NBA draft Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
It’s not fair to evaluate players taken in the NBA Draft before they even get to play a game, although we do and we do it frequently. To better understand how a team did in selecting a certain player where they did, we need the benefit of hindsight.
Hindsight is like pizza: the more you have, the better. Looking back at last year’s draft, for example, provides a murkier lens than jumping back two decades and seeing a player’s complete career arc. Yet evaluating how players have performed, what their upside is and accordingly how teams did in evaluating and drafting those players has to be done continually in order to make decisions moving forward.
Luka Doncic goes from third to first in our redraft. Three years later how do the other players shake out from the 2018 NBA Draft?
Using our newfound slice of hindsight we will look back three years to the 2018 NBA Draft. Which players have outperformed their draft slot and would go earlier in a redraft of those same prospects? Who falls down the board?
For this 2018 NBA Redraft we will slot each team into the slot they were in exiting the draft, so draft-night trades will stay in place. We’re using three years of information to re-order these players, while recognizing most of them are still young and developing. The further back in time we go the more difficult it is to take into account “fit” but it comes into play as a tiebreaker; for the most part we are going “best player available” when making the selections.
The end result is a wild redraft of the entire first round, with multiple Top 10 picks falling out of the Top 30 entirely, while an undrafted free agent from this class makes a leap into the Top 10 himself. We start in Phoenix, where the Suns get a second chance to take the best player in the draft.
NBA Draft</a> before they even get to play a game, although <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/30/nba-draft-grades-30-teams-2021/">we do</a> and we do it frequently. To better understand how a team did in selecting a certain player where they did, we need the benefit of hindsight.</p>
<p>Hindsight is like pizza: the more you have, the better. Looking back <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/29/nba-draft-lamelo-ball-2020-redraft/">at last year’s draft</a>, for example, provides a murkier lens than jumping back two decades and seeing a player’s complete career arc. Yet evaluating how players have performed, what their upside is and accordingly how teams did in evaluating and drafting those players has to be done continually in order to make decisions moving forward.</p>
<h2>Luka Doncic goes from third to first in our redraft. Three years later how do the other players shake out from the 2018 NBA Draft?</h2>
<p>Using our newfound slice of hindsight we will look back three years to the 2018 NBA Draft. Which players have outperformed their draft slot and would go earlier in a redraft of those same prospects? Who falls down the board?</p>
<p>For this 2018 NBA Redraft we will slot each team into the slot they were in <em>exiting</em> the draft, so draft-night trades will stay in place. We’re using three years of information to re-order these players, while recognizing most of them are still young and developing. The further back in time we go the more difficult it is to take into account “fit” but it comes into play as a tiebreaker; for the most part we are going “best player available” when making the selections.</p>
<p>The end result is a wild redraft of the entire first round, with multiple Top 10 picks falling out of the Top 30 entirely, while an undrafted free agent from this class makes a leap into the Top 10 himself. We start in Phoenix, where the Suns get a second chance to take the best player in the draft.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_430246" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-430246" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1249,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1320092891.jpeg" alt="Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks" width="1600" height="1249" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1320092891.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1320092891-768x600.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="1" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Luka Doncic" data-team-id="66" data-meta-a="Guard" data-meta-b="Phoenix Suns" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">1</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Luka Doncic</h3> <h4>Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Phoenix Suns</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fsuns.png" alt="Phoenix Suns"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The history of wings entering the NBA out of Europe is checkered at best, and that uncertain track record combined with a noted lack of athleticism caused NBA teams to question whether Luka Doncic should be the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. That’s the explanation for why he inexplicably fell to the No. 3 pick, where the Dallas Mavericks traded up to take him.</p>
<p>Doncic is the ultimate conductor, operating with the ball in his hands and directing his teammates around him to make beautiful basketball music. He is crafty driving inside, with tight ball-handling and excellent body control to change speeds, lean one way before scooping a layup off the glass from the other. He’s also a threat to take a stepback jumper anywhere on the court, although he is yet to put that into the basket at an above average rate.</p>
<p>The Dallas Mavericks have handed Doncic the keys to the offense, and the past two years everything has revolved around him. Over that time not only has Doncic put up insane personal statistics, averaging 28.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, but the team has had elite offensive success as well. In 2019-20 they were the league’s best offense, and last season they finished inside the top 10 despite missing entire swaths of their rotation to COVID-19 at times during the year.</p>
<p>There is no question that Doncic is the best player from this draft class, and here in our redraft the Phoenix Suns right the wrong of three years ago and take Doncic. He would pair with Devin Booker to make a devastating offensive combo that would terrorize the league.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_422459" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-422459" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1298709730.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1298709730.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1298709730-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="2" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Shai Gilgeous-Alexander" data-team-id="84" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Sacramento Kings" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">2</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Sacramento Kings</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fkings.png" alt="Sacramento Kings"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The top tier of players from the 2018 NBA Draft includes Luka Doncic by himself, and the next tier down has a pair of dynamic guards who should be the linchpins of successful NBA offenses throughout their prime. In our redraft, the Sacramento Kings, who drafted De’Aaron Fox the season before, elect for the guard with more size and defensive ability to can better pair in the backcourt with another point guard.</p>
<p>The Kings are getting a phenomenal guard, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been nothing short of brilliant over his three seasons in the league. As a rookie he started as a low usage nominal point guard filling the gaps on the LA Clippers; as a sophomore, he moved to the 2 alongside Chris Paul, and sometimes defended small forwards in lineups with three point guards (including Dennis Schroder). Then as a “junior” he took the reigns and was one of the most successful players in the entire league at creating his own shot.</p>
<p>SGA ran the offense for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that was trying to lose games and did it so well that they gave him an extra-long rehab stint recovering from a foot injury. He averaged 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, and <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://dunksandthrees.com/epm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Estimated Plus-Minus</a> ranked him in the 93rd percentile among all players. At 6’6″ with a 7′ wingspan he has the chops to be a high-level defender as well as an offense’s best player.</p>
<p>Originally Gilgeous-Alexander went to the LA Clippers and was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Paul George trade. In our redraft, he instead goes to the Sacramento Kings, where he and Fox could push the pace and not provide opposing players an easy place to attack. In time SGA should factor into the All-NBA conversation on a regular basis.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_430241" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-430241" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1233160653.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1233160653.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1233160653-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="3" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Trae Young" data-team-id="79" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Dallas Mavericks" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">3</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Trae Young</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Dallas Mavericks</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fmavericks.png" alt="Dallas Mavericks"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Trae Young “falling” to third is not a knock on the dynamic and confident guard, and more an acknowledgment of how good this draft class is. Young is one of the best young guards in the game and has already proven he won’t be rolled over in a postseason environment.</p>
