As the 2024 NBA Draft approaches, much of the discourse surrounds the relative weakness of the draft class, with no stars at the top and a lot of unknowns after that. One of the reasons the '24 class looks rough is that the 2023 class made a huge impact this year.
In addition to a generational superstar leading the way to come defend the Alamo, multiple rookies forced their way into the starting lineups of good teams. Others ended up playing key roles on really good playoff teams.
How did the 30 teams in the NBA do drafting the players of the 2023 NBA Draft? Per usual, not very accurately, but that simply makes it a worthwhile exercise to look back on the draft class one year later. Which players should have gone much earlier? Who looks like a reach after a season of data?
Rules of our 2023 NBA Redraft
We thus embark on a full first-round 2023 NBA Redraft. While this is a Golden State Warriors site, the draft will break down all 30 picks. We take into account the knowledge gained over the past year not only about the draft prospects, but also the teams making the selection, when redrafting. Any trades that occurred on or before draft night are kept in place.
We begin with the first pick, and a player who truly shattered even the lofty expectations placed on his extremely tall shoulders.