Former Suns’ Scout Details Why the Franchise Picked DeAndre Ayton Over Luka Doncic in 2018 NBA Draft

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Feb 4, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
At first look many sports pundits were not that excited about the 2018 NBA Draft class. However, three years after that draft, the league is starting to see the potential in that draft class’ players. Moreover, Luka Doncic will arguably become one of the most iconic players of this class in the future.
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However, it might surprise you that Luka was not the first pick in the draft. The Phoenix Suns picked DeAndre Ayton with their first pick over the likes of Luka Doncic and Trae Young. While Ayton has had a good career, he is still a notch below Doncic or Young.
The young center still has his career ahead of him so it would be wrong to judge at this moment. Moreover, with Devin Booker and Chris Paul at his side, they will help him develop into a solid player for the franchise in the longer run.
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Former Phoenix Suns scout on their decision not to pick Luka Doncic

USA Today via Reuters
Jan 23, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) makes a jump shot against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Former NBA scout, Antonio Williams finally gave an answer to the question that most fans have been wondering about. He said:
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“So with DeAndre one of the things was you look at the things that he does that… he can just roll out of the bed and do it at his size. When you combine the athleticism and the dexterity and the agility with his size, they’re just things that he can roll out of bed and do.”
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Williams further talked about the franchise’s initial thoughts on Trae and Luka.
“Of course we knew Luka was going to be great, of course we knew Trae Young was going to be great. But when we were looking at DeAndre, again, there were just things that we felt like that he could just inherently roll out of bed and do. That we didn’t have on our roster.”
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Well whatever be the case, as things stand right now, Doncic is the best player from the 2018 NBA Draft. No one can predict the future, so Ayton might overtake him Luka Doncic sometime in future. But what are your thoughts on this? Do you believe this is a feasible situation or not? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
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