What is this? This is my 16th-annual NBA Draft Blog. I’ll be posting my thoughts about the first round of the NBA Draft here. That will include everything from the actual picks, to the ESPN “personalities,” to the commercials, etc. Anything goes. This page will be updated every five minutes or so, so I hope you join me for the 2023 NBA Draft!
Also, I will be posting NBA Draft Grades on this page. I’m doing the grades this year, rather than David Kay, so it’s just easier for me to do it here.
Oh, and for the first time, I’ll be posting the most-recent comments at the top, rather than the bottom. This is by request, so let me know if you like or hate this new formatting.
Follow me on Twitter @walterfootball for updates.
7:55: We’ll be posting Live 2023 NBA Draft Grades this year!
7:59: Phew. I had to rush to update the home page. I had to put my son to bed, so I’m off to a later start than usual.
8:00: Wait, the guy already announced Knecht. Why did he announce him twice? Also, the women with Clingan! He should be the No. 1 overall pick for that reason.
8:01: So much for starting at 8 p.m. I guess I rushed for nothing!
8:02: “This year’s draft is chock full of diamonds in the rough.” Yeah, OK. We all know this draft class sucks, ESPN.
8:03: It feels hollow to do this without my dad. This is only the fifth draft I haven’t watched with my dad since I became interested in sports. With two kids at home, I can’t just abandon my wife to go to my parents’ house, however.
8:04: Why do all of these guys feel obligated to wear suits? They’ll never wear suits during their professional lives ever again. I’d show up in a t-shirt and gym shorts.
8:05: Let’s pretend my dad is here. He hates Adam Silver with a passion. “F**k that motherf**king Adam Silver, he looks like a f**king dick!” he’d say if he were here right now.
8:06: Now my dad would really be pissed. “Of course, this motherf**king dickhead is going to remind me that the 76ers traded away Jayson Tatum. Mother f**king dick!”
8:07: The NBA should have rigged the lottery so the Hawks wouldn’t win. Most irrelevant franchise in the league.
8:08: Why are there two sideline reporters sitting on the set? Shouldn’t they be interviewing people?
8:11: Everyone on Twitter already knows what the pick is. It’s embarrassing that the TV networks and leagues haven’t figured out how to circumvent this.
With the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hawks select Zaccharie Risacher
8:14: I’m relieved that I got one pick correct in my mock draft. Suck it, Woj!
8:15: “I’ve been watching him since he was 15.” Pretty gross in a different context.
8:16: So wait, ESPN has three sideline reporters, two of which are sitting on the main set? Why?
8:17: “I am Fwench haw haw haw.”
With the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bullets select Alex Sarr
8:19: Man, the Bullets have some ugly fans.
8:20: Anyone who’s Russian will appreciate this: Ya Sarr, ya Sarr, ya Super Sarr.”
8:21: “He’s not a finished offensive player” says the ESPN guy about the No. 2 overall pick. Yikes.
8:22: The top two picks didn’t have any college experience. See, college is a waste of time.
With the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Rockets select Reed Sheppard
8:27: From one of the three ESPN sideline reporters: “It’s hot in Houston. Reed Sheppard’s a great fit there because he can go on a heater.” Holy crap, just shut up already.
8:29: Everyone already says that God has been good to them. I’m waiting for someone to say, “My life sucks outside of this. I denounce God!”
8:30: Why was Pete Carroll standing next to Reed Sheppard?
With the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Spurs select Stephon Castle
8:34: A guard who can’t shoot in the top five? Yikes!
8:35: “The Spurs are getting a winner.” Hey, I know how to win at Magic: The Gathering. Can they pay me millions, too? I can at least shoot.
8:36: Four for four in my mock, by the way!
With the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Pistons select Ron Holland
8:40: The Pistons reach, and everyone on ESPN’s set loves the pick. I give up.
8:41: So many players in the top five who can’t shoot at all.
8:43: The Grizzlies have traded up to No. 7 to get Donovan Clingan, which makes sense, given their need for a center and the hot women Clingan had with him during the intros.
With the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Hornets select Tidjane Salaun
8:51: WTF? What happened to that trade?
With the No. 7 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Blazers select Donovan Clingan
8:54: That non-trade really f**ked me up. I had a write-up for the Grizzlies getting Clingan, and everything!
8:55: The good news is that Clingan has hot women with him. The bad news is that he has to go to Portland. Hopefully rioters don’t burn down his house.
8:56: When are these sideline reporters going to leave the set? I’m tired of these losers.
With the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Spurs select Rob Dillingham
9:03: The Timberwolves traded up for Rob Dillingham. Imagine trading up in this draft class!
With the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies select Zach Edey
9:06: Holy reach, Batman. Zach Edey was likely going in the late teens if the Grizzlies didn’t draft him here.
9:07: This is like drafting a kicker in the ninth round of your fantasy draft because you don’t have a kicker.
With the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Jazz select Cody Williams
9:11: Dan Hurley’s trying to steal Clingan’s girl!
9:12: Stop it, ESPN sideline reporter. Cody Williams’ stats wouldn’t have been much better if he didn’t break his nose.
With the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bulls select Matas Buzelis
9:17: “This is special for Buzelis.” No, ESPN sideline reporter, because he was supposed to go top six.
