First impressions on this year's rookie class
LAS VEGAS — The 2024 NBA draft class debuted over the weekend at Las Vegas Summer League, with the vast majority of this year’s 58 draftees taking the floor in front of packed crowds at UNLV’s Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. The NBA’s annual July summit draws visitors from all corners of the basketball world, with 30 teams actively evaluating not only the top rookies, but undrafted players and younger veterans who are fighting to make the fringes of NBA rosters.
Top picks Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1, Atlanta Hawks), Alex Sarr (No. 2, Washington Wizards) and Reed Sheppard (No. 3, Houston Rockets) were among the headliners, with Risacher and Sarr going head-to-head on Friday’s opening night and Sarr and Sheppard facing off Sunday.
Here’s who caught the eyes of ESPN analysts Jonathan Givony, Jeremy Woo and Kevin Pelton so far.
Washington’s Sarr wows with upside in debut
Sarr had an eye-opening debut, with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in a win against the Hawks and Risacher. There were a handful of jaw-dropping moments from Sarr on both ends of the floor, showing his ability to cover ground with incredible agility, contest shots all over the floor, rotate for blocks instinctually and bring impressive offensive versatility you don’t often see at 7-foot-1.
He pushed the ball in transition, hit a skillful turnaround jumper out of a fake dribble-handoff, attacked closeouts looking to find teammates and made two impressive pull-up 3-pointers, which showed off his tantalizing offensive upside.
As is often the case, there were some sped-up moments, issues handling contact and lapses in awareness and decision-making on both ends of the floor, as he’s very much a work in progress in many ways as 19-year-old big men in his mold often are. But the highs were so incredibly high that it was difficult not to come away bullish on his long-term outlook, even if there will clearly be some growing pains as he figures out his game.
— Givony
Productive, assertive start for Risacher
Some early nerves from Zaccharie Risacher gave way to a confident offensive performance that demonstrated his shotmaking versatility, feel for the game and all-around skill level that made him the draft’s No. 1 pick.
He hit three of his nine 3-point attempts, including a pretty escape dribble pullup and a deep spot-up off a kickout pass. He was given more shot-creation freedom than previously seen in France, aggressively transitioning the ball, spraying passes unselfishly all over the floor, showing nice pace getting to the rim fluidly and finishing skillfully off the glass with his off hand out of pick-and-roll. He hunted pullup 3s all game with mixed results and still has a ways to go with his handle and ability to play through contact on both ends, clearly needing to add strength to his 195-pound frame.
It was not the most impressive performance of the weekend, but there are quite a few positives to take away overall, as he scored in a variety of ways, despite the lack of hierarchy and playmaking on the Hawks’ roster after losing starting point guard Kobe Bufkin to injury just days prior.
— Givony
Former UConn teammates Castle, Clingan square off
Former UConn teammates Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle faced off as opponents for the first time Saturday as the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs. While summer league can be a fickle evaluation, it was intriguing to see both lottery picks removed from the Huskies’ system, providing a sense of their eventual roles in the NBA.
Castle’s jump shot has been the biggest unknown for what type of contributor he might become. He did hit a pair of first-half 3s (including a contested one over Clingan) but also had some bad misses on jumpers, which indicates his game is still a bit of a mixed bag in terms of shot selection and efficiency. It was encouraging to see him get into the paint consistently and make plays off the drive, flashing nice vision in two-man situations and deceptive change of pace.
The Spurs are betting Castle will be able to handle a long-term playmaking role, and the presence of an offensive focal point in Victor Wembanyama lessens the pressure on Castle to be a full-time point guard. Despite five turnovers, he finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting.
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Donovan Clingan gets a rejection for the Trail Blazers
Donovan Clingan gets a rejection for the Trail Blazers
While the Blazers trailed most of the game, Clingan was productive, walling off the paint with his size, winning 50-50 balls and doing a good job on the glass, totaling 13 rebounds and five blocks despite scoring 4 points on 1-of-8 shooting. He was active and made an impact as a deterrent in coverage, also chipping in a block on Castle at the rim late in the game. The shooting component of his game is clearly still theoretical — he looked tentative on a pair of open 3s that he missed — but many around the NBA believe he’ll eventually be able to keep teams honest from long range.
