It seems a near certainty in this year of Wembymania that Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4, French-born wunderkind and inevitable No. 1 pick, is destined to be the most prominent and dominant player in the 2023 NBA Draft.
It’s also a near certainty that, in spite of the Wembyshadow cast across this pre-draft landscape, other stars will emerge from the class. Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller make for a compelling debate at No. 2. The twins Thompson, Amen and Ausar, will also be among the handful of earliest picks.
Adjacent to that group, there’s another player who’s got a chance to grow into something special. A year ago, he was not a projected 2023 pick. Yet here is Anthony Black, the one-and-done, 6-6 point guard out of Arkansas who’s steadily built his case to be a top-10 draftee. He’s the highest rated of the four Razorbacks in this year’s draft pool, surpassing teammate and fellow former five-star Nick Smith Jr. (who battled injuries much of last season).
“I thought he could be an NBA player the first time I saw him play,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman told CBS Sports. “Now, I don’t know if any of us knew coming into the season he would be a one-and-done. I think we were all hopeful.”
Black (ranked ninth on CBS Sports’ Big Board) is considered a high-probability long-term NBA player for a few reasons. One: he has marvelous vision and passing compulsions for someone who is nearly 6-7 in shoes. Point guards this tall aren’t common. Two: he’s a desperate-to-please defender, the rare example of a guy who takes virtually no plays off on that end of the floor and is capable of guarding positions 1-4. He also plays bigger than he looks — and he’s deceptively big as is. Though Black is a little slight in the chest, his frame is sturdy and he knows how to play through contact. Feedback from NBA general managers has been consistent in their praise about how big his body base is for a…
..
