After a star-studded 2023 draft featuring Victor Wembenyama, Brandon Miller, and Amen and Ausar Thompson, the NBA’s 2024-25 draft class has been remarkably quiet. Basketball media had little coverage of the class and has focused primarily on second-round pick Lebron “Bronny” James Jr.
Number one pick Zaccharie Risacher from the French team JL Bourg has started off his Atlanta Hawks career quietly and inefficiently. Averaging 26 minutes of play-time per game, Risacher is only averaging 10 points per game through the first eight games of his career. However, the Hawks are mostly worried about his inability to shoot the ball productively. Overall, he is shooting 32 percent from the field, placing him outside the top 150 players in the NBA. His three-point percentage is lower, shooting 21 percent. His free throw percentage sits at 68 percent, making him a below-average free throw shooter as well. There has been little to be excited about for the young player,, but much of the season is left for him to correct his shooting.
Number two pick Alexandre Sarr, also from France, has started his season on the Washington Wizards with slightly better numbers than Risacher. He also struggles to stay productive from the floor, averaging 9.8 points and shooting 36% from the floor. However, unlike Risacher, there is a bright outlook for the number two: defense and rebounding. Standing seven feet tall, Sarr has been the second-best rebounder on the Wizards, grabbing seven rebounds per game. More importantly, he is averaging 2.8 blocks per game, making him the fourth-best shot blocker, competing with elite defensive players such as Victor Wembenyama and Chet Holmgren.
The Houston Rockets’ three-point specialist Reed Shepard was selected third, out of the University of Kentucky. Although he was one of the favorites for the Rookie of the Year Award, the Rockets’ stuffed backcourt has led to reduced minutes for Shepard. In front of Shepard are Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green, as well as sophomore players Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. While we haven’t seen Shepard’s full potential on the court, what we have seen has been solid. Unfortunately, until the backcourt clears up, Shepard will unlikely play more than nine minutes per game.
Jumping to the ninth pick in the draft, Purdue superstar Zach Edey was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies. The preseason favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award is averaging 11 points, six and a half rebounds, as well as a block. Unlike other rookies, Edey is shooting 64% from the field and 50% from three. He falls short at the free throw line, where he shoots 43%. This makes Edey a liability at the end of games, because he can be fouled and will likely miss his free throws,severely limiting the minutes he plays. Even still, Edey provides the Grizzlies with a rebounding presence and a great lob threat when paired with Ja Morant’s slashing abilities. Overall, Edey is showing that he can elevate his game to the NBA standard.
A couple of picks later, the Washington Wizards struck again, taking guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington. Carrington has averaged 10 points, four rebounds and five assists, making him one of the most well-rounded rookies. Carrington has started the last five of six games for the Wizards, averaging a respectable 30 minutes per game. Carrington plays a pivotal role in the Wizards offense, averaging more assists than everyone else on the team other than Jordan Poole. Carrington’s shooting percentages have been very good; however, his defense is lacking. As soon as he fully develops his frame and steps into the role of a bigger guard, he could become a real threat to the rest of the league. The Washington Wizards future is bright with both Sarr and Carrington, as well as a newly rejuvenated Poole.