:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72388230/usa_today_20311716.0.jpg "2023 NBA Draft prospects: NAME, NAME headline potential busts")
The 2023 NBA Draft is here and will take place on Thursday, June 22 live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. There are 58 picks in this draft instead of 60 due to the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls forfeiting second-round picks. The San Antonio Spurs hold the No. 1 pick and are expected to draft French prospect Victor Wembanyama, who is the most hype prospect since Lebron James.
The nature of the draft makes it an unpredictable event, and prospects tend to get labeled with expectations based on where they are drafted. Here are five 2023 prospects we feel will underperform relative to their draft slot and NBA projections.
NBA Draft 2023 top bust prospects
Miller had a nice freshman season for Alabama, but when his team needed him the most he was virtually a no-show. Alabama was the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament but lost in the Sweet 16 to San Diego State. During his three games in the tournament, Miller shot an abysmal 8-41 from the field and only had nine points against San Diego State. He isn't the most explosive prospect and could struggle against more athletic players in the league. Miller will likely be a good player but when you take a guy in the top 3, you expect him to be a franchise changing player. Miller might not live up to that hype.
Thompson is one of the most athletic draft prospects the draft has seen in recent memory. There is one major problem with his game though. He struggles to shoot the ball from deep. He shot 66% from the field but with a lot of shots around the basket. Thompson shot 25% from deep, which is a huge concern. He's also seen teams give him the Ben Simmons treatment and sag off the line. No matter how athletic he is, he will have a short career if he doesn't fix his form and shoot more consistently from deep.
Similar to this brother Amen, Ausar Thompson is an elite athlete. And similar to Amen, Ausar shot 29% from deep. One thing he did well was slash and finish around the rim. Ausar also projects as an elite defender. However, he will struggle in the league if he can't develop to shoot a decent percentage from the deep and on pull-up jump shots. There is also a question about the level of competition he faced because it was not extremely high in the OTE League.
Jackson was the No.1 player in the 2023 class but decided to reclassify to play a year earlier. That doesn't always work out well, and it didn't help him. Jackson showed his age at times, struggling with decision-making. There is always potential with a big athletic prospect, but he will need a lot of reps, and it depends on which team wants to give him the reps he needs.