The View from the Top: Matas Buzelis, Isaiah Collier, and Ron Holland
With no Victor Wembanyama as the crown jewel of this year's class, the discourse surrounding 2024's top pick has been scattered. Here are some of the candidates.
- Miles Laurent. (X.com)
The consensus on the 2024 NBA draft class is that it’s a step down from classes of prior years. There’s no Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, or even a media darling like LaMelo Ball to point at and make the class’s focal point so far in the cycle, at the very least. However, the most interesting part of scouting to me is the unknown, and if you want to find unknown, 2024 is the place to start.
As it stands, there’s no clear-cut top prospect in this cycle. The sheer number of names to keep track of as you go down the board is the strength of this class, but when you look at the top of most consensus boards, you’ll rarely see the same player at number one, and oftentimes, somebody’s number one pick could be another’s 10th.
However, as true to the term “consensus” as we can get in a class like this, the top three contenders for that top pick go as such (in no specific order): Matas Buzelis, Isaiah Collier, Ron Holland.
We’re going to go over each of these players one-by-one, and make each of their case for the top pick in next year’s draft. Strengths, weaknesses, selling points, and film will all be included in each player’s analysis. Without further-ado, let’s get into it…
Matas Buzelis, Ignite
Height: 6’10”, Weight: 195 lbs, Age: 18.9
Main Selling Point: Combination of length with a legitimate handle and a deadly jumper in all settings.
Swing Factor(s): Impact on defense in a secondary or tertiary rim protection role, self-creation in isolation/pick ‘n’ roll, interior passing.
Question(s): How big are the athletic concerns as a finisher and how much do his limitations hamper his overall upside?
Matas has been floating around the top of the 2023 class for years now, and has maintained top five status for most of that time. Pushing 6’11” in shoes, Buzelis is at his best playing on the wing as a jumbo two-guard or small forward.
Offensively, Buzelis is slithery and smooth. He’s comfortable knocking down threes in multiple scenarios, whether that be in the catch and shoot or off the dribble — in the half court or in transition as well. Matas’s mechanics from top-to-bottom are compact and fluid. He’s always on balance, and his mechanics are consistent in all settings.
If the ball isn’t in Buzelis’ hands, he’s in constant motion, looking for open space to get room for a shot, and of course, if he’s required to hoist it up, he’s got the size to do it over a contest. He possesses true gravity as an off-ball threat, and it’s clear to see why, especially when you take note of his 43.2% clip on catch-and-shoot threes.
Matas was a defacto power forward for most of his minutes during his senior year, due to his size, and the fact that he was playing alongside some of the country’s top perimeter talent in Miro Little (Baylor), Layden Blocker (Arkansas), and Scotty Middleton (Ohio State); so his actual touches of perimeter creation were somewhat limited.
That said, the handle is clearly evident with Matas, as he almost glides with the ball in his hands. He’s not going to wow you with speed or multi-move combinations, but he’s effective at getting to his shot with his handle, and, of course, draining those shots.
Matas only isolated eleven times in 24 games with Sunrise Christian this past season, but was incredibly efficient in that small sample size, accumulating 13 points and shooting 71.4% from the field.
Matas presents himself as a complete mismatch off the dribble, as even though he lacks a shift or quickness with the ball, his stride lengths, as well as the height on his shot, can be hard to contain for smaller defenders. For larger defenders, he still is very mobile, and can be hard to stay in front of, or has the capability to simply create space off of a step back.
In most of these clips, Matas is working out of the corner. A large part of this is due to lessended spacing in the halfcourt of high school settings, and it can be reasoned to believe that he’ll have a lot more freedom and space in the offense with Ignite. However, his growth and his creativity is going to be something to watch going forward.
An area that Matas has only started to crack the surface with is his passing. Still limited as a self-creator, and with some struggles getting paint touches at times, the vast majority of his assists came from kicking out to shooters, which on a team like Sunrise Christian, was easy offense.
He still drew good amounts of attention, especially on closeouts, which were his main way of getting downhill, throwing a pump-fake or a hesi-cross at a defender off the catch, and getting them off balance, but his lack of an interior presence kept him from generating looks for both himself and teammates at the rim.
While Matas’s playmaking style, which is highly dependent on perimeter shooting, worked well enough with Sunrise, it’ll be interesting to see the development with Ignite, who’s roster is a bit more divided between shooting threats and athletes. He was; however, capable of finding lob targets when they were open, and flashed an ability to find cutters on occasion.
