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NBA Draft Big Board: Washington Wizards should be thrilled to land one of these 5 prospects

By Cem Yolbulan

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, aka The Thompson Twins, visit the Empire State Building on June 20, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, aka The Thompson Twins, visit the Empire State Building on June 20, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust) /
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(Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
(Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

4. Taylor Hendricks

The power forward from the University of Central Florida has more superstar upside than people realize. He is one of the most intriguing big men in this draft class.

The 6’9 forward with a 7’1 wingspan has all the makings of a modern big. He was a wonderful defensive player as a freshman, with an ability to both switch out on the perimeter and protect the rim. His averages of 0.9 steals and 1.7 blocks are impressive.

Hendricks is a smooth, bouncy athlete who gets off the ground effortlessly. He has good lateral and vertical movement, displayed by his ability to cover ground and make plays at the rim on the defensive end.

Offensively, he is a great shooter for his position, hitting 39% of his three-pointers. He can hit mid-rangers and floaters, while also acting as a lob threat in pick-and-roll actions. He has the building blocks of a complete offensive player. As the best player of UCF, he managed to have an efficient offensive season, hitting 48% of his shots from the field, despite having all the defensive attention on him.

One weakness he has is his lack of passing and playmaking ability. This may cap his offensive upside and make him more of a second option, a secondary playmaker, or a spot-up shooter. But, his fluidity as an athlete shows the possibility of improvement on that end too.

Even if he doesn’t, combine his current offensive skill set with the defensive upside, and you have an extremely valuable two-way player with the potential to be more.

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