CBS

Where you see a 'bad draft,' NBA front office executives see opportunity. In other years, the top five players might be well-established, but as we speak the key decision-makers are zeroing in on their favorite prospects of the 2024 NBA Draft, hoping that none of their competitors catch wind of their prized jewels. It's like your favorite neighborhood restaurant. You love it and you hope it does well. But you also hope that everyone else doesn't find out how good it is, making it so crowded that there's a three-month wait for reservations. In a draft like this one with an unclear prospect hierarchy, the best player might end up being taken in the 20s -- maybe even the second round. That provides excitement not only for NBA franchises, but also for mock draft aficionados like myself and my CBS Sports colleagues.