Another swing factor for Matas is on defense. He’s not the most quick-footed defender in the world, and his on-ball defense is a bit of a mixed bag looking over the film. Occasionally, he’s able to overwhelm smaller players with his length, taking away passing lanes just by smothering them with his arms out, but when matched up against a quicker player who comes at him with a plan, it can prove to be trouble.
He’s very upright in his defensive posture most of the time, bending his knees slightly, while keeping his back relatively straight. This raises his already-high center of gravity, to a point where he’s easier to beat off the dribble than he could be, not only making him skinnier, but making him easier to move.
If he can become more flexible, and stronger as well, he’ll project much better as an on-ball defender. As it stands right now, Matas is skinny. And sadly, at 6’10” and 195 pounds with slight shoulder and back structure, it’s hard to picture him putting on too much bulk, although skinny guys adding functional strength is not something that we’ve never seen.
One of the prime examples of Buzelis’ defensive shortcomings comes in his and Sunrise Christian’s matchup against Link Academy, and UNC point guard, Elliot Cadeau. Cadeau is one of the draft’s premier advantage creators and passers, and can hunt out a weak link like nobody else in this year’s class. Against Sunrise, he chose to pick on Buzelis.
Cadeau torched Buzelis routinely with his first step, showing that Matas just wasn’t quick enough to stay next to him most times, or was quick to try and find Matas as a help defender when he got down hill in the pick ‘n’ roll, exposing some slow rotations as Buzelis.
However, despite what he wasn’t able to do against Cadeau as an off-ball defender, protecting the rim, especially as a secondary or tertiary guy, is something that Matas actually flashed consistently. He possesses solid length and vertical pop, and when he has the time to rotate, he’s able to get up and get a good contest on a shot around the rim, if not block it entirely.
Matas averaged 1.5 blocks per game during his senior year, and while a good amount of it comes from the sheer size advantage he had on players — barely having to jump on some, and blocking more than a healthy share of smaller players’ jumpshots — his ability to provide hands-up help around the rim, and swat a shot or two feels like something he could make a name for himself doing on the defensive end.
Relative to his height, Matas doesn’t have the greatest length, with a 6’10” wingspan and an 8’9.75” standing reach, but his rotations in help, and solid vertical pop without the ball make him a reasonable fill-in for a weak-side rim protector.
He doesn’t have the functional length or strength to be a primary defender under the basket, and as previously mentioned, he’s going to have to fill out at the next level, but the flashes he’s maintained year-over-year as a secondary — or even tertiary — rim protector have been promising.
Despite all these potential swing skills for Buzelis, the biggest weakness in his arsenal is his impact around the basket offensively. His finishing numbers overall aren’t bad, by any means. He finishes at 63.5% around the rim and 52.3% on layups in the half court, painting him as an above average finisher, but the tools just don’t show up in the film, and frankly it makes it hard to see how it projects at the next level with Ignite.
Matas is skinny. We’ve said this. He has slight shoulders and an overall slim bone structure that, historically, hasn’t been conducive to elite strength development over time. We’ve seen skinny players in the past, mostly guards, develop as finishers, despite being on the slimmer side, and a lot of the time it’s due to an incredibly quick first step or a handle that is made for creating space or advantages. Both require insane levels of flexibility and explosiveness. Matas has neither. Physically, his finishing potential lacks historical backing.
Adding onto that, Matas is not an above-the-rim finisher to say the least. He needs ample space and a solid head start to get high enough for a slam, leading him to making tough adjustments mid-air, or taking wider steps around the rim before taking off. Rather than heading straight to the rim, through contact, he can get bumped off his spot with relative ease, creating tougher finishing angles.
There were a few times he was able to beat a drop defender with a hesitation out of the pick ‘n’ roll, but his lack of burst out of the initial move gave time for help to recover, and he’d often get his shot swatted off of the glass or out of bounds.
His high center of gravity, as previously mentioned, plays a role in this. He struggles to get low enough to initiate and win at the point of contact and because of this doesn’t create a lot of separation around the rim with bumps. Even for players with higher centers of gravity — someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the outlier — being able to get a shoulder into an opponent’s chest while getting down hill is crucial for creating space to get a shot off around the rim. It’s also essential for balance, and makes changing direction or position, like on a hop step or spin, more challenging.
