2018 NBA Draft: Top 60 big board, Part 1

Why are six big men ranked so highly?

Many people may consider ranking six big men in the top 10 a sin, let alone the top eight. With today’s trending NBA game, teams are having success playing smaller basketball. While I have zero problems with the small-ball NBA game, I think there is still a place for big men — as long as they are the right type of big men.

Now, I am more optimistic about the top of this class as a whole as far as these six big men prospects being able to be serviceable defenders in space at some point in their careers. The only two that really worry me are Deandre Ayton and Michael Porter Jr. Ayton’s value that he should hold offensively, especially if other teams continue to go smaller, should allow him to stay on the court and just have him hedge and recover as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, Michael Porter Jr. does not provide that same offensive mismatch if teams decide the go smaller because he does not have even close to the same amount of strength or finishing ability as Ayton. That’s why Porter ranks as the lowest prospect in tier two.

As a whole, I do not think the NBA wants to go small. Or, more accurately, not every NBA team wants 30 minutes of P.J. Tucker at center, especially with the future big men emerging in this class that could be utilized in so many different ways.

I do not think the big man is extinct, but I think we should value that right kind of big man: one that can add value as a rim-runner, stretching the floor or putting the ball on the floor and at least be serviceable switching on the defensive end. Very few big men in the NBA are completely switchable, but they still need to bring some perimeter defensive value.