2024 NBA Draft – Instant Analysis

1 Atlanta Zaccharie Risacher B- The idealized version of Risacher is an intriguing offensive talent with shooting range, touch, length, versatility, and skill to spare. He is exactly the kind of two-way wing all 30 teams need, particularly if his playmaking skills progress. The learning curve, however, is expected to be steep, as he has yet to produce big numbers for extended stretches of time against high-level opposition. Will his theoretical upside ever translate to on-court production? He might not win Rookie of the Year, but with hard work and coaching, there is a decent chance we look back on this draft in five years with Risacher as its best all-around player. The problem? Atlanta desperately needs the idealized version of Risacher a few years ahead of schedule. The Hawks arrived at this draft decision late in the game, so there may still be discussions in their front office whether to chase a playoff spot or start a full-scale rebuild by trading one (or both?) of their backcourt stars. A Risacher-led rebuild will be a tough sell, given that the Spurs own many of their picks. Risacher makes sense here, but it is a pick with significant risk attached to it. 2 Washington Alexandre Sarr C Players with Sarr’s physical attributes tend to make a major impact for any NBA defense. Long, fluid 7-footers with rim-protection instincts can usually carve out long NBA careers. Sarr’s upside is much more than that, though, as he brings intriguing ball handling/passing skills to the table – especially the way he can pass out of the short roll. He is a willing shooter with solid base fundamentals. He just needs to make more of them if he wants to be considered a “stretch 5.” If he develops into a more talkative/aggressive defensive presence, Sarr could turn into a difference maker. The main issue? It’s unclear whether he has the drive and the determination to be great. The Wizards don’t have a great track record at turning semi-motivated big-man prospects into high-level contributors, and Sarr won’t step into a franchise with winning habits or a culture of accountability. Tough landing spot for Sarr, but his upside proved to be too much for the Wizards to turn down. 3 Houston Reed Sheppard A It’s not that he is a good shooter. It’s not even that he is a great shooter. Reed Shephard might be the best shooter in this (or any other non-Curry) draft. It doesn’t matter what kind of shot it is – pull-up, off-the-bounce, catch-and-shoot, contested, off screens, spotting up – Sheppard is at or near the top of every category. It’s the kind of shooting ability that scrambles opposing defenses and creates chaos anywhere he goes. An open 3 is a layup for Sheppard. He also has more playmaking/ball-handling ability in his bag than he got to show alongside Rob Dillingham. He is undersized and a likely target for mismatch hunting, but he is a strong-willed, hard-nosed, never-back-down type of player with surprising steals/blocks stats. If the 6-1 Sheppard can finish among the trees and hold his own on defense, he could be a star in the making. He brings much-needed shooting and floor-spacing around Ime Udoka’s explosive squad and will be an immediate fan favorite. Fred Van Vleet is an incredible veteran mentor for Sheppard, as well. Great pick. 4 San Antonio Stephon Castle A Every championship team employs at least one player like Stephon Castle. He is a high-IQ, team-first guard who has the length to play three positions on both ends of the court and the passing ability to keep any offense running smoothly. He plays with terrific energy and handles his business like a winner, which will endear himself to coaches and teammates right away. Can he shoot? That’s the big question. Right now, “streaky” is the most charitable way to describe his shooting. When the shots fall, Castle looks like a multiple All-Star. When it’s not, he plays like a “jack of all trades, master of none” tweener. His floor: High-level role player. His ceiling: Championship contributor. This is precisely the kind of player you want to have around Victor Wembanyama. Castle couldn’t have asked for a better situation, and Wembanyama couldn’t have asked for a better running mate. 5 Detroit Ronald Holland B- It wasn’t that long ago when Holland was considered the best player of his class. He stuffed every column in the stat sheet over two remarkably successful seasons in Duncanville, Texas. But a thumb injury derailed a so-so season for G League Ignite, where he struggled mightily with his shot and never really found the same verve that characterized his rise to the top of the recruiting charts. At his best, Holland is a devastating two-way wing with a phenomenal motor and finishing ability. He can make plays for others and hit the glass on both ends. He has a ton of upside left (won’t turn 19 for another couple weeks) and many expect his attacking style to fit well in the NBA. If his shooting improves, he could be a major part of Detroit’s endless rebuild. It’s a bit of a reach at 5, and Holland is a bit duplicative of Ausar Thompson, but there is a ton of untapped upside here. Detroit at least has a philosophy in place: Surround Cade Cunningham with big-time, high-motor athletes. 