Even for those lankier players, however, a lot of them have the length and vertical pop to finish over the rim on occasion. The fact of the matter, and the most concerning part of Matas Buzelis as a player, is the fact that there is very little historical backing to suggest that he’s going to be able to generate and convert on looks around the rim, and very little to suggest a path for development in this area either.
However, the question of, “does he need to be a great finisher?” has yet to be answered. A lot of the listed concerns with Buzelis around the rim on offense stem from a lens of self-creation. Top picks are expected to be creating for themselves, but what if Matas can be a star off of the ball, like he was this past year with Sunrise Christian?
If Buzelis can become one of the league’s elite shooting threats, he’ll be able to draw closeouts, and create elite spacing on offense, which will give him a starting spot in the NBA, and could potentially help him smooth out his finishing woes. The threat of shooting can pave way for drives off of closeouts, and Matas is very capable of making something happen when attacking a defender at a disadvantage.
Matas likely won’t be creating many advantages as an on-ball creator, but he has the ability to make things happen for himself and his teammates off-the-ball, whether he’s attacking closeouts, cutting, or moving the ball.
The saving factor for Buzelis could end up being his touch. He’s a knockdown shooter in every variety, and his various indicators (free throw percentage, midrange and three-point shooting, shot versatility) all point towards excellent touch, which can help him convert the myriad of incredibly tough finishes he’ll walk into with his athletic shortcomings.
Overall, I’m not as bullish on Matas Buzelis returning number one value as others in draft circles, but that’s far from me saying I don’t think he’ll be a good player. He’s a long and lanky shooting threat who’s a legitimate danger from outside, and does the things you’d hope for from a starting caliber wing, who can be either your secondary or tertiary ball-handler and rim protector in any given lineup.
The vast majority of my concerns with Matas clearly fall on the physical end of the spectrum, as it’s hard for me to look at him and see how he develops physically, making up for some of his clear shortcomings as an athlete, a finisher, and an on-ball defender.
Draft Range: Mid-to-late lottery.
Projected NBA Role: Mid-to-high level starting wing.
Isaiah Collier, USC
Height: 6’4”, Weight: 205 lbs, Age: 18.9
Main Selling Point: Incredibly fast and nuanced playmaker with a strong body, who gets downhill at will.
Swing Factor(s): Half-court scoring arsenal, ball security/handling.
Question(s): What is there to make of the touch as a whole, and will the jump shot ever become a real threat?
The player who finished the 2023 high school basketball season at the top of both ESPN’s and 247Sports’ rankings is Isaiah Collier, who played his senior season with the Wheeler Wildcats in Marietta, Georgia, and is now taking his talents to the University of Southern California.
The first thing that jumps out when you watch Collier is his frame. For someone who is about as close to a pure point guard as you’re going to find in this year’s class, Collier is thick and burly, with broad shoulders and a powerful lower body. Then, you take note of his speed. Collier is blazing fast, especially in the open court, and it’s the type of speed where he always seems under control.
Transition is where Collier shines the most, and his ability to abuse a defense with both scoring and passing is mesmerizing to watch in real time. He loves to leak out after a turnover, a miss, and even a make; getting ahead of the defense, and using his incredible footspeed to get to the basket. If there’s a defender in front of him, he can use his body as a battering ram, hitting top speeds and beating his man at the point of contact at or around the rim.
Collier’s frame and athletic traits are his differentiating factor as a creator. Over the last few years we’ve had a string of oversized creators securing their spot as the top guard in their class; from Luka Dončić (6’7”) to LaMelo Ball (6’7”) to Cade Cunningham (6’7”) and Josh Giddey (6’8”) to Amen Thompson (6’7”); the future of the primary playmaker in the NBA looks bigger than it ever has.
Now, Collier isn’t small. He’s notably bigger than some of the top guards who dominate the league today, especially coming into the draft. Isaiah is 6’4” and 205 lbs, and while his wingspan is unknown, it’s almost undoubtedly positive from how it shows on film.
His primary form of offense in the half court lies in the pick ‘n’ roll, in which Collier is a master. He surveys with pace, keeping his defender momentarily at disadvantage before attacking, unafraid to utilize the whole arsenal depending on the defender’s position.
Collier can kill an opponent in so many ways in the pick ‘n’ roll. As a passer, he’s adept at spraying shooters, leading them into open space with a pass; high pointing his big men on the roll, getting the ball to where they can only grab it. As a scorer, he can attack downhill when a defender goes over, beating help with speed oftentimes; and is unafraid to pull up from deep if he’s given the space (the jumper itself will be addressed later).
