NBA Mock Draft 2018: Latest Projections and Comparisons for Underrated Prospects

One can make the case that the best player to emerge from the 2000 NBA draft was Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd, who led all players from that class with a win share rate of .134 per 48 minutes, according to Basketball Reference.

The 2001 NBA draft is led by Pau Gasol and Tyson Chandler, who are both playing in the NBA 17 years later. But the third-best player might be former Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas, who wasn't picked until the second round.

Ultimately, the players considered the best (or near the best) in the draft years from now may not be top picks. Rather, they could be players projected to go deeper in the lottery, the mid-range or even the late-first or second round.

Here's a look at two players whom pundits may be underrating, in addition to comparisons for each. You can also check out a mock draft below.

NBA Mock Draft

1. Phoenix Suns: Arizona C Deandre Ayton

2. Sacramento Kings: Duke F Marvin Bagley III

3. Atlanta Hawks: Michigan State F Jaren Jackson Jr.

4. Memphis Grizzlies: Real Madrid G Luka Doncic

5. Dallas Mavericks: Texas C Mohamed Bamba

6. Orlando Magic: Missouri F Michael Porter Jr.

7. Chicago Bulls: Duke F Wendell Carter

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Nets and Celtics): Oklahoma G Trae Young

9. New York Knicks: Alabama G Collin Sexton

10. Philadelphia 76ers (via Lakers and Suns): Villanova G/F Mikal Bridges

11. Charlotte Hornets: Michigan State F Miles Bridges

12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Pistons): Texas A&M F Robert Williams

13. Los Angeles Clippers: Kentucky G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

14. Denver Nuggets: Kentucky F Kevin Knox

15. Washington Wizards: Chalmette High School C Mitchell Robinson

16. Phoenix Suns (via Heat): UCLA G Aaron Holiday

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Texas Tech G Zhaire Smith

18. San Antonio Spurs: Miami G Lonnie Walker

19. Atlanta Hawks: Cedevita Zagreb F Dzanan Musa

20. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Thunder): Creighton G Khyri Thomas

21. Utah Jazz: Ohio State F Keita Bates-Diop

22. Chicago Bulls (via Pelicans): Boise State G Chandler Hutchison

23. Indiana Pacers: IMG G Anfernee Simons

24. Portland Trail Blazers: Cincinnati F Jacob Evans

25. Los Angeles Lakers (via Cavaliers): Villanova G Jalen Brunson

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Duke G Gary Trent Jr.

27. Boston Celtics: Missouri C Jontay Porter

28. Golden State Warriors: Tulane G/F Melvin Frazier

29. Brooklyn Nets (via Raptors): Villanova G Donte DiVincenzo

30. Atlanta Hawks (via Rockets): Boston College G Jerome Robinson

Duke F Wendell Carter

It seems as though Duke forward Wendell Carter is living on the edge between the second tier of prospects in this draft (e.g. Michigan State Jaren Jackson Jr., Texas center Mohamed Bamba, Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr. and Duke forward Marvin Bagley III) and the third tier (e.g. Oklahoma guard Trae Young, among others). For example, Carter is listed right between those two groups in a big board from Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated.

That seems like a fair spot to place Carter, but it's also conceivable that the Duke big man who averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in his one year in school has a better career than other big men ranked higher than him right now.

Carter has drawn multiple comparisons to Boston Celtics center Al Horford, a five-time All-Star who will be playing for an NBA Finals berth on Sunday evening.

Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com wrote the following: "There's a lot of Al Horford and Kevin Love in Carter Jr.'s game. Like Horford and Love, Carter has a strong body and can play inside and out. He has excellent footwork down in the post and he goes strong when he puts the ball on the deck. He can make shots with both hands and has an outstanding drop-step."

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman also said that "scouts have named Al Horford and Elton Brand as comparisons for Carter, a 6'10", 259-pound interchangeable big man at the 4 and 5 positions."

If Carter can show the ability to play at power forward and center on the next level, and if he can find consistent success shooting from behind the three-point line (he made 41.3 percent of his 46 attempts last year), then a career arc similar to Horford's is a possibility.

Texas Tech G Zhaire Smith

The Ringer NBA Draft Guide lists Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson, San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green and Toronto Raptors wing Norman Powell as pro comparisons for Texas Tech guard Zhaire Smith. The first two players on that list, in particular, are plus defenders in the NBA, as they ranked in the top five of defensive real plus/minus among all shooting guards, per ESPN.com.

Jackson Hoy of The Stepien praised Smith's defense, writing that he has "incredible defensive versatility" and "has defended every sort of player for Texas Tech this season, from Jevon Carter to Mohamed Bamba." Of note, Carter is a 6'2" point guard, while Bamba stands at nearly seven feet tall.

Smith is living in the mid-range of many mocks, such as the ones from NBADraft.net (15th) and The Ringer (18th). However, it wouldn't be a surprise to look back at this draft five years from now and rank Smith as one of the top five prospects from this year. He may be the most athletic prospect in 2018 (NBADraft.net gave him a perfect 10 in that category), which should certainly help his future team on both ends.

The primary issue is that Smith needs work on offense (NBADraft.net calls him a "project" there). But he has showed some promise on that end, most notably when he dropped 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting against Florida in the second round of the NCAA tournament. If he develops his offensive game, Smith's ceiling will be quite high.