2023 NBA Draft: Most Underrated Draft Picks

The 2023 NBA Draft had some unexpected twists and turns on draft night. Who were the underrated draft picks on draft night?

The 2023 NBA Draft occured just over a week ago and free agency is just around the corner. Even then, we have already had a wild offseason. During the draft last week, there were some particular fits that seemed to have gone under the radar. Let's dive into three underrated draft picks.

Leonard Miller | Minnesota Timberwolves

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Leonard Miller was the 33rd pick in the draft which came as a shock to some. He is one of the most unique prospects in the entire draft for good reasons. This past season for G League Ignite he averaged a double-double and a lot more credit should be given to him as he did a great job adjusting to a role he wasn’t accustomed to playing. Now that Miller will be in Minnesota, they get a high upside prospect with great defensive tools and offensive flashes.

With Karl Anthony-Towns potentially getting traded, it could open up room for the 19-year old to get real minutes on the court. The G League product is very early into his development stage, but with proper development we could see Miller being the steal of the draft. We likely won’t see Miller play a ton in his rookie year, but when we look back in this draft in five years we could very well be talking about how this was the steal of the draft.

James Nnaji | Charlotte Hornets

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James Nnaji was the first pick in the second round of the draft and there’s reason to believe that he’ll outplay where he got drafted. He is one of the youngest prospects in the entire draft and ending up in Charlotte was probably what’s best for him given that the Hornets are still rebuilding and trying to find the correct pieces to their core. The LaMelo Ball and Nnaji connection could be special given how gifted of a playmaker Ball is and how great of a lob threat the 7-footer is.

Their pick and roll offense together should be very effective as it plays to both of their strengths. The FC Barcelona big man had moments in the Liga ACB playoffs where he gave them valuable minutes which is rare for someone at his age. Nnaji measured in at 7-foot with shoes and has a ridiculous 7-foot-7 wingspan which is one of the longest in the draft. There’s a clear spot in the league for the young big man and having Ball next to him could be very beneficial for the early parts of his career.

Colby Jones | Sacramento Kings

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One of the biggest areas that the Sacramento Kings needed to improve upon is adding some wing defenders. In this draft they ended up doing just that as they drafted Colby Jones with one of their two draft picks. Jones is tough as nails as he has the ability to effectively defend wings at a high level and is arguably the best rebounding guard in the entire draft. The Xavier product is much more than just a defender as he has very good passing skills which’ll go well next to Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.

The improvements the 6-foot-5 wing made as a shooter during his junior year is what took his game to the next level. He’s not considered a knockdown shooter, but you have to respect the jumper and get out to contest it or he could make you pay. The Kings are known to value fit over anything in the draft so it’s safe to say we’ll see Jones play a good amount of minutes this year.

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