While there is still plenty of time for this all to shake out, it is never too early to speculate about who will become the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Last year, long before the pick was made at Barclays Center, we knew who would hear his name called with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft with nearly 100 percent certainty. There was never even a doubt that a team would select Victor Wembanyama at that position.
This year, no obvious candidate is waiting in the wings as a “can’t miss” prospect. But there is one player who has potentially separated himself from the pack, at least according to several NBA executives who spoke with draft insider Jeremy Woo (via ESPN):
“The 7-foot-1 French big man is currently sidelined with a hip injury but is presently expected to return before the end of the season. It’s worth noting that several of the Sarr voters expressed their lack of confidence in that outcome, but viewed him as the tentative best bet. […]
Sarr’s youth, versatility as a mobile defender and perimeter-friendly forward — coupled with the league-wide demand for tall, skilled frontcourt players — could give him the broadest degree of appeal amongst the top candidates. Sarr’s NBL role has been modest, but he’s grown into it nicely and demonstrated he can impact winning, which puts him in a good developmental place for a 7-footer who has yet to turn 19 and is still getting his first real taste of high-level basketball.”
Sarr, who plays for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL, received 12 votes from Woo’s survey of 20 scouts and executives. G League Ignite forward Ronald Holland received two votes and no other prospect received more than one.
Amen was drafted by the Rockets at No. 4 overall while Ausar was selected by the Pistons. The twins, who were the first players from the Overtime Elite to get called in the NBA Draft, will immediately start their careers as two of the most athletic basketball players in the world.
For The Win caught up with the Thompson twins to discuss playing against each other in the NBA for the first time, their dream board from when they were just nine years old, their shared middle name and plenty more.
FTW: Who is going to dunk on whom first once in the NBA?
Amen: I’m almost positive it’s going to be me first. I’m actually 100 percent positive I’m dunking on him first. You don’t even have to ask him, actually.
Ausar: He’s never going to dunk on me in his life. But I’ll dunk on him. A rebound is going to go up and I’m an offensive rebounder and he’s going to look up.
Amen: I’d box out.
Ausar: I almost got Jabari [Smith].
Amen: Nah, you did. That was crazy. Cam [Whitmore] was about to get you, though, and you didn’t even know.
Ausar: He was not about to get me!
FTW: How has your competitive spirit changed from teammates to rivals?
Amen: I wish the best for him but if I’m playing him, I’m trying to kill him.
Ausar: It’s different. I just don’t like his team, really. I don’t like him, really. I don’t like any team other than the Detroit Pistons.
FTW: What was the hardest thing about getting drafted by different teams?
Amen: He is actually wearing my shoes right now. That was a hard split. The PS5 was hard, but I just got a new one. So I don’t have to worry about that. But it was a bunch of little things. Like, I am going to take my shoes back now.
Ausar: Yeah. I stole shoes. I got the PS5. I’m pretty alpha in this situation.
FTW: What does Excellency (and your shared middle name, XLNC) mean to you both?
Ausar: Excellency is just about every day coming and in and trying to get better and be the best you that you can be. Try and improve every day. Never settle, no matter what it is. The next day, give it your all.
Amen: I’m always striving for excellence.
What was one of your biggest takeaways from the Rookie Transition Program?
Ausar: I feel like the Rookie Transition Program and the NBPA gave us what we needed to know to get to the next level. They’re always asking us about our interests and what we want to do outside of basketball. They helped us to prepare for basketball and life outside of basketball.
FTW: What are some of those interests that you have off the court?
Ausar: Some of the interests that I have that the NBPA offered include giving back to the communities. We have $25,000 to give to organizations. I’m also interested in broadcasting, getting into investing and they have so many programs for that.
Amen: If I wanted to get into clothing, I could get into that. If I wanted to learn how to build my brand, they have people that could help me. They have people who are able to do everything within NBA player development. Even if I don’t have interests outside basketball right now, they can help me try to find something and find a hobby.
