There was no Victor Wembanyama, a generational talent that the San Antonio Spurs (and the league) have hitched their wagon to. And while the hype wasn’t the same, there could eventually be a player similar to Brandon Miller, Jamie Jaquez Jr, or Brandon Podziemski, players who were selected in the 2023 NBA Draft that made the NBA All-Rookie First team and appear to have a bright future with their respective team.
Entering Wednesday’s opening night of the 2024 NBA Draft, it was well documented that the class was one of the weakest in years, with no standout talent. However, with that being said, there have always been players who have either failed to live up to or have exceeded expectations, proving the so-called experts wrong.
Is there an All-Star hiding in the current class of NBA rookies? That remains to be seen and likely won’t happen for a few years.
Yet that does not mean that one of the 58 players picked (a draft is usually sixty, however, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns both forfeited their second-round picks for violating free agency rules) does not have the potential to be a standout player for their team one day.
Players like Yves Missi, who are quite underrated and were only the 21st pick, can become easily one of the best all time New Orleans Pelicans players if they put on the work in training and are injury free.
So, who are the standout names among the ones drafted?
Reed Sheppard – 3rd Pick, Houston Rockets
There is nothing flashy about Reed Sheppard or his game. On a night when most of the young men who walked across the stage were dripped in bling and had the flashiest of “fits”, Sheppard wore a basic, clean-cut look. Don’t let that wholesome “apple pie” look fool you. A combo guard from the University of Kentucky, Sheppard picked up a variety of Freshman of the Year awards during his one-and-done season with the Wildcats.
Averaging 12.5 points coming off the bench, Sheppard connected on 53.6% of his field goal attempts and 52% of his shots from downtown. Standing just 6’2”, Sheppard was one of the smallest players drafted but will be able to take notes from another undersized guard who has found a way to become an All-Star, Fred VanVleet.
Stephon Castle – 4th Pick, San Antonio Spurs
The UConn Huskie has one job next season, feed the ball to Wembanyama and get out of the way. The Spurs seemed to waste most of Wemby’s rookie season by playing the generational talent without an elite or for the most part a capable, point guard. At 6”6”, 210lbs, Castle has the size and talent to play either backcourt position or should be given the keys to the car from the opening game of the season.
After helping the Huskies to a second straight NCAA title playing under Danny Hurley, Castle should fit right into Coach Pop’s system. While his shot is a bit streaky right now, Castle offers enough of everything else to make up for it.
Donovan Clingan – 7th Pick, Portland Trail Blazers
Some might question how or why Clingan, a back-to-back NCAA champion with the UConn Huskies, dropped to the seventh pick after being in conversations for potentially being the top pick. At 7’2”, 280lbs, Clingan is a mountain of a young man who will earn his keep on the defensive end of the court.
While there are questions as to how he will fit in with Deandre Ayton and Robert Wiliams III, clearly the Blazers weren’t going to pass on the best big man in the draft who fits in the rebuild timeline alongside Scoot Henderson. Odds are the Blazers will try to part with either or both Ayton or Williams as the former is owed nearly $70 million over the next two years and the latter is often injured.
Cody Williams – 10th Pick, Utah Jazz
Comparisons to Lamar Odom, Brandon Ingram and even his brother Jalen are fitting of the Colorado Buffalos freshman. As a versatile wing who stands 6’8”, 180lbs Williams will need to add some bulk and strength over the next couple of years, as most rookies do. Williams has the ability to attack the hoop in the open court or hit the pull up jumper both mid-range and from distance.
Although they finished in the same position, the Jazz took a step back record wise last season but appear to have the makings of a team that could challenge for a playoff spot in the near future. Adding a player like Williams is exactly what the team needs moving forward to go alongside Keyonte George and Walker Kessler.
Dalton Knecht – 17th Pick, LA Lakers
He will likely be overshadowed by his fellow rookie with the surname James, but make no mistake about it, Dalton Knecht will be the perfect fit for a Lakers team that is in desperate need of outside shooting. Many experts had the 23-year-old Tennessee Volunteers senior to be picked within the top ten, which made his slide to 17 surprising, but certainly welcome by the Lakers.
During his fifth college season, Knecht connected on 39.7% of his shots from downtown while averaging 21.7 points. Don’t be surprised to see Knecht as the first player off the bench for the Lakers as a high-volume shooter, who can also attack the hoop with either hand. While there have been a number of questionable decisions by the Lakers organization over the past couple of weeks, selecting Knecht was not one of them.