The 2023 NBA Draft class was considered one of the strongest in recent history. It was, of course, headlined by a certain 7-foot-4 Frenchman named Victor Wembanyama, whose name was put on a pedestal alongside the likes of LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before he even set foot on a an NBA court.
Normally, holding any prospect to those impossible standards is unfair, maybe even irresponsible. Wembanyama, however, has proven to be the exception. It's early in his career, and the mysteries of our world can never be fully understood, but it's hard to imagine Wembanyama falling off the Hall of Fame track unless he suffers a truly catastrophic injury. Even this season, which was cut short by an unfortunate blood clotting issue, saw Wemby emerge as a runaway DPOY favorite and a potential postseason-level centerpiece for the upstart San Antonio Spurs.
As we look to "re-draft" the 2023 class, I'll spoil the fun — Wemby is the No. 1 pick. That said, this was a star-studded draft, and Wemby won't be the only player making their team happy for the next decade-plus. A lot of great players followed the Spurs' 7-footer off the board. Let's see which teams might prefer to shuffle the deck a bit.
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2023 NBA Re-Draft: Victor Wembanyama is obvious No. 1, but Amen Thompson is surging behind him
Chalk. There's no debate here. Even if you're worried about the blood clotting issue — and there's no indication that it's a long-term concern — Wemby is miles ahead of the pack here. He's a generational defensive talent with a malleable offensive skill set that is developing at warp speed. The turnovers are down, the 3s are up, and Wembanyama is a legitimate on-ball hub at 7-foot-4. San Antonio won the lottery of all lotteries.
Another no-brainer at this point. Amen Thompson is the best athlete in the NBA; he's pure electricity at 6-foot-7. Even without a jumper, he's able to live in the paint, gliding past hapless defenders and levitating for acrobatic finishes in the lane. Thompson is a whip-smart playmaker, an attentive and active off-ball mover, and a perennial All-Defense candidate in the making. His ability to scale up or down depending on what's needed is special. He has many All-Stars in his future.
Shooting my shot a bit here, but Ausar Thompson has a lot of the traits that make his twin brother so special. It's overly reductive to say they're the same player, but Ausar is 99.9 percent the athlete Amen is, with an incredible knack for defensive playmaking and a sharp passing eye in his own right. The offense has come along in leaps and bounds since the All-Star break. Once he's fully unleashed, don't be shocked if the "other" Thompson twin is also in the All-Star, All-Defense convo for the next decade.
It's hard to pick against Brandon Miller here. He was not top-four on my board on draft night, but the Alabama product was easily the quickest (aside from Wemby) to ascend to something approximating stardom. He is not fully there yet, and injuries have gotten in his way this season, but Miller is an efficient three-level scorer with real playmaking chops, occupying a valuable archetype. Houston goes for the certainty of picking Miller here.
Scoot Henderson was the very clear No. 2 prospect in my estimation. His NBA career is off to a bumpy start, but we've seen extended flashes in his second campaign with the Blazers — even if he's too often buried in a backcourt that tends to prioritize Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Henderson's 3s are falling more consistently, he's finishing with more force at the rim, and the game is slowing down in real time. Detroit hopes to form the next elite backcourt with him and Cade Cunningham.
Cason Wallace gets overlooked on a deep OKC team, but he's already on the shortlist of the best guard defenders in the NBA. He's also quite efficient in an off-ball scoring and connecting role, allowed to jack spot-up 3s, attack closeouts, and finish on timely cuts to the hoop. Orlando needs more guard support, and the Magic always love a rangy defender. Wallace's 6-foot-9 wingspan and uncommon positional strength allows him to defend more than just point guards.
Bilal Couliably still has a lot to figure out offensively (primarily with his 3-point shot), but Wemby's former teammate on France's Metropolitans 92 has carved out his own lane in the NBA. Washington has to feel good about the future with Coulibaly, who's a Swiss Army Knife on defense and a subtly, but quickly ascending player on the other end. He finds ways to score, even when the jumper's not falling. Couliably runs the floor like a gazelle in transition, finishes well on cuts, and has more slashing juice than he did as a rookie. The upside here is significant.
