2018 NBA Mock Draft: The standings are set

BELGRADE, SERBIA - MARCH 30: Luka Doncic (L) of Real Madrid in action against Ognjen Dobric (R) of Crvena Zvezda during the 2017/2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season game between Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Real Madrid at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on March 30, 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images) /

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. G. Real Madrid. Luka Doncic. 1. player. 66

If the Suns do truly end up with the first overall pick in this year’s draft after next month’s lottery, they will surely benefit from embarking on a coaching search simultaneously with their draft scouting. That is because of the national connection between Doncic and Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov.

Both men took over the spotlight when in 2017 the Slovenian national team, led by Doncic and former Suns guard Goran Dragic and coached by Kokoskov, won the Eurobasket competition. They beat Bogdan Bogdanovic and Serbia in the final, cementing Dragic’s international legacy and propelling Doncic and Kokoskov to greater fame.

The Suns will reportedly look at all the top candidates, from Villanova’s Jay Wright to former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, but pairing Kokoskov with Doncic would give them an advantage teams like Atlanta and Dallas, with firm coaching situations, don’t have.

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Comfort will be a big part of Doncic’s ability to translate his game to the United States. Signing the coach of his national team would be extremely helpful for that process.

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