<p>On NBA draft night in June 2018, the Atlanta Hawks held the No. 3 pick, then picked up a future lottery pick to drop back two places and take Young. He has not disappointed, averaging 19.1 points and 8.1 assists <em>as a rookie</em> and is now at 24.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game averages for his career. In the last 20 years, only John Wall (8.3) and Ben Simmons (8.2) have averaged more assists in their first season.</p>
<p>Playmaking for his teammates is Young’s greatest strength, as he sees the court like few others. In his first playoff run this past year, Young pushed his Atlanta Hawks all the way to the Conference Finals. Along the way, he dropped 25 points and 18 assists on the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers; those 18 assists rank seventh among all players since 2001, and the names ahead of him are Nash, Kidd and Rondo.</p>
<p>Young brings a complete offensive package, able to shoot as far back as the logo and a crafty finisher inside. That craftiness extends to foul-drawing as well, as Young ranks fourth in the league in free-throw attempts over the past two seasons. The problems for Young come on the defensive side, where he is one of the league’s very worst players, dying on screens without the size to stick with larger guards. That is a weakness common to many elite offensive players, and he and the Hawks showed this past postseason that won’t hold Young or the team back from success.</p>
<p>In our redraft, Trae Young goes third to the Dallas Mavericks, who by our redraft rules still jump up to No. 3 and get their point guard of the future. Paired with one of the best offensive coaches in the league in Rick Carlisle, it’s possible Young’s growth as a player would go even faster in Dallas.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_307744" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-307744" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2199,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F04%2F980767478.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2199" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/980767478.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/980767478-768x528.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="4" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Michael Porter Jr." data-team-id="211" data-meta-a="Forward" data-meta-b="Memphis Grizzlies" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">4</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Michael Porter Jr.</h3> <h4>Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Memphis Grizzlies</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fgrizzlies.png" alt="Memphis Grizzlies"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The player who fell in the lottery in 2018 was Michael Porter Jr., a combo forward out of Missouri who was at one time the top player in his class but fell due to injury concerns. In the lead-up to the draft, everyone wanted to talk not only about Porter’s injury history, but the injury-laden rap sheets for his brother and two sisters, all athletes. He dropped to 14th, where the Denver Nuggets took the shot on him.</p>
<p>The 6’10” forward took his first season off rehabbing from a back injury, and then the Nuggets eased him in as a redshirt rookie. By the time the NBA Bubble came around, he was starting to show some real offensive pop. Even so, few were expecting him to take another leap forward in his second year, pouring in 19 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from 3-point range. His effective field goal percentage, which gives more value to 3-pointers than to 2’s, was 64.6 percent, which ranked fourth in the entire NBA.</p>
<p>Porter is a gunner from outside with the size to finish inside. He’s not the best defender but he has grown into a competent one. His offensive skillset means the Nuggets can slide him up to small forward in larger lineups, or put him at power forward and not lose any size. He has also been incredibly healthy, last year not missing a single game due to injury (he missed 10 games in COVID protocols and one for rest).</p>
<p>The Memphis Grizzlies originally took Jaren Jackson Jr., and in our redraft, they don’t lose any of that offensive juice or floor-spacing from the 4. Porter is not as natural of a fit sliding to center, but Jackson hasn’t proven he can do that reliably yet either. In Memphis Porter becomes the offensive building block for the team to move forward with.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_405554" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-405554" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1194572181.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1194572181.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1194572181-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="5" data-rank-type="player" data-name="DeAndre Ayton" data-team-id="125" data-meta-a="Center" data-meta-b="Atlanta Hawks" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">5</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>DeAndre Ayton</h3> <h4>Center,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Atlanta Hawks</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fhawks.png" alt="Atlanta Hawks"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>It’s a testament to how good DeAndre Ayton has been in his career and how hard he has worked to improve that the Phoenix Suns are not regularly blasted for passing on Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 6’11” <del>redwood tree</del> center has been a beast for the Suns inside as he has grown into a top-10 center in the league.</p>
<p>Ayton didn’t waste any time as a rookie, averaging 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds as he flashed his ability in the post and ability to box out and secure rebounds. The growth continued in his second season as he became a solid rim protector, averaging 1.5 blocks per game and sharpening his positioning and effort. Last year the addition of Chris Paul pushed him to third in the pecking order, so he found a way to thrive in his role, increasing his field goal percentage as he embraced screening, diving and finishing.</p>
<p>The upside for Ayton may not be as high as Luka Doncic or Trae Young, but he has been an incredibly good player thus far in his career. He stepped up to the plate in the NBA Bubble last year when the Suns went 8-0, and he not only stayed on the court during their postseason run this past year but thrived. His arrow continues to trend up.</p>
<p>In our redraft, the Atlanta Hawks miss out on Trae Young, but they do get an incredibly talented player in DeAndre Ayton. Their trajectory would be very different, as instead of finding defensive pieces to build around Young they would need to find shot creation to pair with Ayton.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 6 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433903" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433903" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2295,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1318331257.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2295" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1318331257.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1318331257-768x551.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="6" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Mikal Bridges" data-team-id="38" data-meta-a="Small Forward" data-meta-b="Orlando Magic" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">6</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Mikal Bridges</h3> <h4>Small Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Orlando Magic</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fmagic.png" alt="Orlando Magic"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>There are a handful of players still on the board with a higher “ceiling” than Bridges, either as the centerpiece of an impact defense or a prolific scorer who can create offense for themselves and others. Yet Mikal Bridges rises to sixth in our redraft because he is one of the league’s very best role players already after just three seasons.</p>
<p>The Phoenix Suns took him nine picks after DeAndre Ayton in the original 2018 NBA Draft, trading with the Philadelphia 76ers to move up and pair him with Devin Booker and Ayton. That trio is as good of a young core as anyone has in the league, with Bridges one of the league’s best 3-and-D players.</p>
<p>Bridges is a career 37.6 percent 3-point shooter who has steadily improved his shooting percentage each season, with a blistering 42.5 percent mark last year. Defensively he uses his 7’1″ wingspan to envelop opposing wings or even guards. Not simply a catch-and-shoot player, he is one of the league’s best off-ball cutters and has enough playmaking chops to attack a closeout and make the right read.</p>
<p>The Orlando Magic have struggled to draft stars and role players in recent years. They originally took Texas center Mo Bamba, which has turned out to be a major disappointment. Here they would get a player they can plug in and rely on, and he would be a terrifying defensive combination with Jonathan Isaac, who went in the 2017 Draft to the Magic.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 7 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433233" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433233" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1319733581.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1319733581.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1319733581-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="7" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Jaren Jackson Jr." data-team-id="24" data-meta-a="Power Forward" data-meta-b="Chicago Bulls" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">7</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Jaren Jackson Jr.</h3> <h4>Power Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Chicago Bulls</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fbulls.png" alt="Chicago Bulls"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>One of the NBA Draft cycle’s fast risers was Jaren Jackson Jr., who had an intriguing freshman season at Michigan St as a very young player, only able to fill a small role but putting up elite numbers on offense and defense when he was on the court. That brought him all the way to the fourth pick, where he went to the Memphis Grizzlies.</p>
