Thoughts on the First Two Scrimmage Games of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine

May 17^th, 2023

The scrimmage games from the 2023 NBA Draft Combine went on today, and there were plenty of strong performances overall. Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Isaiah Wong looked to be the clear standout performers from the first game, while Tristan Vukcevic and Brandin Podziemski were really impressive in the second game. In addition, there were other players that also played really well, such as Jordan Miller and Johni Broome. Here are my thoughts on how both of those games went.

The 2023 NBA Draft Combine had the first of their two scrimmage games today.
(Photo: Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press, via Whole Hog Sports)

Team 1: Team Bailey vs. Team Bradds

Today, I took the time to watch the first scrimmage game of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine. It was a fast paced game that took place between Team Bradds and Team Bailey, but it was clear that Team Bailey was outplaying their opponent from the get go as they ended up getting a blowout win over Team Bradds. Numerous players played very well, and to me, the best players of this game looked to be Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Isaiah Wong, with others also having excelled in this game. Here are my thoughts on how the top performers fared. Also, for those of you who are interested in the box score of this game, here is the link, courtesy of DraftExpress’ Twitter feed.

Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 21 points and had 7 rebounds to lead Team Bailey to a double-digit win over Team Bradds.
(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images)

Olivier-Maxence Prosper had a tremendous showing to help lead Team Bailey to get the win in this game. He is a very athletic, combo forward that thrived as a scorer, and he is a high-motor player that made plenty of hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.

Prosper really excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to score on fast breaks, as well as off of a tip-in and on a roll to the rim. He did a good job of scoring on off-ball motion plays, and he was able to throw down a couple of magnetic dunks. He also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble, and he would go hard to the hoop to constantly get to the free throw line. Though he didn’t shoot as well from beyond the arc, he showed promise as an outside shooter, and Prosper managed to make a quick spot-up three after running off a ball screen to get open.

He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball. Plus, he also defended well. Prosper would get his hands on balls to get steals and deflections, and he also managed to block a shot. In general, Prosper put forth a strong all-around performance to help his team get the victory, and he is a versatile forward that showed the ability to create his own shot, score from anywhere on the floor, and he showed the potential to develop into a plus-level defender at the NBA level. He really looked to himself by having a very good game here, and he could end up moving his way up to the first round conversation for the upcoming draft.

Miami’s Isaiah Wong scored 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting, and he dished out 4 assists to get Team Bailey the win.
(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images)

Isaiah Wong also put forth a tremendous performance to lead Team Bailey to get the win. He did a great job of making shots and decisions on offense, and he also was able to throw down a ferocious dunk off the dribble midway through this game.

Wong did a great job of scoring off the dribble. He is a crafty guard that has a quick first step, and he showed very good body control to consistently finish plays and score around the basket. He was able to score on a reverse layup. Wong also split a double team and scored on a thunderous dunk. He also managed to score on a crafty, step-through move while getting an extra free throw afterwards.

He also shot the ball very well. He showed that he can knock down outside shots both off the catch and dribble. Plus, he also ran the floor to score on a fast break another time. Also, Wong passed the ball well, and he would throw accurate passes to find teammates on the break to notch assists. He also was able to haul in several boards to chip in on the glass. Plus, he also defended well. Wong was able to deflect a pass out of bounds to nearly get a steal. He also contested a three to force a miss.

Overall, Wong had a terrific game to help his team get a double-digit victory over Team Bradds. He did a great job of making shots and passes to help his team on the court, and he also played with a lot of poise. He really helped himself by having a strong showing here, and he could be a very good find for an NBA team in the 2023 draft.

Amari Bailey also was terrific in this game, as he really excelled as a shooter, scorer, and facilitator for Team Bradds. Bailey is an athletic, skilled combo guard that did a great job of attacking the hoop to score the basketball. He would score on strong drives to the hoop. He also showed a penchant for making smooth, pull-up jumpers from the mid-range. Bailey also managed to score on a high-flying dunk off of a cut. He would sometimes take tough shots that would lead to misses, and he also did not make a three-pointer, but he generally excelled as a scorer on offense.

He also did a great job of distributing the basketball. He was superb at throwing sharp, accurate interior passes to find open teammates on the move, and it enabled him to rack up assists. Bailey also was able to throw a no-look pass off the dribble to get an assist another time. Also, he took great care of the basketball and did not turn the ball over once in this game.

Also, Bailey did a decent job of grabbing rebound to help his team on the glass. Overall, Bailey played very well, and he is an athletic, skilled guard that could end up going in the late first to the early second round range of the 2023 draft.

