It goes without saying: the San Antonio Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft with Victor Wembanyama. Everyone and their mother have known it for over two months now when lady luck sang towards the Spurs' ping pong balls and landed them the No. 1 overall pick. Thursday night was nothing but a formality for San Antonio.

It was apparently a France-themed draft for San Antonio. After waiting for 43 turns to make their next selection, the Spurs took another French prospect in Sidy Cissoko with the No. 44 overall pick. With that, we will give our draft grades for each Spurs pick on Thursday night.

The Spurs are one of the most decorated and storied organizations in NBA history. They were one of the best dynasties in the 2000's with Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili leading the way. And in 2014, they even managed to squeeze one more title out of their aging core with the rise of a budding superstar in Kawhi Leonard helping the Duncan-Parker-Ginobili trio take down the mighty LeBron James-led Miami Heat in convincing fashion.

After Leonard left in 2018, the Spurs haven't been the perennial Western Conference powerhouse they were from the 2000s to the mid-2010s. They have been bottom dwellers over the past four seasons and absolutely bottomed out last year with a 22-60 record. As the touted franchise savior, Wembanyama will attempt to revive San Antonio's fortunes and lead them back to the promised land of winning another title.

Wembanyama may be who everyone in San Antonio is raving about. But they should check out the other player they drafted in Sidy Cissoko. With that said, let's take a look at the draft grades for each Spurs pick on Thursday.

Victor Wembanyama

As mentioned, Wembanyama is going to save this Spurs franchise and lead them back to the mountaintop. The term “generational talent” is used quite loosely nowadays. But Wembanyama is the very definition of one. The NBA has been hyping up this 19-year-old kid over the last couple of years and for very good reason. The world has simply not seen a player like him before — 7-foot-5 with the ability to handle the ball, create on his own, and even pull up from beyond the arc. Just think a supersize Kevin Durant, or maybe a Giannis Antetokounmpo who can shoot the lights out. That's what Victor Wembanyama is.

Wembanyama's combination of size, skill, and athleticism is going to be a nightmare for NBA defenses. And he is going to be a nightmare on the other end of the floor, too, with his terrific ability to protect the rim and swat away shots with his size and length. That is why he might just be the greatest prospect to ever enter, not just basketball, but pro sports in its entirety. 

In his final NBA Draft Big Board, ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel believes Wembanyama will make an instant and drastic impact, not just for the Spurs, but the entire league.

From shooting to passing to going from the perimeter to the post in two steps as a 7’5” big man, Wembanyama will immediately enter the NBA as the best player on his team and quite possibly a top-25 player in the league currently.

It goes without saying, the Spurs receive an A+ for this pick. Heck, just add as many pluses there as you want, too. The Spurs hit the jackpot and more with Wemby.

Grade: A+

Sidy Cissoko

Sidy Cissoko might have been an after-thought on Thursday night as all the headlines were all about Victor Wembanyama. Nonetheless, the Spurs may have found another gem in another French kid at No. 44.

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel had Cissoko going at No. 31 immediately out of the second round. In 28 games with the NBA G-League Ignite, Cissoko averaged 12.8 points, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 block, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field.

Cissoko is 6-foot-7 forward with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. He has great upside as a defender due to his versatility and sound mechanics on that end of the floor. He is aggressive and doesn't shy away from contact and being physical with his man. With his height and length, he could ideally guard multiple positions from one through four.

Offense is where Cissoko will need to polish his game. Though, he does have upside as a catch-and-shoot shooter. He has a solid-looking stroke that suggests he can get his three-point percentage within league average to become a legitimate 3-and-D player in the NBA.

The 19-year-old will likely be on a two-way in San Antonio as the Spurs look to develop his game and turn him into a potential piece for their future core. Considering where they took him, the Spurs may have found another diamond in the rough late in the draft.

Grade: A