2018 NBA Draftees That Will Make The Biggest Impact

Every year there's a big expectation of how big of an impact the new group of rookies will have in the league. Although it seems impossible for this new generation to beat last year’s with players like Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, and Lonzo Ball, there are some players with All-Star potential in the 2018 NBA Draftees.

Most of this year’s rookies are really young, so it might take to some of them a couple of years to reach their top level. However, these five players sooner or later will be the ones making the biggest impact in the league of this generation (of course, if they give them the opportunity, we all know the story of Darko Milicic 2nd pick 2003 draft).

Trae Young

Young has been the biggest unknown of this rookie’s generation since the moment he arrived at the NBA when he got traded after getting selected number five overall. A lot of people say he is not ready for the NBA and the performance of the Atlanta rookie in the summer league didn’t help to get a better idea if his professional league would be one full of success or failures. In his first game wearing Hawks’ jersey, Young scored 12 points and 23 percent from the field, plus two airballs in his first two three-point attempts. However, he ended up the tournament with a 24-point game against the Chicago Bulls where he dropped seven threes.

It is indeed uncertain to know if Young will have immediate success in the league, but what is true is that the three-point Oklahoma sensation is a tremendously talented player that will have a great impact in the NBA sooner or later.

Kevin Knox

Kevin Knox was the New York Knicks first pick. Despite being only 19 years old, he has a long athletic body with NBA caliber. The reason why he will have a successful career in the NBA is that New York rookie is an exceptional, versatile scorer. He made that clear in the summer league, leading all rookies with 23.3 points per game. His abilities to play above the rim makes him unstoppable in open court. He knows how to move without the ball which allows him to create himself excellent shots’ opportunities and he can play in the post as well. Perhaps the Kentucky product does attempt too many shots, but this is the type of player that the NBA teams are looking for now, with strong offensive skills.

However, the main reason why he will have one of the biggest impacts in the league is due to his team. The Knicks are a team with a lot of talent, which needs a player like Knox in their roster; therefore, he will get a lot of minutes on the floor that will only improve his game.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr. was drafted by Memphis Grizzlies with the fourth pick. He is a young 18-year-old player, with the skills that teams are starting to look for in their big men. The son of the former NBA player is a 6-foot-11 and 242 pounds forward/center who can score three-point shots all day. And he proved it in his NBA debut game hitting eight three-pointers. His speed, athleticism and a seven-foot-five wingspan allow him to be an outstanding blocker. He averaged three blocks per game in College.

However, it seems difficult for the Michigan product to have an immediate impact in the league. His game still needs to be polished, so he will need a few more years to reach his top level.

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Luka Doncic

The Slovenian sensation was selected by the Atlanta Hawks and then traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young. He is a 19-year-old who played for the Real Madrid, one of the best teams in Europe, where he averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 59 games last year. The Mavericks rookie is a six-foot-seven player who plays mostly as shooting guard. However, his passing abilities allow him to run the offense as well. He is an exceptional scorer with a deep range shot and a good step back move.

Doncic could've been the number one pick with no problem. However, there are always doubts about European players adapting to the NBA game (we can use Milicic case as a reference again). The last time a European player won ROY was Pau Gasol in 2002, who actually before entering the NBA he played in the European league as well, averaging roughly the same numbers as Doncic.

DeAndre Ayton

DeAndre Ayton is the favorite draftee to have the biggest impact in the league. Although this might sound extremely predictable since he was the number pick, there is no reason to believe that any other player of this generation can stand out more than the new Phoenix Suns player. He is projected to have an immediate successful career being the favorite guy to win Rookie Of the Year (although ESPN put him in second to win the award behind Doncic).

The former Arizona player is a 6-feet-5-inches imposing center of the new NBA era with great athleticism which allows him to play as a forward easily. In College, he showcased incredible offensive abilities with a fluid midrange jump shot (.612 FG percent), great skills playing above the rim, good footwork and on top of all this he can shoot from the three-point line. Besides, Ayton has no problem defending the basket, during his only year in the NCAA he averaged 8.2 defensive rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

NEXT: DEANDRE AYTON, LUCA DONICIC LEAD ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE RACE