NBA Offseason: The Draft

The NBA draft typically is the pinnacle of offseason spectacle. This year's did not disappoint.

Ayden Whyte

 

Every year, 60 young men (58 this year because the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls each forfeited a second-round pick due to violating tampering rules) see the fruits of their hard work, and are drafted into the NBA. The 2023 NBA draft class did not disappoint in terms of talent, filled with players ready to make an impact on their teams. Here I'll highlight some standout picks from the draft.

1. San Antonio Spurs Select Victor Wembanyama

With the first pick, and as a surprise to no one, the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama from France. I've said almost everything there is to say about Victor some months ago. However, there have been some major developments. As talented as he currently is, he is not entirely NBA ready yet. We know he can handle professional physicality, seeing as he has played an entire season in France's top-tier league; however, the 3-point shot isn't falling. He is currently a 27.5% 3-point shooter, which is unremarkable for a center, but with his perimeter heavy playstyle, this is a glaring issue. This issue is emphasized when you realize, the NBA 3-point line is further away from the rim than the one in the French league. All of that being said, he's extremely young and the Spurs are the perfect team to develop his skill set with.

2. The Portland Trail-Blazers Select Scoot Henderson

With the third pick in the draft, the Portland Trail-Blazers chose another guard. Scoot Henderson fits the mold of a Russell Westbrook, he's a small guard with insane athleticism. With that being said, we know he's very talented, but how does he fit with the team? Whenever we talk about the Trail-Blazers, we must discuss Damian Lillard and competing for a championship. In my eye, the selection of Scoot signifies the Blazers maybe wanting to move Dame to a contender and restart. This leaves them with extremely young back-court options like Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and now Scoot. Ultimately I love this pick for the team as it leaves them in a great position to grow and plan for future competition.

3. The Houston Rockets Select Amen Thompson

With the fourth pick, the Houston Rockets selected Amen Thompson. Amen is a hyper-athletic, 6'7 guard. For the Rockets, this pick means a lot. The team has gotten slack over the past season for being immature and hard to watch, however under the coaching of Ime Udoka, I believe the Rockets can move into the same tier as the Thunder when it comes to young teams that can contend within 2-3 seasons. This also likely means that the rumors of a James Harden move back to the Rockets can now be silenced. It wouldn't make any sense for the team to pursue Harden because the shooting guard position is now overloaded with Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. The Rockets are still lacking a strong leader, but with the proper development, Amen Thompson can become exactly that.

4. The Cleveland Cavaliers Select Emoni Bates

With the 49th pick in the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select, the former #1 recruit, Emoni Bates. Bates is a controversial player, especially in his style of play. Bates fits the mold of a Brandon Ingram, but he's going to have to do a lot more work if he wants to stay in the league for long. From what we've seen of his performance in the draft combine, he's athletic and he has a great handle. However, those are the only highlights. He has shown poor shot selection, and lazy defense. Along with his immature behavior off the court that tanked his draft value, he's going to have to put 1000% effort into picking up his slack elsewhere if he wants minutes, or even if he wants to stay in the league. Otherwise I see him becoming another Cam Reddish, a far cry from his Kevin Durant comparisons years ago.

This year's draft had talent around the entire board. It wouldn't be unreasonable to say, this draft was the most talented since the 2018 draft where we got Luka, Trae Young, and Jaren Jackson Jr. It's going to be exciting to see all of their careers pan out over the coming years.