Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

A way-too-early look at the 2018 NBA Draft

By Ricky Scricca

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 12: Luka Doncic, #7 of Real Madrid in action during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 1 game between Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Real Madrid at Sinan Erdem Dome on October 12, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Aykut Akici/EB via Getty Images)
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 12: Luka Doncic, #7 of Real Madrid in action during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 1 game between Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Real Madrid at Sinan Erdem Dome on October 12, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Aykut Akici/EB via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 7
Next
Luka Doncic, Real Madrid, Anadolu Efes
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 12: Luka Doncic, #7 of Real Madrid in action during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 1 game between Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Real Madrid at Sinan Erdem Dome on October 12, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Aykut Akici/EB via Getty Images) /

The 2018 NBA draft is eight months away, but the class is loaded with star potential, versatility, and players who will fit right into the modern NBA.

The modern NBA demands teams have versatile players on both ends of the court.

Big men who can shoot, finish and guard on the perimeter. Point guards who can score and make plays. And wings who can hit threes and guard multiple positions.

Modern offensive styles also demand players who can operate and defend the pick and roll or at least dependably space the floor beyond the arc. And of course, the nearly ubiquitous 3-and-D wing prototype has become an important part of almost every good team.

It is still early in the season, but NBA teams are looking for every advantage they can find to acquire these players. They know early season records are not enough to completely shift their focus. They have to cover every base.

And eyes never wander too far from the NBA Draft. And should things go south this year, the 2018 NBA Draft class looks especially promising.

The top of the 2018 NBA draft class has players who can fill these modern needs and more. Marvin Bagley, Michael Porter Jr., Luka Doncic, Mohamed Bamba and DeAndre Ayton all have star potential. Their unique talents also make it exceedingly difficult to accurately compare them to anyone currently or formerly in the NBA.

There is also intriguing talent outside of the top five, even if it is not quite as eye-popping.

It is far too early to begin a deep dive into the NBA Draft. With the Orlando Magic starting the season 3-1, they are certainly not thinking about the upper end of the Lottery. At this point of the season no team should be.

But they also cannot leave any stone unturned. Every asset is an opportunity to grow their team. And, even though college basketball season is still a few weeks away, every team will have done its own scouting on every major prospect available in the Draft. They know what is coming down the pike.

And they will continue to deepen that research as the season moves along. Even as they separate themselves in the Playoff race and learn exactly where they will pick.

Only time will tell where the Magic’s picks end up landing. With the season starting, it is time for a way-too-early look at the players who will fill up the 2018 Draft class. Keep an eye on these names as the Magic play their season out.