No, The 2024 Draft Isn't Bad. The 2025 Draft Is Just That Good.

A look at four 2025 draft prospects and the reason why this year's draft has been seen as subpar

It’s a yearly tradition for people to lament about how weak a draft class is, whether at the top, overall, or otherwise. Unless you’re in a Wembanyama-level draft, you’ll find articles upon articles mentioning the supposed lack of sure-fire star talent each year, only for the class to turn out just fine.

This year’s draft class categorization feels eerily similar to the one posed by Kevin O’Connor back in 2020, in which he noted,

“The 2020 NBA draft class lacks the type of elite one-name prospects, like Luka or Zion, that we’ve been spoiled by in recent years. But while it doesn’t have star power, it does have depth and a plethora of potential high-end role players who could develop into the missing ingredient of a championship team’s recipe.”

- Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer

Coincidentally, the 2020 draft did have elite, superstar prospects. Anthony Edwards has ascended to the “next face of the league” conversation, the two Tyreses (Maxey and Haliburton) have already become stars and played in their first All-Star game, while LaMelo Ball (when healthy) looks like a star — and that’s to say nothing of guys like Desmond Bane, Jaden McDaniels, Devin Vassell, and more.

With that comparison in mind, why is everyone so jaded about the 2024 class? Part of it may in fact be that there aren’t any big flashy prospects, sure. The other factor, I’d argue, is actually our yearly tendency to look to next year’s class. In other words, the 2024 draft isn’t bad — the 2025 draft is just that good.

For those of you out of the draft loop, the 2025 draft includes prospects who are being deemed “generational talents” on multiple levels. Both domestically and internationally, these to-be draftees are heralded as the next big thing with All-NBA potential.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at four different potential lottery prospects from the 2025 draft class and explore what makes them each so ridiculously hyped — plus, a look at their weaknesses, for the sake of reason.