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What were the three best things about the 2024 NBA Draft?
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- What were the three best things about the 2024 NBA Draft?
NEW YORK — The 2024 NBA Draft has come and gone. Here are the three best things I liked about the festivities at Barclays Center :
More: Who is Nikola Topic? Get to know new OKC Thunder guard, No. 12 pick in NBA Draft
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The palpable pandemonium of NBA Draft's shuffle
The stress for decision makers, the anxiety that alters and shapes franchises, the unpredictable responses — it's all tangible, even without so many of the truly involved, hands-on decision makers on site.
There were few reactions quite like when the Grizzlies took Zach Edey off the board at No. 9 Wednesday night — a reaction to Portland stealing Donovan Clingan . There were no truly good predictions inside the building once picks like Ron Holland and Tidjane Salaun were taken earlier than most mocked for weeks.
NBA insiders are feeling their fingers ache. Beat writers are writing stories about players who hadn't even really been thought of in their coverage (Hello, Lakers beat). The frenzy is felt all around.
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It's only in those moments — when a team is forced to pivot, or frantically trade up, or ends up trading out of their pick altogether for the chance to eventually draft a couple players who are currently playing 12U — that you realize how much these decisions weigh.
More: Mussatto: OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti left breadcrumbs with NBA Draft pick Nikola Topic
How sacred the NBA Draft remains, even in a year that lacked anticipation
Scoff at Atlanta's selection of Zaccharie Risacher , groan over a lottery selection you hadn't been high on. Frame this draft the way everyone had leading up to Wednesday: Unanticipated, insignificant, the equivalent of watching paint dry.
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But just know that in Brooklyn , where everything takes place, the event remains sacred.
There are the moans and groans, the oohs and ahs, the obligatory boos for anything related to Boston 's NBA Finals run or organization as a whole, the unsurprising hoorah for anything involving the UConn Huskies.
The draft is still what it is, glorious in its anticipation and life-altering effects. The tears, the hugs, the skin tight snapbacks, the build-up of years that burst in these moments in what becomes one of the greatest nights in players' lives.
Fans still enter wearing the most niche jerseys; Lonzo Ball 's glory days live on through them. And littered throughout the stands, there are pockets of fanbases — for both players and teams. Somewhere in the crowd, there's a decent faction of Thunder fans . Somewhere nearby, there's a Zach Edey stan.
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They all come to bear witness to the night they've always anticipated.
More: OKC Thunder draft picks: Grades for Nikola Topic, Dillon Jones in 2024 NBA Draft
How much the Barclays Center transforms for NBA Draft
New Yorkers know Barclays Center's typical form. Its modern, gray polished hardwood, framed by neutral accents. Nothing bold. Aligned with the times.
But draft night is different.
Where the Nets play is unrecognizable. It's draped in black velvet covering. A daunting stage, worthy of the Grammy's, towers over it with displays difficult to ignore. To oversimplify: Times Square is in a showroom, and it's obsessed with the 2024 NBA Draft class.
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Just over a couple dozen tables are strategically aligned, set up for families and green-room invites to make their chilling walks toward Adam Silver's long awaited handshake. On each table sits a golden ball, with each ball displaying an individual draft pick's name.
Nikola Topic 's ball is near the front.
Multiple studio shows orbit around the room. Stephen A. Smith's voice finds you, and not the other way around. If on the floor, you can wander through the lengthy back halls — the signs only help so much with the confusing tunnels. In those halls you might see anything. Ecstatic draft picks, Dan Hurley stealing the show, Kim English holding a scrum in a discreet corner.
Year-round, the Nets will advertise and work for their future. But for one night, the building actually provides that feeling. It lives it, breathes it, and dresses the part.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Draft 2024: Three best things from Barclays Center
