My Ten Favorite Prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft

I wanted to write this article as we approach the 2024 NBA Draft and give you all some of my favorite players in this draft. I've seen several different draft content creators tackle this idea in different ways, but I think I'm just going to go in random order and talk about guys that I've been high on throughout the draft process. Some of these guys are at the top of the draft class, some of them won't even get drafted, and there are a few in-between. With all of that said, let's jump right into it.

Riley Minix - 6'7" 230lbs - Wing/Forward - Morehead State

It would be hypocritical of me not to start with my favorite player in this draft class, a player who I'm probably higher on than any evaluator in the draft community. Riley Minix is a player who came up from the NAIA, where he was the best player in the nation at that level. He then had a prolific season at Morehead State and won the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year award. At this point the biggest doubt for him was his level of competition, as he was dominating against mid-major competition. So, what did he do? He torched Illinois in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. He's a strong forward who scores at an efficient clip from all three levels. He's up there with the Rob Dillinghams and Bub Carringtons when it comes to difficult shot making, but he has also showed consistency knocking down his bread-and-butter shot attempts. He's a force not only on the offensive end, but also on defense. He's agile and quick enough to defend the perimeter, and strong and athletic enough to defend big men in the interior. He's the definition of a glue guy, and I think if he's given the chance, he will prove that he's a very solid NBA role player. Whatever team ends up with him, more than likely via the undrafted free-agent market, will be incredibly lucky and should be grateful that their scouting department is doing their job.

Ron Holland - 6'8" 206lbs - Guard/Forward - G-League Ignite

I feel like the majority of us draft nerds are higher on Ron Holland than the big media outlets seem to be. I don't really get how he's not a consensus top-five prospect, as I currently have him at number-two on my personal big board. He's a hyper athletic, positionally versatile, two-way player who has shown time and time again that he's willing to put the work in to improve behind the scenes and give it his all on the court. I am a sucker for players who truly care about the defensive end of the court, and I can say with certainty that Holland is one of those players. He's also a consistent three-point shot away from being an uber-dynamic scorer on offense. Like most of the guys who decided to go the G-League Ignite route, I think their numbers look worse than they would have had they decided to go in a different direction. I am a huge fan of Holland's ceiling and developmental potential as I believe him to be one of the most naturally talented players in this class. When you combine natural talent like his with a strong will to succeed you are destined for success.

DaRon Holmes - 6'10" 235lbs - Forward/Center - Dayton

People see big men who are able to handle the ball like a wing, shoot like a wing, and jump out of the gym and just act like it's an everyday occurrence. I know what I see when I watch DaRon Holmes, and I see a guy who has a very good chance at making a significant impact on winning basketball at the next level. Holmes primarily played the five at Dayton, where he showed off his three-level scoring abilities, elite defensive acumen, and rock-solid rebounding. He had a fantastic season this year and helped lead Dayton to the second-round of the NCAA tournament where they lost to a stacked Arizona team. His ability to play on the perimeter on both ends gives him enough positional versatility to give whatever team drafts him a ton of options as far as roster building and rotations are concerned. Again, very rarely do you see a big man who is this skilled and this fluid with the basketball. You especially don't see those guys this year in a draft that doesn't have a ton of top-end talent. I think most evaluators are coming around on Holmes at this point in the cycle, but I still think a lot of folks are lagging behind and need to catch up, and quick.

Malevy Leons - 6'9" 210lbs - Wing - Bradley

Here is a guy who has just gotten absolutely no love in the draft community, and I really don't get why. He was one of the best defensive players in the country this year and has now racked up two MVC Defensive Player of the Year awards. He's a super versatile wing with great height and length who does everything right on the defensive end of the court. He could realistically guard positions 1-5 at the collegiate level, and even though I think that looks more like 2-4 at the NBA level, that's still nothing to scoff at. He's a fantastic all-around disruptor and just an amazing rim protector in help. I just have a very hard time believing he wouldn't be able to make an obvious impact on the defensive end for a lot of teams in the NBA, many of which greatly struggle in that department. Then on offense he's a solid outside shooter with a consistently good game around the rim and in the mid-range. He's a timely cutter, a smart secondary playmaker, and a very good rebounder for a wing. There just isn't a big enough hole in his game for me to warrant any real concerns about bust potential; he seems like a pretty safe bet to be a good player at the professional level. Much like Minix, a team is going to pick him up as a UFA, plug him into their system, and sit back and relax as he does his job to perfection.

Kel'el Ware - 7'0" 230lbs - Center - Indiana

I always knew that whenever Kel'el Ware decided to enter the draft, he would be one of my favorite guys in his class. I was a big fan of his out of high school, as he impressed me as a hyper-skilled 7-footer who I assumed would make a major impact on both ends of the court at the collegiate level. However, he had a slow freshman campaign at Oregon, so when he transferred to Indiana last off-season, I was hopeful that a change of scenery was all he needed to excel. Luckily for me and all other Kel'el Ware supporters, he had an excellent season in his lone year as a Hoosier. While he was slightly inconsistent, his highs were incredibly high, and what I saw was a big man who I believe can make a serious impact on winning at the NBA level. Ware is an incredibly fluid and athletic center with fantastic size who uses a combination of these physical tools and pure natural skills to impact the game in a positive way. He's a super versatile offensive big who is capable of scoring from all three-levels as well as both below and above the rim. On defense he's an excellent interior defender and rim protector but is also agile enough to defend the perimeter far better than most big men. The issues with Ware are his effort level, motor, and competitive edge. He can space out on the floor from time to time, and just not give his all every game. This led to inconsistency throughout the season and is why he's not considered one of the top prospects in this draft. That said, I'm fairly confident that Ware will be able to lock in at the next level and I think that when he does, he will mirror his highs far more than he mirrors his lows.

Tyler Smith - 6'9" 224lbs - Forward - G-League Ignite

My second G-League Ignite player on this list, I am simply higher on these guys than most evaluators. Why? Because the now defunct program put these players in the worst possible positions to succeed, so if they were even decent that tells me that those players are solid. Players such as Ron Holland, Matas Buzelis, and Tyler Smith, who were better than just decent, are likely far better than what we saw from them this year. For example, Tyler Smith is a true forward with great size who just so happens to be one of the best shooters in this draft. In the modern era of basketball where stretch-fours are so very valuable, Tyler Smith should be a much bigger name in this year's draft. He's also fantastic in the pick-and-roll, cementing himself as a super versatile screener as he's obviously very dangerous when he decides to pop instead of roll. He's a constant lob threat, meaning he offers real vertical spacing in addition to his outside shooting. He really struggled as a defender, but again I attribute a lot of this to how poorly G-League Ignite players were coached and prepared for their matchups. His size and fluidity suggest that he should be at the very least a capable defender. Even if he ends up being slightly below average on the defensive end, he offers so much value on offense that I think he's a lock to make a positive impact. I'd be very excited if I ended up with Tyler Smith in this year's draft, especially if I have solid defenders on my roster to surround him with.

P.J. Hall - 6'8" 240lbs - Forward/Center - Clemson

I must admit, when P.J. Hall measured in at 6'8" instead of his originally listed 6'10" I was forced to slightly drop him on my big board. Why? Because I actually think he's at his best playing the five, which now looks far more difficult. I will also admit that Hall's success heavily hinges on where he lands. That said, I absolutely loved Hall's game at Clemson, and I think he offers a ton of value as a backup big. He's a really good shooting big, he's a very solid post-scorer, and he was one of the best passing bigs in all of college basketball last year. His athletic testing at the combine was fantastic, as he was one of the few players to come in at over 40" in the vertical leap. As a frontcourt player who will be playing a ton of minutes at the center position, that leaping ability is a massive asset. He's a for-sure second-round pick on most evaluator's boards, but I really do think his best fit may be with Denver, who have the 28th pick as of today. He's like an ultra-diet version of Nikola Jokic, a center who can shoot and pass with the best of them. If he were the backup five in Denver, who desperately need a backup five out of this draft, he would be able to maintain their offensive philosophy when Jokic is off the floor. I don't think nearly enough people have talked about this fit, as it's one of my favorite potential landing spots for any player in this draft.

