The 77th installment of the NBA Draft goes live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on June 22.

The San Antonio Spurs currently have the first pick in the draft, and their selection is presumably a foregone conclusion. It is widely projected that the Spurs will choose French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick. San Antonio has also been linked to discussions regarding the acquisition of additional first-round picks to pair with Wembanyama. The 7-foot-3 teenager is a double-double machine, with incredible ball handling skills and a surprisingly smooth shot for his size. 

Victor Wembanyama | Season Highlights | 2021-22 pic.twitter.com/tS0CSpaMpf

— Victor Wembanyama Fc 🇨🇵 (@WembanyamaFc) May 20, 2022

Of course, anything can happen between now and the moment that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces the Spurs’ ultimate decision. There are a total of 58 draft choices to be made in the 2023 NBA Draft, and intrigue is building.    

Let’s take a look at how the previous 13 top NBA Draft choices stack up against each other so far. We’ll start with the least productive picks and work our way to the top.

13. Anthony Bennett (2013, Cleveland Cavaliers)

Cleveland’s selection of Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick in 2013 may go down as the worst NBA draft choice of all-time. Bennett was quick and strong at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, but the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) product didn’t transition well. The first Canadian drafted at No. 1 overall in the NBA played 151 career games, averaging a meager 4.4 PPG. Bennett was out of the NBA by age 23. 

12. Ben Simmons (2016, Philadelphia 76ers) 

Ben Simmons exploded onto the NBA scene after missing his first season due to injury, winning Rookie of the Year in 2017-18. Simmons was then named to the All-Star team three times, but has steadily declined in recent years. The verdict is still out on Simmons though, and he has a legitimate triple-double skill set that can come alive. It would be great to see Simmons get past the injury and mental health issues that have been plaguing him lately. Time is of the essence here, and the author is in Simmons’ corner.

11. Cade Cunningham (2021, Detroit Pistons)

We can all agree that it’s way too early to judge Cade Cunningham’s potential career impact. However, based on Cunningham’s peer group in this particular ranking system, he’s only ahead of Simmons and Bennett. Cunningham had a pretty strong rookie season, averaging 17.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 5.6 APG. The Arlington, Texas native played 12 games for the Pistons in 2022-23, having had surgery for a shin injury. It’ll be interesting to see what Cunningham is capable of when fully healthy.

10. Markelle Fultz (2017, Philadelphia 76ers)

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 pick a year after taking Simmons at the coveted top spot. As of this writing, neither Simmons nor Fultz are playing in Philadelphia anymore. Fultz floundered a bit in Philly and struggled with injuries early in his career, but since being traded to the Orlando Magic he has bounced back. The resilient point guard posted career highs for the Magic in 2023 (14.0/3.9/5.7), and has positioned himself for a contract extension in Orlando. 

9. Deandre Ayton (2018, Phoenix Suns) 

Deandre Ayton is a consistent, reliable player who can be counted on each game to score between 15-20 points, while pulling down about 10 rebounds. However, Ayton has never provided much of a WOW factor, and the fact that he was chosen ahead of Luka Doncic leaves a strange taste in one’s mouth. That being said, Ayton is dependable and he helped the Phoenix Suns to reach the 2021 NBA Finals.

8. Andrew Wiggins (2014, Cleveland Cavaliers) 

In an interesting plot twist, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Andrew Wiggins (along with the aforementioned Anthony Bennett) to the Minnesota Timberwolves soon after drafting him in 2014. Wiggins and Bennett were swapped for Kevin Love on the heels of LeBron James’ announcement that he’d be returning to Cleveland after four years in Miami. Wiggins then became the first Canadian player, and the first Timberwolf, to win ROY honors. Ultimately, Wiggins landed with the Golden State Warriors, where he won his first NBA championship in 2022. Wiggins has averaged 19.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.3 APG thus far across a 10-year career.

7. John Wall (2010, Washington Wizards)

John Wall is the OG veteran of this entire group, having entered the league with the Wizards in 2010. When he’s on the court, Wall has the ability to take over a game. Wall is a five-time All-Star, and has an impressive 18.7 PPG/ 4.2 RPG / 8.9 APG career average. The tattooed vet has not won a championship, and at times seemed to struggle as the third wheel for the L.A. Clippers this past season. The window is closing on the totality of Wall’s legacy, but he has already made his mark on the NBA. 

6. Paolo Banchero (2022, Orlando Magic)

Italian power forward Paolo Banchero has proven to be an excellent pick for the Orlando Magic. Banchero averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists en route to winning the most recent ROY award. It’s extremely early to be making any concrete assessments on Banchero, but one gets the sense that he is something special. Perhaps Banchero and Fultz will have an opportunity to push the Magic to contention together. Orlando currently has the 6th and 11th picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, and have an opportunity to build a strong core unit to make a run at the title. 

5. Anthony Edwards (2020, Minnesota Timberwolves)  

The Minnesota Timberwolves front office scored big with Anthony Edwards, who was selected to his first All-Star Game this past season. Edwards posted career highs in points (24.6), rebounds (5.8), and assists (4.4) per game, as he continues to develop into a top-tier player. The Timberwolves will have to pay big-time money to retain Edwards going forward, as he pursues a maximum contract this coming summer. 

4. Karl-Anthony Towns (2015, Minnesota Timberwolves) 

Although Karl-Anthony Towns is rumored to be on the trading block in Minnesota, he has amassed an impressive resume over his eight-year career with the T-Wolves. Towns has helped to lead Minnesota to the playoffs three times, including the previous two seasons. The large Dominican center won ROY in 2015-16, has averaged a whopping 23.0 points and 11.2 rebounds as a Timberwolf, and is a three-time All-Star.

3. Zion Williamson (2019, New Orleans Pelicans)

Has Zion Williamson lived up to the hype? Yes and no, but there is little doubt that Williamson has the potential to blossom into a rare type of basketball talent. Williamson played 29 games in 2022-23, but he averaged 26 PPG (16th-best in the league), 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists when he was on the court. If Williamson decides to focus 100% on professional basketball and puts in the work that is required to achieve true greatness, the sky's the limit. Williamson’s time in New Orleans may be done, but the final chapters of his NBA story are yet to be written. 

2. Kyrie Irving (2011, Cleveland Cavaliers) 

If Kyrie Irving could only play well with others, who knows what he might have achieved by now. As it stands, Irving is an excellent one-on-one player who has bounced between four different teams over the course of his controversial 12-year career. Irving won ROY honors in 2011-12, has been named to eight All-Star squads, and won his only championship ring in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers (and LeBron James). 

It is important to note that Irving led all 12 of the active players discussed here in scoring this past season (27.1 PPG), while posting decent rebound (5.1) and assist (5.5) averages per game. Irving is a complicated talent with gas clearly still in the tank. 

1. Anthony Davis (2012, New Orleans Hornets)

After getting himself acclimated to the NBA in his rookie season, Anthony Davis made the All-Star team eight years in a row. Davis is a three-time block champ, four-time All-Defensive and All-NBA player, and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. 

Similar to Irving, Davis won an NBA title after pairing up with LeBron James. Davis and James won the championship together with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 during the covid-shortened bubble season. The 11-year veteran averaged 25.9 PPG and 12.5 RPG in 2022-23, and is still a dominant player on both ends of the court. Davis is eligible for a contract extension in August, so the Lakers have some decisions to make.