<p>Right away in the Las Vegas Summer League, before he had played his first NBA game, Jackson was bombing away from 3-point range and he never stopped. Jackson is a career 37.4 percent 3-point shooter as a 6’11” big. He has hit as many as nine 3-pointers in a game before; only Channing Frye has hit as many for a player as tall as Jackson.</p>
<p>The rest of his game is more potential than production, but Jackson is a good rim protector who could be great. He needs to improve as a rebounder, both generally and if he is going to be a consistent option at center. If he can put things together over the next couple of years he has a chance to be a true two-way impact player, swatting shots and bombing 3-pointers.</p>
<p>In our redraft, the Chicago Bulls get a better version of Lauri Markkanen, a big who can shoot and play defense. They originally took Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr., who through a combination of injuries and a poor system hasn’t developed into a starter at this point in his career. Perhaps having Jackson would change things for the Bulls.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 8 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433457" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433457" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1321151211.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1321151211.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1321151211-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="8" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Donte DiVincenzo" data-team-id="156" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Cleveland Cavaliers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">8</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Donte DiVincenzo</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Cleveland Cavaliers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fcavaliers.png" alt="Cleveland Cavaliers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The Milwaukee Bucks had their last mid-round draft pick in 2018 before they took off as a championship-contending franchise. With that pick, they added Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo, who lit it up as a sixth-man for the Wildcats and earned himself a spot in the first round.</p>
<p>DiVincenzo hasn’t broken through as a star-level player, but he has been better than most casual fans would think. He is a good defender, with fast hands for steals and the ability to leverage his athleticism for closeouts and recovery, let alone for a few highlight blocks every season.</p>
<p>Offensively he has some magic as a creator, just enough to make something happen when the ball swings to him and he attacks from the perimeter. He is a great finisher due to that athleticism and has improved as a shooter every year. The foot injury that knocked him out of the playoffs was a big deal and almost cost the Milwaukee Bucks the title.</p>
<p>There are other guards that may seem like they should be picked higher than DiVincenzo, but part of his value is in his scalability. He is the perfect fit as a fourth or fifth starter on a good team, the kind of player who knows where to be and how to fit in. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands, and he isn’t targeted on defense. Next year and beyond he could become even more of a weapon for the Bucks as they look to defend their title.</p>
<p>Originally the Cleveland Cavaliers took Collin Sexton here, and that isn’t a terrible pick here and he was in contention for the slot in our redraft. At the end of the day, DiVincenzo’s ability to fit anywhere is why he goes at pick No. 8. The Cavs would likely be better off today with DiVincenzo slotted in at shooting guard instead of Collin Sexton.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 9 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433927" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433927" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1312180797.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312180797.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312180797-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="9" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Duncan Robinson" data-team-id="27" data-meta-a="Small Forward" data-meta-b="New York Knicks" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">9</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Duncan Robinson</h3> <h4>Small Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> New York Knicks</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fknicks.png" alt="New York Knicks"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Duncan Robinson has played 160 career games and already hit 530 3-pointers, by far the highest-volume 3-point start to a career in NBA history. That averages out to 3.3 made 3-pointers per game, which ranks second all-time only to Stephen Curry. Robinson’s career 42.3 percent mark from outside is 13th all-time, and fourth among active players. Simply put, Robinson is already forcing his way into the list of greatest shooters of all time.</p>
<p>What’s even more remarkable is that Robinson is doing so not as a lottery pick, but as an undrafted free agent who worked his way up from a two-way contract and frequent time in the G League to starting 141 games for a perennial playoff team. Robinson just inked a five-year, $90 million deal to continue serving as the bomber of the Miami Heat.</p>
<p>At 6’7″ Robinson has enough size to survive at small forward in small lineups, but he is most comfortably deployed at the 2, where his height allows him to fire over most defenders. He can shoot flying off of screens and get his body lined up to the basket instantly. Without Robinson, many of the Heat’s lineups would gum up from lack of spacing. He provides much of that spacing all by himself.</p>
<p>In our redraft, Robinson goes from undrafted to Top 10, with the New York Knicks getting an elite shooter to pair with whoever they continue to bring in during their rebuild. They originally took Kevin Knox, who has been a major disappointment and won’t be appearing in our redraft. Robinson is probably best set up for success on a veteran team with savvy passers, but he could thrive anywhere.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 10 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433929" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433929" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1118,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1295705931.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="1600" height="1118" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1295705931.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1295705931-768x537.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Elsa/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="10" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Mitchell Robinson" data-team-id="66" data-meta-a="Center" data-meta-b="Phoenix Suns" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">10</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Mitchell Robinson</h3> <h4>Center,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Phoenix Suns</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fsuns.png" alt="Phoenix Suns"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The New York Knicks did end up drafting a top 10 player in the 2018 NBA Draft, but it was with the 36th pick and not the ninth. Mitchell Robinson turned flashes as a rookie into consistent high-level play from the center position of the past two seasons, giving the Knicks a reliable option at the 5 who provides elite-level shot-blocking.</p>
<p>Robinson is a pogo stick on defense, leaping from anywhere near the basket to swat away opponents’ shots, then let them know about it. As a rookie he ranked second in the league in blocks per game (4th in total blocks) and in 2019-20, his second season, he was 7th in blocks per game and 6th in total blocks.</p>
<p>While he hasn’t played enough games to qualify, his career block percentage of eight percent (he has blocked eight percent of all opponent 2-point shots since coming into the league as a second-rounder) would be the highest of all time, above the great shot-blockers of yore such as Shawn Bradley, Theo Ratliff, Mark Eaton, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.</p>
<p>Robinson is not an offensive hub, but his athleticism means he is a great lob threat and dangerous as the roll man. He led the league in field goal percentage in 2019-20. He is much less dangerous from the stripe, hitting just 56.8 percent of his career free-throw attempts. He’s an excellent offensive rebounder and overall cleans the glass well on both ends.</p>
