The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is in the books.
Zaccharie Risacher from France went first overall to the Atlanta Hawks, with Alex Sarr, also of France, following at No. 2 to the Washington Wizards before Kentucky's Reed Sheppard went to the Houston Rockets at No. 3.
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Elsewhere, UConn's Donovan Clingan went to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7 overall while the Chicago Bulls picked Matas Buzelis at No. 11 overall.
But while those picks feature some of the most prominent names of this class, there are others who could turn out to be better.
Let's analyze the 2024 draft with five winners and losers:
WINNER: Devin Carter, Sacramento Kings
Drafting players is all about getting their profiles right. Are they unique enough? Do they have room to grow and how much if so? Though the 2024 draft didn't have the most enticing talent available, Carter of Providence stood out early on.
NBA
The Providence guard measured at 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan while making 37.7% of his 3-pointers on 6.6 attempts in his final year, hauled in 8.4 rebounds and has no issues guarding multiple positions, regardless of his size.
The Kings may already have several guards, most notably De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell and Keon Ellis, among others, but Carter is a Day 1 rotational player. For Sacramento, he can essentially be a better version of Mitchell since the former first-rounder hasn't developed much offensively.
At No. 13 overall, Carter could be tremendous value for a Kings squad hoping to bounce back into the playoffs next season.
LOSER: Ron Holland, Detroit Pistons
Let's make it clear: Holland is one of the better 3-and-D prospects in this class. But he doesn't feel like who the Pistons should've gone for at No. 5 overall.
At 18, he's one of the youngest players in the class with a 6-foot-6 frame and a 6-foot-11 wingspan. The G League Ignite product isn't a great spot-up shooter but can attack the basket with his slashing skills. There's plenty to like defensively, too, but the Pistons didn't need his profile.
With Cade Cunningham anchoring the team, Detroit hasn't done too well with surrounding him with floor spacers. Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren are prominent players who don't shoot the ball well, with Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart providing the spacing. But Detroit needs more, as well as on-the-ball creators, to climb out of the bottom out East.
Holland doesn't really fix any of Detroit's needs for a top-five pick, even though he'll have his uses.
WINNER: Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
For teams hoping to contend like the Lakers, older players in the draft aren't necessarily a bad thing. Knecht of Tennessee is 23 and is a multi-level scorer who converted 39.7% of 6.5 attempts per game from 3-point range.
He's not the best shot creator, but he can score in spot-up situations or off-balance, so he should fit well in several lineups that include LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Knecht can connect the dots offensively even though there will be some concerns about him defensively. But he should also be a useful player for new head coach JJ Redick, who can certainly devise plays for him to help his acclimation process.
LOSER: Bronny James
After some buzz that Bronny James could be picked in the first round, he ended up not being called at all. The Lakers grabbed Knecht, as aforementioned, while the Phoenix Suns, another possibility, took Ryan Dunn out of Virginia at No. 27.
The 6-foot-2 guard has a 6-foot-7 wingspan with the potential to be a solid 3-point shooter, so he has the ability to be an impact 3-and-D guard early on. The intrigue will be on who selects him in the second round, if anyone does.
WINNER: Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers have needed more players beyond Joel Embiid to create on their own. Tyrese Maxey has developed into a standout second option, with their newest draft pick potentially fitting the bill.
McCain, a point guard from Duke, is one of the better scorers in the draft. His 6-foot-2 frame with a 6-foot-3 wingspan has its woes, but he offsets it with efficient shooting numbers.
In his lone season as a Blue Devil, he recorded a 46/41/89 shooting split on 10.5/6/2.4 volume. He'll have a role to play off the Sixers bench, which could become robust value at No. 16 overall.
Honorable mentions
Could be a winner: Tidjane Salaün, Charlotte Hornets
With LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and Tre Mann, the Hornets have promising youngsters at each position. Salaün, an 18-year-old from France, could fill the fourth spot. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Salaün could develop into a solid stretch 4 if his 3-point shooting and on-the-ball abilities pan out.
Winner: France
Speaking of France, the European nation had the most first-round prospects behind the U.S. Risacher, Sarr, Salaün and Pacome Dadiet (No. 25 overall to the New York Knicks) were the four off the board, though it won't be known how successful they will be until a few years down the line. Still, it's another sign the game is becoming more international.