There are a few weaknesses to the way Collier attacks out of the pick ‘n’ roll. He doesn’t possess an elite handle, and while he’s capable of getting to the rim in a straight line with it, he has difficulties making quick changes to his directions and angles on his drives. Pressure can also lead to turnovers with him.
Another avenue for turnovers that Collier has shown a weakness in comes from his slashing. He’s not Kyrie Irving or James Harden in the way that he avoids pressure coming, switching angles or speeds to split defenders as he goes down hill, and oftentimes his speed can catch him in precarious situations as a target for players who like to attempt to draw offensive fouls.
Collier is proven as a talented passer and playmaker, who excels at using his speed downhill to set up his teammates for the best looks possible, but ambition can be his enemy at times. Turnovers were prevalent in Collier’s game-to-game box score, and while you like some of the things he tries, and just have to chalk it up to the talent around him, a lot of it can be blamed on a more instinctual passing style.
This isn’t a bad thing by any means. Collier’s anticipation is something that he flashes often, and the flashes are as advanced as you’ll find in his age bracket. He’s not afraid to experiment with unique deliveries, floating it extra long over a defense to throw off timing, or diverting a defenders expectations by showing one way and passing another.
However, these anticipatory and experimental decisions can be to his downfall at times. He can catch his teammates off-guard, or try to lead them to a place they were never attempting to go. I think some of these turnover problems will be ironed out with reps and more equipped teammates, but it’s going to be something to track regardless.
Another area to keep watch with is going to be Collier’s half court scoring arsenal. We’ve made a huge point of his ability to get to the rim, and finish, but what happens if that’s taken away? Collier’s burst and change of speeds are dynamic, but if they were his only weapon, their value would be severely depreciated.
Collier’s jump shot is the main stem of the issue here. Mechanically, the one glaring issue is the lift. His mechanics are akin to somebody like Collin Sexton. He barely gets off the ground on his shot, and his load-up takes quite a bit of time.
He didn’t shoot the three-ball too consistently or frequently this past season, but when he did, he looked confident enough, often firing from NBA range. A lot of Collier’s attempts were off the dribble, coming off of a screen and firing if the defender played the drive too hard. It’s a safety blanket for him, but a shot defenses will happily concede.
In a similar variety, he likes getting to the mid range jump shot when defenders go over, but the help plays too low. He loves getting to a soft spot of the court between the dunker spot and the corner, fading slightly on these shots.
The main issue that lies in these shots lies in the reality that they are almost always a plan-B for Isaiah, never truly hunting them, and only referring to them when his attempt to get to the rim falls short. Thus, they never truly present themselves as a threat to defenses.
One shot that Collier does lack entirely is a floater. The pinnacle of touch shots, as a shot scouts will look at as a marker for jump shot development.
Perhaps the best example of this is the 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, who exemplified great touch on these shots at Kentucky, despite not proving himself as a marksman from deep early on. However, early into his still young NBA career, Maxey has turned himself into a legitimately great shooter in most facets.
My hesitation with Collier’s jum shooting comes from a lack of trust in his touch overall. He is not a proven shooter in any facet, despite being less hesitant to pull the trigger than other guards in his archetype; but his inconsistency from both beyond and inside the arc, from the free throw line, and his lack of a float game gives me pause.
Can this be developed, is the question? There have been varying results with varying players, but what we’ve seen is that improvement as a shooter is more than possible. Changing one’s jump shot to become a real threat takes time and dedication, but it leaves room for optimism that Collier can one day become a reliable threat with his shot.
The touch will have to come a long way, and to a certain degree, similar to passing vision, it’s something that players are born with. However, the track towards improvement has been laid, and while it’s hard to see Collier ever becoming “elite” with his shot it’s far from unfathomable.
A more reasonable expectation for Collier is in the vein of a De’Aaron Fox-type of player, or on the lower end, a Markelle Fultz. A downhill athlete who can punish a defense with the pressure they put on the basket as both a finisher and playmaker. Neither player is going to punish you with their jumper, but it has become a semi-reliable counter for both when it’s falling.
Overall, I think there’s a proven and valuable archetype that Collier fits into seamlessly. He shines in the forms of offense that are becoming more and more prevalent for point guards to be able to run — especially the pick ‘n’ roll.