FTW: What would you add to your dream board that wasn’t originally on it?
Amen: I feel like there were so many goals on it. There is nothing I can add. But change the routine but the goals are the same with a different routine to get to those goals.
Ausar: I would say to win a championship.
Amen: That was on the dream board. Every single goal was on the dream board.
Ausar: Well, I don’t have a beard yet. Actually, I’m going to change the dream board height to 6-foot-11 so I can get to 6-foot-9.
The Tip-Off
Warrick Page/HBO
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
HBO’s Winning Time is a delicate dance of intention and improv, not unlike the 1980s Lakers.
“Despite winning a championship during Magic Johnson’s rookie year, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley was so stressed he wore a neck brace for six weeks during the 1981 postseason.
Riley’s tension is evident during the second season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which premieres Sunday on HBO. The Lakers had clashing basketball ideologies: then-head coach Paul Westhead’s rigid and deliberate offense named The System versus Riley’s fast-paced and more improvised style.
When Westhead’s system failed, the Lakers fired him after just 11 games in 1981. Riley moved in as the replacement, instituting his run-and-gun style that became known as Showtime basketball. It was a literal change of pace for the Lakers, who began playing much faster on their way to a 1982 championship.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflected on these contrasting philosophies, writing last year that he felt Westhead’s “methodical, tactical approach” actively stifled Johnson’s spontaneity. He added that the best moments with Johnson “were less choreographed and more like jazz” while on the court.
The pressure points between The System and Showtime, two dramatically different approaches, are a central theme in the second season of Winning Time. Decades later, the cast and crew of Winning Time worked to find the right balance with their own craft while on the set of the show as well.”
For Amen and Ausar Thompson, becoming top-five NBA draft picks was the culmination of a multi-year journey. Their father, Troy Thompson Sr., spoke to @BigSargeSportz about their development.
HOUSTON — Troy Thompson Sr. looked at the progress his twin sons, Amen and Ausar, had made on the basketball court during their middle school years. He knew their visions of playing in the NBA were on the right trajectory to become a reality.
Without hesitation, Thompson moved the family across the country — from San Leandro, California, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida — so his sons would not have to wait until their freshman year of high school to play varsity basketball.
When they arrived at Pine Crest School, the head coach knew he had something special. Three years later, in their junior seasons, the Thompson twins helped deliver a state championship while being named Broward County co-players of the year for their class.
Many projected Pine Crest to repeat with the twins returning for their senior season. But just as he had done when it was time to take his sons’ talent to the next level by moving them from California to Florida, Thompson took an alternate route.
In 2021, they joined the newly formed Overtime Elite (OTE) professional league. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the league is designed to help basketball players with elite talent work on getting their high school diplomas while enhancing their NBA profiles.
“In the 11th grade, when they won state (championship), there was nothing else to achieve on that level,” Troy Thompson Sr. said to me when I asked about the decision of taking his sons Amen and Ausar to play in Overtime Elite. #Rockets#Sarge@TheRocketsWirepic.twitter.com/SLqzwhZOn0
Amen and Ausar were initially unhappy with the idea of going to OTE, which was in its inaugural phase. But just as they had been hesitant to make the cross-country journey, they believed in their dad and knew he had their best interests at heart.
“Me and Coach knew it was going to be a couple of years before they were ready,” Thompson told RocketsWire. “In the 11th grade, when they won state (championship), there was nothing else to achieve at that level. So, we went into looking into some of the prep schools, and Overtime Elite was a new concept.”
“They talked about development. They had access to the gym all day, a state-of-the-art weight room, and all these good coaches who had already been to the NBA. We were going to be one-and-done (college) anyway. The goal was one-and-done, not four years to get to the league. This (Overtime Elite) gave us a built-in one-and-done.”
After helping the City Reapers win the OTE championship in their second season there, Amen was selected by the Rockets with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2023 NBA draft. His brother, Ausar, was taken with the fifth pick by the Detroit Pistons.
