The Top 5
The Phoenix Suns have the first pick and are likely to go the traditional route and take the center. That is what NBA history has always told teams to do. That logic is not going anywhere even with the league seemingly skewing toward guards more and more.
Deandre Ayton is a good pick though. He is a big man with a ton of athleticism and good instincts around the basket. He seems like the complete package offensively at the very least. His defense still needs to come a long way, but there are few bigs who move around the paint the way he does.
The Draft really begins with the second pick. No one seems sure what the Sacramento Kings will do. And it seems like they are between Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr.
Ultimately they go with Bagley here. He is a good athlete that can work around the basket and fits well with second-year player De’Aaron Fox. Maybe Sacramento will finally find its bouncy big man to anchor the team’s offense. His defense needs a lot of work — a lot of work — but he will make an immediate impact for a team that surprised a lot of people with how well it played last year.
The Atlanta Hawks are also still deciding what direction they will go. And reportedly they are very high on Oklahoma Sooners guard Trae Young. They may still go in that direction — via a trade. Indeed, several teams, including the Orlando Magic, are interested in trying to move up to the No. 3 pick to take Luka Doncic.
Who would not? Doncic was the 19-year-old wonder who won Euroleague MVP and a Euroleague championship for Real Madrid. He has incredible vision and playmaking for a player of his age and size — at 6-foot-8. What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in basketball smarts and skills. He is honestly the best player in this Draft today . . . and probably beyond.
Jaren Jackson Jr. looks like the modern NBA center. He is able to defend almost any position on the floor with his length and athleticism. He is a great rim protector and shot blocker. And Jackson also can step out and hit jumpers. He can face up from the perimeter too. That is the complete package, albeit in very raw form.
Jackson is the youngest player in this draft and had a penchant for fouling in his lone year with the Michigan State Spartans. That suggests he can still make some sizeable improvements. Plenty of teams will be happy to make that investment for a big who can actually make an impact in late-season games.
No player has the physical tools and intrigue that Mohamed Bamba has. He measured with a 7-foot-10 wingspan, the biggest measured in the Combine’s history. He was a marvel in that way and his shot-blocking prowess is obvious.
The question with Bamba is whether he can round out his game. There is some impressive video of his work with trainer Drew Hanlen with Bamba showing an improved shooting stroke that goes out to the 3-point line. But he has to build strength and show he will not get pushed around on the block and can stick with guards on the perimeter.