Isaiah Wong explains how previous NBA Draft process experience will help him this time around

The draft process can be a daunting one, even for prospects who feel as though they’re ready to make the leap to the pros. For Isaiah Wong, though, he feels more than prepared considering how things went during his previous declarations.

Wong spoke about his preparation for the NBA Draft during a media availability back in April. Since he had declared for the draft twice before, he thinks this third go around will be much easier for him. He added that not having to worry about the potential of returning to college only adds to his confidence heading into these next few weeks.

“Most definitely. I feel like it’ll make it a lot easier,” Wong said. “Just not (having) the stress of me thinking about if I’m gonna come back or not.”

“(I’m) just fully focused on one thing,” said Wong. “And that one thing is making it to the NBA Draft, making it to a team, and getting in a comfortable position. Just having a role on an NBA (roster) and just trying to make the best of my situation.”

Wong averaged 14.1 points per game over 132 career games with Miami. However, his professional hopes reached a new level over the last three campaigns as a full-time starter for the Hurricanes. In those 101 contests, he averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 44.3% from the field and 34.4% from three in over 34 minutes per game.

During that time, he won ACC Player of the Year, made several All-ACC teams, and led Miami to a pair of Elite Eights and their first Final Four this past March.

Now, with all these experiences under his belt, Wong feels as ready as he can be for the NBA. His time in Coral Gables is in the rearview and he is prepared to give it his all from here to make a roster by the time this process is over and done with.

Jim Larrañaga breaks down Wong’s NBA stock

Multiple factors made Miami’s run to the Final Four this March possible. One of the biggest was the play of star guard Isaiah Wong. During the Hurricanes’ success, Wong played a major role, leading to him entering his name into the 2023 NBA Draft. Following that decision, Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga shared his thoughts on Wong’s chances of success in the NBA.

“I think when the NBA scouts that I have talked to look at him? They really see a guy who is a high-octane scorer, who really scored at the college level very well,” Larrañaga said. “I know in some of his workouts in previous years, they’ve encouraged him to expand his range, which he’s done. So he’s now, I think, a very good three-point shooter.”

“But I think the thing he’ll need to do is be able to play both the point and the two. And I think he’s gonna be able to do that,” said Larrañaga. “In all cases, it’s opportunity to play. And, in Isaiah’s case, if he gets an opportunity to showcase his talents and what he can do? I think he’ll take advantage of that. But it’s got to be with the right team. You know, it’s hard enough to make the NBA. But to really fit in and earn a spot in the rotation is really difficult. So, we wish him nothing but the best. He deserves all the success that he’ll enjoy in the future.”

“I feel like, for me, I offer like a lot of — I’m a 22-year-old kid coming into the NBA.” Wong recently said. “So, I feel like I got a lot of experience with how college prepared me. I feel like, for me, I’m a playmaker. And I can get people involved and I can score, a three-level scorer. And I feel like I played hard with the best of them. So I feel like, just coming in, just play my role and just having the better understanding of the game and just trying to help a team and win as much as possible.”