Dereck Lively was starting in the NBA Finals as a rookie. He occupies a clear and concise NBA role, deploying his elite athleticism to protect the rim on defense and catch lobs on offense. Lively's game can feel a bit restrictive in that sense, but he's a genuinely elite post anchor, with a 7-foot-7 wingspan and remarkable agility, which allows him to cover a lot of ground on the defensive back line. He's beyond his years in terms of IQ and poise, and he'd pair nicely with Tyrese Haliburton as a potential Myles Turner successor.
Jarace Walker has been largely kept under wraps in Indiana, but the former No. 8 pick is a devastating force in the G League and his skill set is simply too robust to ignore, even in such a limited role on the big-league squad. He's hitting 36.5 percent of his 3s for the Pacers this season and making the most of 15.7 minutes per game. A 6-foot-8, 240-pound wrecking ball who can space the floor, create advantages with his handle, and defend all over the floor is going to carry water in the NBA.
Toumani Camara has been a complete tone-setter for Portland. He's not the Blazers' best player, but he often feels like their most impactful presence — a stingy, suffocating wing defender with quick hands (1.5 steals) and an absurd commitment to generating stops. Camara's offense has come along nicely, including a 3-point rate around the league average, but he's going to crack an All-Defense team sooner than later. OKC loves to shut the water off on opponents.
Cam Whitmore's role has fallen off in his sophomore campaign with Houston, mainly because the Rockets are just more competitive. There are valid holes to poke in Whitmore's skill set — primarily his lack of passing — but he's a nuclear athlete with a workable 3-point shot and an unmatched blend of strength and bounce around the rim. Whitmore with a head of steaming, driving the lane, is extremely difficult to stop.
Memphis struck gold with GG Jackson II, the youngest player in the draft who managed to render an immediate impact during a nightmarish season. It has been tougher sledding in Jackson's follow-up campaign, in part due to Memphis' reformed teamwide aspirations, but he's still a 20-year-old with incredible strength and athleticism at 6-foot-9. Jackson can get to his spots as an iso scorer and lock in on defense when he wants to. The ceiling is sky high.
Toronto nailed this pick. Gradey Dick has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise abysmal campaign, adding more on-ball juice to his repertoire in addition to a silky jump shot. It's fair to question what exactly the ceiling is for Dick, but he's a smooth secondary scoring threat with solid connective instincts and enough athleticism to grow into a solid team defender. The Raptors keep a good thing going in this re-draft.
Brandin Podziemski was the rare rookie to earn an immediate role in Steve Kerr's rotation for the Warriors. It has been a more tepid sophomore campaign for the Santa Clara product, but he remains a savvy piece of connective tissue on the offensive end. We have to assume the 3s will fall more regularly long term, and Podz is an underrated defensive prospect due to his quick hands and steady motor.
Injuries continue to get in Taylor Hendricks' way, but he averaged 1.7 steals in 25.0 minutes through three games before his sophomore campaign ended with a broken ankle. That's a nice capsule of what Hendricks figures to offer once he's up to speed. The NBA is starved for rangy forwards who can bomb 3s and create turnovers on defense, which is precisely what Hendricks does.
Brice Sensabaugh was a source of justified skepticism at Ohio State, but the man can fill it up. It's that simple sometimes. With slick handles, impeccable mid-range footwork, and a strong frame he makes excellent use of, Sensabaugh is among the most polished scorers from this draft at 21. He's hitting over 40 percent of his 3s this season for Utah.
Leonard Miller has appeared in 27 total games at the NBA level, averaging 1.7 points in 2.9 minutes. So why this high? Watch his G Leauge tape, then report back. Miller is an incredible athlete at 6-foot-10, with a skill set bound to pay dividends in the pros before long. He's an aggressive rebounder and a dirty work proficient, with flashes of shooting touch and passing flare that leave one begging to see him get an opportunity with Minnesota's big-league squad.
