Here is the order of the picks for the NBA Draft for R1.
1. SAS- C Victor Wembanyama
This is an obvious choice. He is the most hyped prospect ever. He is 7ft 5in C, who possesses many enticing traits. With his lengthy wingspan, he will be an incredible boon to the Spurs defense. Opposing offenses will need to be creative when going up against him. He will need to adjust to the NBA refs' styles of calling fouls. He is a highly-skilled shot blocker, who will wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Offensively, he has all the tools to succeed in the NBA. At his height, he score over anybody. He has the range to score from anywhere. But, he must get stronger to withstand the grind of a grueling NBA season. He has the potential to become a Hall of Famer once he retires. That is the expectation heaped upon Wembanyama.
2. CHA- SF Brandon Miller
Miller is a player who has the ability to score from anywhere with his shooting ability. Due to his shooting ability, Ball will be relieved of some of the burdens that were placed on him. He is extremely versatile, being able to guard all five positions. Miller can score in a multitude of ways, which will make it difficult for the opposition to contain him. There will now be a formidable duo in CHA that has the potential to win games & get the team to the playoffs.
3. POR- PG Scoot Henderson
The Portland Trail Blazers drafted a player, who can grow by playing with & learning from a future Hall of Famer in Damian Lillard. If Lillard decides to leave, Henderson can take over as the new franchise cornerstone. He is a player who has the mentality to attack the paint & score or score using the midrange jumper. He does not have the 3pter in his repertoire. There are players who have shown that a 3pt jump shot is not mandatory to success in the NBA. We shall see how the dominos fall in Portland.
4. HOU- PG Amen Thompson
Amen is a physical offensive threat, who will attack the defender to get to the hoop. Because of his athleticism, he is an excellent finisher. He is an exceptional passer, who can find open teammates for easy shots. He is another player who must improve on his 3pt shooting. He has a knack for getting past his defender with any move and scoring on the inside due to his footwork. The 3pt shot is not going away anytime soon, & if players want to succeed, that shot must be in their basket.
5. DET- PG Ausar Thompson
Ausar is known for his defensive prowess. His high level of activity will be a big boost to the Pistons. He has a high motor. His cognizance on the defensive end will translate to buckets on the offensive end, whether it be for him or his teammates. This will be a step in the right direction for the organization, as they will win more games.
6. ORL- G Anthony Black
The Orlando Magic drafted a player in Black, who has the potential to be a nuisance for the opposition. He is a phenomenal defender. He can play the role of an on-the-ball defender or off-the-ball defender. He can guard multiple positions with his physicality. But to contend with the players of today's NBA, he must develop his offensive game. It does not bode well for Black & ORL if he stays pat with his offensive game. He must improve his shot-making. He has to progress as a facilitator. He has to get stronger to handle the physicality at the NBA level.
7. IND Trade Pick to WAS- SF Bilal Coulibaly
The Pacers swapped picks with the Wizards. The Wizards chose SF Bilal Coulibaly, He is a talented one-on-one player. That is because of high level of athleticism. He has trouble staying poised in pressurized situations, throwing the ball away instead of settling down, reading the defense, & making the appropriate play. That will come with experience in the NBA.
8. WAS Trade Pick to IND- F Jarace Walker
Jarace Walker is a physical athlete, who will use his strength to his advantage & steamroll the defender in front of him. His jumper needs polishing. Until his jumper gets better, defenders, on opposing teams will not consider him a true threat that can be capable of being a contributor to winning.
9. UTA- F Taylor Hendricks
Taylor Hendricks is one of the best rim-protecting forwards in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Jazz got a steal with their 9th pick. He is a magnificent player with his defensive & offensive transition skills. We shall see if he is able to withstand the physicality of the NBA. That may be a hinderance to the success of Hendricks in the league.
10. DAL Trade Pick to OKC- G Cason Wallace
The Dallas Mavericks traded the pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder chose a combo G in Cason Wallace, who is an elite defender. He must offensively. His shot must be improved if he has any hopes of going up against the elite of the elite. A shot is required at the minimum if players want to be competitive at the NBA level. Unless Wallace develops one, he will not have lasting career. Because of the trade, Cason Wallace will be heading to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
11. ORL- SF Jett Howard
Jett Howard, the son of former Michigan PF Juwan Howard will be a great offensive threat on the Orlando Magic. He has the ability to beat the opposition in a number of ways. He can score from the midrange. He can score from deep. But, he must progress as a defender to be an all-around player that the Magic can depend on.
12. OKC to DAL- C Dereck Lively II
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected C Dereck Lively II. Because of the trade, he will be heading to the Dallas Mavericks. The Dallas Mavericks are gaining a beast on defense. He has extremely quick feet, allowing to cover for teammates when mishaps occur. The quick feet allow Lively to guard a large amount of space, making it dreadful for opposing offenses to go up against him. He needs to work on his shot, & shot-consistency, due to his inability to average double digits in college.
13. TOR- F Gradey Dick
The Toronto Raptors drafted Gradey Dick. The Raptors are getting a player, who has the ability to light it up from long range. He can also knock down the midrangers. So, offense is not a problem when it comes to Gradey. He will have some trouble on defense because of his slight build. If he wants to be a presence defensively, he will have to build NBA level strength.
14. NO- SG Jordan Hawkins
The New Orleans Pelicans selected Jordan Hawkins, a player who is a streaky shooter. He has good footwork, which will help him as a shooter. He must become more efficient to contend with the high-level talent of the NBA. He will be able to attack the basket & get past defenders due to his athleticism. He has the propensity to pick up unnecessary fouls. This needs to be rectified if he wants to be a player that wants to stay on the floor.