<p>No team is building a team around Robinson, but he is a great center to slot into any lineup given his rim protection and vertical spacing. In our redraft, the Phoenix Suns did not go for a center with the top pick, which means they circle back here and take Robinson to give Luka Doncic a lethal dive partner.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 11 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433928" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433928" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2337,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F980763766.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2337" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980763766.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980763766-768x561.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="11" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Collin Sexton" data-team-id="77" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Los Angeles Clippers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">11</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Collin Sexton</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Los Angeles Clippers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fclippers.png" alt="Los Angeles Clippers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers took Collin Sexton with the eighth overall pick in the original 2018 NBA Draft, and he certainly wasn’t a terrible choice. Sexton has grown into a prolific shot creator and shot-maker who ranked inside the league’s top-20 scorers last season. Would the Cavs be better off with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who famously put his hand on the scale to influence where he landed) or Mikal Bridges? Absolutely, and I make the case above for a player like DiVincenzo being more valuable to more teams.</p>
<p>Even so, Sexton is a really good player, one who has almost completely reinvented himself upon entering the league. He was a high-motor, defensive point guard when he was drafted; he’s now a shooting guard and a massive defensive liability.</p>
<p>What he does well he does very well, though, as Sexton has increased his scoring average from 16.7 points per game as a rookie to 24.3 points per game last year. That’s not merely a result of increased minutes or volume, which have both only increased slightly each season; it’s more a function of Sexton’s increased efficiency, as his effective field goal percentage has increased each season as well.</p>
<p>In the redraft, Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer available for the LA Clippers at pick No. 11, but they swing for another guard in taking Sexton. The Clippers he would have joined were starting Patrick Beverly, a bigger, stronger defensive point guard; Sexton is an excellent fit beside him in a backcourt, making this a situation that could come close to maximizing his game.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 12 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433930" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433930" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F980765964.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980765964.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980765964-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="12" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Miles Bridges" data-team-id="170" data-meta-a="Small Forward" data-meta-b="Charlotte Hornets" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">12</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Miles Bridges</h3> <h4>Small Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Charlotte Hornets</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fhornets.png" alt="Charlotte Hornets"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Occasionally when he go back and redraft an entire class, a handful of teams end up with the player they originally took. That almost always happens at the top of the draft, but in our 2018 version, the Charlotte Hornets and Miles Bridges intersect yet again at the 12th pick.</p>
<p>In the original draft, the Hornets probably should have taken Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the heir apparent to Kemba Walker and not traded back to allow the Clippers to take him, but they certainly didn’t whiff on Miles Bridges, one of the game’s best leapers and a key part of what Charlotte is building.</p>
<p>The former Michigan State forward has incredible athletic ability, which he leverages most of all in transition to put the defense in impossible situations trying to stop the ball and prevent takeoff from Bridges. He has recognized that he has to have a complete game to be a long-term starter, and accordingly improved his 3-point shooting all the way to 40.0 percent this past season.</p>
<p>Defensively Bridges is not a game-changer, but he’s a solid option who has historically taken on the Hornets’ most difficult opposing wings. He’s not a star, but he is a very solid starter for a Hornets team on the rise. If he can continue to weed out the inefficient long 2-pointers and consolidate his gains as a 3-point shooter he should continue to be a part of the Hornets’ plan.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 13 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_429529" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-429529" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1319714464.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1319714464.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1319714464-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="13" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Robert Williams III" data-team-id="77" data-meta-a="Center" data-meta-b="Los Angeles Clippers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">13</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Robert Williams III</h3> <h4>Center,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Los Angeles Clippers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fclippers.png" alt="Los Angeles Clippers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Robert Williams III earned the nickname “Time Lord” when he was late to two team events early in his tenure with the Boston Celtics, which brought a groundswell of fan support for the nickname “Time Lord.” Williams has recovered from that initial shaky start and now looks like the center of the future for the Celtics.</p>
<p>Luka Doncic leads this draft class in Box Plus-Minus, a stat that uses the box score to estimate a player’s impact above an average player. The surprising player in second is Williams, who has been a per-minute monster for the Celtics who has only grown better over the past few seasons.</p>
<p>This past year was William’s best, as he ranked in the top-10 in blocks per game with 1.8, and shot a spiffy 72.1 percent from the field, which would have led the league if Williams had qualified. Although he played limited minutes in a crowded rotation he dominated the game at times while on the court. Again, he was ninth in the league in blocks per game despite playing just 18.9 minutes per contest.</p>
<p>His per-36 numbers, therefore, are eye-popping. It should be first clarified that William’s propensity for fouling and multiple injury issues depressed his minutes, but it’s still illustrative to see what he can do in a larger role. Per 36 minutes, Williams averaged 15.2 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks. He even averaged 3.4 assists as his nascent playmaking game grows as well.</p>
<p>Here in the redraft, the LA Clippers get to pair Robert Williams with Collin Sexton, giving this team legitimate starters at two different positions. Still just 23 years old, Williams should continue to grow into one of the league’s best two-way big men.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 14 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433247" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433247" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1312012673.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312012673.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1312012673-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="14" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Kevin Huerter" data-team-id="73" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Denver Nuggets" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">14</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Kevin Huerter</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Denver Nuggets</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fnuggets.png" alt="Denver Nuggets"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The Atlanta Hawks laid the groundwork for their backcourt of the future in one draft, taking Trae Young with the No. 5 overall pick, and going back to the guard well at pick No. 19 to take Kevin Huerter. Since then Huerter, nicknamed the “Red Mamba” by some fans, has started 156 games in three seasons for Atlanta.</p>
<p>Huerter has served as the secondary option in just about every way for the Hawks over the past couple of seasons. He has been the second option offensively to Young, the second option for passing and ball-handling (3.3 career assists per game) and the second option to defend opposing wings behind whoever has been available at small forward.</p>
<p>Things went up a notch in the postseason, including a magnificent 27 point masterpiece in Game 7 on the road in Philadelphia, hitting shots from any conceivable angle as he attacked the soft part of the 76ers defense. The Hawks’ best 2-guard is probably Bogdan Bogdanovic, but Huerter is an excellent third guard on a good team.</p>
<p>The Denver Nuggets could use one of those to fill in the gaps in their backcourt, and with Michael Porter Jr. off the board, they can do just that by adding Huerter in our redraft. He could hit the open shots that are created by Nikola Jokic having the ball, attack closeouts and mismatches, and fill in for Jamal Murray in a pinch.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 15 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433941" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433941" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1117,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1318175825.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="1600" height="1117" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1318175825.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1318175825-768x536.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Elsa/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="15" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Devonte' Graham" data-team-id="142" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Washington Wizards" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">15</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Devonte' Graham</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Washington Wizards</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fwizards.png" alt="Washington Wizards"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The second Charlotte Hornets player to go in our redraft, Graham here leaps up to Pick No. 15 from 34th in the original draft. Graham, a 6’1″ point guard out of Kansas, is a North Carolina native who doesn’t get sent too much further in our redraft by going to the Washington Wizards.</p>
