Injuries might be the only thing holding Nick Smith Jr. back from emerging as the best NBA Draft prospect in college basketball. Nick Smith Jr. has played five games (119 total minutes) for the Arkansas Razorbacks. For reasons termed “right knee management,” Smith has been out indefinitely with no clear return date. Whether he returns
NBA Draft
A 43-point explosion has people taking another look at Emoni Bates draft stock. Can the former top prospect play his way back into the NBA Draft Lottery? There was a time when Emoni Bates was mentioned in the same breath as LeBron James, tabbed as one of the best high school players in the country.
Victor Wembanyama seems to be the consensus No. 1 pick on almost every NBA Mock Draft. How will he fit with the teams who could win the draft lottery? Victor Wembanyama is a unique talent. A 7-foot-5 unicorn with elite shot-blocking potential who also handles the ball like a guard and can drain deep 3s
Now in the thick of the college basketball season, which NBA Draft prospects are rising and falling on our NBA Draft Big Board in the new year? With conference play in full swing, we have reached the meat of the college basketball season. We have progressed from “interesting starts” and “tantalizing flashes” to increasingly solid
Arguably the most complete guard in recent NBA Draft history, Scoot Henderson is much more than the projected consolation prize in the Winless for Wemby sweepstakes. Scoot Henderson is almost universally pegged as the second overall pick in 2023 mock drafts. Were it not for the glaring generational talent of Victor Wembanyama, he would be
A nutty athlete with a wing’s size and a point guard’s mind, Amen Thompson’s star potential jumps off the screen. Some NBA and college basketball fans might have trouble watching Amen Thompson this season. He’s playing for the Overtime City Reapers, part of Overtime Elite — Atlanta’s six-team professional league for players 16-20 years old.
Victor Wembanyama is a once-in-a-generation prospect who has the potential to contend for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the not so distant future. Welcome to the Wemby Show. Next season will mark the beginning of a potentially historic career: at least, that’s what the NBA Draft hype machine would have you believe.
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) The 2023 NBA Draft will be the most hotly anticipated in years. How will the first round play out after the inevitable selection at No. 1? With the new year on our doorstep, it’s never too early to look ahead to next summer’s NBA Draft. While there’s an obvious headliner
The 2023 NBA Draft class is loaded with intriguing talent. Which players on our NBA Draft Big Board have the best chances of success at the next level? The bulk of the conversation around the 2023 NBA Draft has revolved around one player: Victor Wembanyama. He’s a true singularity, the kind of player who comes
Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images A superstar, injuries, and flawed greatness — that is the story of the 2019 NBA Draft so far. Seldom has there been a stronger consensus on the No. 1 pick than there was in the 2019 NBA Draft. That was the year of Zion Williamson. He blew minds at Duke.
Nearly a quarter of the way through the season, we’re taking a first look at the NBA Draft Lottery odds to see who could be the big winners. As the NBA playoff races are beginning to take shape, so too is the bottom of the standings and the race for the top pick in the
(Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) The 2018 NBA Draft brought about a wave of new-age big men and elite offensive creators. Every now and then, we get a batch of rookies with the potential to define a generation. The 2018 NBA Draft provided us with just that. A handful of the league’s most dominant and
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) The 2017 NBA Draft is most famous for the mystifying collapse of its No. 1 pick — and the multiple All-Stars who followed. Multiple All-Stars and All-NBA players have emerged from the 2017 rookie class. None of them, however, went first overall. That unique honor was bestowed upon Markelle Fultz,
Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports The 2016 NBA Draft yielded arguably the most scrutinized and debated rookie class in recent history. A lot has happened since 2016, both in the world at large and in the NBA. It’s hard to imagine a more interesting and hotly contested collection of players than the 2016 rookie
Victor Wembanyama and Scott Henderson faced off in a showcase of two top NBA Draft prospects. They were every bit as good as advertised. ESPN was likely hoping for something dramatic when they arranged to televise an exhibition game between the G League Ignite and the French team Metropolitans 92 — featuring a matchup between Scoot
The next iteration of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement will be focused heavily on NBA Draft eligibility rules. No one wants a lockout in pro sports. The MLB lockout that threatened the 2022 MLB season was a reminder of how harsh the business side of the professional sports world can be. Thankfully for MLB fans,
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports DraftKings NFL 2022: Best lineup for Week 1 by Frankie Licausi Many NBA fans are already thinking about the 2023 NBA Draft. ESPN is going to give them a chance to see two of the top prospects head-to-head. The 2023 NBA Draft is roughly nine months away but prospect scouting is
Shareef O’Neal, son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has agreed to play in the Summer League for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 2022 NBA Draft arrived on June 23, and one of the names of interest that was not Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr. was Shareef O’Neal, the son of Hall
Montverde Academy’s Dariq Whitehead (0) reacts after forcing a turnover during the second half of the GEICO Nationals quarterfinal between AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) and Montverde Academy (Fla.), Thursday, March 31, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.Montverde Academy defeated AZ Compass Prep 72-63.GEICO Nationals 2022: AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) vs. Montverde
The New York Knicks made two trades in the NBA Draft night, and fans Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee went through all of the emotions. It is the NBA Draft, which means that New York Knicks fans are bracing themselves for disappointment. But the Knicks decided that this year, they sent the fanbase through
Adrian Wojnarowski didn’t make any friends on NBA Draft night when he whiffed on the first three picks and spoiled the No. 1 overall selection. Usually, a Woj Bomb is unimpeachable. When ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says to expect something to happen in the NBA world, it does. That wasn’t the case on Thursday as a
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports Saints: Alvin Kamara bracing for major NFL suspension by Mark Powell NBA rumors: Blockbuster Lakers-Nets trade for Kyrie Irving that would melt everyone’s brain by Alicia de Artola The Orlando Magic shocked the world by taking Duke’s Paolo Banchero with the first-overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. The Orlando Magic
It’s NBA Draft night which means the trades winds will be whirling and deals will be made that alter the future of franchises all over the league. Like a tree falling in the forest when no one is around to hear it, is it truly the NBA Draft without an onslaught of trades? Perhaps more
NBA Draft rumors may have locked down the top few picks days before the draft. But there will definitely be surprises so keep up with our full NBA Draft results. NBA Draft rumors have been flying since the NBA Draft order was officially set with the lottery. The Orlando Magic landed the No. 1 pick,
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Player comparisons are an inevitable part of the NBA Draft conversation, a handy shorthand for communicating a large amount of information about a player’s physical tools, skills, possible NBA
May 25, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) talks with guard Duncan Robinson (55) during the fourth quarter of game five of the 2022 eastern conference finals against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports The Heat came up just short against the Celtics in this
The Charlotte Hornets might make some moves ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft before hiring their next head coach because that is just who they are as a basketball franchise right now. After being left at the altar by Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, the Charlotte Hornets are not only soldiering on in their long-drawn-out coaching
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports Packers: Marcedes Lewis on track to set major tight end record by Eric Treuden LIV Golf rumors: Collin Morikawa denies he’ll follow Brooks Koepka by Drew Koch NBA Draft rumors have pegged several NBA teams as trying to trade down in the top 10. Now the New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly
NBA Draft rumors are flying but things appear to be converging around an unsurprising slate of choices locked in with the first five picks. Over the past few seasons, a lot of the mystery has leached out of the NBA Draft. From strong consensus No. 1 picks like Zion Williamson, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards,
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports The Warriors are set to be one of the most expensive teams in NBA history next year. Landing a cheap first-round talent is crucial for Golden State. No one in Golden State is complaining about the team’s high-priced payroll in the wake of winning this year’s NBA title. That doesn’t mean