NBA Draft Lottery 2018: Who each team should take with the No. 1 pick
By Ian Levy
1. Phoenix Suns — Luka Doncic (25% chance)
The Phoenix Suns certainly seemed to telegraph their hand when they hired Igor Kokoskov as their new head coach. Kokoskov coached Doncic with the Slovenian national team to a shocking victory in last summer’s EuroBasket Tournament. The Suns could certainly use a big man, especially with the potential departures of Tyson Chandler and Alex Len. But Doncic’s potential to be a unifying force for young talents like Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender makes a lot of sense too.
Booker has shown the ability to be a complimentary ball-handler but he’s probably at his best if he’s not initiating too much offense for Phoenix. Playing next to Doncic, especially in big lineups with Jackson defending point guards, will create more easy shots for Booker, let him attack distracted defenses and raise his efficiency.
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Doncic could also be of incredible value in helping coax efficiency offensive performances from Bender, Chriss and Jackson. His ability to break down the defense, see the floor and create space for everyone else could be just what Phoenix needs to coalesce their young talent into an actual team to be reckoned with.