2023 NBA Draft Analysis Part 2

Chicago Bulls

Pick 35 F Julian Phillips Tennessee

Bulls picked an athletic, 6’7 wing in Julian Phillips. On the surface not a bad pick at all, since he has all the tools to be a good defender, size, lateral quickness, quick hands, on ball and off ball. However offensively he is a long term project, with lots of scope for improvement. Also would need to fill out his frame to be more effective guarding bigger forwards. There were players on the board, who I had higher in my pre draft analysis that could have been better fits for Chicago in my opinion, such as Maxwell Lewis, Amari Bailey, Sidy Cissoko or even GG Jackson that late in the draft, as a flier with massive upside.

Grade: C

Cleveland Cavaliers

Pick 49 F Emoni Bates Eastern Michigan

Emoni Bates entered college with high expectations as one of the top high school prospects in the country. However, his college career did not live up to that same level of performance. While he possesses good size at 6'9", he is wiry thin, weighing only 180 lbs, and will need to add strength in the NBA. His fit is questionable on this Cavs team, as their requirement is a high level 3/D player, which Bates does not project to be. His motor and defensive abilities are not particularly strong, although he does have the ability to create his own shot. I don’t like this pick, even at this later stage of the draft, Wilson, Slawson, Jackson-Davis were still on the board.

Grade: D

Dallas Mavericks

Pick 12 C Dereck Lively II (via trade) Duke

Pick 24 F Olivier Maxence-Prosper (via trade) Marquette

I loved this draft for the Mavs, trading down from 10th pick to 12th, getting rid of Davis Bertans contract and getting the man they were linked to pre draft, Lively II, along with getting big man, Richaun Holmes from the Kings and drafting Maxence-Prosper later in the first round. Lively is an impressive 7'1" defensive-minded big man known for his elite rim protection. While he currently excels as a lob threat and rim runner on offense, there is significant room for improvement in his scoring abilities. With further development, he has the potential to become a well-rounded offensive threat. He will compete with Powell and Holmes for center minutes in the team.

Maxence-Prosper is a promising 6'7" prospect known for his defensive prowess and potential as a 3-and-D player. With his size and length, he can excel in switch-heavy defensive schemes. He shows promise as a cutter and three-point shooter, and with further development, he has the potential to become a solid starting-caliber wing player, similar to Dorian Finney-Smith's role with the Dallas Mavericks alongside Luka Dončić.

Grade: A

Denver Nuggets

Pick 29 F Julian Strawther Gonzaga

Pick 32 G Jalen Pickett Penn State

Pick 37 F Hunter Tyson Clemson

All three of Denver’s picks were college veterans, considering where they are in their team journey, competing for championships, they felt they needed players that can contribute this year itself. I’m not sure if they got the best available players on the board.

Strawther is an impressive shooter with good size for a wing at 6'7". However, he needs to work on his motor and defense to become a solid contributor for the Denver Nuggets. At this stage, he is mainly projected as a specialist shooter rather than a well-rounded player.

Pickett is a high IQ guard who demonstrates solid skills, but his size may be a limitation in today's NBA. Reliance on post-ups as a guard may not translate well at the professional level, where he would be considered undersized.

Tyson, on the other hand, possesses excellent wing size at 6'8" and is known for his sharpshooting ability and off-ball movement. However, he may struggle on the defensive end due to his lack of athleticism.

All in all, Denver passed on some prospects that I would have had over the players they drafted such as Leonard Miller who is more NBA ready than any of these picks, Maxwell Lewis, Sidy Cissoko who would all be better picks.

Grade: D