Hunter Tyson also played very well to help Team Bailey get the win. He is an agile, skilled sharpshooter that did a great job of making shots, especially from long range. He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes, and he both has a quick release as well as a lot of range on his shot that would enable him to make many three-pointers in this game. He also showed good body control to score from the post, as he was able to use a drop step move to score on a reverse layup.

He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. Plus, he also defended well. Tyson was able to jump an entry pass to get a steal, and he also made a quick rotation to block a shot in a timely manner to help his team protect the paint. Overall, Tyson had a strong showing in this game, and he is a smart, skilled forward that could project well into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Seth Lundy shot the ball extremely well, especially from deep to help Team Bradds in this game. He did a great job of making three-pointers. He was able to run off a ball screen to make a quick three. He made another from deep, and he also showed good footwork to make dribble, three-pointers later on.

Plus, he also passed the ball well, as he would consistently find the open man, and he also showed that he can find them on the move to notch assists. He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, but Lundy was especially effective as a sharpshooter and ball mover on offense. Overall, Lundy played very well, and he showed off a terrific three-point shot as well as the ability to shoot on the move in this game. He really excelled as a shooter and ball mover, and he could end up being an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round of the 2023 draft.

Adama Sanogo also had a solid showing, as he thrived as a scorer, rebounder, and ball mover for Team Bradds in this game. Sanogo did a great job of scoring on hustle plays. He would often score off of rolls, put backs, and he also was able to score on a powerful dunk on the break. He generally excelled as a finisher around the basket, but he didn’t really look to take outside shots away from the paint in this game, and he would occasionally struggle to score in traffic in post-up situations.

He also passed the ball well. Sanogo was able to make a patient drive and kick pass to find an open shooter to notch an assist. Plus, he also rebounded the ball very well. He also defended fairly well. Sanogo did a good job of blocking shots. He was able to rotate to the post to block a shot to a teammate, and he also blocked a three-pointer another time, but he also was prone to committing fouls at times.

Overall, Adama Sanogo did a good job of making plays on both ends of the floor, and he’s really shown an improved skill level on offense over the past season. What was especially impressive is his ability to pass and move the basketball, and he is a strong, mobile big man that could end up being a solid second round pick for the upcoming 2023 draft.

Oscar Tshiebwe also had a solid showing to help lead Team Bailey to get the win in this game. He did a good job of knocking down mid-range jumpers, and he also would score on strong moves around the basket. On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to score in traffic, as he had his shot blocked once, and he didn’t always get great lift on his shot.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills. Tshiebwe is an unselfish player that showed a solid ability to find the open man, and he can ably pass out of the post to set up scores for his teammates. He also has a strong, wide frame that enables him to set good screens to help his teammates get open jump shots. On the downside, he committed a charging foul when looking to score on the break that led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover once.

Tshiebwe also did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball. He is an excellent rebounder, and he continued to showcase his rebounding prowess to help his team clean the glass. He also played satisfactory defense. He was able to block a couple of shots to help his team protect the paint. On the other hand, sometimes he would gamble a little too much, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, Oscar Tshiebwe played well in this game, and he put forth his trademark rebounding skills to great use, as he dominated on the boards to help his team on the floor. He’ll need to work on establishing a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, but he has been a highly productive player, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round range on draft day.

Trey Alexander also played well for Team Bailey in this game. He did a great job of scoring on strong, crafty drives to the hoop, as he would score regularly, and he showed a knack for absorbing the contact to frequently get to the free throw line. He also made a three-pointer to help his team space the floor. Overall, Alexander is an agile, skilled combo guard that can score the basketball in a variety of ways. While he may be undersized to play the two and may need to show more playmaking skills if he’s asked to run the point, Alexander is a shot maker that may have greatly increased his odds to be selected in the second round for the 2023 draft.

All in all, those were my observations and thoughts on how the first game went. Prosper and Wong were the top performers of the first game in my opinion, and it was interesting to see how that first game shaped up.

Game 2: Team Hines vs. Team Richman

I also took the time to watch the second game of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine between Team Hines and Team Richman. It was a fast paced affair in which Team Hines ended up getting a double-digit win in this game, and there were many strong performances. In my opinion, the top performers were Tristan Vukcevic, Brandin Podziemski, and Johni Broome. Here are my thoughts on how the top performers fared in this game. Also, for those of you who are interested in the box score, here is the link.

