Tag: Prospect Park

Meet Trail Blazers rookie Kris Murray, who’s creating his own basketball identity separate from twin Keegan

We caught up with Iowa’s Kris Murray.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Iowa’s Kris Murray is hoping to do something that has never been done before. He wants to eventually win an NBA championship with his identical twin, Keegan Murray.

Last season, the Kings selected Keegan, who declared after his sophomore year with the Hawkeyes, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. One year later, Kris is projected to hear his name called on draft night as well.

Kris averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists while adding 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game for Iowa.

He was one of just three players in Division I men’s college basketball to record at least 200 rebounds, 30 steals, 30 blocks and 60 3-pointers last season. The other two were Brandon Miller and Taylor Hendricks, who are both projected top-10 picks in For The Win’s consensus mock draft.

All things considered, it was a successful campaign during his first-ever season playing without Keegan.

“We’ve been together for so long, and I’m grateful that he’s been my teammate for the time that he was,” Murray told For The Win. “But having my own team and being able to play without him helped me grow my game and helped me create my own identity.” 

While it was a new challenge for his parents to have one son playing in Sacramento and another playing in Iowa, they will soon know where Kris will suit up next season.

The good news for their parents: ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft has Kris selected by the Kings as the No. 24 overall pick.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Meet Nets rookie Noah Clowney, the ‘always overlooked’ Alabama product

For The Win caught up with NBA draft prospect Noah Clowney.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Alabama’s Noah Clowney isn’t someone who was projected as a first-round draft pick before the season began. But now, that’s exactly what he’s become.

Still only 18 years old, Clowney is listed at 6-foot-10 with a reported wingspan around 7-foot-3. The SEC All-Freshman was the only Power Five freshman with a block percentage above three percent and a defensive rebound percentage above 20 percent, via Bart Torvik.

The only players to reach those thresholds last year (Jabari Smith, Jalen Duren and Jeremy Sochan) were all lottery picks.

“I think the thing that helped our defense is that I was smart. Later in the season, I caught on,” Clowney told For The Win. “Not only can I do what I’m supposed to do but I can talk to my teammates and tell them what they need to do as well. I feel like it helped our defense a good bit.”

On the offensive end of the floor, per Bart Torvik, Clowney is one of just four Power Five freshmen to record at least 25 dunks and 25 3-pointers. The other three (Jarace Walker, Taylor Hendricks and Cam Whitmore) are all projected lottery picks as well.

Despite the elite statistical company he keeps, Clowney is currently projected outside the lottery at No. 26 overall in our latest consensus mock draft. But it doesn’t bother him.

“I think I can play with anybody. I can do whatever is asked of me at multiple positions,” Clowney added. “I can make shots and do what I do and do what nobody else wants to do — help win. Whatever it takes, really.”

Here is what else you need to know about Clowney as an NBA prospect:

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Meet Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski, who used the transfer portal to make himself a pro

We spoke to Santa Clara guard and NBA draft prospect Brandin Podziemski.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Santa Clara Broncos guard Brandin Podziemski was one of the standout performers from the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.

Podziemski averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 43.8 percent on nearly six 3-pointers per game. He was one of the more impressive players in his first five-on-five scrimmages during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

He recorded 10 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and two steals while also connecting on two of his 3-pointers. Podziemski made impressive shots off the bounce and didn’t have any turnovers. It was exactly the performance that front-office executives and scouts would want to see.

“I can be a really good role player my first year,” Podziemski told For The Win during a recent interview.

Podziemski also showcased his athleticism, finishing with a 39.0-inch max vertical leap, per Stadium Speak, which ranked in the 89th percentile among all participants in the NBA Draft Combine since 2000.

“I’m gonna surprise a few people with my athletic ability,” he said.

After a 26-year gap between draft picks from Steve Nash to Jalen Williams at Santa Clara, the WCC program could potentially have a first-rounder selected in back-to-back seasons.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Meet Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively, the big man from Duke who is going to dominate on defense

We caught up with Duke’s Dereck Lively II.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Dereck Lively II was the top recruit in the nation coming out of high school in 2022. A year later, he will hear his name called in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Basketball is dominated by big men like NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and NBA MVP Joel Embiid. Teams around the league need someone who can protect the paint. But how exactly does a team find someone who is capable of actually guarding someone like Jokic, Embiid or Anthony Davis?

The 19-year-old one-and-done prospect can answer those questions as an instantly impactful defensive-oriented big man. He is listed at 7-foot-1 and with a reported 7-foot-9 wingspan, which makes him the largest prospect in this class aside from Victor Wembanyama.

“I’m always somebody that you’re going to hear on the floor, no matter if that’s on offense or defense,” Lively told For The Win.

“I still have to be the kind of radio tower. Everybody sees me. Everybody can hear me. But I can see everything. I have to be able to navigate everybody on the court.”

The former McDonald’s All-American big man was named ACC All-Defensive and ACC-All Freshman after his one-and-done campaign for Duke. Now, he is a projected top-20 pick in our latest consensus mock draft.

Here are four important things you need to know about Lively.

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