15. ATL- SG Kobe Bufkin
The Hawks added a player in Kobe Bufkin, who has the ability to attack the basket as a shooting guard. He must improve his 3pt shooting. He has the capacity to play PG when Trae Young is not on the floor with him. He must ascend as a shooter to play in Coach Quin Snyder's system. He needs to learn to take the right shot instead of being overly aggressive with his shot selection.
16. UTA- SG Keyonte George
George is an a plisayer who will take shots & make shots at a high clip. He is unafraid of going inside, & getting physical to get his buckets his as well. When going inside, he is ambidextrous. He has the full offensive package, with the layups, the midrange, & the 3-ball. If multiple defenders are thrown at him, he seems to panic, & chuck up errant shots. His basketball IQ needs improving at the NBA level for his career to have any hope of succeeding. He lacks consistency on the defensive end, seems to not be interested playing on that side of the floor.
17. LAL- SG Jalen Hood-Schifino
The Lakers got a talent in Jalen Hood-Schifino who is great at creating offense for himself & his teammates. His decision-making abilities will greatly benefit the Lakers. This will relieve LeBron James of some of the responsibilities that it takes to win games. Hood-Schifino must get better as a shooter. This gives defenses the green light to sag off of him because they know he is a poor shooter.
18. MIA- SF Jaime Jaquez Jr.
This is a player who is has a track record as a scorer. Because of his size, he can sink open & contested shots with ease. He is extremely intelligent with his high basketball IQ. Due to his size, he invites physicality against defenders who match up against him. He is not athletic for his position, therefore settling for jumpers instead of attacking the basket. He must improve his shooting percentages to become a more dependable contributor in the NBA.
19. GS- SG Brandon Podziemski
Brandon is a perfect fit for the GS system. He is a prolific 3pt shooter. He can come off screens & hit shots. Down low, he has a nice floater that can be used inside against taller defenders. Defensively, he is slow to react at the point of attack, which is what will derail him from achieving more playing time during games.
20. HOU- SF Cam Whitmore
The Rockets got a steal in Cam Whitmore with the 20th pick. He fell to the Rockets, while being projected as a top 10 pick. The Rockets now have a piece who can guard multiple positions with his size & physicality. He is also an proficient scorer & very unselfish. He needs to refine his ball handing to make sure that defenders aren't able to jar the ball loose.
21. BKLYN- PF Noah Clowney
Clowney is a defensive specialist. He is proficient at guarding at numerous bigs, as well as smalls. He is a pretty good in transition, as an offensive option. Besides that, his offense is quite limited. He must become more versatile to gain more minutes on the floor.
22. BKLYN- SF Dariq Whitehead
Whitehead is a player who is excellent at shooting the basketball. He also has the innate ability to find shooters while at the elbow. He has had his fair share of trouble making contested looks. He must get better at hitting open shots on a regular basis so he can help push the team farther in the playoffs.
23. POR- PF Kris Murray
Murray has a high defensive IQ. He has the versatility to guard multiple defenders because of his length. He is quite mobile for his frame. He is able to play the 3 to 5. He is very smart about using his hands on the defense. But, he must improve his shooting efficiency to be a impactful player on the Portland Trail Blazers' roster.
24. SAC to DAL- F Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Prosper is a F who uses his attributes to his advantage. His length comes in handy in being a disruptor on defense. His strength allows him to overpower defenders on offense. His outside shooting is not impressive at all. This is a part of his game that must be rectified. When taking shots, he only shot one way, never coming to the realization that depending on how he is being defended, he may need to shoot with touch or shoot at certain angles. This is an area where improvement is needed. Dallas, acquiring him from Sacramento, will be able to use him in pick-and-rolls with Luka. He will be a great rim protector on defense.
25. MEM to DET- G Marcus Sasser
Sasser is a player who is known for being a shooter that can score from anywhere. But, he has a problem of going on lulls at times. Because of his wingspan, he has the ability to harass offensive players & contest almost every shot. That will be very useful to the Detroit Pistons. Because he isn't explosive, he does not choose to go at defenders & go for layups.
26. IND- SG Ben Sheppard
Sheppard can play both ends. He is an efficient 3pt shooter. He is also an effective defender. He has a quick release when shooting, making it difficult for defenders to contest & block the shot. He is not the most explosive individual, therefore resorting to moves that do not require it.
27. CHA- G Nick Smith Jr.
Smith Jr. is a player who is capable of playing at the 2 with LaMelo or playing the 1 with LaMelo on the bench. He has a good level of athleticism that gives him the ability to manipulate defenders to get them out of position. He must get stronger to contend with the level of physicality in today's NBA.
28. UTA- SF Brice Sensabaugh
This is a F who will be able to use his frame to get to certain spots on the floor, and take and make shots from those spots. He can also his physicality to bypass the defense, and get to the basket. He lacks cognizance while on defense. Once he becomes mentally aware on that end, he will be a better defender.
29. IND to DEN- SF Julian Strawther
Strawther will be a great assistance to DEN. He will take pressure off of Nikola Jokic & Jamal Murray, who had to carry the Nuggets to their championship. There was very little time for Jokic or Murray to rest before having to be subbed back in. With Strawther, they now have someone who can stabilize the bench. He needs to rectify his shot to be a productive offensive. There have been players who have proven that broken shooting forms will not work in the NBA. He must get his shooting form & shot fixed as soon as possible.
30. LAC- SF Kobe Brown
Brown has commendable abilities as a spot-up shooter, & as a passer. He has the ability to be a sold role player for LAC. Due to his frame, he has the ability to guard bigger players. He isn't the most nimble individual, therefore has difficulty blocking perimeter shots on defense. This may not be something that he will have to figure out how to deal with & find a workaround for.
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