Jamal Shead - 6'0" 200lbs - Point Guard - Houston

Small point guards aren't usually the safest bet out of the draft, but Houston's Jamal Shead is difficult to deny. The best player on a top-five team in the nation last season, Shead is the definition of a winning basketball player. His 13 points per game doesn't jump off the screen at you, so why is Shead such an impactful player? Because the dude is simply a game breaking perimeter defender. The only player in this draft who I think is a superior defender to Jamal Shead is Ryan Dunn, who is a 6'6" athletic beast. He very well may be the best pound-for-pound defender in this draft, and I just don't see a world where his defensive talents don't translate to the NBA level. The obvious hold up there is his size and versatility, but I just don't think that will be a big enough factor to completely void him of defensive value. On offense he's a solid scorer, but where he really makes a difference is his playmaking and passing. He was an elite floor general in college, and while I don't expect him to be a premier playmaker at the next level, I think he's more than capable of running a bench unit. Players of Shead's defensive caliber have undeniable value at every level of basketball, and I believe that his undeniable value will be obvious for whatever team he lands on.

Oso Ighodaro - 6'10" 220lbs - Forward - Marquette

Oso Ighodaro is a player who has slowly been climbing my big board over the past few weeks, and I expect him to comfortably be in my late-30s or early-40s by draft day. This is a player who I am fairly confident in as an NBA role player. His feel for the game, overall basketball IQ, and comfort playing a supporting role is all I need to see to know that he will stick in the league. I think his floor is last guy in the rotation, and his ceiling is solid starting forward. I think it could be argued that a player who you know will be a capable role player in the league is worth a first-round pick, the issue is that I'm confident that a lot of the prospects this year will be role players in the league. What separates Ighodaro is his role-playing preparedness, as he was an elite role player at Marquette. Playing alongside one of the best players in the country in Tyler Kolek, Ighodaro played the role of an elite screener, roller, and passer for the Golden Eagles. He did all of the little things to ensure success for his team, and I believe that this mentality will translate seamlessly to his role in the league. I think he has one of the better understandings of the game in this draft and is probably extremely coachable. This is a player who a contender would be incredibly happy to have, as he will be able to play impactful bench minutes the second he steps in the league.

Isaiah Crawford - 6'6" 215lbs - Forward - Louisiana Tech

As a massive mid-major supporter, I have to include Isaiah Crawford on this list. I will admit, he was not a guy I was regularly watching throughout the season, so even I was late to the Isaiah Crawford train. He was a dominant force for the Bulldogs this season, eventually winning both the Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He's an incredibly well-rounded player who, as his awards haul would suggest, makes a major impact on both ends of the floor. Most guys of his archetype would have some sort of major offensive weakness, but Crawford really doesn't. His outside shooting volume isn't fantastic, but he has knocked down the three at a 40%+ clip the past two seasons. You could maybe point to his turnover issues, but at the same time that tends to be an issue for every mid-major stud who shoulders an otherworldy number of in-game responsibilities. I would say the two biggest drawbacks for Crawford are his age as a five-year college player, and his size as a 6'6" forward. That said, if older players are going to get drafted it's this year, and Crawford plays way bigger than he actually is. He's strong and athletic enough to defend bigger forwards, and agile and quick enough to punish slow-footed big men. I'm really not sure what his ceiling is at the next level, but I do believe that his versatility offers an incredibly high floor.

So those are "my guys" in this year's draft. I think most of these guys will end up getting drafted in a couple of days, but even the ones who don't will be hot commodities on the undrafted free agent market. I'm incredibly excited to see these guys get their first action in Summer League, as I expect them all to make an impact right away. The only guy here who I firmly believe will be an all-star is Ron Holland, but guys like Kel'el Ware, Tyler Smith, and DaRon Holmes have serious all-star upside. Everyone else is going to have a long career as a productive role player, which I think is what teams should be looking for in this draft. Don't be surprised when one of these players has a championship ring after their first season in the league.