S we near the end of the 2020-2021 NBA season, the 2021 NBA Draft is also closing in. Before we talk about the next batch of NBA hopefuls, let’s talk about the best draft of the last five years which could join the pantheon of the greatest draft classes in NBA history.

When we debate the best NBA drafts, we talk about Hall-of-Famers, MVPs, and pivotal players of champion teams. The 1984 Draft Class and 1996 Draft Class stand out since they both have three MVP awardees. However, the 1996 draft class was much deeper.

The 2003 draft class had players who became franchise players for their teams. While Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh never became MVPs, they all led their teams on multiple playoff runs, and banded together to win titles and Olympic gold medals.

After this, there were mediocre draft classes until 2007, the Kevin Durant draft. 2008 and 2009 produced most of the franchise players we have now, including some who are slowly dropping off the hill. This era had multiple MVPs (Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry and James Harden).

Since then, there hasn’t been multiple MVPs from one draft class. That may be broken by the 2018 NBA Draft class.

Career-defining junior year

The 2018 NBA Draft had two franchise players right from the get-go. Luka Doncic already showed his immense, seemingly unlimited potential. While any team which acquires Luka will be judged the winner of almost any trade, the Atlanta Hawks are not complaining. Doncic made his playoff breakthrough last season, but Trae Young actually won a series and is one win away from the Conference Finals.

The Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges made their playoff debuts. Both are playing key roles, and Ayton has officially eliminated any possible “draft bust” accusations. He performed well against the newly-minted MVP Nikola Jokic, and could be the difference maker in their upcoming series against the LA Clippers.

Speaking of the Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter, Jr also established himself as a legitimate star this year. Other 2018 class members who lead their teams are Collin Sexton of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bruce Brown, Jalen Brunson, and Shake Milton played roles in the Playoffs as second rounders, in a top-heavy draft that still has contributors down the line. It won’t be far-fetched to see Luka and Trae Young battle for MVP in the coming years, with these names mentioned becoming All-NBA selections.

Out of tune

The state of Utah has embraced the Jazz moniker, no matter how many times it is pointed out how incompatible or disconnected it is to their state, not to mention the strong attachment to New Orleans. In their recently concluded playoff run, the Jazz had “Take Note” on their shirts, alluding to the note logo of their team.

The Jazz finished with the best record in the NBA, while the Philadelphia 76ers, no.1 in the East, were at the brink of elimination against the Hawks. Their collective debacles lead to the question — are there such things as regular season teams and playoff teams?

Was LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and other “flip the switch” advocates correct when they insisted there is a great divide between the two? At the very least, there are coaches who falter at the playoffs, specifically Doc Rivers and Mike Budenholzer of the Bucks.

The difference between the playoffs and the regular season cannot be overstated. It’s not just the stakes, but it’s the constant adjustments and tweaks. With injuries and infections, the art of pulling rabbits out of the hat (or in local parlance, we call the “Magic Hugot”) has risen to the forefront.

He’s the Mann

Kawhi Leonard was playing like the world’s best player when he succumbed to an injury, and the Clippers had to take the “next Mann up.” Terance Mann will be a household name with 39 points.

Sad to say, when the Jazz lost Game 5 at home to a Kawhiless Clippers, I concluded the Jazz didn’t deserve to win the series. Sometimes, you hate being right.