Trail Blazers 2023 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Final pre-lottery rankings

8. Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite

Big Board 2.0 rank – No. 7

Amen Thompson and his brother, Ausar, will both be top-10 picks by the time the 2023 draft rolls around, possibly top-five. Amen is an uber-athletic playmaker in the mold of Derrick Rose, but at 6-7, brings a different element.

Amen is a terrific on-ball defender who can force turnovers and flash from one end of the floor to the other. He’s a blur in transition, but he doesn’t go so fast that he loses control and lets passes fly without purpose. He’s smart, calculated, and has the apparent ability to slow his brain down, even when his body is flying.

He can start and stop on a dime and use his length to finish near the rim, though his slim frame makes it difficult for him to play through contact. His size and athleticism make him a stifling defender with the potential to be an elite stopper at the NBA level.

However, he’s an exceptionally poor shooter, even from the free-throw line. He’s limited in the half court as a scorer; his physical tools have carried him to this point. He was a 20-year-old playing in the Overtime Elite league, which features prospects as young as 16.

Amen is older than Shaedon Sharpe, who just completed an entire NBA season and got a look as a No. 1 offensive option. It’s near impossible to judge either Thompson twin’s real skill level, as they haven’t played against much, if any, high-level competition. Amen is the definition of a boom-or-bust prospect but with legitimate worry about the bust part.