Although neither the Spurs nor the Trail Blazers have lofty expectations for next season, both players will be expected to contribute as rookies. NBA teams have largely been impressed with the way UConn’s staff has prepared this recent wave of talent for the pros. How quickly Clingan and Castle can adapt will be a worthwhile storyline to track this season.
— Woo
Sheppard makes case as draft’s best prospect
Sheppard, the No. 3 pick, topped my stats-based projections for this year’s draft and showed exactly why during his first two games. After scoring 23 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Sheppard followed that performance up with 22 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals against Sarr and the Wizards on Sunday.
After scoring 20-plus points just seven times in 33 games at Kentucky, Sheppard has already done it in each of his first two outings as a pro. Sheppard’s ability to get where he wants with the ball and create separation with a hard crossover has stood out.
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Reed Sheppard shines in debut with 23 points
No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard impresses in his summer league debut with 23 points in a Rockets win over the Lakers.
We already knew Sheppard, who hit 52% of his 3s from the college line, was a powerful shooter. He hit from a listed 27 feet during Sunday’s third quarter, which also saw Sheppard score nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and a pair of assists.
Defensively, Sheppard’s active hands constantly generate deflections. Sheppard had three blocks Friday and racked up a pair of pick-six steals Sunday.
Sheppard joins a crowded Houston backcourt with starters Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, along with 2023 lottery pick Amen Thompson and veteran Aaron Holiday. If Sheppard’s play in Vegas so far is any indication, however, he’ll force his way into regular playing time as a rookie.
— Pelton
Notable rookie performances
Bub Carrington | PG | Washington Wizards
While Risacher and Sarr grabbed headlines in Friday’s marquee matchup, Carrington turned in a poised, all-around showing, just missing a triple-double with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Carrington, who turns 19 on July 21, looked plenty comfortable despite being one of the youngest players at summer league. He flashed the offensive upside and advanced basketball IQ that made him attractive enough for the Wizards to trade to select him at No. 14. — Woo
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Bub Carrington knocks down 2 triples
Wizards first-round pick Bub Carrington cashes two 3-pointers.
Terrence Shannon Jr. | SG/SF | Minnesota Timberwolves
Shannon kicked off summer league with a 25-point showing on 9-of-14 shooting in a win against the New Orleans Pelicans, looking very much like a player who can help the Timberwolves this season. He scored efficiently, looked explosive covering ground, made plays defensively and competed hard — traits that bode well for his chances of delivering value as the 27th pick. — Woo
Cody Williams | SG/SF | Utah Jazz
Williams flashed skills that make him such an interesting long-term prospect in Utah’s one-point win against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. He looked more confident and assertive than at Colorado, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers and using his long stride to attack the paint and score in transition. Finding that level as a scorer more consistently is the next step in his progression. — Woo
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Cody Williams scores on back-to-back possessions for the Jazz
Cody Williams gets up for a huge slam, then on the next possession, drops in a layup.
Ryan Dunn | SF | Phoenix Suns
Dunn’s ability to create havoc on defense was on display in his first game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Phoenix used the 6-foot-6 Dunn as a defensive guard, putting him on the perimeter in a 2-3 zone, pressuring ball handlers. Dunn had three steals and two blocks, including picking Warriors point guard Yuri Collins in the backcourt. — Pelton
Dalton Knecht | SG/SF | Los Angeles Lakers
After a slow start at the California Classic, where he shot 30% in three games, Knecht scored a game-high 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting in his Vegas debut Friday. In front of a crowd full of Lakers fans, Knecht knocked down five 3-pointers and showed vision off the dribble, handing out four assists. — Pelton