<p>Graham was mostly invisible as a rookie, playing just 14.7 minutes per game and averaging less than five points. Then his sophomore year came, and Graham exploded into an 18.2 points-per-game scorer as his 3-point shot took a leap up to 37.3 percent.</p>
<p>Far from a one-trick pony, Graham also improved as a passer, dishing 7.5 assists per game, good for eighth in the league that season. Adding Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball invariably decreased Graham’s volume, but he was still able to increase his effective field goal percentage by 15 points (up to 51 percent) and earn a solid long-term contract from the New Orleans Pelicans.</p>
<p>Graham is not perfect, as he is an infrequent finisher inside and can be taken advantage of defensively. Even so, his volume from outside is impressive and helps to space the floor out for his teammates.</p>
<p>The Washington Wizards were without a replacement plan for John Wall, as they were every season until the present, and in our redraft accordingly take Graham here. He can be groomed to one day replace Wall, and in the meantime be the kind of bench gunner that might allow them to not re-sign Davis Bertans to such an exorbitant contract.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 16 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433942" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433942" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1315842605.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1315842605.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1315842605-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="16" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Jalen Brunson" data-team-id="93" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Philadelphia 76ers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">16</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Jalen Brunson</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Philadelphia 76ers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2F76ers.png" alt="Philadelphia 76ers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>One of the quirks of the 2018 NBA Draft was the run of point guards that went early in the second round. Four straight went off the board to open the round, starting with Elie Okobo and then Jevon Carter, Jalen Brunson and Devonte’ Graham. Two of those guards go back-to-back once more in our redraft as Brunson elevates to Pick No. 16.</p>
<p>Brunson originally went to the Dallas Mavericks and has served as somewhat of a backup to his 2018 classmate Luka Doncic. He has been the epitome of solid, a strong ball-handler who has improved as a scorer and 3-point shooter each year of his career.</p>
<p>Last season he increased his minutes to 25 per night, shooting 40.5 percent from outside and scoring 12.6 points per game. He does that while bringing solid defense, moving the ball and filling in the gaps as a backup guard ready to do anything. His solid play has translated to helping the Mavericks win, and his 9.8 career win shares are tied for seventh in this class.</p>
<p>The Philadelphia 76ers could absolutely use a backup point guard who can handle and shoot. They originally took Zhaire Smith, who went through a variety of hurdles that ultimately saw him washed out of the league. Brunson would be a great fit who may have helped the 76ers overcome some of their own team hurdles the past few seasons.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 17 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433943" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433943" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2252,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1311470886.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2252" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1311470886.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1311470886-768x540.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="17" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Gary Trent Jr." data-team-id="89" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Milwaukee Bucks" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">17</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Gary Trent Jr.</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Milwaukee Bucks</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fbucks.png" alt="Milwaukee Bucks"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The 2017-18 Duke Blue Devils were unsurprisingly stacked with a number of talented basketball players and came within one rimmed-out shot of making another Final Four under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Three Duke players went in the first round of the subsequent 2018 NBA Draft, including two in the top-7, and all three are leapfrogged by second-round pick Gary Trent Jr. in our redraft.</p>
<p>Originally chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers, Trent had his coming-out party in the NBA Bubble, showing that he’s not only a tough wing defender but he can also score at a high rate. Trent’s increased playing time this past season led to significant leaps in his production, and he dropped in 15.3 points per game. He is a career 39.3 percent shooter from outside on fairly high volume.</p>
<p>Defensively Trent leverages his 6’9″ wingspan to take on guards and wings and playing alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum meant he played a crucial role in filling in the gaps defensively. After he was traded to the Toronto Raptors he signed a new contract worth $18 million per season; when his three former teammates sign their new deals next offseason they will almost certainly be for much lower numbers.</p>
<p>In our redraft, the Milwaukee Bucks don’t get Donte DiVincenzo to start at the 2, but they get another talented player who provides many of the same benefits as DiVincenzo. Trent’s outside shooting would be a boon in unclogging lineups, and he is good enough defensively to survive and not be the weak link.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 18 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433340" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433340" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F980762708.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980762708.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980762708-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="18" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Wendell Carter Jr." data-team-id="29" data-meta-a="Center" data-meta-b="San Antonio Spurs" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">18</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Wendell Carter Jr.</h3> <h4>Center,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> San Antonio Spurs</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fspurs.png" alt="San Antonio Spurs"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The Chicago Bulls made a draft selection at No. 7 for three consecutive drafts, and unfortunately, none of those three players has turned into a high-end starter. The Bulls have already “given up” on former Duke big man Wendell Carter Jr., sending him to the Orlando Magic as part of their trade for Nikola Vucevic.</p>
<p>The theory of Carter Jr. was a great one. He was a mobile big man prospect who could not only defend the rim but move out in space, and offensively he was going to grow his range out to the 3-point line. That part, at least, has completely failed to develop, as Carter has shot just 24.1 percent from long-range in his three-year career.</p>
<p>The real factor holding Carter back has been injuries, as he has missed double-digit games each of his first three seasons. It’s difficult to grow as a high-end defensive big man when you’re in-and-out of the lineup and playing at less than 100 percent when you are on the court.</p>
<p>Even so, Carter has shown some legitimate flashes of ability, Carter is a strong rebounder at both ends of the court, and he passes well for a big man. As a rookie, he was dynamic as a shot-blocker, and perhaps he can regain some of that early mojo with a full, healthy offseason.</p>
<p>The San Antonio Spurs originally took Lonnie Walker in the 2018 NBA Draft, and while he has shown sparks of on-ball creation he hasn’t been anything special. Carter would benefit greatly from developing in this ecosystem, and the Spurs could rotate him and Jakob Poetl for 48 minutes of strong defensive big man play.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 19 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_384905" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-384905" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1197592971.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1197592971.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1197592971-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">NBA draft Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="19" data-rank-type="player" data-name="De'Anthony Melton" data-team-id="125" data-meta-a="Guard" data-meta-b="Atlanta Hawks" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">19</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>De'Anthony Melton</h3> <h4>Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Atlanta Hawks</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fhawks.png" alt="Atlanta Hawks"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Sometimes the darlings of “NBA Twitter” fly up draft boards, and other times they stay hidden in the shadows. Leading into the 2018 NBA Draft De’Anthony Melton was one such player who got a lot of love from amateur draft analysts posting their rankings online; in this case, it seems they were correct.</p>
