FanSided Network 2018 NBA Mock Draft
By Staff
1. player. 66. . C. Arizona. Deandre Ayton
50 years in the making, the Phoenix Suns finally have the first overall pick in the draft, and with it, potentially their first dominant center in franchise history as well.
There is no doubt at this point the Suns will be selecting Dendre Ayton first overall, and there probably should never have been. Ayton has the size and athleticism to make him one of only a few incoming rookies to impact their new teams immediately. He will be counted on to score and rebound (and hopefully block a couple of shots) and make a run at the franchise’s fourth Rookie of the Year award winner. Suns fans expect Ayton to step into the starting spot on opening night, with many projecting Karl-Anthony Towns-like rookie statistics, somewhere in the range of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
His presence alone will pay immediate dividends as well as it will provide new head coach Igor Kokoskov with the ability to balance out the team’s offense with Devin Booker manning the perimeter and Josh Jackson slashing through the lanes.
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Ayton has called the pairing of himself with Booker, Shaq and Kobe 2.0, while others have compared Jackson to Clyde Drexler. Could this new group ever reach the level of play that those hall of famers were able to achieve? Only time will tell. The one thing we do know, is that the Phoenix Suns are about to have a franchise big-man to pair with their franchise guard and wing, and nothing could be more exciting for fans of a team who hasn’t made the playoffs since before Amar’e Stoudemire added that apostrophe to his first name.
— Adam Maynes
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