It usually takes a few years to know for sure how to evaluate an NBA draft, but the results of this process often separate winning teams from unsuccessful ones.
Here is the Post’s initial look at the winners and losers from the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday at Barclays Center:
Winners
San Antonio Spurs
First and foremost, Gregg Popovich and the Spurs had the incredible fortune to win the lottery in another year in which a generational talent arrived on the league’s doorstep, with 7-foot-4 French wunderkind Victor Wemanyama a no-brainer at the No.1 spot, as were eventual Hall of Fame big men David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997.
Houston Rockets
The rebuilding Rockets fell to No. 4 in the lottery, but they provided new coach Ime Udoka with some fresh talent, beginning with 6-7 guard Amen Thompson, whose twin brother Ausar went next to the Pistons. At No. 20, Houston then scooped up sliding Villanova wing Cam Whitmore, who mostly had been projected as a top-10 talent.
Miami Heat
If we learned anything from the so-called “Heat culture” during Miami’s surprise run to the Finals, it’s to never underestimate the franchise’s ability to identify winning players. Jaime Jacquez Jr. epitomized that ideal during his collegiate career at UCLA, and the 6-6 forward seems like a strong fit for the Heat at No. 18 due to his toughness, length and understanding of the game.
Metropolitans 92/Overtime Elite
In addition to Wembanyama, the French club produced a second lottery pick in guard Bilal Coulibaly, who the Wizards moved up in a trade with the Pacers to grab at No. 7. In its second season, the Overtime Elite league — an option for players to bypass college — had two of the top five selections in twin brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson.
Losers
Knicks
After trading out of the first round last year to shed contracts to eventually sign free-agent guard Jalen Brunson worked out well for the Knicks, Leon Rose’s attempts to move back into this year’s festivities went unfulfilled. A quiet night leaves them only with last year’s second-round selection, little-used guard Trevor Keels, to show for the past two drafts. They also watched the Mavericks, who tanked at the end of the regular season, trade down from the No. 10 overall pick Dallas retained and didn’t convey to the Knicks.
Read the New York Post’s coverage for the 2023 NBA Draft:
- NBA Draft grades for every team
- The most outrageous outfits at the 2023 NBA Draft
- Fans were furious over this top NBA Draft pick
- Analysis of every NBA Draft pick
Washington Wizards
Teardowns are rarely pretty, and the Wizards have dealt away Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Chris Paul (obtained from the Suns for Beal and flipped to Golden State for Jordan Poole). But they netted just one additional first-round pick — a conditional selection down the road in 2030 from the Warriors — in those deals. The Wiz also could lose Kyle Kuzma after he opted out of his contract.
Viewers hoping for action
Aside from Washington’s moves, there were no true blockbusters on draft night. The Blazers held onto the No. 3 pick, snapping up G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson rather than move it for an established player to pair with Damian Lillard. That possibly sets up a trade of the eight-time All-Star later this summer, but it took away from sizzle at the draft, which only featured a handful of minor wheelings and dealings.
