Phoenix Suns: The pros and cons of drafting Luka Doncic No. 1
Believe it or not, the Phoenix Suns have options if they keep the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Here are the pros and cons of using it on Luka Doncic.
With the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns have to make one of the most important decisions in their 50-year history.
Do they keep the selection and use it on a center to shore up one of their biggest needs despite the NBA becoming a small-ball league? Do they manage to sniff out the perfect blockbuster deal and trade the No. 1 pick for an established, young superstar who can play with Devin Booker for the long haul? Or do they trade down — a la Danny Ainge — for a player who may still be there in the top five?
What general manager Ryan McDonough does with this pick will create ripple effects in the Suns’ Timeline for years to come, but as is often the case in draft projections, sometimes the initial gut choice for the No. 1 pick is the right one.
If that’s the case, Luka Doncic should be the first name out of Adam Silver’s mouth on Thursday night.
Once comfortably ahead of his competition in mock drafts, 18 straight months of basketball took its toll on the Slovenian prospect, and suddenly, GMs have soured on the international prospect who’s dominated EuroLeague basketball at the ripe age of 19.
However, for all the concerns over his flaws (which apply to every prospect in every draft ever) and outright xenophobia (the name Darko Milicic will never die no matter what European prospect we’re talking about), Doncic has one of the highest floors and highest ceilings in this class. It’s no coincidence he’s the most accomplished international draft prospect the league has ever seen.
The local Arizona supporters may not want to hear anything other than “Deandre Ayton” at No. 1, but there are plenty of pros and cons with taking him at the top of the draft order. In the interest of being thorough, it’s time to take a look at what “Wonder Boy” brings to the table, why he’d be a great pick at No. 1, and where the concerns over his potential lie.