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NBA Draft 2018: Biggest questions for draft night

By Brandon Jefferson

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates a three point basket against the Rhode Island Rams during the second half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates a three point basket against the Rhode Island Rams during the second half in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 17, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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TUSCALOOSA, AL – JANUARY 27: Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to maneuver by Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the game at Coleman Coliseum on January 27, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL – JANUARY 27: Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to maneuver by Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the game at Coleman Coliseum on January 27, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

4. Which points guard gets taken first?

In case you were stuck under a rock during this past college basketball season, Trae Young went to Oklahoma and set the world ablaze with his three-point marksmanship and passing abilities on his way to leading the NCAA in points per game (27.4) and assists per game (8.7). Young was the talk of the town and drew comparisons to two-time MVP and three-time NBA champion Steph Curry countless times. Due to Young’s lack of size (measured in at 6-foot-1 and 178 pounds with a 6-foot-3 wingspan at the 2018 NBA Draft Combine), it is far from a guarantee that he’ll be the first point guard selected.

Alabama’s Collin Sexton was a bigger name in high school than Young. Sexton has the measurables, the speed, the athleticism, and the ruthlessness it takes to be a star point guard in today’s NBA. In Brooklyn, Sexton scored 40 points against Minnesota, however, the most impressive stat is that 23 of the 40 came while the Crimson Tide played three-on-five for over 10 minutes following the ejection of the entire Alabama bench. Sexton might not be the shooter and facilitator that Young proved to be, but he more than makes up for it with defensive intensity and sheer moxie.

Lastly, there’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Kentucky. Early on during his time in Lexington, word was coming out that it was the Canadian import Gilgeous-Alexander that was the most impressive of Big Blue Nation’s latest import of one-and-done talent. Over the course of the year these rumors would be validated as once Gilgeous-Alexander started to flourish at point guard Kentucky became an entirely different team. Gilgeous-Alexander looks the part of what teams want from their primary ball handlers in the modern NBA; he’s 6-foot-6 with a seven-foot wingspan. Gilgeous-Alexander is a ball of clay compared to Young and Sexton and the right team and coach could mold him into a future star.

This year, the first team likely to select a point guard (Doncic isn’t a point guard, but more point-forward) is the Orlando Magic with the sixth overall pick. Elfrid Payton never worked out and with three distinct talents like Young, Sexton, and Gilgeous-Alexander to be had it would be befuddling if the Magic opted to pass over one of them. Other lottery teams looking for point guards include the Chicago Bulls (seventh overall), Cleveland Cavaliers (eighth overall), New York Knicks (ninth overall), and the Los Angeles Clippers (12th and 13th overall).