The Lightest NBA Players For The 2022-23 Season

Wright has always been a point of emphasis with NBA players. For big men, being heavier is used as an advantage in the paint as long as it doesn’t get out of hand and they can throw it around well. Last week, we covered the heaviest players for the 2022-23 season. We saw that some of the best players so far this year were at the top of the list. Clearly, weight was not an issue for those 10 players as they use their weight to gain advantages on the basketball court. But what about the players who are lighter than everybody else in the NBA?

Today, we will cover the lightest players listed for the 2022-23 season. The lighter players tend to be the smaller point guards and shooting guards in the NBA. These players don’t have the same advantages that the heavier players have, but they still are able to use their lack of weight to their own advantage. These lighter players are shifty with and without the ball. They use their speed and lateral quickness to shake defenders and usually have no fear in the paint despite their lack of size. They are the shooters and facilitators that make their teams click and lead by example with the ball in their hands.

These are the lightest players for the 2022-23 season.

T10. Theo Maledon – 175 Pounds

Theo Maledon is in his 3rd year of NBA service and his first with the Charlotte Hornets. He spent his first 2 seasons in Oklahoma City with the Thunder, where he appeared in over 50 games each season. During his rookie campaign, Maledon appeared in 65 games total and 49 as a starter. He averaged 10.1 PPG and 3.5 APG as the team’s starting point guard alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The following season, Maledon appeared in 51 games, with 44 of them coming in a bench role.

Maledon is in his first season with the Charlotte Hornets and had appeared in 9 out of the 10 games they have played so far. All of Maledon’s appearances have been off of the bench, and he is seeing just 14.3 minutes of playing time per game. He is shooting 50.0% from the floor and averaging 5.0 PPG. With injury keeping LaMelo Ball sidelined, there has been room for Maledon to appear in games and try to make an impact. When Ball returns, time for Maledon on the court could be severely cut as he drops down the pecking order in rotations. Time will only tell just how long Maledon will be with Charlotte or if he could be used as a trade piece in any deal at the deadline.

T10. R.J. Hampton – 175 Pounds

R.J. Hampton is in his 3rd season in the NBA and is currently part of the 2nd NBA franchise of his career. Hampton began his career with the Denver Nuggets, where he appeared in 25 games before being dealt to the Magic in the deal that sent Aaron Gordon to Denver. Hampton joined the Magic and performed fairly well, averaging 11.2 PPG in 26 appearances off of the bench. Hampton then appeared in 64 games for the Magic in 2021-22, playing 21.9 minutes per game and averaging 7.6 PPG and 2.5 APG.

So far, in 2022-23, Hampton has appeared in 9 out of the 10 games in Orlando. The Magic have a record of 2-8 despite the immense amount of talent and potential that the team possesses. Hampton has come off the bench in all 9 appearances and is seeing 16.4 minutes on average per game. Hampton is averaging 6.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG so far, with a logjam at the guard position. It remains to be seen if Hampton will remain with the Magic throughout the rest of the season or if the Magic will make a move at the deadline that Hampton could be a part of.

T10. Mike Conley – 175 Pounds

Mike Conley is not only the 7th-lightest player in the NBA, but he is also the oldest player on today’s list. The 2022-23 season is Conley’s 16th in the NBA and 4th with the Utah Jazz. Conley spent the first 12 years of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he was a vital part of their most successful years and the Grit and Grind era. He has been one of the more underrated players in basketball over the past decades, both a facilitator and scorer. In 12 seasons with Memphis, he averaged 14.9 PPG and 5.7 APG as their starting point guard for most of his time with the team.

Conley’s stint in Utah has certainly had its highs and lows. He earned the first All-Star appearance of his career in 2020 with the Jazz when he averaged 16.2 PPG and 6.0 APG. So far this season, Conley has remained the team’s starting point guard, while the Jazz have become one of the more surprising teams in the early going. Conley has done a tremendous job as Utah’s floor general so far and is averaging 12.4 PPG and 7.1 APG, which would be a career-high if he continues this level of production.

