Many media outlets continue to speculate what direction the Utah Jazz will go with their draft picks come time for the 2023 NBA draft.
With the NBA Draft approaching in a little over two months at this point, mock draft season has officially begun to approach. We’re starting to see many projections and predictions as to where the newest top prospects will land in June.
One of the latest predictions of how the first round will go comes from Complex, generally known for its presence in pop culture and music. This time, they decided to try their hand at sports with an NBA mock draft.
In their 30-pick mock, we saw them decide to have the Utah Jazz select forward Cam Whitmore from Villanova with the 9th overall pick. A pick that if it ended up happening, would be a great use of the draft selection.
An edge Whitmore has over other prospects in the class is his age. At 18 years old, he’ll enter the NBA as one of the youngest players in the association. If the Jazz want to maximize the return on their draft pick, taking a young player with a lot of years under his belt could be the best way to approach it.
Here’s what Complex had to say about Whitmore:
"Outside of Wembanyama and Henderson, Whitmore could possess the most upside of any player in the draft. At 18 years old, he already has a grown man’s body but has elite athleticism combined with legitimate ability to create offense for himself from beyond the arc and at the rim. Do not be surprised if he turns out to be one of the stars of this draft three years down the line."
Along with Whitmore, we saw Complex also opting to select Arkansas guard, Anthony Black, and Michigan guard, Kobe Bufkin with the Jazz’s remaining two firsts. Two picks that would effectively help the Jazz be able to solidify their guard rotation moving forward.
Black can provide significant length and size at guard, measuring 6’7. Although his shooting woes could hinder him at the next level, his potential as a playmaker and defender can elevate his floor. As for Bufkin, he’s a gifted offensive guard projected to be impactful in any team’s offense on and off the ball.
After the previous offseason of trading away both of Utah’s star players, CEO Danny Ainge will be expected to have a successful draft to set the Jazz up for long-term success going forward.