Re-grading the 2023 NBA Draft one year later pick by pick

Round 1: Pick 26: Indiana Pacers - Ben Sheppard

Grade: A

Sheppard had an excellent rookie season, playing solid defense and shooting well. He earned major playoff minutes and was a very solid contributor even in the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s hard to do much better with the 26th pick in the draft.

Round 1: Pick 27: Charlotte Hornets - Nick Smith Jr.

Grade: B-

Smith spent a good amount of time in the G-League but he showed that he can shoot the heck out of the ball. This seems like it was a worthy flier and with his shooting ability, he could become a part of the Hornets' young core as soon as this season. He deserves real minutes, especially on a team that is in rebuild mode.

Round 1: Pick 28: Utah Jazz - Brice Sensabaugh

Grade: C+

Much like other young Jazz players, Sensabaugh didn’t get a shot until late in the year, but he looked pretty good and should get a real chance to carve out a role on this team going forward. I loved the pick at 28 and I still think it has a good chance to hit.

Round 1: Pick 29: Denver Nuggets - Julian Strawther

Grade: B-

We all know how important these late first-round picks are for the Nuggets and it seemed like they got a good one with Strawther. But he got banged up and was never able to work his way back into the rotation. He’ll need to earn Michael Malone’s trust in year two to make this pick pay off.

Round 1: Pick 30: Los Angeles Clippers - Kobe Brown

Grade: C

This was a worthy selection for the end of the first round and Brown looked like he could be an NBA player. It was a tough team for a rookie to join as they had sparse developmental opportunities, but if Paul George leaves this offseason, Brown could suddenly become very important to the Clips.