The 2023 NBA Draft has come and gone and now I’m here to give you my analysis and grades for each team from the first round:
Atlanta Hawks: Kobe Bufkin is a decent pick but I’m wondering what’s going to happen with Trae Young if they’re drafting him. The Hawks are in limbo and I thought that the Hawks would be addressing their size with John Collins being in trade rumors.
He’s grown a lot from one season to the next in college, he has upside but how much playing time will he get? You don’t want to slow his development but time will tell. I wanted to see Bufkin go to a team that needed him more.
Grade: C-
Brooklyn Nets: Noah Clowney from Alabama is a wirey, energetic player who will provide some size for the Nets for the upcoming season. He’s a work in progress and he will need to gain some weight to withstand the 82 game season grind but at 6’10” and great arm length, he will block shots and be a rim protector.
Dariq Whitehead was showing promise until his season was cut short at Duke with a foot injury. But he does have potential and has the size to compete at the next level. At 6’7” 200 lbs, he will be ready for the NBA season when it starts and will surely contribute to a revamped roster in Brooklyn.
Grade: B+
Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller was really solid for the Hornets. They needed shooting and Miller will surely provide that for this team. He will provide athleticism and easy baskets on the fastbreak also. Miller and LaMelo Ball running in transition will be a nice tandem since they will not have Miles Bridges for the first 30 games of the NBA season.
Grade: A
Dallas Mavericks: The trade from Oklahoma City in Dereck Lively, he solves the interior problem at center. This will be huge for the Mavericks and having a legendary coach in Jason Kidd plus a dynamic star in Luka Doncic, there will be a lot of pick and roll offense being run. Lively II will be a great contributor to the Mavericks and he will score more in the NBA than he did in college.
Olivier Maxence-Prosper (from Sacramento) is one of my favorite players in the draft. Can shoot it, is athletic, can get to the basket and will be able to defend. He will bring a spark and energy to the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas addressed the defensive inefficiency from last season.
Grade: A
Detroit Pistons: Drafting Ausar Thompson is huge and will add to the tandem of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. A new coach in Monty Williams, they are on the up path as a team. Ausar is a solid shooter, athletic and will be another ball handler who can create and make plays for others.
Grade: B+
Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski is a straight shooter from Santa Clara which is not too far away from San Francisco. He's unknown unless you live on the west coast and got to see him play. He shot 45% from 3 and with Jordan Poole being traded to the Washington Wizards he’s the replacement on the bench.
He’s going to be a solid shooter off the bench when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are resting on the bench. I can only imagine what practices will be like with these three.
Grade: A
Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson was a great pick as he will develop under a proven coach under Ime Udoka. He’s athletic, explosive and he will become a solid player alongside Jabari Smith and Jalen Green. He has the ability to be a star in the NBA in the next five years.
Cam Whitmore is an underrated pick as he’s raw, tough, athletic and will have to work on his jumpshot. He was projected to go in the top 10 and slipped to #20. He’s dealt with some injuries in college but Coach Ime Udoka will surely develop him into a solid player. He has potential and he didn’t get to show everything at Villanova.
Grade: A-
Indiana Pacers: Bilal Coulibaly is a questionable pick, he’s an unknown, played with #1 pick Victor Wembanyama on the French national team. I felt that Indiana needed to get more size on their team as Coulibaly plays the same position as Chris Duarte.
Ben Shepard is a 6’6” guard who can also play the 3 position. He can shoot the three and that will be a help to the Indiana Pacers who need more shooting on their team next to sharpshooter Buddy Hield (if he’s still on the roster come training camp).
Julian Strawther can score and he can get to it. He’s competitive and it surely showed at Gonzaga. He has moments where he can take over a game and keep his team a float. I think at 6’7”, you add him with Benedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton and you can surely run and gun a good amount of games.
Grade: B-
Los Angeles Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino is an okay pick and he has upside. Hood-Schifino is not a huge 3-point shooter, more of a slasher. The Lakers needed to address the shooting from the 3-point line. He’s going to be a solid player in the NBA, playing alongside LeBron James, hopefully he soaks the knowledge like a sponge.
I think he has the opportunity to be a catch and shoot player from time to time along with being himself and creating for himself and teammates.
Grade: C+
Los Angeles Clippers: Kobe Brown was a nice draft pick for the Clippers. Brown can score in different ways, he’s strong, can post up, shoot the three point shot and you can play him between the shooting guard, small forward or stretch power forward if you go small ball.
When he gets hot, watch out because there’s no stopping him. He’s an older player who’s a little more polished and don’t be fooled by his size, he can move.
