The Step Back Composite NBA Draft Big Board: The best 30 draft prospects of the 2010s

No. 2 overall pick, Sacramento Kings, 2018

The first member of the vaunted 2018 class on this list. Marvin Bagley wasn’t widely projected to go second in 2018, but in pretty much any other draft it wouldn’t have been considered a reach; the year before Zion Williamson came on campus, Bagley laid the foundation for Zion’s Duke role, posting 21.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, operating heavily on simple isolation reads and throwing down everything from the dunker spot. Bagley was one of the most efficient play-finishers of the last decade, and that touch around the rim alone nearly guaranteed starter-level production at the NBA level.

The major thing holding Bagley back was his defensive awareness and fundamentals, but his athleticism could still let him compensate enough to be viable. And viability was a fine proposition, because he had enough potential for expansion of his offensive game that he could still have All-Star value if he didn’t become a defensive force. In addition to the play-finishing, he showed the ability to shoot from deep (39.7 percent on 18 attempts per game), and there was enough to his short roll game as a passer that he could be more diverse than just a finisher.

Bagley hasn’t been the most inspiring player in his class through two years, but he’s still young, and the potential for skill development is still there. He may not quite be “Amar’e Stoudemire that can shoot,” but his All-Star potential is still very much there.