[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Rayan Rupert
Frame: 6’7″ 190 lbs
Position: Wing
Team: New Zealand Breakers (NBL)
2023 Draft Age: 19
Stats via basketball-reference.com

Offense

Rupert’s allure offensively comes from his potential as a shooter, but he’s only hitting 25 percent from three-point range on 2.4 attempts per game. Rupert’s form on catch-and-shoot is sound, with a relatively high starting point, where he fully extends his arms and holds his shot upon releasing the ball. That’s especially important with his 7’3″, making his shot nearly impossible to contest for opposing defenders. He has good hand placement and holds his shot, but Rupert’s issues mainly stem from his live three-point attempts, where his release is noticeably lower, with his guide arm poking out when rising to shoot. 

Rupert has flashed some shot creation in the mid-range, where his form is noticeably better than from three. These looks are mostly open shots, where he attacks off a ball screen and rises in open space, typically against drop coverage defense. His handle is limited at this point, as he doesn’t possess different counter moves when pressured by defenders, which can result in turnovers by getting his pockets picked or traveling when picking up his dribble. 

Around the rim, Rupert has shown some flashes of being a quality finisher, able to use his length to extend over defenders, especially non-bigs. He can struggle with the physicality of true big men at the rim, but Rupert has shown touch with floaters and teardrops, which he can use as he continues to fill his frame. 

Rupert is currently a net negative as a facilitator. When operating as the ball handler in pick and rolls, he typically looks to get a shot off for himself. When Rupert tries to hit his big man rolling, the touch on his passes is off–regularly passing the ball too late or outright hitting defenders in the chest with the ball. He has shown some facilitating in transition by hitting his teammates leaking out. He currently averages 1.0 assists per game.

 

Defense

Rupert has shown promise as a point-of-attack defender, using his frame and motor to harass ball handlers. He relies heavily on his wingspan to keep offensive players in front of him, as his footwork could be better. Frequently Rupert is a step behind his man, where he rides the opposing player until they stop or continue to attack to get a shot off. When this happens, Rupert can recover and get back in front of his man. Relying on his length can be challenging with a slighter frame, as he doesn’t absorb contact well from driving offensive players. This can clear to holding penalties and foul trouble, which is a frequent issue, currently averaging 2.0 fouls per game. 

His footwork also presents problems off the ball, where he is susceptible to giving up drives when closing out on players due to his inability to slide his feet and adjust himself quickly. Rupert can struggle to get through off-ball sets; his footwork and thin frame make it challenging to navigate screens in time to contest his man’s shot. When Rupert is one to two passes away, however, he is generally a plus defender, swiping at players driving, picking off passes to his man, or getting back to his man on a pass and contesting a shot attempt. 

His motor and length bode well for him, creating turnovers (averaging 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks per game). Rupert excels at picking off passing lanes as a strong side defender, as offensive players aren’t often aware of how long he is and float passes that only Rupert can get to. Even against some of the NBL’s best guards, Rupert has given them trouble by picking their pockets. He has also shown some weak side protection, able to meet opposing players at the rim and contest their shot at its high point, resulting in a clean contest. 

Looking Ahead

With his plus physical tools and flashes demonstrated on both ends of the floor, Rupert is a player with plenty of intrigue but only a little substance. He must fill out his frame to absorb contact better on both ends of the floor and improve his lateral footwork to tap into his upside defensively. Subtracting the on-ball shots should improve his three-point percentage at the next level. 

Rupert may be a project initially in his NBA career, with the upside of developing into a quality two-way wing; however, he needs to put in a substantial amount of work to reach that goal.