6 Charlotte Tidjane Salaun C+ Salaun is a raw-as-sushi wing with incredible size (6-10 with a 7-1 wingspan) and youth (still not 19 years old yet) on his side. Defense will be his calling card early in his career, thanks to his positional versatility and physical tools. Coaches will need to be patient as he learns the finer points of NBA offense. He will commit a lot of turnovers – loose dribble, low-percentage passes – and his off-the-dribble shooting is a major work in progress. He has shown flashes as a shooter, but consistency is still a year or two away. He is a project, but one worth investing in. Is he worth the sixth pick in the draft? No. This is a reach, even if you’re the most optimistic Salaun fan. But Charlotte is in no hurry to win right away. 7 Portland Donovan Clingan B+ Clingan is what would happen if a mountain could play defense. The mammoth UConn center is a major reason why the Huskies dominated college basketball the last two seasons. He obliterates would-be shots at the rim, not just with blocks, but with superior positioning and deterrence skills. He is more mobile than one would expect defending on the perimeter, but teams will still test Clingan on high screen attacks. He is a rapidly improving offensive player, but he is not the kind of center any team would run offense through. Most of his points will come on putbacks or drop-offs near the hoop. He has good hands and terrific instincts, but his horrendous foul shooting (sub-60% both seasons) will limit his overall offensive impact. He also needs to show he can maintain his stamina and efficiency with heavier minutes. But the ideal version of Clingan is one who can anchor a top-tier NBA defensive scheme. The Trail Blazers must be thrilled to see Clingan fall here. They were rumored to be moving up in the draft, worried he wouldn’t be there at No. 7. 8 Minnesota Rob Dillingham A- Dillingham is a one-man highlight reel. The lightning-quick, jitterbug point guard is among this draft’s best ball handlers and pull-up shooters. He can get to any spot he wants on the floor and shoot it with little more than an inch of daylight. He is money behind the arc (44% on 4.5 attempts) and is a major catch-and-shoot threat if he’s playing alongside a co-creator. He plays his heart out on both ends of the floor – a blessing and a curse, as he can often find himself out of position after trying to make something spectacular happen. At only 6-1, 165, Dillingham’s biggest adjustment to the pro game will be finishing near the hoop and matching up with the physicality of the league’s punishing point guards. He is also a shoot-first, shoot-second guard, who only recently realized that he can pass the ball in pick-and-roll situations. If he can find a better shoot/pass balance and find ways to finish against NBA length, Dillingham will be a fan favorite. The Spurs sent his draft rights to Minnesota, where he will provide a major speed injection to the bench unit before taking over for Mike Conley full time. Great fit alongside Anthony Edwards. 9 Memphis Zach Edey B+ Perhaps you’ve heard of Zach Edey. He’s pretty tall. But what may have gotten lost in the nonstop Edey discourse of the last couple years is the significant ways in which his game has matured beyond “tall guy dunks ball.” He turned himself into an automatic bucket if he got the ball in position and he vacuums every rebound within his grasp. 25/12 for an entire season of college basketball is just incredible. And unlike most 7-5 center projects, Edey is remarkably durable and seemingly impervious to fatigue. Edey’s critics call him the next Boban, but he has outperformed that comparison in a major way. He has the size (clearly) and the skills on both ends of the floor to be a significant NBA center. His challenge will come in the open floor, as he will never be a fast-break threat. Defensively, he could excel in a Brook Lopez-style drop coverage scheme, but teams will go out of their way to force Edey into high screen coverage, where he will struggle. No. 9 is a reach, but so what. He is a terrific fit in Memphis, who is in desperate need of a center. Imagine driving to the hoop with Edey and Jaren Jackson waiting for you in the paint. 