NBA 2018-19: 5 Preseason Picks for Rookie of the Year

It seems like every year when the NBA Draft comes around, someone will claim it has one of the best draft classes in recent history. 2017's class, for example, was one of those. The consensus top two picks, Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, didn’t have the rookie season they expected to have, and even though it did produce players like Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum, they both lost Rookie of the Year race to Ben Simmons, who was drafted a year earlier.

So why should this draft class be any different?

For starters, it features players with impressive physical and professional feats. Luka Dončić, MVP of the second-best basketball league on earth, Mo Bamba and his ridiculous 7-10 (239 cm) wingspan, one of the biggest in NBA history, Trae Young's unlimited shooting range, DeAndre Ayton's raw size and athleticism and more.

Additionally, players like Miles Bridges and Robert Williams, who were considered top lottery picks in 2017, fell short of their earlier predictions against these guys. Michael Porter Jr. was the best player in his high school class but fell to just 14th. Even a guy like Trevon Duval, who recorded impressive stats at the Draft Combine, went undrafted.

Taking all of that into consideration, out of this list of potentially star players, these are the top five prospects to win Rookie of the Year:

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#1 Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks

Luka Dončić was the best player in Europe last year

In all of his years as a pro, Luka Dončić faced pressure that players his age don’t usually face. He made his professional debut just two months after his 16th birthday, next to former NBA players like Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez and Gustavo Ayon. Through the next two years, he became a teen sensation and a legitimate rotation player for Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

In the summer of 2017, alongside NBA player and national teammate, Goran Dragic, he led Slovenia to win the Eurobasket, with him making the All-Tournament Team. Following that achievement, he led Real Madrid to win the Euroleague and the Liga ACB, despite missing their starting point guard, Sergio Llull, for most of the season. Luka won almost every award possible, including EuroLeague MVP, EuroLeague Final Four MVP and Liga ACB MVP.

None of the 2018 rookies sees Dončić as their Rookie of the Year favorite, but he is used to beating the odds anyways.

#2 DeAndre Ayton, Phoenix Suns

Ayton is under a lot of pressure as a no. 1 pick

In every season, the player selected with the first overall pick is automatically entering the season as a Rookie of the Year frontrunner, putting him under a lot of pressure. However, since the NBA Draft was shortened to two rounds in 1989, more than half of the award winners were first overall selections.

DeAndre Ayton, who will hope to join this esteemed group, had an impressive freshman season with the Arizona Wildcats, averaging 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in college.

To put these figures in perspective, only three other collegiate players averaged at least 20 and 10 last year. He disappointed in the NCAA tournament, but excelled at the conference tournament, with two 32-point games.

Ayton's athleticism is his main and most impressive feature, but he also has the potential of becoming an all-around beast. His size and strength can be shaped, with the right guidance, into a defensive stopper, and on the other end, he has shown sparks of versatility, including shooting from three-point range.

In Phoenix, Ayton is in the best situation for him to blossom as an NBA player and live up to the expectations.

#3 Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. has the skillset and size every team wants

Jaren Jackson Jr. is the quintessential "unicorn": a big-man who can do a little bit of everything, on each side of the court. He can shoot three-pointers, dribble to the basket and finish in the paint on one end, and protect the rim and play tight defense on the other. He is without a doubt the player with the most upside in the 2018 NBA Draft.

His numbers in his first and only year in college are impressive, to say the least. He shot 39.6% from three-point range and 51.6% from the field. On the defensive side, Jackson averaged three blocks per game, playing just 21.8 minutes a night. He was the only one to cross 100 blocks in under 800 playing minutes last year and his 106 blocks was the fifth best in the NCAA.

Jackson has great physical attributes, standing at 6-11 (211 cm), with a wingspan of just over 7-5 (227 cm). The combination of his physic, athleticism and talent should put him in a very good starting position for Rookie of the Year.

#4 Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Can Young's sensational shooting translate to the NBA?

Trae Young exploded into our lives with his Curry-like three-pointers for the Oklahoma Sooners. He has the ability to pull up from everywhere north of the half-court line and distribute the ball to his teammates. He averaged 26.4 points and 8.7 assists per game in his freshman year in college.

Young had his name written in college basketball's record book. He led the NCAA in both points and assists, the only one to do that so far, he recorded the first 20-point and 20-assist game in 20 years and tied the NCAA record for most assists in a single game with 22.

Despite having a rough start to his NBA Summer League run, averaging 11.8 points and shooting just 17.1% from beyond the arc, Trae started showing why the hype for him was so big. In his last two games, Young started connecting on his shots, improving to 45% three-point shooting and 23.5 points per game.

Trae's slim figure and small height will make it more of a challenge for him, but his star potential is as high as it can get.

#5 Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers

Sexton is a fighter and winner in heart

When LeBron left the Cavs the first time, back in 2010, he vacated the role of the dominant ball handler. Kyrie Irving, who was Cleveland's first-round pick in 2011, got that role and won Rookie of the Year thanks to it. This is what Collin Sexton will hope for this year.

Sexton, who averaged 19.2 points per game in college, can run the floor whenever possible and with great speed. He won Alabama's ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a buzzer-beater lay-up, after running the entire length of the court in less than four seconds.

Collin also plays a very physical brand of basketball. He made a living off going inside the paint and drawing fouls, and on defense, he never shied away from close contact.

Sexton spent his only college year playing under one of college basketball's best point guards in history and former NBA champion, Avery Johnson. With the lessons, he learned from him and the big role he can expect in Cleveland, Collin can be the next great point guard of the NBA.