T10. Malachi Flynn – 175 Pounds

Malachi Flynn has become somewhat of a folk here over the past few seasons with the Toronto Raptors. This past summer, Flynn dropped 73 points in Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver league, leading Raptor fans to be vocal about more playing time for the 24-year-old. Flynn has been with the Raptors since the 2020-21 season and appeared in just over 40 games in both 2021 and 2022. He had his best season as a rookie with 7.5 PPG and 2.9 APG, leading fans to believe he would have a much larger role moving forward.

That has not been the case as far as it goes for 2022 and the start of 2023. Flynn has appeared in just 5 games for the Raptors off of the bench and is seeing just 7.8 minutes on average during his 5 games played and is producing just 4.2 PPG while he has been on the floor. The team is currently in a consistent 9-man rotation as they are a very deep and complete team. If Flynn wants any hope of seeing more playing time in the NBA, it may be time for him and Toronto to part ways.

T10. Ish Smith – 175 Pounds

Ish Smith has been a journeyman, to say the least, over the past 13 seasons in the NBA. Smith has been a member of 13 teams so far in his NBA career, with his latest stop being in Denver with the Nuggets. He has played for the Pistons, Wizards, Sixers, Suns, Magic, Hornets, Thunder, Rockets, Pelicans, Bucks, Grizzlies, and Warriors as well. Smith’s most productive season came in 2015-16 when he averaged 12.6 PPG and 6.5 APG while splitting time between the Pelicans and Sixers.

In 2022-23, Smith has found himself coming off of the bench in a very limited role with the Nuggets. He has appeared in just 5 of the Nuggets’ 9 games so far. He has only seen the court in garbage time, for the most part, getting just 4.6 minutes of action. Smith’s role is going to continue to be limited with the talent that Denver has at the guard position. The only chance that he really has of seeing more time is if he can find his way onto a 14th team in 13 years.

T10. Chris Paul – 175 Pounds

Currently, in his 18th season, Chris Paul has been one of the best point guards to ever play the game. No matter where he has gone in his career, he has led teams to their best regular season records in franchise history. He is the ultimate floor general and provides a huge impact on both sides of the ball. Paul has spent time with the Hornets, Clippers, Rockets, Thunder, and Suns, where he has been in MVP conversations and an All-NBA/All-Defensive Team player. Even last season, at 36 years old, Paul led the NBA in assists and led the Suns to their best record in franchise history.

The Suns currently sit at 7-2 and once again hold the best record in the Western Conference. Paul is once again leading the NBA in assists with 10.2 APG. He is also averaging 10.3 PPG and has started all 9 games in the process. For now, Chris Paul is the perfect point guard to lead the Suns. If he can continue to have this type of impact, then there is no reason why the Suns can’t get back to the NBA Finals.

T10. Bryce McGowens – 175 Pounds

Rookie Bryce McGowens has appeared in 5 games so far during the 2022-23 season with the Charlotte Hornets. McGowens played his college ball at Nebraska, where he spent one season before declaring for the NBA Draft. In 31 games, McGowens averaged 16.8 PPG and 5.2 RPG on 40.3% shooting. He was drafted in the second round at No. 40 overall by the Hornets in the 2022 NBA Draft.

So far in 2022-23, McGowens has appeared in 5 games off of the bench for Charlotte. He has logged just 6.0 minutes per game and is averaging 3.2 PPG. The Hornets seem to be in a state of disarray, with LaMelo Ball still injured and the drama surrounding Miles Bridges this offseason. They currently sit at 3-7 on the season.

6. Ja Morant – 174 Pounds

Over the past 4 seasons, Ja Morant has been one of the most exciting players in the NBA. With his unbelievable athleticism and ability to score any way he wants, Morant has clearly established himself as the franchise cornerstone of the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2021-22, Morant earned his first All-Star appearance as well as being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. This incredible season was built off of an outstanding rookie season that saw him named Rookie of the Year.

So far, in 2022-23, Morant has once again proved to be an early season MVP candidate. In 9 starts so far, Morant is averaging 28.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 6.9 APG. He has improved his game shooting from the perimeter as well as being even more aggressive in attacking the basket. The Grizzlies sit at 7-3 on the season and are 3rd in the NBA’s Western Conference. Morant is sure to be the guy for Memphis for the entirety of his career.

