NBA Draft 2018: Five perfect first round selections

3. Luka Doncic — Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies front office has made no secret of their desire to return to the playoffs next season. Having Mike Conley and Marc Gasol on the roster makes that a possibility. Adding a dynamic offensive player like Doncic could turn that dream into reality for Memphis.

There are legitimate questions about Doncic’s ability to defend NBA wings, but there can’t be any debate about his offensive credentials. Landing in Memphis would allow him to serve as a secondary playmaker during his rookie season. Conley and Gasol are going to initiate a ton of offense for this team. Doncic could make plays off their initial action as a starter and the team could also stagger his minutes to allow him to lead the bench unit.

Preventing Doncic from needing to be the number one option on offense should allow him to grow into life in the NBA at a reasonable pace. Not overwhelming him immediately is going to be important for the team that drafts him. He’d feel some pressure in Memphis, but he wouldn’t face the immediate offensive expectations he might face for other teams.

The real question is whether or not the Grizzlies can stand pat at No. 4 and expect to draft Doncic. The talented Slovenian seems to be a victim of overexposure in the draft process. He’s got approximately 90 games of film for executives to nitpick. That might allow him to fall into a perfect situation with the Grizzlies.