By Adam Kerr
2024 NBA Draft Prospects
The 2024 NBA Draft class has caused differing opinions among basketball fans and analysts alike throughout the course of this season. What most can agree on is the lack of a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama of last year or the (projected) 2025 first-pick Cooper Flagg. However, the divide on year’s class is more in the overall quality from prospects 1-60.
Some have said that this is the worst class in recent history, while others argue that any team looking for complementary pieces will be excited to make their pick in late June. Today, we will be going through the top prospects in the 2024 draft class with semi-rose-colored glasses. All NBA comparisons will be current players who have had promising careers, and we will be focusing on more of the positives rather than the negatives.
Stephon Castle, UConn
Position: Guard
NBA Comparison: A more offensively talented Ausar Thompson
Stephon Castle might be the most electrifying player in this draft. Coming off of a National Championship with the UConn Huskies, Castle is a consensus top pick in this year’s draft based on his prolific defensive capabilities and valuable offensive skillset. His ability to get to the rim with his athleticism and finish through contact is one that most teams would love to add to their rotation. On top of this, he has a good shot selection and an ability to get to the spots he scores from. With his shot selection, he separates himself from other defensive-oriented guards that have had trouble shooting in the NBA. Castle’s defense, on the other hand, is what makes him such a high-value pick. He puts offensive players on an island, making even the most talented offensive playmakers seem overwhelmed. In this very deep draft class, Stephon Castle may not go number one, but any team that picks him up will be happy they did so in a few years.
Alexandre Sarr, Perth Wildcats
Position: Power Forward
NBA Comparison: Evan Mobley
One of the most commonly-ranked number-one prospects this draft cycle has been Alexandre Sarr. One of three top prospects from France this year, Sarr has consistently been named one of the best players entering the league in 2024. His height coupled with his athleticism make it hard to stop him from putting back any missed shots near the rim. With his size and athleticism, his presence on the fastbreak is as strong as anyone in the world, and he could make an elite lob threat when paired with a talented guard.
Donovan Clingan, UConn
Position: Center
NBA Comparison: Mitchell Robinson
One of the most well-known players heading into the draft, many know why Donovan Clingan is going to be valued highly by teams in need of a reliable center. In 2024, traditional big men who are willing to do the dirty work when it comes to cleaning the glass and having a presence in the dunker’s spot are a dying breed. That is precisely why when a team can get a hold of a good traditional center (i.e. Mitchell Robinson, Ivica Zubac, Clint Capela), they can make them very effective in their system. Of course, because of the way the game is played at this point in time, nobody is expecting a player of Clingan’s archetype to become one of the best in the game. But with Clingan, teams know exactly what they are going to get. He may not have All-NBA type of potential, but he will at the minimum be a star in his role when correctly used in schemes.
Isaiah Collier, USC
Position: Guard
NBA Comparison: Russell Westbrook with a jumper and without the hops
Isaiah Collier is one of the most interesting players in the draft. On one hand, he had great shooting splits at USC last year. He can get to the rim and finish as well as anyone in the world. However, Collier seems like raw talent. A dysfunctional organization should not draft him expecting him to take them to the playoffs because he wouldn’t be able to do that. However, a well-run team with good developmental coaching could easily turn him into an elite role player over time. Ideally, Collier could be in sixth-man-of-the-year conversations, but whether or not he will be given the opportunity to do so is a question.
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Position: Guard
NBA Comparison: Darius Garland
Rob Dillingham may have the highest ceiling of anyone in this draft class. The Kentucky guard has shown flashes of being able to score anywhere from the court, with his space-creating and elite finishing skills. However, he has shown to be indecisive at times, and overusing his gift when it comes to handling the basketball. Like Collier, if Dillingham goes to a structured organization, he has great potential. In fact, Dillingham could be developed into a true star if he is put in the right situation.
Nikola Topic, Crvena Zvezda
Position: Guard
NBA Comparison: Josh Giddey, slower Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Topic is another one of the few players in this draft who are surefire top-ten picks. Out of Serbia, Topic is able to get to his spot in a slowed-down, but hard-to-stop fashion. Speaking of his slowed-down play, he is able to finish at the rim with a basic, slow layup package that defenders had trouble stopping all season. However, Topic has a torn ACL that some scouts will definitely be cautious of when considering him with one of the top spots. Topic’s ceiling may not be too high, but he can definitely thrive in a role similar in importance to Michael Porter Jr.’s on the Nuggets.
Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite
Position: Forward
NBA Comparison: Shades of Gordon Hayward
Matas Buzelis is one of the G League Ignite’s last quality products when it comes to the NBA Draft. Buzelis showed a well-rounded skillset when it comes to each side of the ball. He seems unstoppable when driving to the rim, and just as impossible to score over near the rim. Just like many other players in this class, Buzelis can be a very good complimentary piece to an already-built core, but should not be expected to carry a team like prospects in other classes.