T4. Scotty Pippen Jr. – 170 Pounds

As you can probably already guess, Scotty Pippen Jr. is the son of Chicago Bulls’ great Scottie Pippen. Pippen Jr. spent 3 years at Vanderbilt, where he was named to the All-SEC Team twice. In his 2nd and 3rd years at Vanderbilt, Pippen Jr. was a 20.0 PPG scorer and averaged over 4.5 APG. After 3 years at Vanderbilt, Pippen Jr. decided he was ready to follow in his father’s footsteps into the NBA.

Pippen Jr. was picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers in July after going undrafted. He has appeared in just 1 game for the struggling Lakers so far and has played just 2 minutes total. In those 2 minutes, Pippen Jr. recorded 2 points and registered no other major stats. Pippen Jr. may have some more time to develop and gain some playing time for a team in the NBA, but it may not be with the Lakers, who, at the moment, are a complete disaster.

T4. Kennedy Chandler – 170 Pounds

Kennedy Chandler is a 6’0’’ guard from the University of Tennessee. In his only season at Tennessee, Chandler was named to the All-SEC Team and the All-SEC Tournament Team. He averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 2.2 SPG while leading the team to a 27-8 overall record. Chandler was then selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2nd round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

After being drafted, Chandler landed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a part of a 3-team deal. Chandler has appeared in 5 games off of the bench for the Grizzlies so far in 2022-23. Chandler is getting about 9.2 minutes per game and averaging 1.8 PPG. Right now, it seems that Memphis is far too deep at the guard positions to warrant much more time for Chandler at this point. If they give him time to show his defensive abilities, he could crack the rotation in the coming seasons.

3. Bones Hyland – 169 Pounds

Bones Hyland is one of the most exciting 22-year-olds in the NBA right now. Hyland is in his second season with the Nuggets and has already cemented himself as a fan-favorite in Denver. In his first season with the team, Hyland appeared in 69 games for Denver, mostly off the bench. He averaged 10.1 PPG and 2.8 APG while helping the Nuggets forget about the absence of Jamal Murray and make their way to the playoffs.

In 2022-23, Hyland has struggled with an injury somewhat this season, but it has only cost him 2 games. He has appeared in 7 out of 9 games, all off the bench once again. Hyland is putting up better numbers than in his second season, averaging 13.7 PPG and 4.1 APG in just 19.1 minutes of action. Hyland is and should be one of the focal points of the Nuggets’ core moving forward and could possibly crack the starting lineup in the near future.

2. Isaiah Joe – 165 Pounds

At 6’4’’, Isaiah Joe comes in as the 2nd-lightest player in the NBA during the 2022-23 season. Joe spent the first 2 seasons of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers before being waived by the team this October. The Oklahoma City Thunder decided that they saw some potential in him and signed him to a multi-year deal just 3 days later. 

Even though the Thunder gave him a chance, that hasn’t translated into much time on the court. Joe has appeared in 7 games so far for the Thunder but hasn’t seen more than 5 minutes of action in any of them. He is averaging 3.6 PPG, however, showing that more time may equal more production if he is given a shot. The Thunder seem to be set on their rotations, for the time being, so look for Joe to have to wait it out a bit longer for more playing time. 

1. Trae Young – 164 Pounds

Remember when I said at the beginning that weight doesn’t always equate to skill or talent? Exhibit A is one of the best point guards in basketball, being the lightest player in the NBA. Trae Young is a prolific scorer, outstanding playmaker and passer, and a Top 5 point guard in basketball. Young has transformed the Atlanta Hawks over the past few seasons and made fans forget that Luka Doncic was almost a Hawk.

In 2021-22, Young led the NBA in both total points and total assists. He was the first player in NBA history to do so, but the Hawks struggled to repeat their 2021 success of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. With the addition of backcourt teammate Dejounte Murray, Young has much more room to operate on offense while being able to cover up his defensive shortcomings. After making his first All-NBA Team in 2022, Young is once again off to a tremendous start in 2023. Young has averaged 28.2 PPG and 9.4 APG in 9 starts for the Hawks and is shooting just 38.0% from the field. 

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