Year after year, NBA draft cycles are loaded with high-profile, star-studded and often generationally labeled talent.
Anthony Davis. Zion Williamson. Victor Wembanyama.
And players like these are quickly becoming the talk of the town, with several of them essentially achieving No. 1 status while still more than a year away from their respective draft picks.
Others, like Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero, weren’t looking forward to the season, but quickly steered their path to it with stellar play.
However, in the 2024 NBA draft cycle, no such talent has emerged.
Before the professional and college seasons began, there was no consensus. Although there were and still are plenty of options.
Right now, Perth Wildcats 7-footer Alex Sarr might be the best bet. A longtime forward with top-notch athleticism, mobility and shot-blocking skills, Sarr feels like an easy path to mainstream NBA success, despite his path to superstardom appearing murky.
Ignite forwards Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland will also be entitled to their rights.
Holland was probably the highest rated to become No. 1 entering the cycle. And after an extremely slow start in the G League, he has come back to life on the offensive end.
Buzelis did the same. Even if we didn’t think he was enough The No. 1 material heading into the season — and suffered an early ankle injury that lowered his stock — he produced well in his short time. And he has all the intangibles at 6-foot-10 that teams will be looking for.
Rounding out the guard options are Isaiah Collier of USC and Nikola Topic of Mega Mis.
Collier has been a scoring machine for the Trojans thus far, but he has his share of flaws, particularly on defense and handing the ball off. Topic, at 6-foot-7, has emerged as a potential No. 1 option with gaudy stats overseas, but wasn’t on those radars before, making him an interesting evaluation.
Ultimately, we could see the NBA Draft Lottery decide who goes first for the first time in a while. This year’s choices may depend entirely on fit, the size of the skills gap.
Either way, there will definitely be fireworks leading up to a fun 2024 NBA Draft next year.
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