NBA Draft 2024: Who will be the next star to emerge?

The youngest player in the draft is a Cameroonian, and the 18-year-old could make history by becoming the first player from the NBA Academy Africa to be directly drafted into the NBA.

Chomche left his village of Bafang in western Cameroon to join the elite centre of Saly in Senegal when he was just 13 – although he was only allowed to go after promising his parents that if his school grades dropped he would drop out.

A latecomer to basketball, Chomche had only started playing shortly before he was spotted. In Cameroon, football dominates and many players turn to basketball in their teens, when their height becomes an advantage.

This is the case of Joel Embiid, another Cameroonian and NBA MVP in 2023, who said he would have liked to become a professional footballer.

Standing at 2.08m, Chomche demonstrated his defensive skills during the Basketball Africa League, averaging three blocks and one steal per game for Rwandan team REG last year.

Unlike Embiid, who was selected third overall in 2014 and expected to become a star, Chomche is not highly rated by NBA scouts.

However, Pascal Siakam, another Cameroonian, provides an excellent model.

Siakam was drafted 27th overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2016 and later spent time in the G-League, the NBA’s developmental league, where players can compete and hone their skills to prepare for the NBA.

He led his G-League team to a title and won Finals MVP. Siakam then earned a spot in the Raptors’ rotation, winning Most Improved Player and an NBA title in 2019. Now 30, the power forward is a key player for the Indiana Pacers and a two-time All-Star.

Chomche is expected to be a second-round pick, and will start in the G-League to hone his skills. However, if he follows Siakam’s path, his career could be just as fascinating to watch.

Risacher is one of two Frenchmen considered to be in contention for the top pick this year and basketball runs in the family, with his father Stephane a silver medallist with France at the 2000 Olympics.

He is 19 years old but made his debut in Europe’s top basketball competition, the EuroLeague, for French team ASVEL at the age of just 16 in 2021.

ASVEL’s president is Tony Parker, a former NBA point guard who won four league titles with the San Antonio Spurs, and the Texas team has forged lasting ties with France.

He was already considered a promising player before being transferred to another French team, JL Bourg. There, he really worked on his shooting and the scouts hope to see him continue on this path.

Risacher could potentially become a player who fits perfectly into an NBA offense, capable of scoring from anywhere on the court without needing the ball in his hands too much.

He is also a good perimeter defender. But despite his height of 6’8″, his lack of athleticism means he is not considered a great finisher around the rim, nor a good rebounder.

However, he is still young and it is possible that these skills will improve as he develops physically.

Topic is also the son of an Olympic basketball silver medallist, his father Milenko having been a finalist at the 1996 Games, when Yugoslavia was beaten by the United States.

They both played for the same team in their home country, Mega, a team known for producing NBA prospects.

Topic, however, has a very different style of play than Jokic. The 18-year-old point guard is already an excellent passer and a delicate finisher around the rim, who scored numerous goals last season for Crvena Zvezda.

Topic was one of the youngest players to ever play in the Euroleague when he made his debut in the competition at age 16.

In fact, he was only 5 days younger than Slovenian star Luka Doncic when he made his debut in the same competition for Real Madrid. Doncic has become one of the best players in the NBA, playing for the Dallas Mavericks in this season’s finals.

Much like Doncic when he entered the NBA, some are concerned about Topic’s ability to defend.

His performances in Europe have not been nearly as dominant as those of the Mavs forward, who was drafted third overall in 2018.

Topic also suffered a knee injury in January, which he re-aggravated in April, meaning some NBA teams may have concerns about recruiting him at a high position.

Sarr is another Frenchman who could well be the first choice in this draft.

His father, Massar, was a professional player in Senegal and his brother Olivier already plays in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At just 19 years old, he already has an impressive basketball record. He played for Real Madrid’s youth team before joining the Overtime Elite League (OTE) in the United States at the age of 16.

The OTE was created to give young players the opportunity to play professionally and develop their skills in preparation for the NBA. Ausar and Amen Thompson They played there before both being selected in the top five of the 2023 draft.

Last year, Sarr left OTE to join the Australian team Perth Wildcats. He played as a backup for a team that finished second in the regular season and proved to be a good impact player.

The pivot only played an average of 17 minutes per game, but managed to average 1.5 blocks during that period.

He is an impressive defender. At 6’3″ he is not only able to use his size to block shots, but he also uses his speed to stay in front of smaller players.

Defensive versatility is a crucial skill at the NBA level that should attract team managers.