Everyone expected that Victor Wembanyama would be selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first-overall pick and that's exactly what happened in the NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City, on Thursday.

People never stopped talking about the 19-year-old French unicorn before and during the draft for good reasons. As the sixth-tallest player in league history with the third-longest wingspan, Wembanyama can dribble to launch fast breaks, pull up to shoot 3-pointers over the head of any defender and is athletic enough to dunk the missed shot back into the rim. He is also an elite shot blocker who will make every opponent think again before charging the hoop.

Of course, Wemby still has a lot of work to do before translating his unique talents into good performances in the NBA. His 107-kilogram weight is too low for his over-2.21-meter height. Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid will eat him alive in the paint. Meanwhile, though modern basketball favors spacing big men, Wembanyama still needs to finish efficiently near the hoop instead of missing shots easily after making physical contact with defenders.

However, before Wemby eats six meals a day to put on muscles quickly, he should know that players in his size are vulnerable to injuries in spite of their weight. He must take his time and make a reasonable plan for him to get used to the NBA in a safe way with the help of the Spurs. Wemby is the third first selection made by the team in the draft since they joined the league. The previous two times, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, both worked well.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Brandon Miller from the University of Alabama with the second pick

Though Miller was a nightmare in Alabama's Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State in "March Madness" this year, fairly speaking, he was held back by a groin injury. Before the NCAA tournament, he shot 40 percent from downtown. He is not an isolation scorer, but he can count on the creative passes from LaMelo Ball to make offensive contributions. Moreover, Miller makes his presence on the defensive end when he struggles to score.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Scoot Henderson from the NBA G League Ignite with the third pick

What message does Rip City's choice send to Damian Lillard? They selected a 1.88-meter-tall, 88-kilogram point guard to pair with Lillard, who is nearly the same size. Unlike, Lillard who is one of the best off-the-dribble 3-point shooter in the league, Henderson attacks more within the 3-point line, though both are aggressive in charging the rim. He is energetic in pressing the ball-handler, but not so much in guarding the target without the ball. Simply speaking, he doesn't seem the best fit next to Lillard.

Lillard has been the NBA's poster boy of loyalty for years and he repeatedly said in public that he wants to stay in Portland, but things change quickly in this league.

The Houston Rockets selected Amen Thompson from Overtime Elite with the fourth pick before the Detroit Pistons selected his brother Ausar Thompson from the same team with the fifth pick

For the first time in NBA history, twin brothers were selected back-to-back within the top five on the draft night. Both Thompsons are bigger and stronger than most players in the guards positions even in the NBA. Amen Thompson is likely to replace Kevin Porter Jr. as the Rockets' starting point guard. As for Ausar Thompson, both he and the Pistons have some thinking to do over how he fits the other two guards, Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.

The Orlando Magic selected Anthony Black from the University of Arkansas with the sixth pick

From the sixth pick in this year's NBA Draft, things became increasingly unpredictable. As a point guard, Black's 2.01-meter height gives him excellent court vision and the ability to guard four positions, at least theoretically. Nonetheless, he is a poor shooter both outside and within the 3-point line, which sounds very much like his teammate-to-be Jalen Suggs. Black's arrival at Orlando is more like another typical move of the tram: Adding talent to the roster before figuring out how to use it.

The Indiana Pacers elected Bilal Coulibaly from Metropolitans 92 with the seventh pick and sent him to the Washington Wizards for the eighth selection Jarace Walker from the University of Houston and two second-round picks

Coulibaly is younger than his compatriot Wembanyama. His stats in the French LNB Pro A this season were mediocre, at best. The Wizards, which began a complete rebuild after three big trades, want him for his raw talent including the 2.19-meter wingspan. The team has enough time to wait for him to grow steadily, though few of their previous similar draft selections ended in success.

Walker has the size, power and athleticism to become a trustworthy defender in the NBA within two years. He can switch to mark perimeter players and is tough enough to tussle with players bigger than him. The Pacers were one of the league's fastest teams with one of the worst defensive ratings last season, they need someone like Walker.

The Utah Jazz selected Taylor Hendricks from The University of Central Florida with the ninth pick

This may sound a bit disrespectful to Hendricks, but he makes a perfect role player to today's NBA teams. Averaging 15.1 points per game speaks well of his scoring ability; shooting 39.4 percent behind the arc means he is a spacing big man; getting seven rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game gives the Jazz good reasons to trust him with paint protection together with Walker Kessler. The Jazz have never been used to tanking for a long time. Selecting Hendricks may help them bounce back quickly.

The Dallas Mavericks selected Cason Wallace from the University of Kentucky with the 10th pick and sent him together with Davis Bertans to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 12th selection Dereck Lively II from Duke University

Many expected Wallace to be drafted outside the lottery (top 14), but OKC apparently disagreed, for good reasons. The team had the sixth-fastest pace in the NBA with the eight-most steals per game during the 2022-23 campaign. Adding a player who had two steals per game can further enhance the Thunder in an area they are already good at: cutting the ball and driving fast break.

The Mavericks managed to get off the toxic contract of Bertans thanks to this trade, probably getting ready to keep Kyrie Irving with a deal that can make both sides happy. Lively II is a 2.18-meter-tall big man who can give the team what they need the most: a huge body that fills the paint. They don't need to worry about his inability to score off-the-dribble because Luka Doncic is totally capable of feeding him enough easy buckets.

The Orlando Magic selected Jett Howard from the University of Michigan with the 11th pick

The Magic made another move to deepen their talent pool. With his 2.03-meter-height, Howard will need to compete for a regular spot on the team's rotations with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Gary Harris. He has some interesting connections in the Magic. He is from the same university as Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner. He is the son of Juwan Howard, who played in the Magic during the 2003-04 season.

The Toronto Raptors selected Gradey Dick from the University of Kansas with the 13th pick

The Raptors have been linked to many trade rumors as nearly everyone on their roster may leave this summer. However, before any deal actually happens, they still need to fix the problems of their lineup and spacing is one of their biggest flaws. That's why they need Dick, who scored 14.1 points while shooting over 40.4 percent from deep per game.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Jordan Hawkins from the University of Connecticut with the 14th pick

According to ESPN, the Pelicans haven't negotiated with any team over trading Zion Williamson in spite of the disappointment he has been both on and off the court. If he can find his dominance in the paint back in the new season, it can never go wrong to add shooters like Hawkins around him. As a relatively old rookie (21 years old), Hawkins scored 16.2 points per game in the 2022-23 season, nearly 10 more than he did in the previous campaign, while shooting 38.8 percent at the 3-point line.