With March Madness over, we now turn our focus onto the 2018 NBA Draft. Who will the Los Angeles Clippers select with their two picks?
On June 21, 2018, 60 of the best college hoopers will arrive at the day they’ve always dreamed of: the day they are drafted into the National Basketball Association. Who will the Los Angeles Clippers select with their two picks? Let’s go even deeper than that. Here are my predictions for the first 14 picks of the 2018 NBA Draft, or the Lottery.
1. Phoenix Suns: DeAndre Ayton, PF/C, Arizona
This guy is special. At 7’1 and 250 lbs, Ayton led Arizona to the NCAA tournament. He is what you might call a “true center”. Despite his monstrous size, Ayton can run the floor quickly and score while being swarmed by defenders. He can dominate with his back to the basket or he can step out and knock down the three. He can bring the ball in and score on anyone or he can pass it out to the open man. Best of all, he is only 19 years old. He would fit in great in Phoenix. Their center rotation is shaky. They have Tyson Chandler, who is well past his Defensive Player of the Year days. Phoenix also has Alex Len, who keeps getting older, but isn’t really getting better. To wrap up their center rotation, the Suns have Alan Williams, who is a decent backup, but clearly not part of their future plans. Ayton would be the big man they have been looking for to put next to Devin Booker and Josh Jackson.
2. Memphis Grizzlies: Marvin Bagley III, PF, Duke
Marvin Bagley is a stud, no question. He is the ideal modern power forward in the NBA. Bagley can jump and score over everyone and he also has a shooters touch from mid and 3 point range. He can score from all angles, as he lead the ACC in FG% this season at 61%. This guy is a certified scoring big man. The Grizzlies should draft him if they can at the number 2 spot. They are in a weird place. Mike Conley has sat out a great majority of the season, and they are obviously tanking, but yet they refuse to deal Conley or Marc Gasol, who are pretty much their only assets. Their rebuild is just beginning, and the young players they currently have would be on the bench or G-League on any other team. Since they need the best player available, Bagley is their man.
3. Atlanta Hawks: Michael Porter Jr, SF, Missouri
Going into this season, Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr were the projected 1 and 2 picks. Unfortunately, Porter went down at the beginning of the season with a hip injury. Regardless, this man can ball. Porter is from Nathan Hale in Washington, where he was coached by former Trailblazers guard, Brandon Roy. Porter is a 6’10 small forward with a knock down jumper. He was known for his athleticism in high school, but it is still unclear if he will be able to retain all of it since his injury. The Hawks are in an interesting spot. Do they keep Dennis Schroder? How about Taurean Prince? Everyone that isn’t named John Collins seems to be up for grabs. If they plan on restarting their rebuild, and planning around Collins, then Porter would be a nice player to put next to him at the other forward spot.
4. Orlando Magic: Luka Doncic, SG, Slovenia
Who? Oh, Luka Doncic is only the best basketball player that doesn’t reside in the U.S. He is 18 years old and is a 6’8 shooting guard. He has been lighting up the Euro-League all year. So here’s the skinny: Doncic is a great shooter. He has his slumps, but so does everyone. Also, he has an incredibly high basketball IQ. He’s always finding the open man. His size at his position continues to push the new wave of having giants at each position (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ben Simmons). While he sounds ideal for the future NBA, there are some drawbacks. He is a poor 1 on 1 defender. His team defense is okay, so he’ll be able to make it in this league we love. I can see the Magic going all in on Doncic. If the Magic knew what they were doing (which they don’t), they would rebuild around Aaron Gordon and whomever they select with their pick and sell on Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier. The Magic need something, anything. Doncic would be a good fit and give hope to the people of Orlando.
5. Dallas Mavericks: Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas
Ol’ Mo Bamba is also a big fella. He is an athlete. His arms are like 2 serpents. Bamba is a defensive power house. In his one year with Texas, he averaged 10.5 rebounds and nearly 4 blocks per game. His defensive potential is ridiculous. He isn’t necessarily an ace on the offensive end however. Bamba isn’t much of a play maker, which isn’t expected, but is a very valuable part of any big mans game in today’s league. He will not score at all unless he is right next to the basket either. His defensive potential is enough though. He is raw, and will likely take a few years to get acclimated into the league. The Dallas Mavericks could use a new big man in this Post-Dirk Era, and they certainly are not utilizing Nerlens Noel. Bamba’s unmatched interior defense is a very valuable thing for any team to have, let alone one in the early stages of a rebuild like the Mavericks.
Jaren Jackson Jr from Michigan State is the fourth big man on the list already. He is 6’11 with a 7’4 wingspan. He led Michigan State to become the number 1 shot blocking team in the NCAA. He’s more than a shot blocker though. His enormous wingspan makes it so he can lock up anyone and defend the pick-and-roll. The Sacramento Kings should try to pick him up. The Willie Cauley-Stein experiment hasn’t really worked out and their 13th pick in the 2016 draft, Georgios Papagiannis didn’t work either. They have strong players in the guard positions like Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. The next logical step is to strengthen the front court, and Jaren Jackson will provided exactly what they are looking for.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets): Wendell Carter Jr, C, Duke
Wendell Carter Jr is a 6’11 combo big. The Duke product has been in Marvin Bagley’s shadow, but still shined. He can pass out to shooters, knock down the open 3 himself, and is an elite rebounder. If Marvin Bagley wasn’t around, everyone and their mother would know Wendell Carter Jr. He’s not too much of athlete, but he is a good interior defender. The Cavaliers have the Brooklyn pick because of Billy King’s notorious Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce back in 2013. After their trade deadline acquisitions, the Cavaliers have a much younger core of players, and if LeBron James were to leave this off-season, they could plug in Carter as their new center and begin the rebuild. If the King opts to stay in The Land, they could always trade the pick in exchange for some win-now pieces.
