Highlights and lowlights from the 2023 NBA Draft

Worst Highlight Reel: Brandin Podziemski

Santa Clara’s Podziemski, who the Golden State Warriors took at No. 19, may be a great fit in San Francisco with his smooth jumper and passing ability. But fans couldn’t have been thrilled with ESPN’s highlight reel for Podziemski. The second highlight in the package showed him throwing a short underhand pass to a different player who hit a jumper. He’s not the most athletic player, but you would expect a few more glamorous highlights from a guy who mostly played against West Coast Conference competition.

Best draft steal: Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets

Whitmore was a highly-regarded prospect coming out of Villanova, but began to slide down draft boards over the past month, allegedly due to “bad medicals.” Those medicals didn’t keep Whitmore from recording a 40.5-inch vertical jump at the draft combine. And for a team like the Houston Rockets that has plenty of young players and future picks already, taking a flyer on a player with top-five talent at No. 20 represented a great gamble.

Worst draft wrinkle: Parent Interviews

ESPN started doing interviews with draftees and their parents in between picks. While the network was clearly trying to offer a heartwarming angle, if you’ve ever been trapped in a water cooler conversation, you know that listening to a parent talk about their children can be interminable. It was especially awkward with the father of Brandon Miller, who raved about his son’s amazing character - a few months after Miller allegedly delivered a weapon to his Alabama teammate.

Best broadcaster: Monica McNutt

ESPN's McNutt managed to make the most of an incredibly difficult situation, talking with a series of teenagers and family members wholly unaccustomed to live television. Sure, it wasn’t hard-hitting journalism and the questions were repetitive, but McNutt brought vibrancy and spirit to a telecast that was otherwise very dry - can we get Jay Bilas a double espresso next year? Or just give Mcnutt his spot on the dais.

Worst high-pressure name: Kobe Bufkin and Kobe Brown (tie)

It’s hard to live up to the name Kobe. Especially for Bufkin and Brown, who seem like very nice players, but not exactly Black Mamba types. When people on the playground shout “Kobe!”, they’re usually rising up for a clutch jumper. If you yell “Kobe Bufkin!” that means you’re probably setting a smart perimeter screen to free up a teammate for a mid-range jumper. Look, there’s a reason we haven’t had any All-Stars named “Shaquille” in the last decade either - it’s too much pressure.

Best trade: Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder moved up two spots from No. 12 to No. 10 to nab Kentucky’s Cason Wallace, a guard with the potential to be a perennial All-Defensive player. OKC forced the most turnovers in the league last season, and Wallace is going to double down on that strength. What did it cost to move up? Taking on the $22 million owed to sharpshooter Davis Bertans. For a team that wasn’t going to spend on free agents, anyway, that’s an easy deal.

Worst draft party: Kris Murray

Maybe it got more exciting later, but an early picture of Kris Murray’s draft party in Iowa City looked deeply, deeply depressing.

Murray, whose brother Keegan set the rookie record for three-pointers last season with the Sacramento Kings, starred at Iowa during the past season. He should bring size and shooting to the Trail Blazers, who took him at No. 23 overall, though we hope he’s not overwhelmed by the big city life in Portland. Don’t worry, Kris. There’s a Courtyard by Marriott there, too

Best fit for both player and team: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Jacquez Jr. is old for a draft prospect at age 22, but he’s very tough. The Athletic described him as an “elite character” guy, which is very Heat Culture. Jaquez overcomes his lack of size and athleticism through his basketball smarts, defensive toughness and a clever offensive game. Honestly, the only thing that would make him more of an ideal Miami Heat player is if he hadn’t been drafted at all. Plus, after living in Westwood for four years at UCLA, moving to Miami should be a seamless fit for Jaquez. His facial hair already looks like it’s from Miami, after all. And you'll never guess his favorite player.

Worst newsbreaker moment: Shams Charania

Earlier Thursday, Shams Charania reported that Scoot Henderson was “gaining serious momentum” to be the Hornets’ pick at No. 2. The report swung the betting odds in Henderson’s favor, an ironic coincidence, given that Charania works for online betting giant FanDuel.

After the Hornets selected Alabama's Brandon Miller, Charania’s archrival, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, couldn’t help but crow about the erroneous report, insisting that Miller had been Charlotte’s target “all along.”

This will only build anticipation for the Shams-Woj rematch in a week, when the start of NBA free agency reignites the newsbreaker battle.