2024 NBA Draft: Will a G League Ignite Prospect be the First Overall Pick?
There’s belief around the consensus that the 2024 NBA draft is considered to be a weaker draft class compared to other drafts and, although that could potentially be true when it’s all said and done, there are still some quality potential star caliber players at the top of this draft.
Arguably the top two prospects in this upcoming draft are on the same team which is an extremely rare occurrence.
Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis are potential number one picks in this year’s upcoming draft and will be playing for G League Ignite. A program which has yet to have a number one draft pick in their three years of existence.
Holland is a 6-foot-8 forward out of Duncanville, Texas and is the current favorite to be the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. He's an athletic forward that possesses elite defensive versatility. He has the ability to defend up and down a lineup and plays with an extremely high motor throughout the entire game. The Texas native is arguably the best defensive prospect in this year’s upcoming draft and will only improve on that end as he continues to fill out his frame and learn more about the X’s and O’s on that end.
Holland’s defensive impact can often make his offensive impact under-appreciated ,as he has a chance to be a top scoring option for an NBA organization one day. As of right now, Holland is best as a slasher in the half-court but he has made improvements as a shooter and shot-maker over the last year. If he continues on the right trajectory as a shooter, then the sky's the limit for him offensively. The handle isn’t fantastic, but given his high-level athleticism at 6-foot-8 with finishing skills, he should be able to pass by with an adequate handle.
Buzelis is a forward just like Holland, but they play two completely different styles. At 6-foot-10, Buzelis has guard-like skills that allows him to be one of the most unique prospects in the entire draft.
The skilled forward can really score the ball, especially inside the arc, where he showcases his difficult shot-making ability and finishing at the rim. The 3-point jumper is a bit streaky but given his scoring instincts and touch at that size, it’s totally reasonable to believe he can become a more consistent outside shooter.
The high level scoring forward will have an interesting transition to the G League as his game fits that style of basketball but he still has some noticeable holes in his game that he’ll have to clean up throughout the year to be a consistent star product on the floor. His ceiling is arguably the highest in the draft and if he hits that ceiling then we could be talking about a 25-plus point per game scorer in the NBA.
There’s obviously a lot that could change leading up to draft night, as we have seen in previous draft years where a prospect shoots up draft boards as the season rolls around.
Given the solid foundation the G League Ignite has built for these young prospects, and the talent level Holland and Buzelis have coming into the G League, it’s going to be a hard race to pass both of these prospects to be the number one pick next year.
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