The 2018 draft attracted a lot of attention from the beginning with a large number of promising prospects participating. Well over four years later, the current 2018 draftees are living up to their golden draft reputation, leaving a distinct mark in the league. Let’s take a look at the 2018 draftees who are shaking up the NBA game.
Dallas, who had the 5th pick in the 2018 안전놀이터 draft, secured the 3rd pick with future picks. It was a choice to get Luka Doncic, a European player who will lead another era after Dirk Nowitzki. This trade changed the fortunes of Doncic and Trae Young, who later grew into superstars.
Dončić, from Slovenia, was a player who stood out early on the professional stage. Doncic, who joined Spain’s prestigious Real Madrid in his mid-teens, swept the Spanish league MVP and Euroleague MVP and declared his advance to the NBA. Doncic played a major role in Slovenia’s 2017 EuroBasket victory.
As expected, Doncic, who entered the NBA with a high ranking of 3rd, showed his true value from his first year. He averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the 2018-2019 season and won the Rookie of the Year title. He was a veteran-like seasoned player with a strong heart to lead the team, speed control, and a variety of scoring routes to and from the outskirts, passing ability, and ball handling.
It’s still too early to be surprised. Doncic, who finished his debut season, has been honored with the All-NBA First Team award for three consecutive seasons, and numerous records are being broken with Doncic’s hand. He’s already one of the top stars not only in Dallas, but in the NBA as a whole. Last season, he helped Dallas return to the Conference Finals after an 11-year hiatus.
Doncic and his team changed, and Trae Young, who headed to Atlanta, also solidified his position in the team. Young, a guard with explosive scoring and shooting power, earned the nickname “the second Stephen Curry” during his time at the University of Oklahoma.
Young, who seemed to disappoint fans with his shooting difficulties in the early days of his NBA career, quickly rebounded. From the middle of his debut season, as he searched for his shooting sense, his scoring ability improved to a level that was incomparable to before, and his teamwork with his teammates gradually improved, and the number of assists increased noticeably. It is Young who chased Doncic in the Rookie of the Year race with a fierce pace.
Aside from Young, Atlanta, which gathered many young and talented resources such as John Collins, DeAndre Hunter, and Clint Capella, quickly succeeded in rebuilding. In the 2020-2021 season, they head to the conference finals, causing a surprise by capturing No. 1 seed Philadelphia in the second round. The player at the center was definitely Young. Atlanta promised to accompany Young for a long time by giving him a 5-year maximum extension contract.