10 Utah Cody Williams A Much like his older brother Jalen, Cody Williams is a versatile, do-it-all wing with a nice handle, tremendous defensive instincts, and incredible open-court skills. He profiles as a strong secondary playmaker and flashed a much-improved 3-point stroke last year for Colorado. If he can prove that the perimeter shooting is real and not just a one-season fluke, Williams has all the makings of a high-level starter on a perennial playoff team. His defensive upside is especially intriguing, provided he can get stronger and add bulk without sacrificing quickness. He is exactly what Utah is missing. Look for Williams to develop into a core piece of what Danny Ainge is building. 11 Chicago Matas Buzelis B Buzelis is an electrifying – if occasionally sloppy – playmaker with tremendous size and vision for his position. He has terrific feet and hands, giving him the ability to start and stop on a dime and finish in the in-between spaces with good touch. It’s the high-efficiency areas (layups and 3s) that need work. He will need to get stronger to finish through contact and he will need to show whether he’s a 40%+ 3-point shooter or the 27% shooter he was for G League Ignite. Buzelis brings the general outline of Franz Wagner – the pluses (playmaking and size) and the minuses (shot comes and goes). He represents great value at No. 11 in this draft, but it’s a questionable roster fit. Buzelis’s skillset is extremely duplicative of Josh Giddey’s, who Chicago acquired in exchange for defensive mainstay Alex Caruso. Can you play two playmaking wings with subpar jumpers who both prefer to play with the ball in their hands? 12 Oklahoma City Nikola Topic B Topic came into this draft as a possible top-10 selection, due to his incredibly deep bag of floaters and interior passing skills. Topic is one of the draft’s better pick-and-roll navigators and causes chaos the instant he gets into the lane. He is a bit of a rigid jump shooter (his 3-point percentages reflect that), so he will need to get those numbers up to unlock his driving potential. He suffered a significant knee injury in the weeks leading up to the draft, cratering his stock and preventing him from participating in workouts. If his knee heals properly and his jumper sorts itself out, Topic could have a Goran Dragic-esque impact for an Oklahoma City squad that puts a premium on playmaking and ball handling. He might take a redshirt year to get his knee in order, so look for Topic to find ways to contribute around this potential championship-caliber core in 2025-2026. 13 Sacramento Devin Carter A You know how boxing has the unofficial pound-for-pound rankings? If this draft had an inch-for-inch ranking, Devin Carter would be the clear champ. Much like Bruce Brown or Terrance Mann, Carter plays like a giant at 6-3. Providence leaned on Carter for everything – scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defense – and Carter did it all with a fighting spirit. How many guards can knock down 38% of their 3s on high volume while pulling down 8.4 rebounds per game? A team shouldn’t ask him to be its lead ball handler or primary playmaker – the handle is a bit loose for that sort of responsibility – but he can do a bit of everything else. If he can replicate his junior season’s shooting splits at the NBA level and stretch his funky jumper’s range to the deeper line, Carter could be this draft’s big sleeper. He’s already 22, so expect Carter to make winning contributions right away on a Sacramento squad intent on winning a round or two in the playoffs. Love Carter’s fit in a three-guard setup with De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. 14 Washington Carlton Carrington A Bub gets buckets – especially in the areas where the Sloan Conference says you shouldn’t. Carrington has the nastiest midrange pullup game in the draft. He can break down almost any kind of defender in a one-on-one scenario and stick jumpers all game long. Unlike most players with this skillset, however, Carrington also brings a playmaker’s mindset and seems to derive just as much enjoyment setting up teammates as he does scoring on his own. Throw in his size (6-5 with a 6-8 wingspan) and age (just under 19) and Carrington is one of the draft’s most intriguing backcourt talents. However, he is streaky-at-best from 3 and has a hard time finishing against NBA-level length. He’s a below-the-rim finisher without explosive leaping ability. He isn’t a sieve defensively, but he isn’t as disruptive as one would assume, given his measurables. But at this stage in the draft, the positives far outweigh the negatives, especially when the ball is in his hands. He steps into Washington on day one as one of the roster’s most exciting players. 