Happy Draft Day!
Check out below as I answer five questions entering the 2024 NBA Draft, which will take place tonight and tomorrow at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
1. How weak is the 2024 NBA Draft?
Weak from the perspective that there’s not many franchise players at the top of the board, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not several players available that can’t have very good careers in the NBA. This is the type of draft where you could get the same type of player at 10 that might be available at four or five. If I had the first or second pick tonight in Brooklyn, I’d do everything I could to trade down and make a deal.
2. Which college program will have a big two days in Brooklyn?
UConn. The back-to-back reigning national champions have been college basketball’s model program under Dan Hurley and the Huskies should have more big moments ahead over the next 48 hours at the Barclays Center. Two players from UConn — Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle — are essentially locks to be taken in the first half of the lottery while two others — Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer — could be steals in the second round. This program had five players — Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, and Denham Brown — drafted in 2006. It could have four drafted in 2024.
3. Which lottery pick is not receiving enough attention?
Ron Holland. The 6-8 forward was one of the hardest playing prospects in the 2023 class and was headed to Texas before he opted to instead spend a year in the G League. A versatile player who can defend either forward spot, Holland is a prime example of someone who many forgot about because he didn’t have a platform like college basketball to promote his game. While his jump shot remains somewhat in question, this guy can provide real value to a team because of his DNA. Armed with a quality blend of ferocity and intangibles, Holland often dethrones opponents with the biggest weapon he has — his heart.
4. Which player is being vastly underrated?
Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman. Finding a quality role player in the late first or early second round would be considered a major success in the eyes of any NBA executive and that’s what Scheierman could be for a long time in the NBA. The 6-6 wing made a combined 280 three-point shots over the past three seasons all while shooting 36.4 percent or better from long distance during that span. Scheierman could be a quality piece in someone’s rotation next season after five productive years in college basketball.
5. Will Bronny James be drafted?
Only if the Los Angeles Lakers take him with the 55th overall pick. James’ agent Rich Paul publicly stated last week that the 6-2 combo guard has only worked for two teams — the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. After observing James in a preseason workout last summer at USC, I felt that he had the potential to be a solid, multi-year college player with strong defensive potential and an underrated ability to pass the ball. Delayed gratification unfortunately was never in the cards for this young man. There’s absolutely no way that he’d be talked about as a draftable prospect if he wasn’t the son of LeBron James.
