As many have anticipated for several months now, Victor Wembanyama became the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
The San Antonio Spurs had the privilege of selecting Wembanyama with the top pick and are all set to begin this latest chapter of their storied franchise. The Spurs have won five NBA championships since joining the NBA back in 1976, though all five came between 1999 and 2014 with Tim Duncan, the team’s last first overall pick from 1997, leading the way.
San Antonio, given how bland the rest of their roster currently is, is still unlikely to compete for a title this coming season, albeit it should not be too long until they find themselves back in contention with Wembanyama leading the charge.
After the Spurs picked Wembanyama as practically all observers predicted, the draft took a turn for the unexpected beginning with the second pick.
In the build-up to the draft, many believed that Scoot Henderson of the G-League Ignite was the no-brainer second overall pick. However, the situation took a turn for the uncertain when the Charlotte Hornets were awarded this pick in the NBA Draft Lottery.
Hesitant to pair their existing 21-year-old cornerstone LaMelo Ball with another point guard in Henderson, the Hornets decided to go against the consensus and nabbed 6’9 wingman Brandon Miller from Alabama.
What Miller lacks in terms of dynamic athleticism when compared with Henderson is made up for by his length (6’11 wingspan) and three-point shooting (38.4% while at Alabama) which should make him a good fit alongside the pass-first Ball.
The Hornets’ decision paved the way for Henderson to slide to the Portland Trail Blazers at the third pick. Like Charlotte, Portland already has a resident point guard in seven-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, yet they still chose to draft Henderson.
With Henderson now onboard, the Blazers now have the opportunity to pair the athletic guard with one of the best shooting players in NBA history.
Henderson’s arrival also gives them a chance to go in many different directions as well. Portland could use Henderson to find a more “win-now” piece to pair with Lillard in his seemingly futile quest to bring an NBA championship to the Rose City. They can decide to go the other way too by trading away Lillard to kick off a rebuild and hand over the keys of the team to Henderson.
Regardless of what they decide on doing, the mere fact that the Blazers have the luxury of choice in this situation–something that many teams do not have–is already a win in itself.
After the top three, the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons picked the Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, back-to-back with the fourth and fifth picks.
The 6’7 Amen, who is an excellent playmaker, is expected to form a lethal backcourt pairing with Houston’s high-scoring guard Jalen Green. Amen provides the Rockets with a lead guard who can initiate their offense and also get to the rim when needed. He will walk into a rebuilding situation where he will have a long leash with regards to mistakes which is of utmost importance for a ball-dominant player transitioning into the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Pistons landed his twin brother Ausar who is more of a scorer and should line-up well with the team’s current backcourt of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. Ausar stands at 6’7 and has shown strong defensive instincts which should allow him to play alongside Cunningham and Ivey.
Though Wembanyama is clearly the best prospect in this draft, it is clear that this is not just a one player class. Each one of the top five picks have the potential to make multiple NBA All-Star games, with Henderson and Amen Thompson looking like the strongest candidates to do so.
