Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan was named by NBA executives and scouts as one of the best rookies emerging from the 2024 NBA Draft. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN polled 20 league staffers about this year’s rookie class, publishing the results on ESPN+ (subscription required).

Among other questions, the poll asked respondents to name the eventual best pick from the draft. Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard ran away with the category on the back of a superlative performance in the annual NBA Summer League tournament in Las Vegas this month. Sheppard earned 7 of a possible 20 votes. Clingan came in second with 3.

Comparing the rookies, executives said:

On the heels of a breakout showing at summer league, Sheppard (the Rockets’ pick at No. 3) took home the most votes, with “best pick” loosely defined as the strongest intersection of value and fit. There’s a good deal of optimism around the league surrounding Sheppard’s future, and the prevailing thought is that he might be the next Kentucky Wildcats guard to fully blossom upon his arrival in the NBA. “Sheppard is going to help Houston right away, and I think he has a chance to be an All-Star down the road,” one high-ranking Eastern Conference executive said. Sheppard stood out in Las Vegas, looking comfortable as the Rockets’ full-time point guard (after splitting duties off the bench in college) and averaging 20 points and 5.3 assists in his four games. The buzz in Las Vegas and optimism around his game was reflected in the voting.

Coming in second in our polling was Clingan, who slid to pick No. 7 with the Trail Blazers in part because of the way the board fell. Several teams passed on the draft’s top rim-protecting center to address other needs. “I thought [Clingan] was a steal on draft night at 7, but the things he did defensively in summer league were unreal with the impact he made,” a different voter offered. “Now they have him shooting trail and pick-and-pop 3s. If he starts making those consistently, that’s a game-changer with the way he can pass and protect the rim.”

Atlanta Hawks first-overall pick Zacharie Risacher was named as the rookie most likely to make an immediate impact. Pistons pick Ron Holland II and AJ Johnson of the Milwaukee Bucks tied in the “biggest reach” category.