2023 NBA Draft: Biggest Takeaways From Draft Night
The 2023 NBA draft started off with Victor Wembanyama going first overall to the San Antonio Spurs. While the Spurs got their franchise, let's dive into some other key takeaways throughout the draft.
Brandon Miller Over Scoot Henderson
There was a lot of skepticism around whether the Charlotte Hornets would draft Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson, and in the end the Hornets elected to take Miller second overall. Charlotte valued Miller’s fit over anything as he brings elite shooting ability at 6-foot-9 and tough shot-making.
LaMelo Ball has another scorer and shooter on the wing which can hopefully end up taking pressure off him next season. There’s a lot of talk about if this was the right pick and it’s just something we’ll have to wait and see.
Cam Whitmore Falls To 20
The shocker of the night was seeing Cam Whitmore fall all the way to 20 after the consensus had him as a top-five talent. It’s reported that teams were reluctant to select him due to his medicals. Whitmore waited longer than most anticipated, but the Houston Rockets a key piece as they’ve been in love with him since the beginning of the draft process.
He was in heavy consideration at fourth overall by the Rockets just about a week ago, and now fast forward to today and they landed him in the middle of the first round. This is great value for the Houston Rockets and could end up being the steal of the class.
Brandin Podziemski: Perfect Warriors Fit
One of my favorite picks of the night was the Golden State Warriors drafting Brandin Podziemski with the No. 19 pick in the draft. After trading Jordan Poole away, they needed someone who could fill his shoes and I believe Podziemski has the ability to do so. The elite shooting guard has great court vision along with tough shot-making ability. He’s one of the most skilled guards in the entire draft and he’ll be in a perfect system that fits his game.
Mavericks Improve Defensively
The Dallas Mavericks got active on draft night and it’s quite clear they made an emphasis on improving their defense heading into the night. With their first selection they drafted Dereck Lively II out of Duke, who’s one of the best rim protectors in the draft due to his unreal standing reach, timing, and defensive instincts. This also gives Luka Doncic a lob threat and someone who has the potential to stretch the floor.
It wouldn’t be surprising if by the end of the season we see Lively as the starter on this team. With their second selection they drafted Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a 6-foot-8 length forward that possesses a ton of defensive versatility and upside to be an effective 3-and-D forward. The Mavericks gave up some valuable players to land Kyrie Irving, and their defense took a big hit because of that. Now with their new incoming rookies, they have significantly improved their upside defensively.
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