Rating all 58 picks of the 2024 NBA Draft...Picks 1-15.
Call me the professor, because I'm about to give out some grades.
The 2024 NBA Draft was last Wednesday and Thursday, introducing the new class of players entering the league for their rookie seasons.
All of the pre-draft questions have been answered, and trust me – there were plenty about a class that lacked definition at the top. Top fives on big boards changed rapidly throughout the year with a major lack of consensus, even at the end.
Without further adeu, here are my grades on the first 15 picks.
1. Atlanta Hawks – Zaccharie Risacher, Forward, JL Bourg (LNB Elite)
Ht: 6-9 / Wt: 195 / Age: 19.2 years / 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 stocks, 35.2% 3P
As far as fit goes, there isn’t a massive problem with this pick. The problem is that Zaccharie Risacher is essentially a three-and-D specialist, and while that is absolutely a valuable role, it’s not necessarily the kind of player you want to spend the first overall pick on.
Given this draft was so difficult to parse through, Risacher was to me one of the best players in this class. Still, Alex Sarr would have been a better pick here.
Grade: C
2. Washington Wizards – Alexandre Sarr, Center, Perth (NBL)
Ht: 7-1 / Wt: 225 / Age: 19.2 / 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 52.1% FG
My number one player on the board, the Wizards get a good deal here by snagging the best player in this class with the second pick. Alex Sarr is a rangy, athletic big that can run the floor and defend the paint.
He’s not a flawless prospect, of course – he’s not a good enough three-point shooter to be considered a floor-spacer or pick-and-pop threat, and he is noted for lacking hand strength, which can affect rebounding and play finishing.
However, the upside outweighs the cons in his situation and in this confounding draft, Sarr seems like the best combo of high-floor and high-ceiling.
Grade: A
3. Houston Rockets – Reed Sheppard, Combo Guard, Kentucky (NCAA)
Ht: 6-3 / Wt: 175 / Age: 20.1 / 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 52.1% 3PFG, 2.5 steals
One of my favorite prospects in the class due to his mix of best-in-class shooting (52.1% from three on 4.4 attempts per game), elite playmaking (24.1% assist rate), and very solid off-ball defense, Reed Sheppard was about as good a pick in this draft as the Rockets could have made for what they need.
First of all, Sheppard will fit in with the Ime Udoka-led defense with his ability to get in passing lanes off the ball and defend opposing guards at the point of attack. Of course, the issue is that Sheppard is just 6-foot-3, so should he be caught on a switch with a wing of forward, it may spell trouble.
Still, Sheppard is an excellent pick for Houston.
Grade: A
4. San Antonio Spurs – Stephon Castle, Guard, Connecticut (NCAA)
Ht: 6-7 / Wt: 210 / Age: 19.6 / 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 stocks
Stephon Castle was one of the lead guards on the second of Connecticut’s back-to-back National Championship teams, helping the Huskies become the first team to repeat since the 2006-2007 Florida Gators.
Standing at 6-foot-7, Castle has excellent size for a lead guard, built almost like a wing player. He’s an excellent defender, using his size to crowd smaller ball handlers as well as keep up with the jumbo creators that have come to dominate the league.
The problem with Castle however is that he will need some work in becoming the lead initiator that the Spurs want him to be. Adding Chris Paul in the offseason will provide a steady back from which Castle can learn.
His pace is better than given credit for, and I think this pick could work out better than I initially projected pre-draft.
Grade: B
5. Detroit Pistons – Ronald Holland II, Combo Forward, Ignite (NBA G League)
Ht: 6-7 / Wt: 200 / Age: 18.9 / 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 3.2 stocks
Despite how high I am on Ron Holland, I can’t lie about how poor of a fit this is for both he and the Detroit Pistons.
The thing the Pistons need desperately, more than anything, is shooting. They ranked 25th in the NBA in three-point percentage at 34.8%, and have very few legitimate options for scoring outside of the paint. Cade Cunningham is good, but not elite enough to cover up the cracks in the foundation.