Tristan Vukcevic scored 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting, and he made all three of his three-pointers to help Team Hines get the win.
(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)

Tristan Vukcevic had a terrific showing to help lead Team Hines to get the victory. He is a very skilled, sharpshooting big man that especially thrived at making shots on offense, and Vukcevic was able to come off the bench to have an enormous impact by making threes and mid-range jumpers instantly in the first quarter.

He did a tremendous job of shooting the basketball, especially from deep. He showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch, and he also was able to make one off of a pick and pop play. Vukcevic showed a great shooting touch from the outside, and especially excelled at making corner threes. He also thrived at scoring on dribble, mid-range jumpers, and he showed good footwork to consistently knock them down.

Plus, he also was able to utilize a ball fake to score on a crafty, up and under move out of the post while getting fouled. He also was able to run the floor to score in transition.

On the downside, he didn’t appear to stand out nearly as much in the other facets of the game. On the plus side, Vukcevic showed some ball-handling skills when operating as a scorer on offense. However, he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, and he also tended to commit fouls at times.

Overall, Vukcevic shot the ball really well, and he showed a gifted ability to score the basketball. He has a very good feel for the game, and his ability to make shots from anywhere on the floor really made things tough for his opponents. He had a terrific game here, and he could end up going in the late first to the second round range of the 2023 draft.

Brandin Podziemski played very well for Team Richman. He is an agile, skilled combo guard that showed a very good feel for the game, and he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor.

He did a great job of passing and handling the basketball. Podziemski would throw pinpoint passes to consistently find the open man, and he showed a knack for finding them on the move to notch assists. He would often find them on cuts and in transition, and he showed that he can reliably distribute the basketball when operating at the point.

He also shot the ball fairly well. Podziemski did a very good job of making dribble, mid-range jumpers, and he especially was effective at scoring on floaters. He also was able to run off a ball screen to make a corner three off the catch. He also was able to knock down a pull-up three from beyond the arc. He was a bit streaky with his three-point shot, but he generally excelled at pulling up to knock down his outside shots.

Plus, Podziemski did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He managed to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and sometimes he would push the pace after grabbing defensive rebounds.

Podziemski also played solid defense in this game. He would jump passes to get steals. He also was able to successfully draw a charge to stop a fast break. On one play though, he was called for a reach-in foul when defending a fadeaway jumper from the post.

Overall, Podziemski had a strong, all-around game, and he especially excelled as a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He looked to be Team Richman’s best player on the court, and Podziemski is a talented prospect that may be a solid candidate for the late first round of the 2023 draft.

Johni Broome also had a very good showing to help lead Team Hines to a blowout win in this game. Broome did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball. He really operated well as a scorer out of the post, and he showed that he can ably score after using spin moves and drop steps to do so. He also thrived at scoring off of put backs. Broome also was able to drive hard to the hoop to score while getting fouled. In addition, he also made an open, spot-up three later on.

He also did a good job of passing the basketball, and Broome would make good passes out of the post to notch assists. Broome also rebounded the ball very well. He also played decent defense in this game. Broome was able to jump a pass to get a steal. He also blocked a couple of shots to help his team protect the paint. He also contested a three to force a miss another time. However, sometimes he would get beat off the dribble when defending quicker guards, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Broome played very well, and he is a strong, mobile big man that excelled as an interior player, made smart decisions and didn’t force plays that weren’t there, and he also showed the ability to make long-range shots. He has played very well recently as he also was tremendous in the 2023 G-League Elite Camp, and Broome could end up being a good find for an NBA team in the 2023 draft.

Mojave King also played very well for Team Richman in this game. He is a very athletic, skilled swingman that especially excelled as an offensive player. King was very efficient as a scorer, and he did so in a variety of ways.

He shot the ball very well from downtown, and he showed that he can comfortably make open threes off the catch. King also showed a knack for scoring on aggressive drives to the hoop. He was able to throw down a thunderous dunk after driving to the hoop in transition, and he also scored on a floater another time. Plus, King also managed to score on a backdoor cut while getting fouled to draw an extra free throw afterwards.

King also played decent defense. He was able to rotate to block a mid-range shot, but sometimes he would be foul prone defensively. Overall, King had a strong showing, as he especially did a great job of making shots from anywhere on the court, and he could end up being a very good pick for an NBA team in the second round range of the 2023 draft.

