With only 5 weeks remaining in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season, we’ve seen enough of this rookie class to be able to draw some meaningful and substantial conclusions—mainly, this is shaking up to be one heck of a class. Based purely off of the sample size we’ve been able to evaluate so far, it’s not hyperbolic to say we may be looking at an all-time great class. Just as we recognize the ‘84, ‘96, and ‘03 drafts as all-time great classes, it’s well within the realm of possibility that we could one day be reflecting back upon the ‘23 draft in that same light. Of course Victor Wembanyama—who Adrian Wojnarowski notably called “maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports”—is the headliner, but he is far from the only player carrying his weight in this class. From star players, to impact role players, and long term starters, this draft appears to offer a bit of everything—in terms of talent—and unquestionably has the potential to go down as an all-time great crop of NBA talent.
Although Scoot Henderson has gotten off to a slow start—more on him later—Brandon Miller has largely been great this year. While Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have claimed most of the rookie headlines this year, Miller has quietly been having himself a heck of a year; especially since Lamelo Ball went down with another unfortunate injury. During Ball’s extended absence, Miller has showcased an impressive level of playmaking, further pointing towards his All-Star potential. For a team that was highly scrutinized for selecting Miller over Henderson with the second overall pick, the Hornets have to be pleased with Miller’s ability to consistently improve despite the playmaking void left behind by Ball’s continued absence. Since the calendar changed to 2024, Miller has put up impressive averages of 18.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 2.4 apg.
While the NBA is a star driven league, and this draft class most definitely offers a ton of star potential, it’s often the role players—or ‘the others’ as Shaq would refer to them—who fortify winning ball clubs the most. Perhaps this draft class’ greatest strength is the depth of impressive impact role players it seems to have.Whether it’s Brandon Podziemski in Golden State, Jaime Jaquez Jr in Miami, or Derek Lively Ⅱ, just to name a few, there is an impressive amount of first year players carving out significant roles for top tier contenders around the league. While it’s certainly commonplace for bottom dwellers, or lottery bound teams to hand out big minutes to young first year players, very rarely do title contenders lean so heavily on rookies. It is a testament to the strength and depth of this class that there are so many instances of first year players playing so many meaningful and crucial minutes so early on in their career.
Lastly, Scoot Henderson—the 3rd overall pick—has unquestionably struggled coming out of the gate, but other than Wembanyama, Scoot potentially has the highest ceiling of the whole draft. Long thought of as the premier prospect in this class (other than Wembanya), Henderson ultimately fell to the Trailblazers at 3, due to a combination of his questionable fit next to Ball in Charlotte, and his shaky outside jumpshot—currently 31 3pt%. But with that being said, it’s fairly common for young guards to struggle during the early portion of their career as they adjust to league, and if Scoot ends up righting the ship and morphing into the star many predicted he could be, that just pushes the overall starpower of this draft class even further. It is far too early to write off Scoot Henderson, the flashes of freakish athleticism and ball handling that once drew comparisons to players like Ja Morant, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook, are all still there, it’s only a matter of time until he begins to tap into his full potential. And in addition to Henderson, there are always a handful of other players who develop at a slower pace, only showing their star potential years down the line—à la Jalen Brunson, Pascal Siakam, or Jimmy Butler. So despite all the current players from this class already showcasing their talent and asserting their place around the league, there is assuredly a handful of other prospects who will continue to pop in the years to come—only further cementing their draft class as one of the all time greatest in NBA history.
