2018 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Projections and Predictions for Top Prospects

The odd part about the NBA is that it's actually better long-term to be one of the worst teams in the league than it is to make the back end of the playoffs and reside just over the .500 mark year after year.

In other words, fans of the Phoenix Suns, who are guaranteed a top-four pick in this year's NBA draft, may have more to look forward to than fans of the Washington Wizards, who have averaged 44.6 wins per season for the past five and have not advanced past the conference semifinals.

The tricky thing is that finishing just inside the playoff picture precludes them from a lottery pick and a chance at a top-three selection. Therefore, the Wizards (and other teams in their vicinity) have to make the most out of their first-round picks.

Below you'll find an NBA mock draft, with a closer look at what the Wizards may do this year. Note that the top 14 will not be set in stone until the NBA draft lottery is held on Tuesday, May 15.

NBA Mock Draft: Lottery

1. Phoenix Suns: Arizona C Deandre Ayton

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Real Madrid PG/SG Luka Doncic

3. Dallas Mavericks: Duke F/C Marvin Bagley III

4. Atlanta Hawks: Michigan State F/C Jaren Jackson Jr.

5. Orlando Magic: Missouri SF/PF Michael Porter Jr.

6. Chicago Bulls: Texas C Mohamed Bamba

7. Sacramento Kings: Duke C Wendell Carter Jr.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics): Oklahoma PG Trae Young

9. New York Knicks: Kentucky PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns): Villanova SF Mikal Bridges

11. Charlotte Hornets: Texas Tech G/F Zhaire Smith

12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Detroit Pistons): Missouri C Jontay Porter

13. Los Angeles Clippers: Alabama PG/SG Collin Sexton

14. Denver Nuggets: Ohio State SF/PF Keita Bates-Diop

NBA Mock Draft: Picks 15-30

15. Washington Wizards: Texas A&M F Robert Williams

16. Phoenix Suns (originally via Miami Heat): Villanova PG Jalen Brunson

17. Milwaukee Bucks: C Mitchell Robinson (Chalmette High School)

18. San Antonio Spurs: Cedevita Zagreb SF Dzanan Musa

19. Atlanta Hawks: Miami SG Lonnie Walker IV

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (originally via Oklahoma City Thunder): Michigan State SF/PF Miles Bridges

21. Utah Jazz: Kentucky SF/PF Kevin Knox

22. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans Pelicans): Boise State SF Chandler Hutchison

23. Indiana Pacers: USC PG/SG De'Anthony Melton

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Nevada SF Caleb Martin

25. Los Angeles Lakers (originally via Cleveland Cavaliers): Cincinnati SF Jacob Evans

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Creighton SG Khyri Thomas

27. Boston Celtics: Villanova F/C Omari Spellman

28. Golden State Warriors: UNLV C Brandon McCoy

29. Brooklyn Nets (originally via Toronto Raptors): IMG PG Anfernee Simons

30. Atlanta Hawks (originally via Houston Rockets): Duke SG Gary Trent Jr.

Washington Wizards: Texas A&M F Robert Williams

The Wizards frontcourt may look drastically different soon, as power forward Markieff Morris and center Marcin Gortat are free agents after the 2018-19 season. Gortat has enjoyed a solid career with the Wizards and shined with them at different times during playoff runs, but the team may want to get younger down low (he'll be 35 years old next year).

Also, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reported on Saturday, star Wizards point guard John Wall is clearly unhappy, going so far as to say the team needs to "add some pieces." Per Youngmisuk, "Wall mentioned that adding an athletic big, a scorer capable of creating his own shot off the bench and more depth at small forward behind Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. would help in the offseason."

Wall isn't wrong on any of those points, as the Wizards could use players to fill all three of those roles if they want to take the next step in the 2018-19 season.

If Texas A&M big man Robert Williams falls to the Washington Wizards at No. 15, then that would take care of the "athletic big" role. The 6'10" Williams was a beast on the glass this year, grabbing 9.2 rebounds per game. He also shined against defending champion North Carolina in the second round, amassing eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks while playing a key part in the Aggies' excellent team defense.

As NBADraft.net noted, Williams "possesses [a] really nice combination of size and athleticism," and "his huge (near 7'6") wingspan allows him to block shots and play bigger than his 6'9" height."

Williams may also be a good fit with Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal on the court, as he's not the type of player who is going to look to score and hog usage to make his impact on the game. In fact, Williams took just 7.3 shot attempts per game last season.

On the flip side, that could possibly be a problem as well: If Wall and Beal don't have it going on a given night, Williams isn't the type of player who can create his own shot and pick up the offensive slack. He's not a three-point shooter, going 0-of-12 from beyond the arc this year.

But as Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer notes, "Williams would be best in a role similar to Clint Capela in Houston: anchoring the defense, setting screens and catching lobs with four three-point shooters around him."

Wall isn't a great three-point shooter (34 percent from beyond the arc over the past five years), but he can certainly set up Williams for lobs. Beal (39.3 percent for his career) and Porter (44.1 percent from deep last season) would also complement Williams well given their success from beyond the arc.

If Morris and Gortat play out their contract years with the Wizards, then Williams could come off the bench initially before conceivably joining the starting lineup for the 2019-2020 season. He'd also form a good pairing off the bench with forward Mike Scott, who provides the team with a scoring punch in the frontcourt for the second unit.

Ultimately, Williams would probably be the best fit in terms of value and need at No. 15, so he should be a strong candidate for Washington if he doesn't get taken in the lottery portion of the draft.