2017 NBA Mock Draft: Who will the Indiana Pacers select at No. 18?
13. player. 73. . SF. Indiana. OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby is yet another prospect who has built his reputation upon impeccable defense. He has the upside to become a lockdown perimeter defender in the mold of Paul George, Jimmy Butler and even Kawhi Leonard, and he could potentially be able to guard every position in a pinch. That’s no small feat.
On offense, he could be a sneaky good rebounder as a forward, but the rest of his game needs a bit of work. He’s a streaky shooter with bad footwork down low, and his handle is loose, to put it gently.
With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray on the team, Anunoby just needs to be able to stand in the corner and shoot. Hopefully he can handle that and make his money on the other end. The Nuggets would be in a great spot if a defensive talent like Anunoby were to fall to them on draft night.
Texas. Jarrett Allen. 14. player. 110. . C
A center who can dive to the rim effectively and deter interior drives on the other makes life a lot easier for his team. Jarrett Allen could be that guy for the Miami Heat. Although they’re currently paying Hassan Whiteside a whole lot of money, he won’t be around forever, and I think having Allen in a backup role for a couple of seasons or more could be great for his offensive development.
Allen is freakishly long, but he moves very well for a big man. Plodding could never be used to describe him. He needs to learn to love contact a lot more than he does now or his potential will be significantly hindered. Another downside is his ability to defend outside the paint, or rather a lack of ability.