<p>A throw-in for a couple of trades in his first calendar year in the league, Melton arrived in Memphis and promptly became one of the better backups guards in the league. He has enough ball-handling verve to play point guard at times, but the presence of Tyus Jones in Memphis has pushed him to the 2, where he has developed into a multi-faceted impact player for the Grizzlies.</p>
<p>Melton is a willing and accurate shooter, hitting 41.2 percent of his 3-pointers. Per-36 minutes he drops in 16.3 points per game and dishes out 4.5 assists, particularly impactful in transition on either end of the ball. Defensively he is everywhere, leaping into passing lanes (his steal percentage would rank in the top 5 each of the past three seasons if he played enough minutes to qualify) and even blocking shots as a 6’2″ guard.</p>
<p>In our redraft, the Atlanta Hawks get Melton and instantly plug a spot in their rotation. He can play off DeAndre Ayton (the Hawks’ pick at No. 5 in this redraft), roving the court on defense generating turnovers and trusting in Ayton behind him to wall off the rim. Melton doesn’t have the offensive upside of Kevin Huerter, the Hawks’ original pick here, but his defensive impact makes the swap close to a wash.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 20 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_307612" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-307612" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2328,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F980759748-1.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2328" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/980759748-1.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/980759748-1-768x559.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="20" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Marvin Bagley III" data-team-id="86" data-meta-a="Power Forward" data-meta-b="Minnesota Timberwolves" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">20</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Marvin Bagley III</h3> <h4>Power Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Minnesota Timberwolves</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Ftimberwolves.png" alt="Minnesota Timberwolves"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Marvin Bagley III is our third Duke player off the board in this redraft, which is a problem since he was not only the first one taken but the second player overall in the draft. The Sacramento Kings attracted the immediate ire of the draft community when they took Bagley over Luka Doncic, and the decision has only looked worse since.</p>
<p>That isn’t to say that Bagley is a terrible player, as he has proven to be a good scorer inside and a solid rebounder. He has averaged 20.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per-36 minutes for his career. He is a crafty finisher and attacks the glass well.</p>
<p>The problems mount when you look deeper. His short wingspan, only about 1.5 inches longer than his 6’11” height, makes it more difficult to affect shots, especially when he gets out of position. Without dependable rim protection from Bagley, the Kings have found it difficult to play Bagley at the 5. At the four his lack of an outside shot (31.4 percent career from 3-point range) strangles the Sacramento offense. Add in plenty of fouling and a paucity of steals, and Bagley is really only a player at this point in his career who scores inside the arc and rebounds.</p>
<p>That’s a useful player still, and much more palatable at Pick No. 20 than at second overall. Here the Minnesota Timberwolves take a very different player than their original pick, the defensively-minded Josh Okogie. Even now Bagley has the upside to be a prolific scoring threat as something of a “big man 6th man” and he could come in and play in the big rotation for the Timberwolves here in the redraft.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 21 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433949" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433949" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1311803554.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1311803554.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1311803554-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="21" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Shake Milton" data-team-id="118" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Utah Jazz" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">21</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Shake Milton</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Utah Jazz</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fjazz.png" alt="Utah Jazz"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Shake Milton did just about everything during his time at SMU, passing and shooting and rebounding and defending. While that gave him a good baseline of basketball skills, he needed to specialize a bit to find his NBA niche. He did just that, honing his handle and shot to become a scoring guard off the bench for the Philadelphia 76ers.</p>
<p>The shot hasn’t been entirely consistent, but when it’s hot he can rain down points with confidence. He hit 43 percent of his 3-pointers two seasons ago as he first broke through into the rotation, but last year just 35 percent of his long-range shots went in. The reality is likely somewhere in the middle, as his career 37.4 percent mark displays.</p>
<p>Milton’s role isn’t tremendous on a roster containing Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry, but he gets shots up quickly when he is playing. This past season he usage rate bumped up to 24.9 percent, and he scored 20.1 points per-36 minutes. He also improved at drawing contact and getting to the line, where he shot 83 percent this past season.</p>
<p>There is probably not a starting guard here, as Milton will turn 25 before his fourth season begins. A team that can slot him in as a backup guard with a defined role could get a lot of impact from him, and that’s why he rises all the way to 21st in our 2018 redraft. He joins the Utah Jazz here, replacing Grayson Allen. The Grizzlies likely would have included Milton in the Mike Conley deal as they did Allen, but if they didn’t he would be able to fill a similar role there as he has in Philadelphia, perhaps as a lower-cost alternative to Jordan Clarkson.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 22 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433951" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433951" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1321320429.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1321320429.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1321320429-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="22" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Bruce Brown Jr." data-team-id="24" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Chicago Bulls" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">22</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Bruce Brown Jr.</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Chicago Bulls</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fbulls.png" alt="Chicago Bulls"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Only Detroit Pistons fans and avid NBA followers were familiar with Bruce Brown Jr. over two seasons in the league, as he averaged just 6.3 points per game for the Pistons after they took him 42nd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Then they sent him to the Brooklyn nets for basically nothing and his career, and popularity, took off.</p>
<p>Brown is just 6’4″ tall but is a bulldog of a defender, with the strength and wingspan (6’9″) to take on larger players. He found his niche in the verdant shooting environment of the Nets, attacking the glass and cutting through space to impact the game without being able to shoot. And Brown very much cannot shoot, hitting just 29.8 percent from 3-point range in his career.</p>
<p>In another context, Brown would be less impactful, as most teams would need to put the ball in his hands to make up for his lack of shooting. He is a good playmaker, but he isn’t anything special, and he is much better deployed in an ecosystem where he can savvily navigate off-ball. The Nets, then, are one of the few places that can best optimize him.</p>
<p>Perhaps the Chicago Bulls are another, especially if we fast forward to the present day and their current construction with Nikola Vucevic playing center. They originally took Boise State wing Chandler Hutchinson, who has not panned out as an NBA rotation player. In Brown, the Bulls would certainly get one of those, a player who could replicate many of the things Kris Dunn did for them but with more size.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 23 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433952" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433952" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1270803325.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1270803325.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1270803325-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="23" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Landry Shamet" data-team-id="100" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Indiana Pacers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">23</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Landry Shamet</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Indiana Pacers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fpacers.png" alt="Indiana Pacers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The Wichita State Shockers had a golden class of players who led them to significant NCAA success. Fred VanVleet was the one player from that group to sustain an NBA career, and he won a title as a starter for the Toronto Raptors. His successor at Wichita State was Landry Shamet.</p>