15 Miami Kel’el Ware C+ Ware is equal parts fascinating and frustrating. Few players in this draft possess his unique combination of height (7-feet), skill, hands, shooting ability (42.5% from 3), rim protection (10 boards, 2 blocks per game), and athleticism. He is a freakish above-the-rim athlete who has equal upside as a roll threat or a pop-out shooter. Why isn’t he going No. 1 overall then? It’s unclear whether Ware loves playing basketball. His effort comes and goes, and it tends to vanish entirely if he’s matched up with someone just as athletic but with more physical strength – which will be most NBA players. If Ware puts it all together and someone lights a fire under him, he could be a steal. If anything can get Ware’s mind right, it’s Heat Culture. They won’t let Ware backslide into his bad habits from Oregon. 16 Philadelphia Jared McCain A- McCain arrived at Duke as one of the top shooting prospects in his class. He’s a dead-eye marksman from anywhere on the floor and maintains strong efficiency numbers regardless of the style of shot – catch-and-shoot, off-the-bounce, stepbacks, and even drifting to the side. He is a good ball handler and pick-and-roll navigator with exceptional leadership qualities. At 6-2, he is caught between positions, but his defensive tenacity allows him to play a bit bigger than his frame. If McCain can develop his table-setting skills a bit more, he could work his way into any backcourt rotation with his combination of shooting/defense/leadership. He is an odd fit next to Tyrese Maxey – small backcourts tend to struggle in the playoffs. But McCain brings a complementary skillset and tremendous spot-up shooting to create space for Joel Embiid. Plus, much like Maxey, McCain has an infectious smile and winning personality. 17 LA Lakers Dalton Knecht A What a steal for the Lakers. Knecht is ready to contribute on day one. He is a big-time scorer at all three levels who plays with supreme confidence and flair. Knecht is a big-time 3-point shooter on high volume, and an effective driver against closeouts. He can score with either hand, and he has the athleticism and physical strength to finish through/above contact. He plays with an advanced basketball IQ and always seems to find himself in the right spot making the right play. His NBA future will be decided entirely on the defensive end. He will be ruthlessly and frequently targeted. Can he hold up? Plus, at age 23, he is one of the older prospects in this draft. But Knecht brings much-needed shooting and playmaking to surround LeBron James. Terrific fit for both Knecht and the Lakers. 18 Orlando Tristan da Silva A- Tristan da Silva is smooth. His game has no rough spots, no sharp edges, no herky-jerk, just buckets and dimes. This should not be confused with a lack of effort. Da Silva gets it done with efficiency of motion and high basketball IQ. He is a terrific spot-up shooter (nearly 40% from 3 on high volume) and a crafty finisher at the rim. He can finish and pass with either hand at any angle. Park him at the elbow – particularly if the 6-8 da Silva finds a smaller defender on him – and he will pick defenses apart. He is a tough, willing defender who knows what to do and where to be. He is not an explosive athlete by any means and at 23, his too-mature-for-college game might go through some NBA-level growing pains. But there is a lot to like about what da Silva brings to the table. Orlando is on the precipice of something special here, and it’s easy to see how da Silva’s elite spot-up shooting ability fits in alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Good pick, great fit. 19 Toronto Ja’Kobe Walter B Walter has never met a shot he didn’t like. They don’t always like him back, but you have to admire his attacking mentality. The Baylor guard can get hot at the drop of a hat and fill it up from all three levels, but his efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. He makes up for it with a ferocious mentality on both ends of the floor. He rebounds well for his size and loves to dig into a defensive stance. If his decision-making and ball-handling in tight spaces improve, Walter could provide a nice scoring punch for a Toronto squad that desperately needs some energy and verve on offense around Scottie Barnes. Very good value at pick 19. 20 Cleveland Jaylon Tyson B+ Tyson is not interested in playing at anyone’s pace but his own. Much like Kyle Anderson or Joe Ingles, Tyson forces defenses to adjust to his unique pace/rhythm. It served him well during a breakout, high-usage campaign at Cal, where he did a bit of everything. He is the rare kind of wing who is just as effective in catch-and-shoot situations as he is in bully-ball scenarios. He likely won’t have the ball as often as he did in Cal, which will cut down on his turnovers (more than 3 per game). Tyson’s game doesn’t lend itself to viral clips, but it’s effective all the same. The Cavs are in desperate need of wing depth and playmaking help alongside Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Look for Tyson to work his way into the playing rotation and make winning plays for a team with serious playoff aspirations. 