In the ever-evolving landscape of dynasty fantasy basketball, hindsight is not just 20/20 – it’s a vital tool for improvement. As a dynasty expert, the ability to scrutinize and learn from past evaluations of NBA draft classes is crucial in refining my scouting strategy for the future. Through the below self-reflection, I’ll discuss both hits and misses, highlighting not just my successes but also areas where improvements in my process can be made. Join me as we delve into this assessment piece!

For each player’s name, there will be some rankings in parentheses. They are in the following format: Player Name (2023 Rookie Ranking; 2024 March Dynasty Rankings from 2023 August Dynasty Ranking)

Hits

Victor Wembanyama (1; 1 from 3)

I’m just playing with this one. Wembanyama was perhaps the easiest rookie prospect call of all time. It’s hard to consider him too much of a hit.

Dereck Lively II (8; 76 from 101)

I was a big Lively II fan as a prospect. While some may argue centers are becoming devalued in the NBA (and maybe in dynasty), there is still room for centers who are clear-cut adds on defense and can fulfill a play-finishing role on offense. That’s exactly what I saw in Lively II when I scouted him, and he landed in the perfect situation in Dallas.

Lively II has some holes in his fantasy game, but here are some of his per-75 possession numbers via Basketball Reference: 13.4 points, 74.7 FG%, 10.5 boards, 2.2 blocks. Those are great core numbers from a fantasy center, but there’s a chance Lively II could add more in the assists department. While his passing didn’t show up in the form of assists, we saw flashes in the playoffs of Lively II’s ability to find cutters and players on the wing. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mavs tap into this ability more, and we see Lively II’s assists tick up positively.

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