2023 NBA Draft: Identifying Potential Day One Contributors
While the NBA Draft is generally thought of as a mechanism of acquiring young talent and building for the future, it can also be a method of helping a team win immediately. This happens every year, as quite a few rookies will hit the ground running and make an impact from day one.
Last season it was guys like Christian Braun, Jalen Williams and Walker Kessler among others. In the 2023 NBA Draft, there will likely be a handful of rookies that once again can actually impact winning at a high level in their first ceiling.
Let’s take a look at a few candidates.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Dallas Mavericks)
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The Dallas Mavericks put together one of the best draft nights on Thursday. While they moved back two spots in the lottery, they still got their guy in Dereck Lively II at No. 12 overall while shedding a bad contract and creating a trade exception. From there, Dallas took on the contract of Richaun Holmes to acquire the No. 24 overall pick, selecting Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
He was one of the fastest rising prospects in the weeks leading up to the draft, really impressing teams in workouts. Given he’s a defensive-minded prospect on a team that needs help on that end, don’t be surprised if Prosper a contributor for the Mavs early in his rookie season.
Jordan Walsh (Boston Celtics)
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Although he was taken in the second round, Jordan Walsh has all of the tools to help a contender as a rookie. For starters, he has the size and possesses the versatility to play quite a few positions at the NBA level.
Known for being a quality defender against players both bigger and smaller than him, Walsh could be a key rotational piece during the regular season in Boston. Furthermore, if his 3-point shot comes around he could legitimately be in the playoff rotation for the Celtics next season as a rookie.
Kris Murray (Portland Trail Blazers)
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Considering the Blazers are looking to make a deep playoff push with Damian Lillard, selecting Kris Murray was a great choice. The twin brother of Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, he has 3-point shooting upside as well as positional size to contribute defensively.
While the newest Blazers forward may not have the star upside of his twin, there’s no question he could help an NBA team as a rookie. This is exactly why Portland selected him late in the first round.
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