<p>The 6’4″ Shamet played point guard in college but, just like VanVleet, has moved to shooting guard in the NBA. Shamet’s calling card is his perimeter shooting, and he has hit 39.7 percent of his career shots from beyond the arc. He has settled into that specific role, and he shots almost exclusively from outside, with 73 percent of his attempts from 3; that ranked 12th in the league last season.</p>
<p>Shamet’s point guard background makes him a capable passer when the ball is swung to him or when attacking closeouts. He struggles when asked to generate his own offense, and he isn’t quite the movement shooter in the vein of Joe Harris or Duncan Robinson. Defensively Shamet isn’t a non-entity, but he isn’t making a positive impact on that end of the court.</p>
<p>The Indiana Pacers could use shooting, and Landry Shamet could plug right into their collection of good-not-elite players. While he is about to play for his fourth team in four seasons, here the hope is he can grow as a part of the Pacers in this version of the 2018 NBA Draft.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 24 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433954" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433954" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1995,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F980943650.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="1995" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980943650.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/980943650-768x479.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="24" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Aaron Holiday" data-team-id="34" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Portland Trail Blazers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">24</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Aaron Holiday</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Portland Trail Blazers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Ftrailblazers.png" alt="Portland Trail Blazers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The third of the Holiday brothers to enter the league, Aaron Holiday is now the only one without an NBA championship. He was originally taken 23rd overall by the Indiana Pacers and has basically kept that same basic ranking in the draft class since then.</p>
<p>Holiday is fast, and he can attack opposing defenses off the dribble and as a cutter. He, unfortunately, has not become a great finisher inside, shooting just 42.5 percent from 2-point range in his career. The perimeter shooting is better but still not a true strength, as Holiday has hit 37.2 percent of his 3-pointers.</p>
<p>If Holiday was able to be a true table-setter at the point guard position he would have more value, but his assist numbers are mediocre for a guard and especially for a pure point, as Holiday has to be due to his 6’0″ frame. He is excellent at snatching steals, but otherwise is only a decent defender at the point of attack.</p>
<p>At this point in the redraft teams are filling out their bench rather than going after starters, and Holiday can fit in behind Damian Lillard on the Portland Trail Blazers. They originally took another guard, Anfernee Simons, who would also be a reasonable choice here as both he and Holiday profile as bench guards moving forward.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 25 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433955" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433955" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1316156911.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1316156911.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1316156911-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="25" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Kendrick Nunn" data-team-id="20" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Los Angeles Lakers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">25</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Kendrick Nunn</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Los Angeles Lakers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Flakers.png" alt="Los Angeles Lakers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The Miami Heat have a world-class player development program that not only attracts players hoping to prove themselves but finds diamonds in the rough and polishes them into legitimate NBA players. Hassan Whiteside, Duncan Robinson and Max Strus are all recent examples, as is former Oakland guard Kendrick Nunn.</p>
<p>After going undrafted in 2018 Nunn had a cup of coffee with the Golden State Warriors before landing with the Miami Heat, who signed him to a multi-year contract that had very little risk for the Heat but captured all of the upside. Nunn delivered on that upside, becoming not only a rotation player but an All-Rookie team selection and a 111 game starter.</p>
<p>Nunn can score, which is a useful skill in a point guard. He has shot a mediocre 36.4 percent from deep, but his exceptional 88.1 percent free-throw mark (93.3 percent this past season) suggests he could improve to become an above-average outside shooter. He’s not much of a playmaker for others which means he is best deployed alongside another creator. Defensively he isn’t a sieve, but he isn’t a positive either.</p>
<p>In our normal timeline, Nunn just signed a two-year deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s therefore fitting that he goes to the Lakers here in our redraft, leaping up from undrafted to the first round. The Lakers originally took stretch-5 Moritz Wagner here, a player who drops out of the first round entirely for this redraft.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 26 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_429322" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-429322" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1314853159.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1314853159.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1314853159-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="26" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Grayson Allen" data-team-id="93" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Philadelphia 76ers" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">26</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Grayson Allen</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Philadelphia 76ers</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2F76ers.png" alt="Philadelphia 76ers"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Duke’s quartet of basketball players originally drafted in 2018 all make it into the first round of our redraft, with shooting guard Grayson Allen landing at 26. The hero of Duke’s 2015 title bid as a freshman, he became something of a national villain during the rest of his career.</p>
<p>Allen was then the 21st pick in the 2018 draft, going to the Utah Jazz and playing a very minimal role off the bench. Then he was part of the Mike Conley trade and joined the Memphis Grizzlies, where he increased his playing time and upgraded his shot. Over two seasons in Memphis he shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range and 86.8 percent from the free-throw line, eventually becoming the starter down the stretch and into the playoffs.</p>
<p>Other than shoot Allen doesn’t go any one thing exceptionally well, but he does a lot of things decently well. He cleans the glass well for a guard, can distribute the ball and has grown as a defender both in sticking with his man and in poking away the ball for steals.</p>
<p>The Milwaukee Bucks just traded for Allen, but in our redraft, he goes to another Eastern Conference foe in the Philadelphia 76ers. They originally took Landry Shamet, and Allen would provide a somewhat similar player as a 2-guard who can shoot and be a secondary creator.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 27 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433957" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433957" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1208912792.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1208912792.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1208912792-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="27" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Anfernee Simons" data-team-id="18" data-meta-a="Point Guard" data-meta-b="Boston Celtics" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">27</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Anfernee Simons</h3> <h4>Point Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Boston Celtics</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fceltics.png" alt="Boston Celtics"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>For a string of picks here in the 20s, teams in the redraft have been taking players similar or marginally better than the player they originally chose. That streak breaks here, as the Boston Celtics originally took center Robert Williams III; Time Lord went 13th in our redraft to the LA Clippers. Instead, the Celtics swing the other way and “go small” in selecting Anfernee Simons.</p>
<p>In one sense, it’s difficult to get a clear read on the play of Anfernee Simons. He has been buried behind one of the best point guards in the league, and one who plays a significant amount of minutes. The presence of Damian Lillard invariably means his backup will get sparse playing time.</p>
<p>Perhaps accordingly, Simons’ development has come along slowly. As a rookie, he appeared in just 20 games and scored a total of 75 points. In his second season, he officially cracked the rotation, nearly tripling his minutes and playing in 70 games. Last year he stepped up as a shooter, dropping in 3.9 3-pointers per-36 minutes on 42.6 percent shooting.</p>
