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The Whiteboard: Luka Doncic should’ve been the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft

By Ti Windisch

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 31: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 31: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks all erred in a big way by not drafting (or keeping) Luka Doncic.

Luka Doncic is going to be the best player selected in the 2018 NBA Draft. That might be considered a hot take, and definitely would’ve been a couple months ago, but through 19 games Doncic is making it look obvious.

Doncic is averaging 19.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game while hitting 45.7 percent of his field goals and 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers. A common critique of Doncic was that he wouldn’t be athletic enough to score on NBA defenses. All he’s done since entering the NBA is outscore every other rookie in his class, while leading the 10-9 Dallas Mavericks in scoring.

This, for once, is not revisionist history. In addition to the Doncic doubters, there were plenty of analysts who earnestly believed he should’ve been the easy first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. These days the Sacramento Kings get a good amount of shade thrown their way for taking Marvin Bagley instead of Doncic at the second spot, but it shouldn’t just be the Kings who take the blame for not selecting the Slovene phenom.

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After all, three teams had a shot at having Doncic before Dallas traded up for him. The Atlanta Hawks, for a fleeting second, actually had Doncic themselves before trading him for Trae Young and a future Dallas pick. If Luka keeps the Mavericks winning games that pick won’t be worth much, and thus far Doncic is just demonstrably better than Young is. Yikes.

The Phoenix Suns aren’t blameless in this either. The Suns just released Isaiah Canaan, their starting point guard, because Phoenix just can’t find anybody to handle the ball. If only they had taken Luka Doncic first overall. Instead, the Suns took Deandre Ayton, who starred at Arizona and who plays what is probably the least important position in modern basketball.

Ayton might be awesome, but is a typical big man really part of a winning formula in the NBA anymore? The last three centers to start in the NBA Finals for a championship-winning team are JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia and Tristan Thompson. Right now, the perimeter players are simply more important to winning basketball games.

Again, it’s early, and maybe Ayton, Bagley, and Young will all take leaps forward. If that hypothetical is on the table, though, it’s fair to assume Doncic, who doesn’t turn 20 until February, could do the same. If that happens, the Dallas Mavericks are probably going to get themselves some more championship hardware before all is said and done with Luka Doncic.

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