2018 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Most Intriguing Prospects
The 2018 NBA draft is close enough that you can almost hear commissioner Adam Silver announcing the selections.
So, which names are going to be called first?
Is Deandre Ayton a lock at the top? Is Luka Doncic in danger of a mini-slide down the board? And if Doncic doesn't go No. 2, who does? Marvin Bagley III? Jaren Jackson Jr.? Mohamed Bamba and his record-setting wingspan?
The June 21 talent grab will be here sooner than you know, so the clock is ticking to answer these questions.
Let's run through a fresh one-round mock, then break down the potential fits for three of the most intriguing prospects.
2018 NBA Mock Draft
1. Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona
2. Sacramento Kings: Luka Doncic, SG, Slovenia
3. Atlanta Hawks: Jaren Jackson Jr., C, Michigan State
4. Memphis Grizzlies: Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, Duke
5. Dallas Mavericks: Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas
6. Orlando Magic: Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma
7. Chicago Bulls: Wendell Carter, C, Duke
8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Nets): Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Missouri
9. New York Knicks: Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama
10. Philadelphia 76ers: Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova
11. Charlotte Hornets: Lonnie Walker, SG, Miami
12. Los Angeles Clippers (via Pistons): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky
13. Los Angeles Clippers: Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
14. Denver Nuggets: Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
15. Washington Wizards: Kevin Knox, SF, Kentucky
16. Phoenix Suns (via Heat): Zhaire Smith, SF, Texas Tech
17. Milwaukee Bucks: Mitchell Robinson, C, Western Kentucky
18. San Antonio Spurs: Keita Bates-Diop, SF/PF, Ohio State
19. Atlanta Hawks (via Timberwolves): Elie Okobo, PG, France
20. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Thunder): Kevin Huerter, SG, Maryland
21. Utah Jazz: Dzanan Musa, SG/SF, Bosnia and Herzegovina
22. Chicago Bulls (via Pelicans): Chandler Hutchison, SF, Boise State
23. Indiana Pacers: Aaron Holiday, PG, UCLA
24. Portland Trail Blazers: Melvin Frazier, SF, Tulane
25. Los Angeles Lakers (via Cavs): Jontay Porter, C, Missouri
26. Philadelphia 76ers: Jacob Evans, SG/SF, Cincinnati
27. Boston Celtics: Khyri Thomas, SG, Creighton
28. Golden State Warriors: Grayson Allen, SG, Duke
29. Brooklyn Nets (via Raptors): Moritz Wagner, PF/C, Michigan
30. Atlanta Hawks (via Rockets): Troy Brown, SF, Oregon
Luka Doncic Goes Second Overall
If you've tracked mock drafts over the past few months, you've consistently seen Doncic land somewhere in the top two picks.
That's not been the case recently. ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony initially reported Doncic could slip past both the Kings and Hawks, and B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has since heard the same.
We'll opt to raise an eyebrow at the recent reports and trust the months of speculating Doncic is a top-two talent.
His resume could justify an early selection. He's 19 years old and already the youngest to ever claim the EuroLeague's MVP and Final Four MVP.
His skill set says he belongs near the top of the draft board, too. He's a preternatural playmaker with good size, leading Bulls forward Paul Zipser to dub Doncic "the European version of LeBron James from a passing standpoint," per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
That'd be a tough package for any team to pass up, let alone a Sacramento squad that was 23rd in assist percentage and didn't have anyone drop five dimes a game.
"[Doncic is] just too productive, too skilled, too smart and too good a fit in the modern game to pass up," Givony wrote. "I'll take my chances on a 6'8", 230-pound point guard with a prodigious feel for the game every time."
Dallas Gets Its Defensive Anchor
Rick Carlisle can coach.
The Mavs' 18th-place finish in defensive efficiency can attest to that.
Granted, that's hardly a knock-your-socks-off ranking. But Dallas lacked any type of intimidation on the interior. Part-timer Salah Mejri paced the team with 1.1 blocks per game. Nerlens Noel, who had an abysmal contract year, tied for second at 0.7. And Dirk Nowitzki, who hasn't been able to jump over a phone book in years, was fourth at 0.6.
Altogether, this team tallied 4.5 rejections per night. That's 0.4 fewer than Bamba's personal per-40-minute average of 4.9 at Texas.
And the 20-year-old Harlem native is hardly a specialist. He also snared 14.0 rebounds and supplied 17.1 points per 40 minutes, compiling a 54.1 field-goal percentage on a bunch of rim-rockers and just enough jumpers to make you believe the NBA three-ball might eventually be part of his arsenal.
"His 7'10" wingspan helps give him some of the most unique upside in the draft, particularly if he can build on the offensive glimpses he sporadically flashed at Texas," Wasserman wrote. "...[Bamba] has game-changing defensive abilities and more offensive skill than Rudy Gobert has shown."
The entire Dallas-Fort Worth area should be salivating right now.
Michael Porter Jr. Becomes LeBron's Support or Replacement
Are the Cavs losing LeBron James this summer?
No one will know James' destination until he makes his next announcement. But there's enough uncertainty for Cleveland to take the best-player-available route as opposed to the best-LeBron-supporter angle.
Luckily, though, Porter could potentially wear both labels.
In August, no prospect arguably shined brighter than the 6'10" three-level scorer. His draft stock has predictably slipped since, as a back injury robbed him of all but 53 minutes of his collegiate career.
That said, his talent and tools haven't gone anywhere.
He looks—and, when healthy plays—like a walking mismatch. He's too tall for most wings to handle and too slippery off the bounce for most 4s to keep up. He can hit from long range, finish above the rim, slither past defenders with his dribble and set up open shots for his teammates.
If not for health and defensive commitment concerns, he might be the total package. That's tremendous value with the eighth overall pick, especially for a club in dire need of either an explosive sidekick or its next centerpiece.
Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Sports Reference.
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