Two 2024 Rookie Gems, Hidden in Plain Sight
The 2024 NBA draft class was all quiet on the media’s front. Still, the flashy factor and the amount of clicks that a certain draft class gets are not good parameters for the talent of a class.
Yes, the 2024 draft class was a quiet one for the media, but there is still no shortage of talent in sight. Ignoring disappointing yet irrelevant Summer League performances, Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher went first and second overall for a reason. Their large builds and surprising mobility made any team believe they can build these raw talents into stars. Heading into the season though, the Wizards and Hawks both look to be bottom-tier teams in an ever-competitive Eastern Conference. Still, there are two early-drafted rookies that can make their impact felt immediately and for the future: Reed Sheppard of the Kentucky Wildcats and Stephon Castle of the UConn Huskies.
Sheppard spent his freshman and only college season at Kentucky, where he lit it up from distance, shooting over 52% from beyond the arc and averaging just over 12 points per game. Sheppard offers an efficient and hard-nosed brand of basketball that is in high demand and fits perfectly into what the young Houston Rockets need. Shepparrd's success is not guaranteed by any means; where his place in the rotation will be along with the way the raw 20-year-old develops will have massive repercussions for how he grows as a player. A perfect Reed Sheppard can be the number 2 or 3 option on a Rockets team that competes with the core of Alpren Sengun, Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr. Most likely though, Sheppard can be an impactful role player that is slotted into any starting lineup or the backbone of a second unit.
As for the Spurs, they got a guy who showed major defensive capabilities in Dan Hurley’s UConn system and will continue to blossom his offensive game to go along with it. As San Antonio heads into the Victor Wembanyama era, Gregg Popovich understands that it’s in his best interest to surround the 7 '4 Frenchman with capable playmakers, wing shooters, and perimeter defenders. Notably, the Spurs acquired shoe-in Hall of Famer Chris Paul through free agency, and his addition will do wonders for the Spurs’ Wembanyama-based playmaking. Stephon Castle’s time in San Antonio begins as the perfect fit in a Gregg Popovich system that has always been defensive-minded. Although Castle struggled from 3 shooting 26.7% in his lone season at UConn, the 19-year-old will be given room to grow offensively while perfecting his defensive game in a defensive-minded system. In a perfect world for Stephon Castle, his offensive talents will explode in his first few years, and he will become an all-around star that, along with Wembanyama, propels them to early 2000’s Spurs success. In a more likely situation, though, Castle is a valuable piece that continuously gives opposing offenses problems while being a quiet yet efficient scorer in an offense that has the capability to be good despite the way he shoots from beyond the arc.
Newly minted San Antonio Spur Stephon Castle celebrates 2024 Men's Basketball National Championship win over Purdue
Like the 2024 NBA draft, Sheppard and Castle are not flashy or extremely exciting. But what they lack in flash, they make up for with their immediate impact that will only grow. It is important to remember these two are extremely young and raw prospects who only have one year of college basketball under their belts. Although they come from prestigious programs that are known for honing NBA talent, their success in the NBA is unlikely to be immediate by any means. Both Sheppard and Castle were picked this high because they have shown flashes of the lethal talents they can grow into. There will be plenty of late pick gems to go along with the promise of these first few picks, and maybe the “weak draft class” allegations can be put to bed by the future success of these rookies.
