Michael Jordan went third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft. Before him went Hakeem Olajuwon, first overall to Houston, and Sam Bowie, second to Portland. Olajuwon went on to lead the Rockets to two titles and is one of the best centers of all time, according to many. Bowie went on to play 10 seasons and wasn’t much more than a fine NBA center. Michael Jordan, of course, went on to win six rings and solidify himself atop the GOAT list.
Luka Doncic went third overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Before him went Deandre Ayton, a very good center with a Finals appearance to his name, first overall to the Phoenix Suns. Second, went Marvin Bagley III – a pick many already consider an all-time draft blunder.
It’s time to start looking at Deandre Ayton as an all-time draft blunder.
Ayton is an incredible young player. He’s a double-double machine – he’s averaged over 14 points and ten rebounds every season of his career. Despite not being a focal point of the Suns’ offense this season, Ayton scored 17.2 points per game on 63% shooting. When saying that drafting Ayton was an all-time draft blunder – that’s not meant as any sort of insult to him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Suns Star Chris Paul Reveals Retirement Stance After Postseason Exit
It’s just – Luka Doncic is that good. And the Suns should’ve taken him number one.
Doncic has been a statistical machine since entering the league. Coming off an MVP in the Euroleague at just 18 years old, Doncic did not skip a beat upon joining the NBA. This season, Doncic’s fourth, the guard dropped 28.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per game. The Dallas Mavericks’ best player by far, Doncic, led the team to the fourth seed in the Western Conference and has now breached the Western Conference Finals for the first time.
Luka Doncic’s “career awards” section is longer than many long-time NBA veterans’ already. Notably, it contains two All-NBA First-Team selections in just a four-year career. Doncic’s level of success at his age rivals the start of LeBron James’ career. He is simply a generational talent.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Suns Star Chris Paul Reveals Retirement Stance After Postseason Exit
The Phoenix Suns face a challenging situation following their Game 7 loss to Dallas. There are rumblings of a rift between coach Monty Williams and Ayton after the center played just 17 minutes in the game. Ayton was already publicly displeased after not receiving a max contract extension last offseason. Heading for restricted free agency, Ayton could be on his way out of Phoenix.
Phoenix could be employing Luka Doncic and instead may wind up empty-handed from the 2018 draft after just four years should be considered a catastrophic failure.
Picking Deandre Ayton over Luka Doncic was a failure of epic proportions. The Suns have had a good run the last two seasons. It’s hard to imagine it wouldn’t have been better with Luka Doncic on the roster. Should he take the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA title this season, it will simply become undeniable:
