Ranking the 10 best shooting guard prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft

Shooting Guard #5: Jordan Hawkins, UCONN

We’re into the tier of players that could be considered, at least at the back end, for the 2023 draft lottery. While he doesn’t boast the same upside as some of the other players above him, there’s one aspect of Jordan Hawkins’s game that makes him a first-round lock: shooting.

Hawkins is a walking flamethrower, able to hit shots off of any angle, set, or speed. That ability to space the floor, dart around screens, and be either a threat to score or be a decoy in other sets makes him one of the players in this year’s draft most built to succeed at the NBA level early on.

While he may not be on a star trajectory, Hawkins should immediately cement himself as a starter or rotation player due to his offensive skills. A team like the Lakers, Pelicans, or Warriors would be lucky to grab Hawkins and insert him right into their push for the playoffs next year.