Draymond Green heaped praise on the 2023 Rookie class, singling out a few players like No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and twin brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson as players that will make it hard for him to make All-Defensive teams in the future.
“I think it’s an incredible class. I feel a way about the Thompson Twins and Wemby because those guys are making it much harder for me to continue to make All-Defensive teams as these young guys come in defending the way they’re defending. I’m happy to see it. Happy to see young guys coming into the league and taking the challenge of defending. So many young guys come into this league looking to score, but it’s such a wrong mindset to come in with. It’s good to see these guys come in with a different mindset.”
"I feel a way about the Thompson twins and Wemby because those guys are making it much harder for me to continue to make All-Defensive teams."
Draymond shows love to this year's rookie class 🤝 pic.twitter.com/F73Oej9xqH
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 7, 2023
Draymond spoke glowingly about this class in general, remarking on how players from this class don’t make rookie mistakes. He even complimented the rookie on the Warriors, also naming Marcus Sasser as one of the players he’s been impressed with. Such praise from a veteran has to be great, as the 2023 Draft class has lived up to the billing so far.
Green neglected to mention another defensive monster, Chet Holmgren, who technically is part of the 2022 Draft class but is playing in his rookie season this year.
The 2023 Draft Class Has Lived Up To The Hype
People who follow high school and college scouting, have known that teams around the NBA have had high hopes for the 2023 Class for years. While Victor Wembanyama was the dream prospect, many players in the class have been excelling at various levels since they were in school.
Victor Wembanyama is the obvious prospect we need to discuss, who is living up to everything people believed he was capable of. He is averaging 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks to start the season and has proven he can rise to the challenge, proving that in early-season battles against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
Ausar Thompson is proving to be one of the most versatile rookies we’ve seen in a while, leading all rookies in rebounding as a 6’7″ swingman. His defensive potential is enormous, already showing how lethal he is on that end through the first few weeks of the season. He came close to getting the first 5×5 since 2019 in his game against the Suns on Sunday and was the first non-center rookie to register five blocks in his NBA debut. He’s averaging 12.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists promising to be a two-way menace in the NBA with his 1.5 steals and 1,9 blocks per game.
Amen Thompson hasn’t had the same start to his NBA career as Ausar, struggling to adjust to being an NBA-level point guard. Guards usually have the biggest adjustment to make when they enter the NBA, as proven by players like Trae Young, Anthony Edwards, and Jalen Green, who took most of their rookie season to adapt to the NBA. Amen is averaging 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds right now, but can improve under the guidance of Fred VanVleet and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.
There are many other talented prospects such as Dereck Lively II in Dallas, Jordan Hawkins in New Orleans, Anthony Black in Orlando, and Cason Wallace in Oklahoma City. Many other top prospects are still looking to earn their minutes on teams like Jacare Walker in Indiana and Taylor Hendricks in Utah.
This class could be remembered as one of the best modern classes, possibly giving 2018 a run for its money. But it also has the potential to be remembered like 1984, 1996, or 2003 if all the players live up to their maximum potential.
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