The NBA season is coming up and a lot of people are excited about how this year's rookie crop will perform given how last year class's impact in the league. It's not just the top picks that people are excited about but also the ones that were picked outside the top 10 who will follow the footsteps of somebody like Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell turned a lot heads last year as he was neck and neck with Ben Simmons for the Rookie of the Year race even if he was not a favorite coming into the season. His impact was also felt in the postseason as he led the Utah Jazz to an upset of the star-studded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
5. Zhaire Smith
Zhaire Smith is one of, if not the most athletic rookie in this year's class. If you're not convinced, then maybe you haven't watched this video of his alley-oop 360 dunk during the NCAA Tournament. His success will be predicated on how he will be able to translate his athleticism into on-court production especially for a legitimate playoff team like the Philadelphia 76ers. He is quite undersized to play the small forward position in the NBA so he will probably be more a shooting guard which means he has to develop a more consistent perimeter game.
4. Donte DiVincenzo
Being awarded the 2018 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Donte DiVincenzo shot up draft boards leading to the draft and ended up being the 17th pick. He is a great fit as the team that drafted him, the Milwaukee Bucks, are in great need of some shooting. Also, he has very underrated athleticism as evidenced by his strong showing the Draft Combine where he posted a 42-inch max vertical leap. Playing for the winningest college basketball program of the last 4 years, his winning pedigree will also surely pay off for him in the next level.
3. Omari Spellman
Omari Spellman dropped 30+ before he returned for the 2017-2018 college season after his redshirt year. He was a significant cog on both ends of the floor the eventual national champions. Given his size, he has a high motor and moves very well. His perimeter game will also serve him well given the style of play in today's NBA. More importantly, he will have a lot of opportunities playing for the Atlanta Hawks.
2. Moritz Wagner
Moritz Wagner is a textbook example of modern day skilled big man. He is both capable in scoring inside the paint and out in the perimeter. He also has a very good first step and has shown he can score off the dribble. He played a significant role to the Michigan Wolverines improbable run to the 2018 NCAA championship game.
He will have many chances to showcase his talents as the Los Angeles Lakers don't have a deep frontcourt lineup and he might possible start at times during the season. If he can develop his all around game, he will surely be an integral part of the Lakers' hopes for a championship.
1. Lonnie Walker
Lonnie Walker's slide in the draft came as a bit for a lot of basketball pundits considering the amount of talent that he has. Fortunately for Walker, he will come in to arguably the best organization in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. He has shown to be capable of scoring from the outside and off the dribble. He also has great body control which helps him to be a very good finisher around the basket. He is one of those guys who is a better fit at the NBA level than the collegiate game. Aside from that, he has all the physical tools as he is very athletic and has great size for his position.
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