He’ll jump into the draft sphere immediately as one of the more exciting and polished playmakers at the point guard position that we’ve seen in recent years. His passing is truly a spectacle to watch, and as he continues to blend it in with his slashing and potentially counters in the mid range area, he’ll only become more and more dangerous as a playmaker.
The jump shot has a way to come, even with the occasional flashes, but the mechanics raise major questions, and the consistency in itself is a major red flag. It’s the biggest issue and potential swing factor in Collier’s stock for me. Not something that will make or break him, but the difference between a starter and an All-Star (or better).
I’m pretty confident having Isaiah Collier close to, or at, the top of the 2024 NBA draft class. Playmakers of his caliber are just hard to find at such a young age, and combined with his tools, it’s easy to see the upside. His archetype is scattered throughout the highest level of play, and even if Collier isn’t the best player in that group, he’ll certainly add value with his skillset.
Draft Range: Top five-to-early lottery
Projected NBA Role: Starting-to-All-Star caliber point guard
Ronald Holland II, Ignite
Height: 6’8”, Weight: 200 lbs, Age: 18.2
Main Selling Point: Athletic and versatile wing defender with consistent flashes of on-ball creation.
Swing Factor(s): Handle development, pick ‘n’ roll defense, off-the-dribble shooting.
Question(s): What is his offensive role if he doesn’t pan out as a creator and what position is he at his best guarding?
The player you’re most likely to find at the number one spot on boards and mocks thus far into the cycle is G-League Ignite star, Ron Holland, from Duncanville, Texas. Holland’s recruiting journey is a little more complicated than the other two prospects detailed in this piece. He started out committed to the University of Texas, his hometown team, before dropping his commitment.
Holland, of course, would land with Ignite as the primary fixture of their 2024 class, which may end up being their deepest in the developmental program’s history. So what makes Holland the top gun of this squad?
To start, Holland projects as the best non-big defensive player in this class. He flies around the court with blazing speed, flips his feet and hips with precise fluidity, and creates turnovers for his squad with consistency. His rumored 7’1” wingspan and quick hands help him to get into passing lanes, poke the ball away from dribblers, and fly in for chase-down blocks and quick rotations.
Above all though, Ron’s motor is what scouts love most about him. He’s unafraid to put his body on the floor, diving for loose balls, and he will happily jump for a block or an offensive board, rotating into position like his life depends on it; or after creating a turnover, will push the ball up the court himself stampeding down the court to try and get the quickest bucket possible.
Ron is a real threat in transition, no matter how he ultimately gets the ball. He can grab a rebound and beat everybody up the court or leak out and get an easy dunk. He’s a supreme athlete who knows how to use his amazing physical tools to get his way in the open court.
He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands and shifty with a head of steam, possessing a really crafty handle for someone with his length, especially at the speeds you often see him going. In transition with Holland, you’re almost guaranteed a shot at the rim or free throws at the very worst. Even after a make if the defense isn’t set, Holland can expose it, getting downhill and typically finishing with force.
As a finisher, Holland is among the best in the class. If he’s not flat-out finishing above the rim, his flexibility and length allows him to make acute adjustments to get a more advantageous angle at the basket. He converted around the rim with great efficiency and in all varieties.
Ron simply lived at the rim this past season, and as someone who started the vast majority of his possessions on the perimeter, that’s a great feat. He gets downhill with ease due to a monsterous first step, and has the capability to maneuver around help or strong-side pressure.
He’s not just incredibly bursty, but possesses great lower body flexibility and core strength, allowing him to maintain balance through contact, rising up and finishing through or around it with more ease than most players a lot of the time. He won’t wow you with his vertical pop, but his functionality as a jumper is undeniable, absorbing contact, and hanging in the air to keep advantages.
Occasionally, you’ll see Holland change directions with his handle, crossing over to find another angle to the rim, but a majority of the time, he’ll simply beat them with his first step alone. Now, this isn’t a bad thing, and in the bits we’ve seen of him with Ignite thus far, it seems as though improving his skill as a creator has been a huge focal point of his training.
His continued progression with his handle is going to be the difference maker between him being an on-ball star and a complimentary piece on offense. He attacks closeouts well, and has showed improvement countering on drives with step-backs and euros, but keeping the dribble alive is where he lacks.
Ron moves the ball really well for someone who’s been a primary offensive weapon at every level he’s played at. He’s entirely unselfish, and even if his vision isn’t the greatest, and he’ll likely never be a true point-forward, but he’s never going to be a guy who clogs the offense by holding onto the ball for too long. He’s got great touch on his passes, and can find his teammates’ chests or shot pockets with consistency.
