This small forward crop in the 2018 NBA Draft class has heavy international flavor. Here are the top five prospects at that position right now.
In this day and age, it’s tough to define what exactly a small forward is. The wing positions have more or less bled together, while most traditional 3s now find themselves playing heavy minutes at the 4. It’s almost a positional middle ground for those who wouldn’t naturally classify themselves at power forward, yet don’t really fit the perception of what a guard is supposed to do.
In the 2018 NBA Draft class, the versatility that comes with such a label shows up quite a bit. The small forward talent isn’t that deep, but there are multiple players who can thrive at multiple positions, whether it be shifting to the interior on defense or thriving as a secondary ball-handler on offense.
There’s also a heavy international flavor. This year’s class brings far more talent from the international ranks than last year, and the majority of those prospects find themselves on the wing.
Those factors combine to make this one of the more interesting positions we’ll follow next season. There isn’t much certainty, and with that comes plenty of talking points — from general speculation to bold predictions. That, in shortened form, means more question marks that’ll have to be answered.