Heading into the NBA season, not much was made of the 2024 draft class, considering the fanfare surrounding the rookies was dwarfed by that of Victor Wembanyama a year prior — figuratively and literally.
However, several players in their first season have shown potential. Amid the turmoil surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers, Jared McCain was looking like a shoo-in for NBA Rookie of the Year before tearing his meniscus in December.
Alex Sarr appears to be following in Wembanyama’s large footsteps as another exciting big man from France. Zaccharie Risacher has looked unfazed since being thrown into the starting lineup for the Atlanta Hawks. Stephon Castle has made an immediate impact after landing in San Antonio.
On Thursday’s episode of “NBA Daily”, Es Baraheni and Alex Hoops discuss whether Castle is the leader for the rookie honor. They also chat about Risacher’s surge in the last few months, whether the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells peaked too early, the rookies with an outside shot to win the award and which member of the current class will be the best player in five years.
Watch the full episode of “NBA Daily” below or on the YouTube channel or via the “NBA Daily” podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
(Photo of Stephon Castle: Jeff Haynes / NBAE via Getty Images)