This makes Ron incredibly valuable, even if he doesn’t live up to the traditional expectations of a number one pick. Not only can he be your best wing defender, but he’ll do all the little things you would love from your third or fourth option.
Even if Ron never develops an elite handle, or other avenue to beating defenders in the halfcourt, he’ll still have to draw attention off of the ball, and the best way to do that, of course, is with a great jump shot. This also happens to be the biggest swing factor for Holland’s offensive projection.
On first glance, Ron’s mechanics look smooth. It’s a one-motion shot for the most part, with a good follow-through; so why has consistency been an issue for him? By my own analysis, it starts with the lower body. Perhaps the most important part of shooting consistency is generating energy in a repeatable way throughout your body, starting at the feet and ending at your release.
Ron’s footwork looks different on each of his shots from the perimeter, and thus, his feet distance, angles, and knee bend is slightly different on each one of his shots. This will change his shot from the ground up, from how hard he has to flick his wrist, the angle of his arms on his follow through, as well as the arc and spin on the ball.
Take the images below, from Ignite’s recent two exhibition games, for example. The image on the left is what Ron’s feet look like on a make whereas the image on the right is a miss. The image on the right clearly depicts a more balanced Holland, feet angled at the basket, and in line with his shoulders while the left depicts a disjointed load-up with feet angled inwards, and out of line with any part of his body.
When he has been able to get his shot up in a consistent manner, he’s flashed creation upside on the perimeter, as we saw in Ignite’s showcase games against Perth. He stepped back in the midrange from three, drilled shots in the catch-and-shoot, and ultimately was able to show what makes him a potential two-way superstar.
It is encouraging though, when you look at how confident Ron looks pulling the trigger. Even in high school, with a shorter line, he was confident pulling up from NBA range. Though the results varied on these types of shots, misses ranging from back of the rim to air balls, the fact that Holland’s willingness to shoot has never waivered is encouraging. Against Perth, he showcased his growth, draining four-of-nine three point attempts, and was making them in all varieties.
The only thing stopping Ron from being the true number one pick is how many of his flashes come to fruition, or how many of his questions get answered. He has all the tools and talent to be an elite wing at the next level, but if he doesn’t develop into a consistent shooting threat or doesn’t develop an array of counters off the dribble, is he a valuable offensive player as is?
Clearly, predicting no offensive improvement is much more of a hot take than saying that Ron will make great improvement over his career, but I do believe there are ways for Ron to add value on that end as is. As we’ve covered, even if the shot isn’t following, he’s got the confidence to fire, and that is going to draw closeouts, which Ron is adept at attacking and finishing off of.
As we’ve also covered, Ron is an incredibly willing passer for someone with his offensive upside. He’ll catch the ball, and immediately swing it to a relocating shooter to keep the defense moving, and while being able to hunt your shot is necessary, knowing when not to is part of being able to play effectively at NBA pace.
Overall, I think a low-end outcome for Ron is in the mold of other highly-selected athletes at the wing position like Josh Jackson and Isaac Okoro. While those guys had clear weaknesses or shortcomings on the offensive end; however, Ron simply has questions. He’s not a non-shooter or a non-handler, simply someone who requires refinement in those areas.
There is a world where Holland becomes one of the league’s elite wing defenders and a reliable third (or better) option on offense, or even a star on both ends. He has all the athletic traits, all the physical tools, and all of the willingness and signs of growth this early into his career, that I’m more than willing to trust him to continue to grow deeper into his basketball journey.
Archetypally, he fits a valuable niche, and one that we can find in just about every starting lineup in the league in one shape or form. Players that can guard an opponent’s best perimeter player while giving value offensively, either through ancillary skills or star-level creation will always hold value. Ron just fits that on paper and on film.
Draft Range: Top three-to-five pick
Projected NBA Role: Great-to-elite two-way wing
While there still isn’t a Victor Wembanyama-level, or by some accounts, a Scoot Henderson-level talent that we can pen in at number one in our mocks, there’s still a lot to like at the top of 2024. The battle for the top pick is going to have many more contenders than we’ve seen in recent years, and the many different types of players we’re going to see in the conversation is going to yield a much more varied consensus than we’re used to. Whether it ends up being one of the players detailed above or someone completely different, discussion for the top pick in 2024 is still wide open.