The not-so-big reveal is here. With about a month-and-a-half remaining until the 2024 NBA Draft beginning on June 26, it’s time for the first edition of At The Hive’s 2024 NBA Draft Big Board.
There’s as little separation between all the lottery prospects as I can remember — a handful of prospects are still in the conversation for the No. 1 pick, and it seems like there’s almost no consensus among draft analysts on the lower-half of the top-10 as well. For me, personally, nearly every player in the top-16 has slid up and down all year, with Alex Sarr and Nikola Topic the only consistent top prospects for me. I’ve never been less confident in a class since I started scouting and making big board rankings in 2019. But on the bright side, that just means the discourse surrounding these prospects will only become more compelling as the two-day draft inches near. Fun times are ahead!
The 2024 big board will be posted under the At The Hive 2024 NBA Draft Rankings page, located right near the top of the screen. Click here to open it in a new window or tab.
Rather than elaborate on every prospect in each big board update, I’ll make note of some of the prospects I’m higher on than consensus and talk about why. We started with Topic and Providence’s Devin Carter last week — DaRon Holmes II and Xaivian Lee will be in focus this time around.
Let’s start with Holmes, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound center out of Dayton. The 21-year-old has started every game throughout his three seasons with the Flyers, peaking at 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks per game this past season en route to a consensus All-American nod, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award, and a Round of 64 victory over 10-seed Nevada in the NCAA Tournament. Holmes also earned an All-Atlantic 10 team and Atlantic 10 All-Defense selection every year in college — simply put, few players across the nation have collected more awards and accolades over the last three seasons.
Gifted with prototypical size and length for a rim-runner, Holmes has steadily improved his skill level on-ball at Dayton, capping it off with a huge leap as a shooter this season. Now a legit pick-and-pop threat with quality footwork and shot prep out of screens, at any direction or angle, he’s tall and has quick enough release to shoot over the top of most defenders. He utilizes that rim-runner frame in the open floor and off the roll, and he’s mobile enough to switch a bit on the defensive end — he’s also a productive shot-blocker with a classic drop defender profile.
I’ve always liked him in years past, but the shooting/passing/driving flashes this year have taken him to a new level. Don’t see why he can’t become a Nic Claxton-type with more shooting (and slightly lower ceiling on defense). Spot-starter level bigs are worth a top-20 pick to me in this class and I’d bet on Holmes filling that role for a competitive team in due time.
Lee, an unheralded prospect out of Princeton, is perhaps my favorite player in the draft. The 20-year-old Ivy Leaguer played a reserve role during the Tigers’ Sweet 16 run in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and was the driving force behind their 24-5 record and Ivy League regular season title this past year. Lee averaged 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season, starting all 29 games played and earning a spot on the 23-24 All-Ivy team. He was also featured in a very cool and interesting GQ profile alongside fellow Ivy League guard, Malik Mack, for what it’s worth.
Lee is a shifty ball-handler and deep-range shooter, a true point guard that takes care of the ball, sets the table for teammates and creates looks for himself at the first and third levels of the court. An accurate over-the-head passer when the defense commits to him on P&R and he dishes it out to the shooter, he’s also really good at shifting between falling into place as an off-ball player — the Princeton offense requires players to move around, working for cuts and off-screen shots all while being assertive as a shot creator.
What’s most impressive, though, is Lee’s bottomless bag of step-backs, side-steps, and creative, herky-jerky movements to create space for jumpers. The long, athletic strides, gathers, and hop steps going towards the rim are impressive for a skinny sophomore. He does not fear contact or contests at all, and can contort to finish around length. As evidenced by his per-game averages, Lee is an active rebounder for a guard — overall, he has a very athletic lower body, but little upper body strength. Apart from lacking an NBA frame, Lee has the shooting, finishing, athleticism and frame of an NBA guard — that physical development should happen a lot quicker in an NBA strength program than Princeton’s. Last but not least, he has that dog in him. You’ve gotta be a dog to become an NBA Draft prospect after two seasons in the Ivy League.
That’s all for now. Once again, click here to see volume one of the At The Hive’s 2024 NBA Draft Big Board. Thanks for watching.
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Chase Whitney
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