The 2018 NBA Draft is about to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City, on June 22 as the league's 30 teams decide which 60 rookie players will join them in the 2018-19 season. Let's take a look at what you need to know before the picks.
The Phoenix Suns hold the first No.1 pick in franchise history
Luka Doncic, #7 guard of Real Madrid during the Liga Endesa game between Real Madrid and Kirolbet Baskonia at Wizink Center, June 15, 2018, in Madrid, Spain. /VCG Photo
Luka Doncic, #7 guard of Real Madrid during the Liga Endesa game between Real Madrid and Kirolbet Baskonia at Wizink Center, June 15, 2018, in Madrid, Spain. /VCG Photo
Thanks to a terrible season of only 21 wins and 61 losses, the Phoenix Suns have got the team's first No.1 pick in its history. The Suns got No.2 pick twice, respectively in 1969 and 1987, choosing Neal Walk and Armen Gilliam respectively.
Fun fact: NBA flipped a coin to decide which team No.1 would go to in 1969 before the Milwaukee Bucks became the lucky one and chose Lewis Alcindor, also known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the "Skyhook" later.
The Suns has the greatest chance of selecting DeAndre Ayton, a 19-year-old center from the University of Arizona.
The Atlanta Hawks have three first-round picks
Marvin Bagley III, #35 of the Duke Blue Devils, reacts against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center, March 25, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska. /VCG Photo
Marvin Bagley III, #35 of the Duke Blue Devils, reacts against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center, March 25, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska. /VCG Photo
The Hawks hold the No.3, No. 19 and No. 30 picks. The team got the latter two from the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets. In the past four times with a No.3 pick, the Hawks selected "pistol" Pete Maravich in 1970, Marvin Webster in 1975, Paul Gasol in 2001 and Al Horford in 2007.
A big year for big men?
Mohamed Bamba #11 of the boys east team blocks Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the boys west team during the 2017 McDonalds's All American Game, March 29, 2017, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. /VCG Photo
Mohamed Bamba #11 of the boys east team blocks Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the boys west team during the 2017 McDonalds's All American Game, March 29, 2017, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. /VCG Photo
Six of the favored possible rookie players in the 2018 NBA Draft have a height of over 2.08 meters: DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter, Mohamed Bamba and Jaren Jackson Jr. and Robert Williams.
Last time there were so many favored big men players in the NBA Draft was 2007 when Greg Oden, Al Horford, Yi Jianlian, Brandan Wright, Joakim Noah and Spencer Hawes. Ironically, only Horford was able to play an important role in a strong NBA team.
Another win for US college basketball?
Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a play during a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Breslin Center, January 19, 2018, in East Lansing, Michigan. /VCG Photo
Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a play during a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Breslin Center, January 19, 2018, in East Lansing, Michigan. /VCG Photo
All players invited to 2018 NBA Draft Green Room have played in US colleges, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, a very rare sight in league history. Specifically, every player who got invited to and confirmed that he will show up in the Green Room, has played basketball for at least one year in a US university.
The Green Room is jargon for the draft conference of US sports leagues. In the NBA, the league will invite at least 14 players based on the votes by the general managers of the 30 teams. Every player in the Green Room can be accompanied by family or friends.
Expected by many to be selected with high picks like No.2, 19-year-old Slovene super genius Luka Doncic should have been the exception because he skipped college and went to a professional club. However, Doncic will not appear in the Barclays Center but stay at home, waiting for NBA's Commissioner Adam Silver to read his name.