NBA Mock Draft 2018: Michael Porter Remains a Mystery | Heavy.com
Michael Porter Jr.
has been cleared for basketball activities, but it remains to be seen whether he will play in March.
The NBA may be coming out against tanking, but the league is about to see it happen in epic proportions during the final two months of the season.
There are seven teams within a game of the No.
1 lottery spot, and eight teams are separated by two games or less.
Here is a portion of Adam Silver's comments about tanking in an NBA internal memo obtained by USA Today's Sam Amick.
Over the past several seasons, discussions about so-called 'tanking' in the NBA have occurred with some frequency, both in the public discourse and within our league, and you as governors have taken steps to address the underlying incentive issues by adopting changes to our draft lottery system that will go into effect next year.
Throughout this period, we have been careful to distinguish between efforts teams may make to rebuild their rosters, including through personnel changes over the course of several seasons, and circumstances in which players or coaches on the floor take steps to lose games.
The former can be a legitimate strategy to construct a successful team within the confines of league rules; the latter — which we have not found and hope never to see in the NBA — has no place in our game.
If we ever received evidence that players or coaches were attempting to lose or otherwise taking steps to cause any game to result otherwise than on its competitive merits, that conduct would be met with the swiftest and harshest response possible from the league office.
The reality is the best chance for the majority of lottery teams to improve their team is through the draft.
This is especially true for small market teams who have had trouble attracting marquee free agents over the last several years.
Teams are smartly going to try to lose games down the stretch to give themselves the best chance to get a high draft pick.
If the NBA really wants to reform tanking, they need to change the lottery structure.
For now, it is a race to the bottom like we have not seen with so many teams fighting for the best chance to land the top pick.
The order for the mock draft below is based on the Tankathon standings as of Friday, March 2.
Given the majority of players will not begin declaring for the NBA draft until after the NCAA tournament, the players listed are based on where I project them to go if they declare for the draft.
Here's a look at my first NBA mock draft in March.
NBA Mock Draft 2018: Lottery Picks 1-14.
GettyLuka Doncic continues to be No.
1 on our draft board.
1 Orlando Magic: PG Luka Doncic, Real Madrid.
In a draft class dominated by big men, Doncic is the top guard as we look toward June.
Doncic is still my number one player, and the lack of quality guards in this class makes him even more valuable.
As ESPN's Fran Fraschilla points out, Doncic has been playing professionally since he was 16, and is now excelling in Europe.
There are questions as to how Doncic will be able to play against more athletic NBA players, but his play-making abilities keeps him No.
The Magic are desperate for a franchise player, and the combination of bad lottery luck along with bad personnel decisions continues to keep Orlando picking early in the draft.
2 Memphis Grizzlies: C DeAndre Ayton, Arizona.
A cloud continues to surround DeAndre Ayton, and how exactly he landed in Arizona.
NBA teams are more concerned with how he plays on the court, and there is no question he does that at a high level.
Ayton may have had his best performance yet against Oregon on the heels of ESPN's report noting there is a wiretap that recorded Arizona coach Sean Miller discussing money in exchange for Ayton.
On the floor, Ayton is the new kind of big man the NBA covets.
He runs the floor, blocks shots and hits the mid-range jumper.
The NBA will be looking for Ayton to improve his 31 percent shooting from the three-point line, but checks all the other boxes.
Ayton is firmly in the discussion to be the top pick.
Memphis already has Marc Gasol, but the Grizzlies can find a way to use both players on the floor thanks to Ayton's athletic ability.
3 Phoenix Suns: C/F Marvin Bagley, Duke.
Bagley is being listed as a center at the next level, but I have my doubts he is an NBA center.
What I do believe is Bagley has an NBA game, and the right team will find a way to best utilize him.
His post moves and offensive game is still raw.
He is not polished enough on the perimeter to play as a three.
Right now, Bagley thrives on his athleticism and motor.
His potential is as high as any player in the draft, and will be a real threat once he polishes up some of his weaknesses through NBA coaching.
4 Dallas Mavericks: F Michael Porter Jr., Missouri.
No one seems to know whether Porter will take the floor again for Missouri.
The good news is he has been cleared to play, which at the very least means he can participate in pre-draft workouts assuming he declares for the draft.
Porter was once thought to be the favorite to be the 2018 No.
1 pick, but has lost some momentum since his injury.
Unless his medicals come back with a lot of questions, Porter should be selected in the top five.
5 Sacramento Kings: C Jaren Jackson, Michigan State.
Sacramento has a lot of young big men on their roster, but the strength of this draft is bigs.
Jackson is the best player available here, and likely better than any of the big men on the current Kings roster.
It will be interesting to watch what Jackson's offensive ceiling will be after he leaves East Lansing, where he is not needed to be the lead offensive player.
Jackson is one of the best shooting big men in the draft, and also is a monster on the defensive end averaging 3.3 blocks per game.
6 Atlanta Hawks: C Mo Bamba, Texas.
Look at Bamba's number, and it is hard to not be impressed.
Bamba is averaging 13 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.8 blocks.
He is not the shooter that other bigs in this draft class are, but I do think it is something he can improve at the NBA level.
Some have questioned whether Bamba brings it every night, but if the right coach lands him they will get one of the most talented players in this draft class.
Heading into college, Bamba was linked with Ayton, but the Arizona center has surpassed him early in the draft process.
Bamba combined with John Collins down low gives Atlanta a couple young, athletic big men to build their team around.
7 Cleveland Cavs (via Nets): PG Collin Sexton, Alabama.
The Isaiah Thomas experiment was a disaster, and it is unclear whether Cleveland has their point guard of the future on their roster.
Sexton reminds me a little of De'Aaron Fox as a prospect.
Sexton is extremely competitive, but needs to improve his shooting.
Sexton is at his best as a scoring guard similar to how Fox thrived at Kentucky.
Outside of Doncic, Sexton is the best point guard in this class if he enters the draft.
8 Chicago Bulls: SG Lonnie Walker IV, Miami.
Coming into college, Walker was one of my top prospects based on his performances at the high school all-star circuits.
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