The Step Back’ 2018 NBA Draft Big Board: Pre-Combine Edition

The week of May 14th brings two major events in the pre-Draft process as we cruise toward the 2018 NBA Draft in June. On Tuesday, the NBA Draft Lottery will take place, which will provide clarity on what the top of the draft may look like in a month’s time. Phoenix, Memphis, and Dallas have the top odds for the lottery, but it’s unlikely that that’s the final order, and we should have our last major shift in the draft order on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, the 2018 NBA Draft’s top players will convene in New York for the NBA Draft Combine. The Combine is a good chance to see the improvements that have been made by many of the lower-tier players on the draft board in the past two months. While many of the big names won’t compete in many of the drills, it’s a chance to see players we think of as 2nd-round level prospects, and get an idea of their true upside and talent. This is where the Draft’s late risers will likely make their name, and many of the players in the latter part of this Big Board update will be vying for 1st round grades at this event.

With the early entry withdrawal deadline coming up shortly after the Combine, we should get a lot of clarity in the draft pool over the next two weeks. But before we get there, here’s where The Step Back stands on the 2018 Draft class.