“You work at something for a very long time, and finally, it culminates into exactly what you wanted,” Thompson said after watching his sons finally reach the NBA “It’s great to see your kids achieve their dreams, and that is what we saw on draft night.”
“He is the blueprint and role model, for me,” Amen Thompson says of his older brother. “Growing up in Oakland, my family tried to keep me away from certain things, and he was a big part of that.”
HOUSTON — As Amen Thompson walked into Toyota Center for his introductory press conference, he was led by his family. The group consisted of his parents, Maya and Troy Thompson Sr.; his identical twin brother, Ausar, who was drafted one spot after Amen by the Detroit Pistons; and older brother Troy Thompson Jr., one of his biggest inspirations to play basketball.
Laying the foundation for the siblings’ hard work and dedication, Troy, who is eight years older than his younger brothers, was a very skilled high school player. After taking off a year after graduation, he chose to stay close to home and attended City College of San Francisco in 2014. He made the team as a walk-on and received 11 offers to play Division I basketball during his time there.
Halfway through his first year, he wrote down his goals. One of them was to continue his playing days and education at an historically black college or university (HBCU).
Thompson Jr.’s first choice was Howard University. Instead, he selected Prairie View A&M University, which is located 47 miles outside of Houston, to finish his final two years of eligibility from 2016 through 2018.
“I wrote down that I wanted to get 10 Division I offers, and at least one of them be an HBCU,” Thompson Jr. said. “I have family members that went to Prairie View, and it has a little nostalgic vibe with (his parents). I didn’t know a lot about PV until I got there. It was so welcoming, and it was a great experience for me. It helped me become a man. It was a good experience.”
“I have been saying it since about 2012,” said Troy Thompson Jr. who is the older brother of Amen (Rockets) and Ausar (Pistons) when asked when he realized they could make it to the NBA. “My brothers are the best winners I have ever seen.” #Rockets#Sarge@TheRocketsWirepic.twitter.com/Muvy2bPXEm
Sharing those experiences with his younger siblings was one of the things that kept them motivated to continue following their dreams of making it into the NBA. Thompson Jr. tried out for Sacramento’s NBA G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, in 2019, but he was not selected for the roster after the final cuts.
“Growing up, I didn’t even know that I was the influence I was,” Thompson Jr. said of being an inspiration to his brothers.
Yet, he was instrumental in the futures of Amen and Ausar, who decided to skip college and play two years at Overtime Elite, where they could strictly focus on basketball. The decision paid off. Amen Thompson was selected by the Houston Rockets with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, and Ausar was taken with the fifth pick of the draft.
“He is the blueprint and the role model for me,” Amen said of his older brother. “Growing up in Oakland, my family tried to keep me away from certain things, and he was a big part of that because he went through that stuff. Seeing where he was able to get in basketball made me believe that I could do anything.”
“We already were athletic, and we doubled down,” Rafael Stone said after the 2023 NBA draft. “It is never a bad thing to be a hyper-athletic team, and I think we will be just that.” #Rockets
It has been at least three years since the Houston Rockets were looked at as winners on and off the court.
To regain its relevance, the organization has a three-phase plan in place. After Thursday night’s 2023 NBA draft, the Rockets already appear to be winning the second phase.
In late 2020, Phase 1 of their rebuild began with the departure of veteran superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook. It also included the exit of general manager Daryl Morey, who was the architect of the extended playoff runs in the 2010s.
As the organization sees it, that phase ended in April 2023 when it did not renew the contract of former head coach Stephen Silas. At that time, the Rockets were coming off a third straight year with one of the NBA’s two worst records, which resulted in high draft picks to bolster Houston’s stockpile of young talent and draft assets.
Phase 2 started in late April when Houston hired former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who led the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance in his only season.
Udoka’s presence will be felt on the sidelines and in the locker room. The former NBA player and coach under San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich was heavily pursued by many teams for their head coaching vacancy during the 2023 playoffs..
