Winners and losers of the first round of the NBA Draft: Kings land the win with Carter

NBA Draft first round winners and losers: Kings land Carter as the winner Originally published on NBC Sports Bay Area

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is over.

Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher went first to the Atlanta Hawks, followed by Alex Sarr, also from France, in second place to the Washington Wizards, before Reed Sheppard from Kentucky went third to the Houston Rockets.

Elsewhere, UConn’s Donovan Clingan went to the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 7 pick, while the Chicago Bulls selected Matas Buzelis with the No. 11 pick.

But while these picks include some of the best-known names in this class, there are others that may prove to be better.

Let’s analyze the 2024 draft with five winners and losers:

When drafting players, the most important thing is to get their profile right. Are they unique enough? Do they have room to develop, and if so, how much? Although the 2024 draft didn’t offer the most enticing talent, Carter from Providence stood out early on.

The Providence guard was 6’3″ tall with a 6’1″ wingspan. In his senior year, he made 37.7% of his 3-point shots on 6.6 attempts, grabbed 8.4 rebounds and has no trouble defending multiple positions regardless of his size.

While the Kings already have several guards, including De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Davion Mitchell and Keon Ellis, Carter is a Day 1 rotation player. He can essentially be a better version of Mitchell for Sacramento, as the former first-round pick hasn’t developed much on offense.

As the No. 13 overall pick, Carter could be of tremendous value to a Kings team looking to return to the playoffs next season.

To be clear, Holland is one of the better 3-and-D prospects in this class. But he doesn’t feel like the kind of guy the Pistons should have taken at No. 5.

At 18, he’s one of the youngest players in the class, standing 6’6″ tall with a 6’0″ wingspan. The G League Ignite product isn’t a great spot-up shooter, but he can attack the basket with his slashing skills. There’s a lot to like on defense, too, but the Pistons didn’t need his profile.

With Cade Cunningham anchoring the team, Detroit hasn’t done a great job of surrounding him with placemakers. Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren are prominent players who don’t shoot the ball well, while Marcus Sasser and Isaiah Stewart provide spacing. But Detroit needs more, as well as players who play on the ball, to climb out of last place in the East.

Holland doesn’t really meet Detroit’s need for a top-five pick, although he will certainly have his uses.

For teams like the Lakers looking to compete for a championship, having older players in the draft isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Knecht, from Tennessee, is 23 and a multi-level scorer who has made 39.7% of his 6.5 attempts per game from 3-point range.

He’s not the best shooter, but he can score in exposed situations or off balance, so he should fit well in several lineups, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

At 6’5″ with a 6’1″ wingspan, Knecht can be a force to be reckoned with on offense, although there are some concerns on defense. But he should also be a useful player for new head coach JJ Redick, who can certainly create plays for him to help him adjust.

LOSER: Bronny James

After rumors swirled that Bronny James might be drafted in the first round, he ended up not being drafted at all. The Lakers took Knecht, as mentioned above, while the Phoenix Suns, another possibility, took Ryan Dunn out of Virginia at No. 27.

The 6’2″ guard has a 6’1″ wingspan and the potential to be a solid 3-point shooter, so he has the potential to be an impactful 3-and-D guard early on. The excitement will be who, if anyone, selects him in the second round.

The 76ers needed more players than Joel Embiid to establish themselves. Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a standout second option, and their latest draft pick could fit that bill.

McCain, a point guard from Duke, is one of the better scorers in the draft. His 6-foot-2 height and 6-foot-3 wingspan have their pitfalls, but he makes up for them with efficient shooting numbers.

In his only season as a Blue Devil, he posted a 46/41/89 shooting percentage with a 10.5/6/2.4 shooting percentage. He will play an important role on the Sixers bench, which could give him solid value as the No. 16 overall pick.

Recognitions

Could be a winner: Tidjane Salaun, Charlotte Hornets

With LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams and Tre Mann, the Hornets have promising young players at every position. Salaün, an 18-year-old from France, could fill the fourth spot. At 6’10” with a 7’10” wingspan, Salaün could develop into a solid stretch 4 if his 3-point shooting and ball skills pan out.

Winner: France

Speaking of France, the European country had the most young players taken in the first round after the United States. Risacher, Sarr, Salaün and Pacome Dadiet (No. 25 overall to the New York Knicks) were the four who were no longer available, although it will take several years to know how successful they will be. However, it is another sign that the game is becoming more international.

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