NBA Draft: Luka Doncic rises to first in 2018 NBA Redraft

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.

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.

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 Estimated Plus-Minus 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.

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.