8. Chicago Bulls: Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
Ahoy, it’s Jaren Jackson’s Michigan State teammate! Miles Bridges is an athletic finisher. He’s great at catching lobs and interpreting missed shots then preparing for put backs. He can find the open man and I can’t stress it enough, but that is uber valuable in today’s league. Also of importance, he can stretch the floor while at the combo forward position. The Bulls traded Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton for Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, and Lauri Markkanen. If they were to take Bridges, he would be a great fit at the small forward position. I bet Chicago fans are regretting the Nikola Mirotic led 7 game win streak earlier this season. Without that, they could have been amongst the top few picks.
9. New York Knicks: Lonnie Walker, SG, Miami
Here is something you won’t see often: Lonnie Walker from Miami as a top 10 pick. Other mock drafts have Walker much later, but I’m a believer. The University of Miami product led the Hurricanes to the NCAA tournament where they were the first victim to Loyola-Chicago’s Cinderella run. Walker is 6’4 with a 6’10 wingspan, giving him lots of defensive potential. His shooting is kinda spotty, but he’s 19 and has good form. The Knicks would be a good fit. Their current shooting guards are Tim Hardaway Jr and Courtney Lee. Lee is getting up there in age. Lonnie could grow underneath Hardaway. Also, the Knicks could benefit from young wing shooters.
Here he is. The NCAA’s leading scorer and assist leader. Trae Young has lit the college basketball world on fire. Highlights left and right on this game. So, what does his game look like? Trae Young is 6’2 and 180 lbs. Most importantly, he scores at will. He had a 48 point game (on inefficient shooting, but 48 points nonetheless). You might think that he is too small for the league. He very well may be too small, but he has range and passing ability, somewhat reminiscent of Stephen Curry from Davidson. Curry was also passed on until the 7th pick in 2009, and now there are several teams that surely regret not taking him. The 76ers should take Young with the Lakers pick. They have a guard in Markelle Fultz already and they have their front court positions locked up with Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, plus they have Ben Simmons as the modern day point forward. They could use Young as a catch-and-shoot player for Simmons to pass to, or they could have him run the offense too. In the end, it will be interesting to see what the 76ers do as they begin to wrap up The Proccess.
11. Charlotte Hornets: Kevin Knox, SF/PF, Kentucky
Kevin Knox from Kentucky is a 6’9 combo forward. He can explode on the fast break and he has an awesome knock down jumper. Not only is he a great scorer, but he is great on the boards too. He kind of reminds me of James Johnson from the Miami Heat. There are a lot of similarities in their games. The Hornets are like the Magic: in a weird spot right now. Hornets owner, Michael Jordan, was reluctant to move Kemba Walker before the trade deadline. Their young pieces are not too impressive so far. Frank Kaminsky hasn’t done much as one of the Hornets 5 centers and Malik Monk just doesn’t have the “it” factor. Kevin Knox would be a nice building piece for whatever the Hornets plan to do going forward.
Here he is: my favorite player in the draft. Collin Sexton is a projected late lottery pick, and I’d love to see him in a Clippers uniform. The Alabama point guard is known for his undying athleticism and crazy speed. He is always driving in and finishing down low. While he isn’t the best shooter from deep in this draft, he has what I like to call “The JR Smith Factor”, meaning if he hits a couple 3’s initially, its going to be a barrage and no one can stop him. What makes me like him most is what he did when Alabama played Minnesota. The game got to the point where Alabama had 3 players in the game. Only 3 players!! They almost staged the most impressive comeback in basketball history. Young Bull probably won’t fall this low, but if he did, I would be ecstatic. The Clippers have this pick only because of the Blake Griffin trade from back in January. They are currently a very guard heavy team, but Sexton would surely get priority as the Clippers usher in this next chapter for the franchise.
13. LA Clippers: Mikal Bridges, SG, Villanova
Mikal Bridges and the rest of his crew from Villanova just won the national championship, his second in three years with the Wildcats. He is a good 3 and D player and he may go much higher than where I have him at 13. The Clippers could use their own picks to pick him up. He would be a nice wing to put next to Tobias Harris.
14. Denver Nuggets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky
This Kentucky Wildcat has a knack for getting to the rim. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also a skilled playmaker and he has a nice 3 point shot. Gilgeous-Alexander makes sense for the Denver Nuggets. They have been looking for their point guard of the future for a couple of years now. Emmanuel Mudiay didn’t work out, and lets be honest, Jamal Murray isn’t meant to be a point guard. I believe that Gilgeous-Alexander is not only slept on, but is going to fit in very well with Mike Malone and the Denver Nuggets.