Re-grading the 2023 NBA Draft one year later pick by pick
By Ben Handler
Round 1: Pick 21: Brooklyn Nets - Noah Clowney
Grade: C-
The Nets need young players to come in and help Mikal Bridges and Clowney was not able to do so. The team is still high on him but he showed absolutely nothing in his rookie year. A lot of development still needs to happen.
Round 1: Pick 22: Brooklyn Nets - Dariq Whitehead
Grade: C-
Whitehead went into college as a top prospect but an injury-riddled season at Duke caused him to drop quite a bit. At this point in the draft it was a solid value play by the Nets, but having back to back first first-round picks and getting virtually nothing from either one in a lost, non-competitive season is a brutal outcome.
Round 1: Pick 23: Portland Trail Blazers - Kris Murray
Grade: D+
The Blazers may have been chasing the success of Murray’s brother Keegan, but that’s not what they got. Murray has a decent stroke but he’s got a long way to go before he’s a viable NBA rotation player.
Round 1: Pick 24: Dallas Mavericks - Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Grade: C
O-Max wasn’t able to contribute at the NBA level but that’s largely because the Mavs did so well and found minutes from other surprising places. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with him after some recent additions and given the win-now nature of the team, but it seems he at least still holds some value around the league. He could be a trade chip for another rotation player.
Round 1: Pick 25: Detroit Pistons - Marcus Sasser
Grade: B+
Sasser is a defensive hound dog and showed some chops running the point. He was stuck on a mess of a Pistons squad that had a crowded backcourt, but he is definitely going to be a solid role player in the league for many years.