The tallest NBA players 2023 consist of centers and power forwards who are over 7-foot tall. They use their size to their advantage to dominate in the paint and protect the rim better.
Tallest NBA players 2023
Basketball is a game where height is an advantage. However, not all big men in the NBA have shown to have an impact on their teams. Some of the tallest NBA players are even liabilities and don’t crack the rotation.
Here are the ten tallest NBA players 2023…
10. Ibou Badji, 7 feet 1 inch
Ibou Badji is a defensive center who averaged 5.5 blocks per game for U18 FC Barcelona at ANGT Valencia. However, he went undrafted after declaring for the 2022 NBA draft. Still, the Blazers took a chance and announced that they had signed him to a two-way contract.
Badji has yet to play his first NBA game. It’s unclear whether he will crack the Blazers’ rotation this season.
9. Jay Huff, 7 feet 1 inch
Jay Huff made some noise in the G-League after winning the Defensive Player of the Year in the 2022-23 season. There, he averaged a whopping 3.1 blocks per game.
Apart from being a great rim protector, Huff is a great three-point shooter for his size. The Wizards recalled him from the G-League last season to bolster their frontcourt. He delivered and averaged 7.3 points and 3 rebounds per game in seven games.
8. Jakob Poeltl, 7 feet 1 inch
Jakob Poeltl didn’t pan out with the Raptors during his rookie and sophomore seasons. However, he improved big time when he was traded to the Spurs under coach Gregg Popovich. He improved as a low-post scorer, passer, and defender. In his best season with the Spurs, Poeltl averaged 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
In the 2022-23 season, the Spurs traded him back to the Raptors. After the season, Toronto re-signed him to a four-year, $80-million contract.
7. Rudy Gobert, 7 feet 1 inch
After a down season, Rudy Gobert is still one of the best centers in the league. Despite the lack of offensive prowess, his rim protection is what makes him so valuable as a player. He has averaged over 2 blocks per game in his career.
At 7-foot-1, Gobert uses his height and long wingspan to block shots. He has great timing and discipline as a shot blocker. As a result of being one of the best rim protectors in the league, Gobert has won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times already.
6. Moses Brown, 7 feet 2 inches
We all remember Moses Brown‘s terrific season with the Thunder, averaging 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He was a double-double machine during his time there. However, that’s the last time we have seen him getting minutes and cracking the rotation. After all, he’s still raw as a player.
After the Thunder, Brown became a journeyman and played for teams such as the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Clippers, and Nets. It’s unclear now whether he will be part of the rotation heading into the 2023-24 season in Brooklyn.
5. Luke Kornet, 7 feet 2 inches
Luke Kornet has been famously known for his uncanny way of defending three-point shooters. Rather than closing out and contesting, Kornet jumps in the paint to block the shooter’s view. It’s funny at first, but it has been effective on some shooters.
Now talking about his game, Kornet has been a serviceable stretch big for different teams. However, he has been a liability on defense.
4. Bol Bol, 7 feet 2 inches
Bol Bol has a unique skill set for his size. He can handle the ball well, can shoot from the perimeter, and can run the floor hard. He has shown flashes as a scorer and defender with the Magic last season. Bol actually had a nice stretch before falling out of the rotation when the team became fully healthy.
After being waived by the Magic, the Suns signed him on a one-year contract. There, Bol will have plenty of opportunities since the Suns are thin in the frontcourt. Moreover, having Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as his teammates will help him develop his game further.
3. Kristaps Porzingis, 7 feet 2 inches
Standing at 7-foot-2, Kristaps Porzingis is one of the current tallest NBA players. He was traded to the Celtics and now joins Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. His arrival makes Boston a much more formidable force in the East. After all, Porzingis is one of the best stretch bigs in the game.
Porzingis had a great 2022-23 season, averaging 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He bounced back mightily last season after struggling in getting healthy the past few seasons.
2. Boban Marjanovic, 7 feet 3 inches
Boban Marjanovic has been a serviceable center for teams such as the Clippers, Mavericks, and Sixers. He last played with the Rockets but didn’t get much playing time there, averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 5.5 minutes per game.
Being one of the tallest NBA players 2023, Marjanovic can quickly accumulate points and rebounds in just a few minutes. His soft touch allows him to score easily over his defenders and his long arms allow him to rebound the basketball with ease. He has nice percentages for a big man, shooting 58% in the field and 77% in the freethrow line.
1. Victor Wembanyama, 7 feet 4 inches
After getting drafted by the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is the tallest NBA player right now. He’s entering the league with great expectations due to his skillset at his height. At 7-foot-4, he moves like a guard, can shoot from the perimeter, and protect the rim.
Wembanyama showed his skillset in his second summer league game, posting 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. As we have witnessed, his upside is through the roof.
Barring injuries, he has the potential to become one of the greatest centers ever, especially since he’s with a great organization like the Spurs.