Grade: A
Memphis Grizzlies: A tough as nails point guard in Marcus Sasser from Houston, he’s going to be a solid backup point guard for the Grizzlies. Marcus Smart will most likely start at PG for the Grizzlies with the trade of Tyus Jones to the Washington Wizards. Sasser will get to learn the ropes from Smart and Morant (when he returns from his 25 game suspension).
Grade: A
Miami Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr is a nice pick for the Miami Heat. He will have to develop on the perimeter more, he won’t be able to post up a lot in the NBA. Miami does find gems in the draft and Coach Spo will get him in the right positions to excel. Summer League will be an opportunity for fans to see how solid of a player he is after playing on the west coast at UCLA.
Grade: A
New Orleans Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins is a huge draft pick. He has the tools to become a great player. He will be able to develop and learn from CJ McCollum and will back him up. He can shoot the lights out and he will be able to work on his ball-handling and decision-making. He’s not afraid of the moment and he’s going to enjoy playing there.
Nick Smith Jr was a potential pick after dealing with some knee injuries. He’s a solid 6’5” but time will tell if he can get back to what he was in high school and the AAU circuit. He has promise and he will learn from some solid guards on the Pelicans.
Grade: A-
Oklahoma City Thunder: Cason Wallace is a scorer and will be a solid PG off the bench for a team that’s coming. They have some nice pieces and have a backup for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It will take some time to get acclimated to the NBA game as he will have to utilize angles and study film but he’s in good hands.
Grade: B
Orlando Magic: The drafting of Anthony Black spells questions within the Magic organization. They must feel that Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs are not formidable, playmaking point guards and the both of them could be shifting to the shooting guard position. Black is a playmaker, has the height at 6’7”, a good decision maker and will make the right play. He doesn’t wow you with athleticism but he gets to where he wants on the court and will be a solid contributor to get Wagner and Carter the ball down low. He’ll take the load off of Paolo Banchero with playmaking.
Jett Howard is another solid guard and a wing player that will help Orlando greatly. He can shoot, and create for himself. He can catch and shoot and he will be a nice addition to the team.
Grade: B+
Portland Trail Blazers: Drafting Scoot Henderson is a solid pick for a team that’s in limbo. Damian Lillard’s future is uncertain but for the foreseeable future, Lillard will be in Portland. Scoot will be able to contribute for the Blazers and having a point guard as a coach in Chauncey Billups, Scoot will be able to develop quickly and as his shot comes along, he will be a great player.
Kris Murray can flat out ball and he’s going to be a nice piece at the 3 position off the bench. He could potentially start for the Blazers if Coach Billups decides to go small ball and play Jerami Grant at the stretch four. Kris is a lefty and can shoot it, he will have to learn the NBA game through studying film but the good part is, he has a twin brother in Keegan Murray (on the Sacramento Kings) who has I’m quite sure told him what the NBA game will be like.
Grade: A-
San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama was the obvious pick and he’s the next generational talent. Everyone is saying the concern is his girth, strength and his health. You have to take a chance at a big who is 7’5” with guard playing ability. My concern is if Coach Popovich will let him play his game and not limit him to a structured system that won them five championships.
Grade: A
Toronto Raptors: Grady Dick is the start of a rebuild in Toronto. He can shoot the lights out of the gym. He’s a solid 6’7” and isn’t afraid of the big moment. He’s sneaky athletic and with the potential loss of Fred Van Vleet and they might be moving Pascal Siakam and OG Anounby, Grady Dick will have opportunities to get shots and develop early on in a small market.
Grade: A
Utah Jazz: Drafting Taylor Hendricks is a solid pick for the Jazz as Hendricks is a hybrid player who can play the 2, 3 or stretch 4 with his size and girth. He can shoot it which helps immensely in a 3-point shooting league. He will get opportunities for catch and shoot due to Lauri Markannen’s development and veteran Mike Conley’s vision on the court to get players the ball. He will have to develop more creating off the dribble but he’s on a growing team.
Keyonte George has a lot of potential and playing with two other guards at Baylor, he’s developed into a great player. He can score and will be a great addition to the Utah Jazz which is what they need as far as their bench with only having Jordan Clarkson as their legit scorer.
Brice Sensabaugh has upside, he will need time to develop. A lot of team executives take chances at young talent and he’s one of them. He’s a work in progress but I like his game and what he can bring to the Utah Jazz.
Grade: A-
Washington Wizards: Jarace Walker is a raw, talented forward who is a little undersized with height but he has the toughness to play in Washington. Fans will take a liking to him as he played under Kelvin Sampson who is a tough-minded coach. He will surely contribute to a rebuilding team and will get opportunities to play with Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis being traded to Phoenix and Boston respectively.
Grade: B-
That’s my analysis and grades for the first round, free agency is next starting July 1st!