21 New Orleans Yves Missi B- The Pelicans got their man. Missi has bounce for days. The 7-foot center is an explosive leaper and goes out of his way to dunk on people. He gets after it on the glass on both ends, and he has the mentality to thrive in any defensive scheme. He can protect the rim in a drop coverage scheme and switch out to the perimeter in a more frantic, pressure-oriented style. He profiles as a prototypical dive man on offense – not just because of his high-flying lob potential, but because of his fundamentally sound screen-setting and his excellent hands. He is a non-shooter and a poor foul shooter, though, so it is hard to see a path for him to become much of an offensive threat beyond lob dunks and putbacks. He also has a tendency to get in foul trouble, due to both his over-eagerness to block everything in sight and to what can best be called “fatigue fouls” (he played only 23 minutes per game for Baylor). Still, Missi projects as a Mitchell Robinson-style project with more than enough upside to justify his selection here. It’s a bit of a reach, but the Pelicans hope that Missi brings a different athletic dimension to their big man rotation to complement the punishing Jonas Valanciunas. 22 Denver DaRon Holmes A- The worst-kept secret in the NBA is now public knowledge. Denver locked in on Holmes early and never wavered, trading into this pick to make sure the Nuggets got their man. Holmes is an old-school power forward who has grown into a center’s body. During his stellar junior season, he developed into a legitimate shotblocking threat and possible floor-stretching shooter. He turned his subpar perimeter shooting numbers his first two seasons with Dayton into a nearly 40% mark as a junior. If that proves to be more than a one-season fluke, Holmes could be the rare kind of big man who can thrive in either a five-out lineup or as the power forward alongside a more traditional center. He is a bit fast and loose with the ball and his footwork is not as polished as you would like, but there are flashes of Naz Reid’s game in what Holmes brings to the table. Holmes is an immediate upgrade from Zeke Nnaji and will learn from the ideal mentor in Aaron Gordon. The Nuggets need proven, reliable front-court depth, and Holmes is the best bet to provide that at this stage of the draft. Great pick. 23 Milwaukee AJ Johnson C- Johnson is one of the fastest guards in this draft. He is a blur with the ball in his hands, and he can reach top speed almost instantly. At 6-5, he is big enough to credibly play both guard spots. The issue? He can’t really shoot it – not yet. He is a low-efficiency, low-minutes player with a wispy frame and a wonky jumper. But you can’t teach speed. If Johnson can get stronger and a bit more reliable, the Bucks could have a sleeper on their hands in a year or two. Odd that the win-now Bucks use the No. 23 pick on such a long-term project. This is a major reach, even in a down draft. 24 Washington KyShawn George C+ Many scouts didn’t expect George to declare for this year’s draft, but his playmaking upside is undeniable. He can fire pinpoint passes either off the dribble or from the high post, and at 6-7, he can see passing angles other guards can’t. He also flashes a terrific catch-and-shoot game and an emerging off-the-dribble shooting stroke. A lot of this is still in the theoretical stage, however, as George didn’t play heavy minutes for Miami as a freshman. And at 20 years old (21 in December) he isn’t as young as most upside-heavy prospects. He struggled big time on shots inside the arc, and he likely won’t ever be an explosive athlete, but there is an outline of a productive NBA player here. Between George and Bub Carrington, Washington is going all-in with young, playmaking wings. Carrington is a bit further along, but George projects as a nice complementary piece. 25 New York Pacome Dadiet B Dadiet is a young (turns 19 in July), intriguing shooter with enough size and length to credibly play small forward in the NBA. He has a slick array of ball skills and can even make defenses pay without the ball, due to his advanced cutting/movement game. There is a lot to like about his game, but it needs time to mature. He is sloppy and at times careless with the ball – both with his handle and his passing. If his game progresses the way most scouts hope it does, Dadiet could be yet another in a long line of fascinating French prospects to make an impact in the NBA. It’s hard to expect Dadiet to crack the rotation right away for a Tom Thibodeau squad, but the upside is undeniable. Dadiet should do everything he can to soak up what Mikal Bridges has to teach him. 26 Oklahoma City Dillon Jones B I have no idea what to make of Jones. Frankly, nobody does. You would have to go back to the days of Anthony