Keyonte George was impressive in the Rising Stars Challenge, a nice reminder of the slow-burn rebuild taking place in Utah. George needs to get more efficient as a scorer, but he's comfortable handling a significant workload for the Jazz, whether he's setting the table for the starting unit or letting in fly in a sixth man role. It's hard to knock 16.8 points and 5.8 assists at this point in the re-draft, no matter the context.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. made waves as a rookie, quickly ascending to a starting role for a competitive Heat team. The enthusiasm has subsided quite significantly in his second NBA season, but it's hard to really knock him much further than this. Even at 24, Jaquez's baseline is too high. He's a workable shooter, a nifty mid-range creator, and a savvy connective passer.
This is probably a hair too low, to be honest. Anthony Black's offense concerns me, but some of his shortcomings are exacerbated by Orlando's poor roster construction. He's a rapid-fire passer with a versatile defensive profile, which gives him a high baseline. So long as he can hit enough 3s to keep defenders honest, Black should have a long career ahead of him.
Andre Jackson Jr. was integral to UConn's first national title run under Dan Hurley. He's the quintessential role-playing wing — a chameleonic defensive presence with a high basketball IQ and the athleticism to clean up on easy finishes on offense. Jackson can guard over the floor, disrupt passing lanes, gallop the floor out in transition, and even hit 39.2 percent of his 3s, apparently. He does a little bit of everything, if nothing at an exceptionally high level.
Marcus Sasser has been a steadfast backup point guard for Detroit. He has not made the sophomore leap many hoped for, but electric pull-up shooting, a dependable playmaking hand, and a committed approach to the defensive end — even at 6-foot-2 — should be enough to keep Sasser around the league for a while.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, like his teammate Brandin Podziemski, defied expectations to earn a prominent role in Steve Kerr's rotation as a rookie. He has faded a bit in year two, in part due to the emegence of another late second-round pick in the frontcourt (Quinten Post), but Jackson-Davis still offers a valuable NBA skill set at the five spot. He sets hard screens, reads the floor quickly on the short roll, and gets up for lobs.
Craig Porter Jr. has been sparsely used on a deep Cavs team, but he made serious inroads as a rookie, putting together a handful of explosive starts when called upon in times of need. He feels like the sort of steady backup point guard ever team wants, with a bit of untapped scoring upside to boot. He's shooting over 40 percent from deep for the second straight season to begin his career.
Ricky Council has been hit or miss in Philadelphia, but there's a strong framework there. He was an electric scorer at Arkansas, constantly getting two feet in the lane and deploying his muscular frame to carve out finishes around the rim. The decision-making needs work, but he's a semi-real shooting threat with a deadly first step. He's worth the upside bet.
Ben Sheppard was a mid-major darling at Belmont turned unexpected first-round pick. The early returns have been mostly positive for Indiana. He shoots a smooth 3-ball and he's comfortable attacking closeouts and decision-making on the fly. The defense is quietly excellent. He's going to carve out a bench role long term.
Nick Smith Jr. falling to Charlotte at No. 27 boggled the mind a couple years ago. Now, it feels like a fair assessment of where he's at developmentally. The scoring flashes remain highly intriguing, but it's fair to ask what else Smith does — and, if he scores efficiently enough for it to be his single NBA calling card. The twitch, off-ball instincts, and defensive potential are worth a gamble late in the re-draft, but Smith is far from a sure thing.
Noah Clowney's offense remains a mixed bag. Really, his entire repertoire is a mixed bag. Still, there is undeniable excitement tied to a 6-foot-10 big with Clowney's movement skills. He covers a lot of ground on defense and is capable of tantalizing offensive flashes. He's shooting 34.6 percent on a healthy volume of 3s this season and he's still 20, so this has major steal potential in the re-draft.
Tosan Evbuomwan was a March Madness darling for Princeton. Now he's performing well on a two-way contract in Brooklyn. There aren't too many players who fit Evbuomwan's mold in the NBA, but it's part of what makes him so charming. At 6-foot-8, he scores the majority of his points on little runners and touch shots around the rim. He's a legitimate playmaking hub from the elbow. He could stick around a while.
Look out for Tristan Vukcevic, who has quietly shown some real stuff for the lowly Wizards. He's a pure shooter at 6-foot-10, with flashes of face-up skill that peg him as a real piece of Washington's rebuild. The defensive questions persist, but floor-stretching fours or fives tend to have long shelf lives in the NBA.