When the Atlanta Hawks were selected Jackery Resacher with the No. 1 overall pickIt’s been two years in a row that a French prospect has been taken with the top pick, after the San Antonio Spurs selected 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama last year. Riescher’s countryman, Alex Sarr, moved up to second behind Washington, making the pair First international prospects to be selected back-to-back with the top two selections of the draft In NBA history.
Spurs ultimately chose UConn guard Stephon Cassel at No. 4 The Detroit Pistons landed a top-five pick by acquiring Ron Holland from the G League Ignite to pair with Wembanyama.
Opinions and evaluations of the 2024 NBA draft class will vary widely; The lack of consensus on top prospects generated plenty of intrigue Wednesday night. Holland’s move to fifth overall was one of the top surprises as his rise coincided with Donovan Clingan’s fall to No. 7. A star of UConn’s title run, Clingan was considered a potential top-five pick before falling to the Portland Trailblazers. Two-time national college player of the year Zack Eddy is off the board after two picks The Memphis Grizzlies are ranked No. 9 after an incredible performance led by Purdue.
It was a wild night full of ups and downs, and the draft isn’t complete yet. The action will continue with the second round of selections on Thursday afternoon. For now, here are some findings from the first round with the full set of picks from 1-30 below.
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LA got a steal
Most draft evaluators gave Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht a top-10 grade after winning SEC Player of the Year and leading the Volunteers to their second Elite Eight appearance. However, the sharpshooting wing slipped to No. 17 overall to the Los Angeles Lakers. General manager Rob Pelinka said that the franchise “would never have imagined” Knecht would be available there, but he was, and The Lakers took advantage of this by blocking a potential immediate contributor. Who was ranked very high on the team’s draft board. With Los Angeles now in a position to win given the status of stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, Knecht could provide some early help. As a 23-year-old player with refined offensive skills, Knecht is the type of player who can get buckets from day one in the league.
Cal’s final Kentucky class was big
John Calipari’s last season at Kentucky ended in disappointment as the Wildcats suffered a surprising loss to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Calipari left for the Arkansas job after the season, but Wednesday brought two final bullet points to his Kentucky resume. Sole guards Shepard (No. 3 to the Rockets) and Robert Dillingham (No. 8 to the Minnesota Timberwolves via the Spurs) added two late lottery picks to Calipari’s haul during his 15-year tenure at UK. Both players are undersized and came off the bench for the Wildcats, but proved their ability as high-octane offensive options and were rewarded on Wednesday night.
eddie gets a chance
AD’s potential as an NBA player has long been a subject of debate. Although he dominated college basketball at a level rarely seen in modern times, big men like him are a rare breed in the NBA. The Grizzlies are betting on the 7-foot-4 center’s size and skill. Although he was ranked 23rd in the CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings, Memphis moved up to take AD at No. 9. There is a dire need at center and AD should get a chance to contribute immediately as the franchise looks to make a comeback. AD won’t be asked to be a star in the playoffs behind a talented core of Ja Morant, Desmond Benn and Jaren Jackson Jr., but he will need to provide toughness and physicality. Without a 3-point shot in his arsenal – and with limited defensive versatility – AD will have less margin for error. But a move to Memphis ensures he’ll get a fair opportunity to prove he belongs there.