professionals with much more experience than he has once he is in the G Leauge, this was ultimately the right call. On the Ignite, Miller can learn the tools to improve his game before taking the jump to the next level.

When the 2023 NBA Draft arrives, he will still be only 19 years old, so there is still a ton of upside for Miller considering he is such a unique prospect. As one scout recently told For The Win, if there is potential to go in the lottery, that’s the year a prospect should stay for the draft.

Even though Miller had some momentum this year, he could have lottery-level momentum next year. That type of contractual security (which comes with guaranteed money and more developmental priority from the team) is worth the wait.

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