Portland Trail Blazers 2023 NBA Draft Big Board: Final pre-draft rankings

9. Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite

Big Board 3.0 rank: 8

Amen Thompson and his brother, Ausar, will both end draft night as top-10, if not top-five, picks. Amen is an uber-athletic playmaker in the mold of Derrick Rose, but at 6-foot-7, brings a different element as a point guard and defender.

Amen is terrific on the ball defensively. He can force turnovers and flash from one end of the floor to the other. He’s a blur in transition, but he stays in control. He’s smart, calculated, and has the apparent ability to slow his brain down, even when his body is saying otherwise.

His size and athleticism make him a stifling defender with the potential to be an elite stopper at the NBA level.

Offensively, Amen 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.

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 nearly 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 with legitimate concerns.