Jun 23, 2023 - Sports
NBA draft roundup: Wembanyama era begins
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To absolutely no one's surprise, 7-foot-5 French phenom Victor Wembanyama was taken No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs at the National Basketball Association draft on Thursday night in Brooklyn.
- Alabama's Brandon Miller, the Southeastern Conference's player of the year as a freshman, went second to the Charlotte Hornets — though it appears some fans would have preferred Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite, who went third to the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Rounding out the top 10: 4. Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets), 5. Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons), 6. Anthony Black (Orlando Magic), 7. Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards, via Indiana Pacers), 8. Jarace Walker (Pacers, via Wizards), 9. Taylor Hendricks (Utah Jazz), 10. Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City Thunder, via Dallas Mavericks)
Notes:
- No college, no problem: For the first time since 2001, four of the top five picks didn’t play college basketball, as twins Amen and Ausar Thompson became the first players drafted out of Overtime Elite, the Atlanta-based pro league for 16- to 20-year-olds.
- Twinning: Speaking of the Thompsons, they became the first brothers selected in the top 10 of the same draft. Plus, Iowa’s Kris Murray went 23rd a year after twin brother Keegan went 4th, making them one of just eight sibling pairs to both be drafted in the first round.
- What a journey: Keyontae Johnson nearly died in 2020 after collapsing on the court at Florida, and many wondered if he'd ever play again. But he transferred to Kansas State last year, led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight, and last night was taken 50th overall by the Thunder.
- Surprisingly undrafted: 2022 Naismith POY Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), 2023 Final Four MOP Adama Sanogo (UConn) and three-time All-American Drew Timme (Gonzaga) all went undrafted.
- The Jalen generation: Five more players named Jalen (or Jaylen) were drafted this year after 11 were drafted across the previous four, as the name's popularity has exploded among this generation thanks to Jalen Rose's fame.
