Recapping The 2018 NBA Draft

Thursday’s NBA Draft was nothing if not intriguing. Aside from the first pick or two, few could have predicted how things would actually turn out. Let’s check out the picks, trades, and surprises that highlighted the 2018 NBA Draft.

No Doubt About It

As expected, the Phoenix Suns selected Arizona center Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick. There was little doubt that this would be the pick. Ayton is 7’1’’ and already has an NBA body, enabling him to make an impact on both ends of the court. Of course, there have been plenty of big men taken high in the draft that haven’t worked out, so it’d be a mistake to call him a “can’t-miss” prospect. This was also the first time the Suns have had the top overall pick, so there is some pressure on the organization to make sure Ayton pans out.

Big Men Dominate Early

As expected, this was a big-man dominated draft. After Ayton went first overall, four of the next six picks were either centers or power forwards. Marvin Bagley went to the Kings. Jaren Jackson Jr. was taken by the Grizzlies. Mohamed Bamba was drafted by the Magic. Finally, Wendell Carter went to the Bulls seventh overall. Of course, after that, guards and wing players took over and big men were ignored until the late first round.

The First Trade

It didn’t take long at all for us to have our first trade of the night. After the Atlanta Hawks drafted Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic with the third overall pick they quickly traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young, who Dallas took fifth overall, and a protected first-round pick in next year’s draft.

Clearly, the Mavericks wanted Doncic badly if they were willing to give up a first-round pick to move up two spots. With Dirk Nowitzki approaching the end of his career, the Mavs may see Doncic as the future face of the franchise, as the 19-year old is already a seasoned pro in Europe. Meanwhile, the Hawks obtained Young, who ended up being the first point guard selected despite there become a few teams not quite sold on him.

No Fairy Tales Here

For a minute, it looked like the Philadelphia 76ers had given Mikal Bridges a fairy tale ending. Bridges grew up in Philadelphia and then stayed home to play his college basketball at Villanova. His mom even works for the 76ers. Thus, it was the perfect moment when the 76ers drafted him 10th overall. However, they ruined everything by ultimately trading him to the Phoenix Suns. In exchange, Philadelphia got 16th overall pick Zhaire Smith and a first-round pick in 2021.

A Long Wait

It ended up being a longer wait than expected for Michael Porter Jr. If he had been draft-eligible last year, Porter would have likely been a top-5 pick. However, Porter ended up suffering a serious back injury in his season opener at Missouri last fall. He managed to come back and play toward the end of the season, but questions about his long-term health lingered. A number of teams were scared off, not wanting to risk a lottery pick on a player with questions about his health. Finally, the Denver Nuggets took that leap with the 14th overall pick, the last pick in the lottery.

Making Him Feel Welcomed

It wouldn’t be the draft if at least one fan base was upset at what their team did. Naturally, that was the New York Knicks in this year’s draft. Knicks fans booed when the team drafted Kentucky forward Kevin Knox with the ninth overall pick. It seems they wanted the team to take a chance on Porter. However, they’ll have to live with Knox, who’s still just 18 and has plenty of upside after flashing plenty of upside and a well-rounded skill set during his one season at Kentucky.

photos via @NBA