Jordan Miller played very well to help Team Hines get the win. He excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was active as a scorer on off-ball motion plays, and he would score off of put backs and by running the floor to get the ball in transition. He also did a great job of making spot-up threes to provide floor spacing for his team on offense. Also, he showed some one-on-one skills. He was able to utilize a pump fake to draw free throws on a drive. He also used a quick spin move to score on a reverse layup from the post. Sometimes though, he would force the issue a bit too much, as he missed on a put back dunk, and had his shot blocked when posting up another time.

He also showcased average at best playmaking skills. Miller was able to make a drive and kick pass to notch an assist. However, sometimes he would play too recklessly, and he was called for a charging foul when attempting to make a play as a ball handler in transition.

Also, Miller did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He didn’t seem to be too noticeable defensively, but there was one play where he got beat on a cut that led his team to commit a foul and allow a score afterwards.

Overall, Jordan Miller played very well, and he especially excelled as a shooter, scorer, and rebounder in this game. He helped himself by having a strong showing in this game, and he could end up being a second round pick in the 2023 draft.

Dillon Jones also had a strong showing to help Team Hines get a double-digit win in this game. He is a strong, athletic swingman that especially excelled at making aggressive plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.

He did a good job of scoring on strong drives to the hoop as well as by running the floor to score on fast breaks. Jones also was able to pull up to knock down a mid-range jumper. He also was able to make a spot-up three to showcase his ability to make long-range jumpers.

Jones also passed the ball well, and he swing the ball to open shooters to notch assists. He also played satisfactory defense. Jones showed a knack for swiping balls away to get steals for his team. He also successfully drew a charge another time due to good positioning. However, he was called for a reach-in foul when defending a mid-range jumper another time.

Overall, Dillon Jones played very well, especially in the second half, as he did a good job as a scorer, ball mover, and defender in this game. He’ll still need to prove that he can be a consistent outside shooter in games, but he’s shown that he should definitely be in the second round conversation for the 2023 draft.

Tosan Evbuomwan also played well for Team Richman in this game. After rarely seeing the floor in the first half, Evbuomwan received ample playing time in the second half and made the most of it. He still didn’t play nearly as much as he should have, or nearly as much compared to the other draft prospects in this game, but he put forth impressive scoring and playmaking skills when he was on the floor.

Evbuomwan did a very good job of scoring on aggressive drives to the hoop. He would frequently score when taking the ball hard to the rim, and he would use crafty dribble moves to get past defenders to score. He has a quick first step combined with a solid set of dribble moves, and he showed good body control to regularly finish plays at the rim. In addition, Evbuomwan was able to utilize a jab step move to calmly make a three-point shot.

He also showed some playmaking skills, and he did a good job of finding open teammates on the move to create scoring chances for them. Overall, Evbuomwan is an athletic, point forward that excelled as a scorer and facilitator on the floor. He can ably create offense for himself and his teammates, and he made his impact felt despite not seeing the floor as much as he should have. He’ll need to show teams that he can be a consistent outside shooter, but his strong playmaking skills, versatile skill set, and basketball IQ could enable him to be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2023 draft.

Judah Mintz had a solid showing for Team Richman in this game. He did a very good job of scoring on quick, strong drives to the hoop, and he has an explosive first step that can enable him to consistently get to the rim. He also was able to use a hesitation move to score on a one-legged, pull-up, mid-range jumper. On the downside, he didn’t look to shoot very much, and he didn’t take a single three-point shot on offense.

Mintz also passed the ball very well, and he excelled at throwing accurate interior passes to set up numerous scoring chances for his teammates. On the other hand, he did not get a rebound in this game. He also seemed to defend fairly well, and Mintz was able to run in to swipe a ball away to get a steal.

Overall, Judah Mintz is a very athletic, playmaking point guard that did a good job of scoring and distributing the basketball. He’ll need to add a reliable jump shot to his arsenal to keep defenders honest at higher levels, but his solid blend of physical tools and emerging offensive skills could make him an intriguing pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2023 draft.

Ben Sheppard had a fairly solid showing in Team Hines’ win in this game. He is an agile, skilled swingman that came out strong, and he made shots quickly and early in the first half. Sheppard showed that he can comfortably make pull-up, mid-range jumpers. He also managed to score off of a cut. He also made a three-pointer early on. On the other hand, he seemed to be much more passive in the second half, and he wasn’t able to make shots nearly as much as the game progressed.

Overall, Sheppard is a skilled swingman that can shoot the basketball, and he also moves well off the ball on offense. He’ll need to show that he can consistently shoot and defend well in games at higher levels, but he has shown that he could project well into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. All in all, those are my thoughts on how Vukcevic, Podziemski, Broome, and other top performers fared in the second game of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine. Thanks for reading.