NBA Draft 2018: Latest 1st-Round Order, Mock Before Final Four
Four teams are still standing in the 2018 men's NCAA tournament, and a smattering of 2018 NBA prospects haven't lost their dancing shoes just yet.
But, by and large, big-league executives and scouts have collected all the intel they'll receive before the combine and workout phase begins. There are still opportunities to send draft stocks in either direction, but they're closer to wet cement than outright liquid.
With the 2017-18 campaign approaching its closing date, draft positions are clearing up.
TOP NEWS
Players' Picks for Most Overrated, Underrated
Knicks Rejected from Met Party
Historic SGA Streak Snapped 🤯
So, let's run through a first-round mock using the latest selection order and pinpoint the top three players on the board.
2018 NBA Mock Draft
1. Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Luka Doncic, SG/SF, Slovenia
3. Atlanta Hawks: Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, Michigan State
4. Dallas Mavericks: Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas
5. Orlando Magic: Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Duke
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets): Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Missouri
7. Sacramento Kings: Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova
8. Chicago Bulls: Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama
9. New York Knicks: Wendell Carter Jr., C, Duke
10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Los Angeles Lakers): Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
11. Charlotte Hornets: Kevin Knox, SF, Kentucky
12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Detroit Pistons): Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma
13. Los Angeles Clippers: Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
14. Denver Nuggets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky
15. Phoenix Suns (via Miami Heat): Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas
16. Phoenix Suns (via Milwaukee Bucks): Dzanan Musa, SG/SF, Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Washington Wizards: Zhaire Smith, SF, Texas Tech
18. Atlanta Hawks (via Minnesota Timberwolves): Lonnie Walker IV, SG, Miami
19. Utah Jazz: Anfernee Simons, PG/SG, IMG Academy
20. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans): Jontay Porter, C, Missouri
21. San Antonio Spurs: Mitchell Robinson, C, USA
22. Indiana Pacers: Khyri Thomas, SG, Creighton
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Troy Brown, SG/SF, Oregon
24. Philadelphia 76ers: Chandler Hutchison, SG/SF, Boise State
25. Los Angeles Lakers (via Cleveland Cavaliers): Aaron Holiday, PG, UCLA
26. Portland Trail Blazers: Brandon McCoy, C, UNLV
27. Boston Celtics: De'Anthony Melton, SG, USC
28. Brooklyn Nets (via Toronto Raptors): Moritz Wagner, PF/C, Michigan
29. Golden State Warriors: Jalen Brunson, PG, Villanova
30. Atlanta Hawks (via Houston Rockets): Bruce Brown Jr., SG, Miami
Top of the Class
Deandre Ayton, Arizona
As deep as this draft class is at the top, Ayton still stands a tick above the rest.
He has the size-explosiveness combo that makes scouts salivate this time of year, and his physical tools have been likened to those possessed by David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and ESPN.com's Kyle Bonagura, respectively.
Ayton is a sculpted 7-footer, packing 260 pounds and harnessing a 7'5" wingspan. And he's more than just an athletic marvel, even though his mobility and hops paint him as exactly that.
His scoring skill set is overloaded with back-to-the-basket brilliance, above-the-rim power and a quickly developing face-up game. He might not have ended his one-and-done collegiate career on the highest note (14 points and 13 rebounds in Arizona's opening-round defeat), but in four of his final six games before the tourney, he tallied at least 26 points and 14 boards.
He's not an imposing rim protector yet (1.9 blocks per game), but he has the footwork and agility to survive defensive switches onto perimeter players. There's also major potential for his growth as both a passer and an outside shooter.
If the Phoenix Suns keep this pick, Ayton is a no-brainer. They've collected some promising pieces in recent drafts, but their lack of a building-block big man is glaring.
If the Memphis Grizzlies climb into the top spot, Ayton should still be their guy. He could thrive in a high-low offense alongside Marc Gasol, whose defensive prowess would not only protect Ayton but guide his development at that end.
Luka Doncic, Slovenia
Certain prospects will thrive in the workout setting, where their speed and explosiveness will be impossible to ignore.
Luka Doncic isn't one of those players. He's a capable athlete, but not a jaw-dropping one by any stretch. His intrigue will be driven by his overseas game tape—where, at 19 years old, he has dominated players five or 10 years his senior—and an ability to elevate players around him.
Think of him as an oversized playmaker. Chicago Bulls forward Paul Zipser dubbed the 6'8" Doncic, "the European version of LeBron James from a passing standpoint," per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Doncic's 2017-18 stat line reads like a LeBron-lite. Doncic's per-36-minute averages include 22.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.5 steals.
Even if an increase in opponents' athleticism deflates some of those digits, the passing skills are legit. His size, creativity and court vision all allow him to thread needles that world-class sewers would envy. And he's slippery enough to get inside the teeth of a defense and either finish his drives himself or whip the ball to open teammates underneath or around the arc.
While his jump shot is maturing (the mechanics look better than his career 33.5-percent three-point mark), he plays a modern-NBA style. Clubs who stress pace will covet his hit-ahead outlet passes, and everyone could use his skills in the pick-and-roll.
His middling lateral quickness limits his defense, but he's a willing stopper who understands positioning and how to throw his sturdy frame around.
At worst, he's a versatile offensive weapon who doesn't move the needle at the other end. At best, he can bend the defense as one of those ball-handlers who requires constant attention.
That's worthy of the No. 2 pick, regardless which team is selecting.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State
The third pick is where this draft gets really interesting, as a handful of players present compelling arguments.
Marvin Bagley III's scoring arsenal, athleticism and steady production are hard to ignore. Ditto for the mammoth defensive potential of Mohamed Bamba and his 7'9" wingspan.
But we're giving the nod to Jaren Jackson Jr. for a couple of reasons.
He looks like he was built to play in today's league. You know all that buzz about unicorn bigs you've been hearing? Well, get ready to hear that term thrown in his direction a ton.
His per-40-minute marks feature 5.5 blocks and 2.0 threes. That's the same rejection rate Nerlens Noel had at Kentucky and twice as many triples as Kevin Love buried at UCLA.
If that's all Jackson did, he'd still warrant top-three consideration. But there's more.
He's a rim runner, defensive switcher and capable passer. He also packs enough of a scoring punch on the low block to punish smaller defenders, and he's quick enough to keep pace with those players the other way.
"Modern-day 4," a scout told Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. "Runs the floor, can finish, score in the post, hit threes and pass it well. Also impacts the game with his ability to switch ball screens and block shots. He's good now, and he's only going to get better."
One more feather in Jackson's cap—his 19th birthday in September will come six months after Bagley's and four months after Bamba turns 20.
Statistics used courtesy of ESPN.com and Sports-Reference.
.jpg?w=600 "Vid of Bills' New Stadium 👀")