9:18: Is Buzelis crying because he got drafted, or because he fell out of the top 10?
9:20: Can we go back to seeing if Dan Hurley is successfully gaming Clingan’s girl?
9:21: Buzelis has a smoke show sitting next to him, too. Hopefully Hurley stays away from her.
With the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Thunder select Nikola Topic
9:25: If Nikola Topic ever makes it to the NBA, and he’s on fire from three, people can call him Hot Topic. OK, I’ll stop, sorry.
9:26: “We won’t see Nikola Topic play this year.” Major bummer for the Thunder.
9:27: Dan Hurley no longer trying to game Clingan’s girl.
9:29: The next pick is in, but let’s listen to Dan Hurley talk for five minutes.
With the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Kings select Devin Carter
9:31: Dalton Knecht just fell to the Blazers like Clingan did. How is he not the pick?
With the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bullets select Carlton Carrington
9:36: I like how the Blazers gave up a lot to trade out of this pick. Very strange.
9:37: Miami just gets Dalton Knecht? OK.
With the No. 15 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Heat select Kel’el Ware
9:44: So, Kel’el Ware only recently just started trying? That’s not good.
9:45: Ware looks confused, almost as if he’s trying to figure out how he’s going to get playing time in Miami.
9:46: I don’t know who my dad wants at 16, but I imagine he’d be thrilled if Dalton Knecht were the pick.
9:47: Yes, the 76ers can create tons of cap space, but they’ll probably blow it all.
9:48: Can Paul George keep Joel Embiid healthy?
9:49: Did Dalton Knecht murder someone? I’m not buying age. A 22-year-old just got drafted a few picks ago.
With the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the 76ers select Jared McCain
9:55: T-minus five minutes until my dad calls me and asks, “Wait, this guy paints his nails? Is he some sort of fa**ot!?”
With the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Lakers select Dalton Knecht
9:57: What a steal. My dad is pissed, I’m sure.
With the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Magic select Tristan Da Silva
10:04: Can someone explain why Dalton Knecht plummeted because he’s 23, but Tristan Da Silva didn’t fall despite being 23?
10:05: Jay Bilas just said that Da Silva can play with others, which will be nice for him to avoid standing in a corner for a timeout.
With the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Raptors select Ja’Kobe Walter
10:10: We’re now in an era where we’re seeing players drafted who were named after Kobe Bryant. Wild.
10:13: I actually just assumed Ja’Kobe Walter was named after Kobe Bryant. Then, ESPN confirmed it, so I feel smart.
With the No. 20 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers select Jaylon Tyson
With the No. 21 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Pelicans select Yves Missi
10:19: The Pelicans took like five seconds to make that pick. They really wanted this Missi Elliott guy, so they have to be thrilled.
10:23: These ESPN sideline reporters don’t seem to be interviewing very many people.
With the No. 22 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Nuggets select DaRon Holmes
10:30: Holmes to the Nuggets at 28 will count as a correct pick in scoring because it was the correct match.
10:32: The Nuggets, by the way, reportedly gave Holmes a promise to draft him. This is a big deal because if you break a promise, it’s seven years of bad luck.
10:33: The Bucks need to get someone who can keep Giannis healthy.
With the No. 23 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bucks select A.J. Johnson
10:38: This is the opposite of what Jay Bilas said the Bucks need.
With the No. 24 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Bullets select Kyshawn George
10:44: It’s always weird when one team only moves ahead of the team they trade for, but the Bullets didn’t give up much.
10:45: Wait, is Kyshawn George not the brother of Keyonte George? I just assumed he was.
10:47: Why is the NBA Draft always in New York? New York sucks. They had to call in the national guard because too many people were being thrown in front of trains. Have the draft in some nice suburb where crime doesn’t happen.
With the No. 25 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Knicks select Pacome Dadiet
10:53: OK, I’m sick and tired of all these French people. Time to deport them all.
10:55: ESPN sideline reporter was watching film? Wow, impressive.
With the No. 26 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Thunder select Dillon Jones
11:00: Why did the Thunder trade up for someone they could have gotten in the middle of the second round?
11:01: Will Sylvester Stallone’s transaltor be featured in that show as well?
With the No. 27 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves select Terrence Shannon
With the No. 28 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Suns select Ryan Dunn
11:09: If Ryan Dunn can figure out how to shoot, this will be one of the steals of this draft.
With the No. 29 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Jazz select Isaiah Collier
11:13: I love that the NBA Draft is two days now. It feels so much less rushed. I wish the NFL would make their draft four days. Thursday for Round 1, Friday for Round 2, Saturday for Rounds 3-4, and Sunday for Rounds 5-7.
With the No. 30 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Celtics select Baylor Scheierman
11:21: Thanks so much for joining me and reading my deranged thoughts! I’ll have grades for Round 2 tomorrow, though the selections will go too quickly to have a live blog. We’ll have a Round 2 re-draft as well.
Live 2017 NBA Draft Blog
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Live 2013 NBA Draft Blog
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Live 2011 NBA Draft Blog
Live 2010 NBA Draft Blog
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Live 2008 NBA Draft Blog
2013 NBA Mock Draft – Walt’s
2013 NBA Mock Draft – David Kay’s
