Breaking: ESPN’s latest NBA Mock Draft selects kentuckys’ Magic star in the top 10
Will the All-American update his résumé to include “NBA Draft pick”?
The 2024 NBA Draft will soon take place, with the NBA Finals starting in a few days.
A number of former Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to hear their names called for the June tournament. It is nearly a given at this time that Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard will be selected in the lottery.
It makes for a considerably more fascinating topic where they go. ESPN draft analysts Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony unveiled their most recent 2024 NBA Mock Draft on Friday. Four of their players were selected in the 58-pick event.
With Dillingham ranked No. 6 against the Charlotte Hornets, Sheppard is ranked No. 3 against the Houston Rockets. The Dallas Mavericks, who will play the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, choose Antonio Reeves, the team’s top scorer from the previous year, at No. 58. Justin Edwards is selected by the Utah Jazz at number 28.
It’s great to see Reeves recognized for the first time on ESPN after his final season as an All-American with Kentucky Basketball. He has not been drafted in the majority of the projections. But Reeves might be able to sneak into the very end of the selection if draftable players like Mark Sears, Jarin Stevenson, Walter Clayton, Alex Karaban, and even Jaxson Robinson withdraw from the process.
Givony wrote the following about Sheppard:
After finishing at the bottom of the league the previous season, adding shooting will probably be a focus should Houston remain put at No. 3. In light of this, it might be appealing to add a shooter like Sheppard, who made more than half of his 3-point tries and demonstrated his ability to play both on and off the ball. Sheppard would fit in well with the Rockets’ core because of his selflessness, sense of the game, and keen defensive instincts, according to Givony.
Sheppard shouldn’t be expected to go below No. 4, as he would be a perfect fit in San Antonio as well. However, Woo was able to dissect this choice and Dillingham to Charlotte is likewise a solid long-term fit.
In retirement, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell had a falling out.
Less than a month before the draft, Charlotte has been linked to perimeter players. The franchise is reportedly high on Mark Williams’ long-term prospects, which may rule out Donovan Clingan as a draft choice at this time. Ron Holland and Cody Williams are two more guys the Hornets should be keeping an eye on. However, Dillingham is a desirable match because of his playmaking and shooting prowess. Depending on what happens with Ball, he can play with Ball and Brandon Miller in the near future and provide long-term point guard cover.
Even a previous top-five recruit like Justin Edwards has the potential to be a major player at the next level, and both of the prospects who are scheduled to enter the lottery have extremely high ceilings. You should anticipate a continued increase in draft night enthusiasm in the upcoming weeks.