The shift in dynamics, particularly when it came to hiring a coach that could help Houston’s young roster take that next step, could be considered a win for the franchise. If that is the case, general manager Rafael Stone should be preparing to take another victory lap.
According to most analysts, Houston was a big winner in Thursday’s draft after adding Amen Thompson from the Overtime Elite at No. 4 and Cam Whitmore out of Villanova at No. 20.
“Houston has a lot of players that have great potential, and I think (we) have a scary future,” Thompson said.
Adding those pieces to a roster that consists of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün and Tari Eason makes Houston one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.
“We are athletic,” Stone said with a smile during his post-draft press conference. “I think we can jump. So, I think we already were (athletic), and we doubled down. It is never a bad thing to be a hyper-athletic team, and I think we will be just that.”
The responsibility of making everything come together on the court to translate to wins will be left to Udoka and his staff. Stone has provided many key pieces to make the Rockets competitive next season, but he needs to find veteran additions in free agency.
For owner Tilman Fertitta, Phase 3 consists of playoff runs that will ultimately produce NBA titles. As of now, it remains far too early for the Rockets to make a push at hanging another championship banner in Toyota Center.
But if the team develops as projected, it may need to think about an optimal parade route through the city in a few years.
The Thompson twins are about to make the first NBA leap from the OTE league
There have been lots of out-of-the-box ways the NBA’s players have made their way into the league.
The most common way, obviously, is by attending college and getting drafted. That’s how Brandon Miller made his way. Victor Wembanyama, obviously, falls into the overseas pro route. Scoot Henderson took the G League Ignite route.
But no one has ever come from Overtime Elite — a relatively new operation giving high schoolers another path to the NBA. Amen and Ausar Thompson are going to be the first to actually complete it when they’re drafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.
A new round of prospective Celtics have worked out for Boston ahead of the 2023 NBA draft.
The Boston Celtics are working very hard to work out as many prospects seen as likely to go somewhere in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft ahead of the big event, with the ball club bringing in quite a few prospective targets seen as likely to end up somewhere outside of the first round of the annual affair.
With a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) giving contending teams like the Celtics a new two way player slot on rosters to raise the total to three per team at the same time it puts up new barriers to teambuilding for teams over the so-called “second apron,” it is more important than ever to make the most of the draft to onboard talent around the roster’s margins.
Adding to our previous reporting of the team’s known workouts comes a new wave courtesy of our sister sites Rookie Wire and HoopsHype — let’s take a look at who Boston has been scoping out.
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.
Overtime Elite stars Amen and Ausar Thompson – twin brothers who are projected to be high lottery picks – have officially declared for the 2023 NBA Draft. https://t.co/sOLIM2JMrY
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.
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.”
This salary will exceed what was offered to Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Scoot Henderson.
London Johnson, a four-star recruit, will reclassify into the 2023 recruiting class to sign with the G League Ignite.
His annual salary will exceed $1 million, per The Athletic, and Johnson is expected to play two seasons with the development program. Johnson, who led Norcross to win the state championship in Georgia, was one of the top combo guards in his recruiting class.
Johnson also considered North Carolina, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and USC before opting to reclassify and turn pro. His salary is a record-high for the G League Ignite.
The 6-foot-4 represented Jamaica on Team World in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit. His best performance to date was at the 2021 FIBA Centrobasket Championship (U17) in Mexico. Johnson averaged 36.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 4.0 steals per game. He was the best overall performer at the tournament, per Cerebro Sports.
The 18-year-old will be joined on the Ignite by NBA draft prospects Scoot Henderson, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko, Efe Abogidi, and Mojave King. Multiple players on the roster are expected to go in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Johnson, however, is expected to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft.
He is set to join the team for two preseason games against Victor Wembanyama and the Metropolitans 92 on Tuesday, Oct. 4 and Thursday, Oct. 6 at The Dollar Loan Center. The games air live on ESPN2 and the NBA App.
