5 most underwhelming picks of 2023 NBA Draft and 5 that absolutely bossed it

After a long and hectic night, the 2023 NBA Draft has finally come and gone. An entirely new class of rookies now has the chance to begin their journey in the pros with their new teams.

Some teams had a great draft night, while others possibly can't say the same. Here is a breakdown of some of the best, and worst picks, of the evening:

The 5 best picks from the 2023 NBA Draft

1) Victor Wembanyama

It goes without saying that the San Antonio Spurs won the draft this year. Upon winning the lottery last month, they secured the most hyped prospect since LeBron James back in 2003.

With Victor Wembanyama on the roster, the Spurs once again have an elite big man to lead the franchise. As the organization's first No. 1 pick since Tim Duncan, the French center has some big shoes to fill. Luckily for San Antonio, he appears up for the challenge.

2) Brandon Miller

The Charlotte Hornets were on the clock at No. 2 and had the choice between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. In the end, they went with Miller, which was arguably the correct choice for them. Long term, he is the best fit alongside All-Star guard LaMelo Ball.

3) Dereck Lively II

The Dallas Mavericks slid down two spots in the 2023 NBA Draft but still managed to land a good prospect. Dereck Lively II is a 7-foot center that should solidify their defense and be an effective pick-and-roll partner for Luka Doncic.

4) Jordan Hawkins

In today's era, teams can never have enough shooting. That is why Jordan Hawkins lands on this list. At No. 14, the New Orleans Pelicans walked away with arguably the best shooter in the draft this year. Hawkins is coming off winning a national championship, and close to 39% from deep on high volume.

5) Cam Whitmore

Rounding out this list is arguably one of the top steals of the draft. Cam Whitmore was projected to be a top-seven pick this year, and the Houston Rockets managed to select him at No. 20.

Along with Amen Thompson, Houston adds two prospects with high ceilings to their young core.

5 underwhelming picks from the 2023 NBA Draft

1) Bilal Coulibaly

Kicking off this list is one of Victor Wembanyama's teammates, Bilal Coulibaly. Despite rising up draft boards, nobody expected him to be selected this high. On top of that, the Washington Wizards had to trade away picks to Indiana Pacers to land him.

2) Cason Wallace

The OKC Thunder have a great record when it comes to drafting, but some see this pick as a head-scratcher. There were other highly ranked guards still on the board at No. 10, but the Thunder opted for the do-it-all guard from Kentucky.

3) Jett Howard

Next up on the list is the person who was picked right after Cason Wallace, Jett Howard. While he has the NBA pedigree in him, Howard's fit within the Orlando Magic's core might not be as seamless as some may think.

4) Keyonte George

The Utah Jazz continue to build up their young core with the addition of Keyonte George at No. 16. George is mainly known for his scoring at the guard position, but lacks efficiency during his lone season at Baylor. He shot just 37.6% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc.

5) Jamie Jaquez

Rounding out this list is the Miami Heat's selection of Jamie Jaquez at No. 18. He should fit into their culture nicely as an older prospect (22), but his game is arguably flawed for their system.

As a 31.7% shooter from deep, he'll need to improve in that area to fit around the likes of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.