Ron Holland is a star in the making, but there could not be a rougher landing spot for the Ignite forward. For one thing, he plays a similar position as last year’s pick, Ausar Thompson, who has also had his fair share of shooting struggles.
If this were pretty much any other team picking at the top, this pick would get a higher grade, but the fit is so awkward, and the grade must reflect that.
Grade: C
6. Charlotte Hornets – Tidjane Salaun, Combo Forward, Cholet (LNB Elite)
Ht: 6-10 / Wt: 215 / Age: 18.9 / 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals
In what was pretty much inarguably the biggest reach of the first round, the struggling Charlotte Hornets took an extremely raw player in Cholet forward Tidjane Salaun, whose athletic tools don’t quite make up for his lack of...well, basketball skills.
This should have been a high-floor pick for the Hornets here, considering the nature of this class. Instead, they drafted a player that may not be in the NBA in three years. Now that sounds harsh, but Salaun has a lot of work to do before he’s playing regular NBA minutes.
*Note: This pick makes even less sense with the (disgusting) re-signing of Miles Bridges.
Grade: F
7. Portland Trail Blazers – Donovan Clingan, Center, Connecticut (NCAA)
Ht: 7-3 / Wt: 280 / Age: 20.3 / 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 3.0 stocks, 63.9% FG
Another member of the 2023-24 National Champs, Donovan Clingan helped anchor one of the most effective defenses in college basketball while also carrying a scoring load and rebounding at a high level.
Obviously, the size is what sticks out. Clingan towers over other NBA players at 7-foot-3, but that’s not the only thing that makes him a good defensive player. He has excellent shot-blocking timing, and is a decent defender in space (relative to other bigs of similar stature).
Clingan is the type of player a team can build around. It will be interesting to see how this works with DeAndre Ayton, though reports as of now are positive from Ayton’s camp.
Grade: A
8. Minnesota Timberwolves – Rob Dillingham, Point Guard, Kentucky (NCAA)
Ht: 6-2 / Wt: 165 / Age: 19.5 / 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 44.4% 3P
The Timberwolves, via a trade with the Spurs, snags one of the best point guard prospects in this class, which is really the only thing holding Minnesota back from full-on Finals contender.
Now, whether Dillingham will be the guy or not will take some time to figure out of course, but the fit is pretty seamless. Dillingham is a Darius Garland-type, a wicked quick guard that can flash to the rim before the defender can even turn his hips. He has an excellent first step and is a fantastic three-point shooter, on volume.
The problem is obviously his size – 6-foot-2 is not the ideal height for a professional basketball player. The size heavily impact his ability to defend, especially if he’s caught on a switch. Still, the selection addresses a need and makes sense, so pretty good pick.
Grade: B
9. Memphis Grizzlies – Zach Edey, Center, Purdue (NCAA)
Ht: 7-4 / Wt: 300 / Age: 22.1 / 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, 62.3% FG
Purdue center Zach Edey was the undisputed best player in college basketball last year, putting up absolutely gaudy numbers in back-to-back seasons, both of which resulted in National Player of the Year Awards.
The tallest player in the draft, Edey stands 7-foot-4 and weighs 300 pounds, but is far from a banger inside – he’s in fact a very skilled big with excellent touch around the rim.
When in the right position by the basket, he’s essentially unstoppable in scoring the ball. The issues with Edey come with his mobility on defense.
While better than given credit for, he’s still not ever going to be an elite defensive center that can guard in space, though he can protect the rim using size alone.
This pick has grown on me quite a bit since the draft.
Grade: B
10 Utah Jazz – Cody Williams, Wing, Colorado (NCAA)
Ht: 6-8 / Wt: 180 / Age: 19.6 / 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.3 stocks, 41.2% 3P
One of my favorite players in this class, Cody Williams, the brother of Jalen Williams of the OKC Thunder, is a wing prospect with a lot of upside. Though not an explosive athlete, Williams is a fluid one, and one who can turn his hips when defending to keep up with faster ball handlers on their first step blow-by dribble.
