You look at the past NBA draft and the top two picks: Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III. You could argue that both of them deserved to be the number one pick in the NBA draft, but how do we know who deserved it more? Let's look at the facts:
First, you have Deandre Ayton. If you can't remember that, just remember him as the first pick of the NBA draft. After watching many summer league games, he's already proved that not only he is ready for the season but to be a reliable starter. Looking at his body type- 7'1, 250 pounds- he shows that he is capable of covering both the power forward and the center position, which Phoenix was stressing to get for a while. In addition, Ayton has shown that he can make the three-pointer if he is wide open and has the chance to. I believe Ayton, along with Trevor Book and Josh Jackson, could make a fantastic trio, if playing well enough, making a playoff run.
On the other hand, you have Marvin Bagley III. Bagley almost plays identically to Ayton, plus or minus a few differences in the way they play. Bagley is as athletic as Bagley is, standing tall at 7'1, 236 pounds. Like Ayton, he shows that he is capable of covering both the power forward and the center, which the Sacramento Kings have been looking in a player for a while. In addition, he has great footwork and post moves down below. He also shows us that he has terrific defense with his shot blocking ability and long arms to get steals. Like Ayton, Bagley can also show that he can shoot the three-pointer with confidence when given the chance. The final thing that Bagley has shown us is that he a monster on the boards. He has the ability to rebound as well as Deandre Jordan does and if he can do this daily, he could lead the NBA in rebounds. Marvin Bagley III pairs up well with Frank Mason III and Willie Cauley-Stein very well, well enough to punch a ticket in the NBA playoffs.
After seeing what the front offices did with their picks, I believe that it was right that Deandre Ayton deserved to be picked first, followed by Marvin Bagley III. First, Ayton has a 24-pound difference over Bagley, meaning that he is able to bully his opponents down below in the post. Second, Phoenix has been looking for a do-everything kind of center, like Nikola Jokic. Bagley is more of a post anchor kind of center, where he plays in the paint. If you think that Bagley should have been drafted first, that's your own opinion, but I believe Ayton deserved to be picked first overall in the 2018 NBA draft.
