The Guiding Truth of The 2024 NBA Draft

NBA teams must keep this in mind in order to not mess up this year's draft.

Mar 15, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard (15) dribbles against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NBA Draft Class has widely been labeled as weak, and it’s not hard to see why. Unlike in most draft classes, there’s no blue-chip, high-upside talent at the top nor a vast selection of enticing creator bets. In the 2023 Draft Class, Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller all served as better prospects than any option on the board this year. Twins Ausar and Amen Thompson have an argument as well. 

With that being said, there is still tremendous value in this draft class. To acquire this value, though, teams must tailor their strategy to the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s pool. More specifically, the distribution of talent across the guard, wing, and big man positions.

Every year, bottom-of-the-standing squads approach the draft with their top pick and a gaping hole in their offense. Absent perimeter creation, they often use their pick on a promising young creator bet to fulfill this need. However, this class is devoid of promise in the ball handler department. Prospects such as USC’s Isaiah Collier and Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham flaunt upside, but carry too many flaws to reasonably go off the board prior to the top big men and wings in this class such as Frenchman Alexandre Sarr, UConn’s Donovan Clingan, Purdue’s Zach Edey, and G League Ignite’s Ron Holland amongst others. 

A reach for a guard such as Collier, Dillingham, and even more with Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard or Duke’s Jared McCain at the top of the draft would be a mistake. These prospects may appeal to a roster need more than prospects in other positions. But ultimately, there’s such a stark value difference between the top bigs in this class versus the top wings, and to a larger degree, the top guards. A selection of a deeply flawed guard creator bet over a quality big man or wing at the top of the draft would be a firsthand way to feel the “weakness” of the 2024 NBA Draft class.

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