There is no doubt that the top end talent in the 2023 NBA Draft is one of the best in recent memory. Victor Wembanyama is being hyped up as one of the best prospects in NBA history. If not for Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson would be a slam dunk number one overall pick. I want to take some time to give shine to players who are going to go farther down the board, but can still become solid contributors on an NBA team.

Amari Bailey, UCLA Guard

It was rumored that Bailey may go back to UCLA for a second year, but he decided to leave his name in the draft. Bailey is expected to land in the second round, around the high 30s to low 40s. If Bailey went back to UCLA, I think we could have looked at him as a lottery talent in 2024. He is an excellent driver to the rim and has a myriad of finishes to convert the looks he creates for himself. Bailey’s extremely comfortable playing off the ball, but you can be confident leaving the ball in his hands. He’s an extremely athletic guard who has elite quickness and possesses a high basketball IQ. Bailey shot well on low volume from three (38.9%). As a freshman on a senior-led team, Bailey took a backseat to players like Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez, but still bought into Mick Cronin’s ideologies and it led to a hyper successful season from both Bailey and the Bruins. If a contending team takes Bailey and gives him a bench role, I think he can be highly successful and eventually command a spot in the starting five.

Julian Strawther, Gonzaga Wing

If he was two years younger, teams would be lining up at the door to draft Julian Strawther as their future 3&D wing. The unfortunate part for Strawther is that he is going into the draft as a 21 year old. The Gonzaga wing stuck it out in Spokane for three years, and got better every single year. In his junior year he turned into a deadly three point shooter, shooting 40.8% on 5.3 attempts per game. At 6′ 7″, 250 lbs, Strawther has more than enough size to become a switchable defender at the next level. Not to mention he loves to get his feet in the paint and collected 6.2 rebounds per game last year. He’s a big game player, coming up with one of the most clutch shots in recent memory when he stuck a 40 footer from the logo to beat UCLA at the buzzer. Strawther was never asked to be the guy, which I think could prove useful, as he’s used to not being the number one option. I love Strawther’s game and I think he could be a very useful wing in the NBA.

Marcus Sasser, Houston Guard

There are sure downsides to Sasser’s game: he’s undersized at 6′ 2, and is coming out as a senior. However, I don’t really care. I have Sasser as a first-round talent, I think the world of him. He’s everything Kelvin Sampson preaches at Houston: tough, aggressive defenders who want to rebound and can shoot the ball at a high level. Offensively, Sasser is a stone cold killer. He can score the ball at all three levels, and has a deadly step back move. Sasser is also a tough defender for his size. The Houston guard lit up the NBA Combine recently, dominating almost every shooting drill. Marcus Sasser is going to be the perfect back-up guard who’s going to be able to do everything.