Ranking the 10 best power forward prospects in the NBA Draft
By Rowan Kent
Power Forward #6: Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Kansas State
About once a decade, a draft prospect emerges almost completely out of nowhere. In the past, this has included Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Ben Wallace, but it’s hard in the modern era with so many good scouts and draft Twitter personalities for any player to be a true unknown. Thus, Nae’Qwan Tomlin was somewhat known before he played for the Wildcats, but few, if any, expected him to look that good that fast.
Despite only playing a few years of organized basketball, Tomlin was the starting power forward for an Elite Eight team. His great length, size, and fluidity at the position helped raise the ceiling for Kansas State, as he flashed enough of an intriguing shot to buttress his great rebounding and defensive tendencies:
Nae'Qwan Tomlin can do a little bit of everything. But overall his game still looks so raw. I would love for him to develop further in the G League.
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) May 30, 2023
Has all the tools to get a two-way from a team this summer. Especially impressed by his passing. pic.twitter.com/fYU2LYSXKR
Due to his unusual basketball background, it’s hard to know exactly what Tomlin will become as he continues on his journey, but even though he is a junior, he should be considered much more of a developmental prospect than other upperclassmen. That makes him a worthy high-risk, high-reward player in the second round for a team that can give him the infrastructure he needs to develop further.