Plenty of former Michigan Wolverines will play in the NBA this season
The 2023-24 NBA season kicks off this week, and there are plenty of former Michigan Wolverines to root for. Let’s get into it, kicking off with a Wolverine who's getting a fresh start.
Jordan Poole - Guard, Washington Wizards (Fifth Season)
2022-23 stats: 20.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game, 43.0 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from three, 87 percent from free throw line.
After winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2021-22, last season got off to a rough start for Jordan Poole after video leaked of him getting punched by Draymond Green in a practice.
While he had the most points per game in his career last season, he wasn’t nearly as efficient, and he struggled in the playoffs, scoring fewer than 10 points in four of the six games in the Western Conference Semifinals as the Warriors fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Poole was part of the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Warriors, and while the Washington Wizards are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league, Poole will be in a featured role. A fresh start appears to be the best thing for the guard entering his fifth season; in an excellent feature piece by Logan Murdoch with The Ringer, Poole said playing in Washington is a great opportunity and it’s “probably the first time in my life I’ll play basketball with no pressure.”
Expect that points-per-game average to jump quite a bit for the Michigan guard who hit one of the most memorable buzzer-beaters in recent memory five years ago.
Franz Wagner - Guard/Forward, Orlando Magic (Third Season)
2022-23 stats: 18.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 48.5/36.1/84.2 shooting splits
With three former Michigan players down in Florida, the Orlando Wolverines are still kicking, with Franz Wagner being the headliner. The Magic haven’t been very good the last few seasons, but the combination of Wagner and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero gives Orlando a young one-two punch that can help them stay competitive in a lot of games.
If there were betting odds for the former Michigan player who scores the most points this season, Poole would be the heavy favorite, but I wouldn’t sleep on Wagner as a dark horse. He started to come into his own last season as a playmaker and shot-creator, and if he makes another leap, he might be able to sneak onto an All-Star team.
Tim Hardaway Jr. - Guard/Forward, Dallas Mavericks (Tenth Season)
2022-23 stats: 14.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 40.1/38.5/77.0 shooting splits
It’s crazy to think that Hardaway has already been in the NBA for almost a decade. It feels like just yesterday he was sharing a backcourt with Trey Burke and leading the Wolverines to the national championship.
Hardaway is now the longest-tenured Michigan player in the NBA, because he’s been able to consistently knock down threes while playing solid defense. He should play a key role for the Mavericks off the bench this season.
Speaking of Burke, he was Hardaway’s teammate in Dallas in 2021-22 and last played in Stockton with the Sacramento Kings’ G League team.
Caris LeVert - Guard/Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers (Eighth Season)
2022-23 stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.9 APG, 43.1/39.2/72.2 shooting splits
LeVert played a key role for the Cavaliers off the bench last season, and in their lone playoff win over the New York Knickshe was the second-leading scorer with 24 points.
He should play a similar role for the Cavs this season, and just got paid, signing a new 2-year, $32 million contract over the summer.
Mo Wagner - Center, Orland Magic (Sixth Season)
2022-23 stats: 10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 50.0/31.3/84.1 shooting splits
After bouncing around the league in his first few seasons, Wagner has found a home in Orlando and is coming off a year with career-best marks in points, rebounds and assists per game. He’ll be playing with his younger brother Franz, who he won a Gold Medal with at the FIBA World Cup, the first ever for Germany.
Isaiah Livers - Forward, Detroit Pistons (Third Season)
2022-23 stats: 6.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 41.7/36.5/82.1 shooting splits
Livers will miss the first few weeks of the season for the Pistons after spraining his ankle in a pre-training camp workout. After being basement dwellers for a while now, the Pistons are hoping to turn a corner this season and play more competitive basketball. Livers can help with that with his solid three-point shooting, and he’s become one of the best defenders on the team.
Duncan Robinson - Guard/Forward, Miami Heat (Sixth Season)
2022-23 stats: 6.4 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 37.1/32.8/86.6 shooting splits
While he did have a couple of solid performances on the Heat’s Finals run, Robinson struggled last season. He saw his minutes (16.5) and three-point percentage dip to their lowest marks since his rookie season, and he couldn’t stay in front of anyone defensively. Hopefully, he bounces back in his sixth season in the league.
Caleb Houstan - Forward, Orlando Magic (Second Season)
2022-23 stats: 3.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.6 APG, 36.8/33.8/83.3 shooting splits
Three-point shooting was the calling card for Houstan in his college career, but he didn’t shoot very well in limited minutes for the Magic last season. With a roster full of forwards who will be looking to launch from beyond the arc — including three other former Wolverines — Houstan will need to shoot better to earn more minutes.
Moussa Diabate - Center, Los Angeles Clippers (Second Season)
2022-23 stats: 2.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.2 APG, 51.1/50/62.5 shooting splits
After an impressive freshman season with the Wolverines, Diabate only played 22 games with the Clippers this season, spending most of this past season with their G League team in Ontario, California.
With the Clippers being in win-now mode, they haven’t prioritized young players like Diabate. A change of scenery via trade could be good for him.
The Rookies - Jett Howard, Forward, Orlando Magic and Kobe Bufkin, Guard, Atlanta Hawks
Despite the Michigan Wolverines struggling in close games and missing the NCAA tournament last season, they still had two players drafted in the top 15, with Howard being picked 11th and Bufkin being drafted four picks later.
Both players should provide depth to their respective teams. They should be able to earn at least a little bit of some playing time in their rookie years — Howard because of his three-point shooting and scoring ability and Bufkin because of his defense and versatile offensive skillset. It might be a slower start, but hopefully the newcomers will make the adjustment to the NBA relatively smoothly.
You’ve read the article — let’s both get rewarded! Download the Autograph app here using referral code “mbrew.”
