Revisiting the 2018 NBA draft -- missed opportunities?

[Remote]

Without much debate, it's clear the stars of the 2018 NBA draft are Luka Doncic (3rd overall), Trae Young (5th overall) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 11th overall).

But it seems like from a depth perspective, this was a draft with tremendous value.

Jalen Brunson went 33rd overall.
Robert Williams went 27th.
De'Anthony Melton went 46th.
Kevin Huerter went 19th.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Bruce Brown went 41st and 42nd.

And there's an argument that Anfernee Simons could still develop into one of the better players in the league. He went 24th.
I'm not saying all of these guys are great players, but they are certainly viable.

Did NBA teams miscalculate the talent in this draft? Or did teams just do a good job of developing these prospects after?

Full list of players drafted:

2018 NBA Draft | Basketball-Reference.com

Checkout the summary for NBA 2018 Draft with Round by Round selections and more on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

 

[Skooby]

Without much debate, it's clear the stars of the 2018 NBA draft are Luka Doncic (3rd overall), Trae Young (5th overall) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 11th overall).

But it seems like from a depth perspective, this was a draft with tremendous value.

Jalen Brunson went 33rd overall.
Robert Williams went 27th.
De'Anthony Melton went 46th.
Kevin Huerter went 19th.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Bruce Brown went 41st and 42nd.

And there's an argument that Anfernee Simons could still develop into one of the better players in the league. He went 24th.
I'm not saying all of these guys are great players, but they are certainly viable.

Did NBA teams miscalculate the talent in this draft? Or did teams just do a good job of developing these prospects after?

Full list of players drafted:

2018 NBA Draft | Basketball-Reference.com

Checkout the summary for NBA 2018 Draft with Round by Round selections and more on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

So lahy come out so young the draft is really A crapshoot.

Some of them maybe still growing physically.

 

[Remote]

So lahy come out so young the draft is really A crapshoot.

Some of them maybe still growing physically.

 

[Shadow King]

This isn't really atypical outside of Brunson. Starting players are often found the late 1st and 2nd round.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Omari Spellman gotta be looking at all his Nova teammates doin their thing while he ate himself outta basketball just depressed

 

[mastermind]

The league was moving away from traditional, static big men, yet four of the first seven picks were that.

Seems like bad GMs.

 

[SchoolboyC]

In a lottery redraft I’d say:

Luka goes 1 to Phoenix
Shai 2 to Sacramento
ATL stays at 3 to take Trae instead of trading down
MEM still takes JJJ at 4
Dallas takes Brunson at 5 instead of 2nd round
Orlando takes Mikal at 6
Chicago takes MPJ at 7
Cleveland still takes Sexton at 8 because why not
Knicks take Miles Bridges at 9 over Knox
Phoenix still trades up to 10 and takes Ayton there
Charlotte takes Mitchell Robinson at 11
Clippers take Time Lord & DiVincenzo at 12 & 13
Denver takes Bruce Brown at 14

 

[Remote]

In a lottery redraft I’d say:

Luka goes 1 to Phoenix
Shai 2 to Sacramento
ATL stays at 3 to take Trae instead of trading down
MEM still takes JJJ at 4
Dallas takes Brunson at 5 instead of 2nd round
Orlando takes Mikal at 6
Chicago takes MPJ at 7
Cleveland still takes Sexton at 8 because why not
Knicks take Miles Bridges at 9 over Knox
Phoenix still trades up to 10 and takes Ayton there
Charlotte takes Mitchell Robinson at 11
Clippers take Time Lord & DiVincenzo at 12 & 13
Denver takes Bruce Brown at 14

 

[Remote]

The league was moving away from traditional, static big men, yet four of the first seven picks were that.

Seems like bad GMs.

 

[jwinfield]

Shai in Chicago would’ve been

 

[Godless Socialist CEO]

Without much debate, it's clear the stars of the 2018 NBA draft are Luka Doncic (3rd overall), Trae Young (5th overall) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 11th overall).

But it seems like from a depth perspective, this was a draft with tremendous value.

Jalen Brunson went 33rd overall.
Robert Williams went 27th.
De'Anthony Melton went 46th.
Kevin Huerter went 19th.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Bruce Brown went 41st and 42nd.

And there's an argument that Anfernee Simons could still develop into one of the better players in the league. He went 24th.
I'm not saying all of these guys are great players, but they are certainly viable.

Did NBA teams miscalculate the talent in this draft? Or did teams just do a good job of developing these prospects after?

Full list of players drafted:

2018 NBA Draft | Basketball-Reference.com

Checkout the summary for NBA 2018 Draft with Round by Round selections and more on Basketball-Reference.com

www.basketball-reference.com

The top 10 of that draft is wild as fukk in terms of who panned out and who didn't. Folks like to kill Atlanta for giving up Luka (rightfully so) for Trae, but I mean Sacramento, The Knicks, and my team Orlando drafted some straight up fukking bums. Hilariously, we now have Carter (on one of the best contracts for a starting center in the NBA) starting at Center despite drafting Mo Bamba's sorry ass over him.

 

[Godless Socialist CEO]

In a lottery redraft I’d say:

Luka goes 1 to Phoenix
Shai 2 to Sacramento
ATL stays at 3 to take Trae instead of trading down
MEM still takes JJJ at 4
Dallas takes Brunson at 5 instead of 2nd round
Orlando takes Mikal at 6
Chicago takes MPJ at 7
Cleveland still takes Sexton at 8 because why not
Knicks take Miles Bridges at 9 over Knox
Phoenix still trades up to 10 and takes Ayton there
Charlotte takes Mitchell Robinson at 11
Clippers take Time Lord & DiVincenzo at 12 & 13
Denver takes Bruce Brown at 14

Mo Wagner deserves more love. Could easily see him moving into the top 15. Grayson Allen has turned into a fantastic role player as well for Phoenix

Mo is putting up 11-4 for the Magic in 18 mins a night off the bench. Great player for us and he's only here because his brother is a borderline all start at only 22 years old

 

[SchoolboyC]

Mo Wagner deserves more love. Could easily see him moving into the top 15. Grayson Allen has turned into a fantastic role player as well for Phoenix

Mo is putting up 11-4 for the Magic in 18 mins a night off the bench. Great player for us and he's only here because his brother is a borderline all start at only 22 years old

I think Mo still goes in the same range in a redraft

Grayson probably right outside the lottery if not in it, could def argue him over Brown or DiVincenzo if it came down to it

I also realize I completely forgot about Anfernee Simons

 

[Godless Socialist CEO]

I think Mo still goes in the same range in a redraft

Grayson probably right outside the lottery if not in it, could def argue him over Brown or DiVincenzo if it came down to it

I also realize I completely forgot about Anfernee Simons

Wasn’t gonna bring that up but yeah. Simons is going top 10 in a redraft

 

[Skooby]

I done forgot what I was trying to say lol.