Top 5 Unicorns in the 2018 NBA Draft

Syracuse v Duke
Can Marvin Bagley Jr add to the long list of Unicorns in the league today?

#2 DeAndre Ayton

Alabama v Arizona
DeAndre Ayton

Height: 7-1 (2.16m)

Weight: 260lb (118kg)

Wingspan: 7-5 (2.27m)

Date of Birth: July 23, 1998

College: Arizona, Fr.


This is another contender for the best player on this list. DeAndre Ayton also was a high school star, a top-5 recruit among different websites and magazines, even though he originally was a soccer player. Ayton too went with a "big dog" for his college career, Pac-12 conference champion, Arizona.

Like Bagley, who also was his high school teammate, he was one of the only four players in the NCAA to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. His dominance in the paint ranked him third in the league in total rebounds and second in two-point field goals and player efficiency rating.

His two best games of the season came in the conference tournament Final Four, where he averaged 32 points, 16 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 75 percent from the field, leading Arizona to win the tournament. He didn’t come as clutch in the NCAA tournament, where he scored only 14 points in the Wildcats' early exit game in the first round.

If his game lacks something, it is a more consistent threat from deep. Ayton proved he can shoot three-pointers, but made only 12 of those all season in 34.3 percent. It won't hurt his chances to be a top-3 pick in the 2018 draft, but in the NBA he will face bigger and better players and will find it difficult to score the shots he lived off in college. He has the foundations to become a solid shooter and create havoc around the league for years to come.

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Edited by Amulya Shekhar