The 2023 NBA draft introduced some of the most exciting prospects we’ve seen in recent years to the league. In this article, I’ll be going over the different teams that I think walked away from the draft with the best hauls.
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio walks away as the obvious winner of the draft, taking home the crown jewel, Victor Wembanyama. By drafting Wembanyama, San Antonio has found the next superstar to lead the historic Spurs franchise that was once led by titans like David Robinson and Tim Duncan into its next era. Wembanyama’s not only a generational talent on the court, but his status as the greatest prospect to grace the NBA since LeBron James will bring far more than on-court results to San Antonio. Due to Wembanyama already being a superstar before even touching an NBA court, San Antonio will become one of the most marketable teams in the NBA, which is an absolute godsend for a small market team that had a total of four nationally televised games this season. The basketball gods have once again blessed the San Antonio Spurs with a sure-fire talent that is ready to restore the glory of the franchise.
Besides Victor, San Antonio also drafted Sidy Cissoko of the G-League Ignite in the second round. Sidy, who ironically is also a 19-year-old French national, was a projected first round pick, yet somehow managed to fall to San Antonio in the second round. Unfortunately for him, he obviously does not have the spotlight in San Antonio, but that doesn’t take away from his merits as a prospect. Sidy is a wing with good measurables, a knack for defense, and a strong feel for the game. While he will almost certainly spend most of his rookie year in the G-League, no fan should be surprised if he ends up becoming a quality NBA player down the line, which ultimately is a rare find in the second round of the draft.
Houston Rockets
Houston fans were nothing short of disappointed watching the lottery give them just the fourth overall pick a few weeks back. To endure a whole year of watching an objectively horrible basketball team and not walk away with a top two pick seemed like a failure. Fortunately for Houston, their front office managed to come away with an amazing haul. At number four, Houston walked away with Amen Thompson, one of the best floor generals and playmakers in the draft with athleticism and measurables that give him the potential to be one of the best players in the league. Thompson also perfectly slots in as the point guard of the future for this Houston team, bringing some much needed playmaking that will open up the games of Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr and accelerate their development.
After Amen Thompson, Houston potentially picked up the steal of the draft in Villanova’s Cam Whitmore. Whitmore surprisingly was one of the biggest sliders in the draft, widely being mocked in the top ten but somehow falling to Houston at pick twenty. Whitmore projects to be a legitimate two-way star, packing a heavy scoring punch on offense with stellar shooting and shot creation, as well as keeping the same energy on the defensive end of the court. He reportedly fell in the draft due to health and character concerns, and while questions may be posed about Whitmore in these areas, the value of a star-potential player like him at pick twenty cannot be stressed enough. If I had to bet who would be looked at as the steal of the draft in five, six years time, I would comfortably place my money on Cam Whitmore.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland started their draft off with a bang, selecting Scoot Henderson with the third pick. Scoot, in my opinion, is an absolutely generational guard prospect who should’ve never fallen past the second pick, and I believe the Charlotte Hornets made a colossal mistake by passing on him. Regardless, it ended well for Portland, as they were able to take one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent memory. The fit on a team that already has Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe in the backcourt is obviously murky, but I believe that situation will come to play itself out soon. Either Lillard or Scoot should get traded, and in my opinion, it should be Lillard. Even if Portland trades Scoot, it will likely be for a superstar player, because that’s how much other GMs value Scoot. If the Blazers decide to trade Lillard, then Scoot should easily slide in as his successor and the next franchise star that can give the front office another chance at building a real contender around a superstar point guard.
Late in the first round, the Blazers landed Kris Murray, brother of Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray. Kris’s game is similar to his younger brother, as he enters the league as an NBA ready prospect who can guard multiple positions and switch the floor day one. As an older prospect, he probably does not have any potential to be a star, but his skillset makes him a very valuable player in today’s NBA. There’s not much to say about Kris other than the fact that he’s the definition of a solid player.
With the 43rd pick, the Blazers selected Rayan Rupert, who plays overseas in New Zealand. I wasn’t a big fan of Rupert as a prospect, mainly because I was terrified my Thunder would take him at pick twelve, and I wasn’t looking forward to another project player. Those thoughts are irrelevant to the immense value of a player like Rupert that late in the draft. He was a clear first-round talent for many reasons. His measurables are incredible, standing at 6’6″ with a 7’2″ wingspan, and he is already a solid defender. The rest of Rupert’s game is up in the air, and he’ll likely spend a year or two in the G-League, but he’s got the potential to be a good shooter and dribbler on offense. Rupert is the definition of a low floor, extremely high ceiling player, and the Blazers should feel confident taking a swing at him in an area of the draft that rarely produces long-term NBA players.
Conclusion
This NBA draft cycle was littered with talent, and some front offices managed to squeeze out more than others.
Floor General 