<p>Simons is basically just a scorer, not bringing much of any passing to the table. Defensively he isn’t a pushover and has decent size, but he very rarely generates steals and when paired with another minus defender makes for a poor pairing. Even so, the Celtics get a reserve guard with upside and offensive pizazz, a player they can plug in for rotation minutes behind Kemba Walker.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 28 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433248" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433248" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2130,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1304570625.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2130" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304570625.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1304570625-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="28" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Josh Okogie" data-team-id="41" data-meta-a="Small Forward" data-meta-b="Golden State Warriors" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">28</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Josh Okogie</h3> <h4>Small Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Golden State Warriors</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fwarriors.png" alt="Golden State Warriors"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>The end of the 2018 NBA Draft first round was a rough one. Jacob Evans, Dzanan Musa and Omari Spellman went off the board with the final three picks of the round, and none of them look like an NBA player. The Golden State Warriors took an older prospect hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with their core, but Evans turned out to be borderline unplayable and he didn’t factor into their present or their future.</p>
<p>Instead in our redraft they pivot and take Josh Okogie, a player who hasn’t lived up to his potential yet but is certainly an NBA player. The Nigerian native and Georgia Tech star was originally taken 20th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he has been a defense-first (and only) wing for them since.</p>
<p>There are many things that Okogie is not, including a shooter (27.3 percent from deep), a scorer (7.3 points per game average) or a passer (1.3 assists per game). He answers the mirrored question emphatically, attacking opposing ball-handlers or denying the ball from his man off-ball. He averaged 1.7 career steals per-36 minutes, and even blocks a fair amount of shots too at 6’4″.</p>
<p>The shot has to improve for Okogie to earn a lucrative next contract, and there is no better place to improve that shot than with the Golden State Warriors. In our redraft, they get the chance to oversee his development on offense while allowing him to learn from the best in Draymond Green.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 29 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_307759" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-307759" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2210,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F04%2F980917088.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2210" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/980917088.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/980917088-768x530.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="29" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Lonnie Walker" data-team-id="147" data-meta-a="Shooting Guard" data-meta-b="Brooklyn Nets" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">29</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Lonnie Walker</h3> <h4>Shooting Guard,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Brooklyn Nets</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fnets.png" alt="Brooklyn Nets"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>Lonnie Walker drops a few spots in our 2018 redraft, coming in at 29th instead of his original 18th. Walker came out of Florida and joined a San Antonio Spurs team flush with guards, giving Walker a tight room to break into as a rookie.</p>
<p>Over time Walker has done just that, although he is still awaiting his true breakout season. Just a garbage-time player in his first season, last year he averaged 25.4 points per game. His 3-point accuracy regressed to 35.5 percent (now 36.9 percent for his career) but his free-throw percentage actually went up, probably a good sign all-in-all.</p>
<p>The future is still unclear for Walker, who could consolidate the shooting and become a solid scoring option in the Spurs’ rotation. Alternatively, it could stay inconsistent, and his lack of other elite offerings would doom him to an end-of-the-bench role.</p>
<p>In our redraft, it is the Brooklyn Nets who take a swing on him late with Pick No. 29. In the real-life 2018 Draft, they took Dzanan Musa, a player who was sent packing and has likely seen his NBA career end. Here they get a scoring guard with a much higher floor.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 30 </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_433958" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-433958" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1193165071.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1193165071.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1193165071-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="Rank" data-rank="30" data-rank-type="player" data-name="Svi Mykhailiuk" data-team-id="125" data-meta-a="Small Forward" data-meta-b="Atlanta Hawks" data-inner-content=""> <div class="mock-draft"> <div class="mock-draft-head"> <div class="mock-draft-order-container"> <div class="mock-draft-order">30</div> </div> <div class="mock-draft-player-details"> <h3>Svi Mykhailiuk</h3> <h4>Small Forward,<span class="mock-draft-team-name"> Atlanta Hawks</span></h4> </div> <div class="mock-draft-team-logo"> <img src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_75,h_75,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.fansided.com%2Flogos%2Fnba%2Fhawks.png" alt="Atlanta Hawks"> </div> </div> </div>
</div>
<p>There are plenty of players who could be an option for the Atlanta Hawks here with the final pick of the redraft. They have a number of options available to them, as the next slide of honorable mentions will illustrate. They can take low-upside bench players or swing for the fences. With a center and an on-ball guard already in tow in this redraft, the Hawks go for elite shooting and take Svi Mykhailiuk.</p>
<p>“Sviatoslav” as his mother likely calls him has hung on the fringes of NBA rotations, consistently bombing away from outside and doing little else. For his career, 65.5 percent of his shots have been from 3-point range, with most of the others shots that are opened up because of his shooting.</p>
<p>The 6’7″ wing is a terrible rebounder for his size, and he rarely blocks shots and only slightly-less-rarely passes to a teammate for a shot. His turnover percentage is remarkably high for a player with his role. He will need to clean that up to stay playable as a shooter on the wing.</p>
<p>The Atlanta Hawks conclude the draft with their third pick, the most of any other team. They got three players who all have a tentpole strength and could be a part of what the Hawks are building down in Georgia.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Just Missed the Cut </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_308049" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img class="size-full wp-image-308049" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F04%2F980873946.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/980873946.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/04/980873946-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA draft Photo by Mohammed Elshamy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images</p>
</div>
</div>
<h2>2018 NBA Redraft: Just missed the cut</h2>
<p><em>Players listen in no particular order</em></p>
<p><strong>Jevon Carter, PG, West Virginia</strong> – An on-ball terror who never figured out the offensive end, Carter is a solid player who could fill a backcourt spot for a number of teams.</p>
<p><strong>Troy Brown Jr., SF, Oregon</strong> – A rangy wing with good tools, Brown is a decent enough defender but the shot has to come around to make him a viable rotation player.</p>
<p><strong>Mo Bamba, C, Texas</strong> – A deep center rotation, revolving coaches and a serious fight with COVID have all held Bamba back. He might never recover, but the upside that made him a top-10 pick is still there.</p>
<p><strong>Jae’Sean Tate, SF, Ohio State</strong> – Another undrafted player, Tate finally entered the league at the start of last year and made the All-Rookie first team. Whether his numbers were a result of frequent playing time on a team always playing in garbage time or the foundation of something real is to be determined.</p>
<p><strong>Drew Eubanks, C, Oregon State</strong> – Eubanks has found a very small role as a backup center on the Spurs. His metrics all look good, so perhaps there is a player ready to handle larger minutes in there somewhere.</p>
<p><strong>Hamidou Diallo, SG, Kentucky</strong> – Diallo’s athleticism is off the charts, and this past season he began to leverage that to help him in other areas. He is still inefficient, foul-prone and jumpy, but he also might be finally taking the step towards becoming a starter.</p>
<p><strong>Alize Johnson, PF, Missouri State</strong> – After two nondescript seasons in Indiana, Johnson broke onto the national scene with a handful of big-time performances for a Brooklyn Nets team wracked by injuries. His energy level is incredibly high, and he has a shot at making the Nets’ full-health rotation this season.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Zion Williamson still first in 2019 Redraft" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/22/nba-draft-zion-williamson-2019-redraft/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/08/18/nba-draft-luka-doncic-rises-2018-redraft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/22/nba-draft-zion-williamson-2019-redraft/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Zion Williamson still first in 2019 Redraft </a> </div>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—>">