Mason to find a 6-6, 230-pound lead ball handler/shot creator. While most point guards dance and dart through the pick-and-roll game, Jones mashes and smashes. Smaller defenders have no chance against him, thanks to a post-up game that few lead ball handlers possess. He also gets after it on the glass and plays with an unteachable intensity. His 3-point stroke is streaky as best – he’ll need to prove he can at least convert spot-up 3s to secure a roster spot. And his defense needs a ton of work – he struggles on the perimeter and offers next to no rim protection. But fans are going to love Jones’ approach to running an offense. He brings a completely different dimension to Oklahoma City’s five-out, dribble-drive offense. Most of Oklahoma City’s primary ball handlers are lanky and lean. Not Jones. He is a tank on a roster of Tour de France cyclists. He would be a major reach for any other team, but Sam Presti and Mark Daigenault are in complete lockstep with their philosophy. OKC traded into this pick specifically to take Jones. 27 Minnesota Terrence Shannon B+ Shannon plays like a bowling ball released at the top of a very big hill. When he has the ball, his first, second, and third idea is to take it to the rack. It worked wonders for him during his senior year at Illinois, where he tallied 23 points per game on good efficiency. His 3-point stroke is much improved. He is still a bit streaky as a shooter, but it is enough of a threat to keep defenses honest. He is a terrific off-ball defender who can even offer a bit of rim protection. He is nearly 24 years old, though, so there is a likely cap on how much better Shannon is going to get. His draft stock has been all over the map due to some extremely troubling off-the-court legal issues, but was found not guilty. The Timberwolves are making a bet on his playmaking upside. 28 Phoenix Ryan Dunn B+ Dunn is the best defensive wing in this draft. It’s not even close. Dunn excels as both a lock-down one-on-one menace and a team defender. He plays like a future All-NBA Defense mainstay. He’s nearly 6-7 with a 7-1 wingspan and could play any wing position and credibly defend anyone outside of Jokic/Embiid/Giannis types. He is a winning player who knows his role and does whatever it takes to win. Offensively, it’s exclusively backcuts, fast-breaks, dunks, and putbacks for the ultra-athletic Dunn. His shooting is a work in progress. That’s being generous. Forwards can’t post free-throw percentages in the 50s. He takes “non-shooter” to new, unexplored territory. If he miraculously learns to shoot, Dunn could be Herb Jones. If not, his exemplary defense won’t be enough to outweigh his team having to play 4-on-5. This is precisely the type of defense-first glue guy the Suns desperately need to fill out their roster. 29 Utah Isaiah Collier A When Collier has it going, he is a thrilling penetrator who can bulldoze his way to the rim or spray the ball at any angle to open shooters. His top-tier physical strength allows him into areas most 6-3 guards can’t access. His ambition sometimes exceeds his grasp, however. He prefers to go for the “wow” play when the solid play will do. He is turnover prone and occasionally reckless. His perimeter shooting comes and goes, as does his focus/intensity if the game is not going his way. But Utah is the ideal place for Collier to develop his high-upside game. There is a very real chance we look back on this draft and wonder how Collier fell to No. 29. 30 Boston Baylor Scheierman A- Scheierman is a statistical anomaly. Usually, a player that averages nine rebounds per game doesn’t average the same number of 3-point attempts (and make 38% of them), but that’s what Sheierman brings to the table. He projects to be an even better 3-point shooter in the NBA, where he won’t be asked to take nearly as many high degree-of-difficulty shots. He is a potentially devastating movement shooter who can also attack closeouts and navigate plays as the pick-and-roll instigator. He is a high-energy player who brings it every night. He’s big – nearly 6-7 with a 6-9 wingspan – so his defensive limitations will be mitigated somewhat by sheer size. If the nearly 24-year-old Scheierman can hang with NBA athletes, he will find ways to contribute in any offensive scheme. He joins the NBA champion Celtics as an ideal role player who will endear himself to that fanbase immediately. He’s like a bouncier, flashier Sam Hauser. 31 Toronto 32 Utah 33 Milwaukee 34 Portland 35 San Antonio 36 Indiana 37 Minnesota 38 New York 39 Memphis 40 Portland 41 Philadelphia 42 Charlotte 43 Miami 44 Houston 45 Sacramento 46 Los Angeles Clippers 47 Orlando 48 San Antonio 49 Philadelphia Pick Forfeited 50 Indiana 51 Indiana 52 Washington 53 Golden State 54 Detroit 55 Boston 56 LA Lakers 57 Denver 58 Memphis 59 Phoenix Pick Forfeited 60 Dallas