The Dallas Mavericks’ playoff series with the Phoenix Suns shows there is such a thing as the correct mistake, because the Suns benefited from such an error in 2018.
The Suns committed the same pardonable sin as the Houston Rockets in 1984.
If you were to redo the 2018 NBA Draft, the first player selected would be Luka Doncic. The first player selected in that draft was Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton, by the Suns.
If you were to redo the 1984 NBA Draft, the first player selected would be Michael Jordan. Jordan was picked third, two slots behind Hakeem Olajuwon by the Houston Rockets. And MJ took that personally.
The Portland Trail Blazers selected Kentucky center Sam Bowie with the second pick. And MJ took that personally, too. (Writer’s note: As evidenced by “The Last Dance” MJ infomercial, MJ takes it personally when the sun rises.)
Jordan was always the better player, but the Houston Rockets have nothing to apologize for by taking The Dream over The Jumpman.
Doncic is the better player, and Ayton will be the difference when the Suns play the Mavericks in this playoff series.
Revisiting the 2018 NBA draft
When the doors are closed and there are no cameras, if that’s actually possible anymore, two NBA franchises will curse themselves over the 2018 NBA Draft.
Three teams other than the Dallas Mavericks could have had Doncic: the Suns, the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks.
The Kings still have not recovered from selecting Duke’s Marvin Bagley one spot ahead of Doncic.
Most people inside and everyone outside of Atlanta will admit that as good as Trae Young is, Doncic is the better player.
The Hawks selected Doncic at No. 3, and traded him to the Mavs in exchange for Young, who they selected at No. 5. Also included in the deal was the Mavs’ first round pick the following year. That turned out to be Cam Reddish, who the Hawks traded this season to the Knicks.
Young is an All-Star. Doncic is an MVP candidate every season.
Picking Ayton was right then, and now
The Suns had the first pick in 2018, and their wise stupidity shows that they ultimately blew it, while they nailed it.
The Suns reached the NBA Finals last season, due in large part because of Ayton. They are the best team in the NBA this season, due in large part because of Ayton.
The NBA is an increasingly position-less game, but talented big men always are prioritized ahead of everyone else.
Even though both Olajuwon and Ayton were picked two slots ahead of generational talents, their teams don’t need to explain or justify the decisions.
The Mavericks have no one to counter Ayton, who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds this season.
In their first round playoff series against Utah, the Mavs had success despite the presence of Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Gobert is a better defensive player than Ayton. Ayton is a better offensive player than Gobert.
The Mavs should be able to play with Phoenix, but they are not going to beat them in a seven-game series. Not yet.
The Mavs need one more player, preferably a rebounding-minded big, to beat this type of team four times. They will need someone who can deal with Ayton, because it’s not Doncic.
Four years after they came into the NBA, both Phoenix and Dallas are the clear winners from the 2018 NBA Draft.
Just like the draft of ‘84 worked for Houston and Chicago, the class of ‘18 works for the Mavericks and Suns.
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