Additionally, Williams shot 41.2% from three, though his volume was not where it needed to be to consider him a “sniper.” He’s an opportunistic scorer that often finds himself in the right position to score – call it IQ, call it feel. Whatever the appropriate term is, he has it.
This is a great selection from the Jazz here to get a guy that was at one point considered by some to be a top-five pick. He has real upside as a guy that could return value, even in the Top 10.
Grade: A
11. Chicago Bulls – Matas Buzelis, Forward, Ignite (NBA G League)
Ht: 6-10 / Wt: 195 / Age: 19.7 / 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.8 stocks
A Chicago native, Matas Buzelis played this past season with NBA G League Ignite alongside Ron Holland, making his name as a defensive set piece that can affect opposing offenses with his length and intuition on that side of the ball.
The problem with Buzelis is that he is not a floor-spacer – he shot just 27.3% from deep on 3.4 attempts per game, and Chicago, who finished third-last in threes made per game, needs shooting more than anything.
Because the fit doesn’t really work, and I’m not a huge believer in his shot developing, this pick doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Grade: C
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Nikola Topic, Point Guard, Red Star (ABA)
Ht: 6-7 / Wt: 205 / Age: 18.9 / 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals
While Nikola Topic was a player getting true Top Five buzz even a few weeks ago, heath issues really took him out of the top player race. He suffered multiple knee injuries, recovering from an initial setback before succumbing to a torn meniscus.
Topic is a really good pick-and-roll operator, one of the best in the class, and a guy that could for many teams be a lead initiator off the bat. However, the fit in Oklahoma City is questionable at best. Typically led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the offensive end, it’s a bit difficult to see how Topic fits into a lineup that already features a ball-dominant guard, as Topic cannot play off the ball. A bit of a question mark here.
Grade: C
13. Sacramento Kings – Devin Carter, Point Guard, Providence (NCAA)
Ht: 6-4 / Wt: 195 / Age: 22.3 / 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.8 stocks
Devin Carter dominated play in the Big East last season, putting up nearly 20 points per game and winning Conference POTY over stars like Donovan Clingan (Connecticut), Baylor Scheierman (Creighton), and Tyler Kolek (Marquette).
Carter was legitimately the best college player in the conference, and the award wasn’t given incorrectly. The stats speak for themselves, but when you factor in his effort and energy on the defensive end of the ball, his defense holds nearly as much weight as his offense does.
The Kings went BPA here, and they got a good one. I can’t give a full “A” here because of the fact that he has some overlap with De’Aaron Fox, but the fit makes more sense than previous picks, like Topic in OKC.
Grade: B
14. Washington Wizards – Carlton ‘Bub’ Carrington, Point Guard, Pittsburgh (NCAA)
Ht: 6-5 / Wt: 195 / Age: 18.9 / 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists
Carlton Carrington was an exciting player this season at Pittsburgh, a point guard that can really shoot the ball who also has size for his position at 6-foot-5.
The problems with Carrington come with his inability to effectively (A) create separation and (B) get downhill attacking the rim will make it difficult for him to become as effective as an offensive cog as he could be.
Grade: C
15. Miami Heat – Kel’el Ware, Center, Indiana (NCAA)
Ht: 7-1 / Wt: 230 / Age: 20.2 / 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.5 stocks
Kel’el Ware is one of the most confounding prospects I’ve covered. For one thing, he showed flashes of elite rim-runner player that can spread the floor a la Myles Turner.
On the other hand, he had a lot of issues with motor, effort, and staying “locked in,” especially against elite prospects from other college teams. He struggled mightily against players like Johni Broome (Auburn), Zach Edey, and Felix Okpara (Ohio State, Tennessee).
Still, the tools are beyond obvious. The skill, size and athleticism pop so much that it’s hard to ignore. If Miami can get the best out of Kel’el Ware, this will be an A in retrospect.
Grade: B
@keenanwomack on twitter if you want to complain.