Draft season is in full swing as we wait for the Finals to mercifully begin. To throw our two cents into the ever-growing pot, we present our first mock draft of the 2017 season.
The draft is a wonderful night in the NBA calendar. For one night, we’re allowed to dream of the possibilities uninhibited by better judgement or playing it safe. New beginnings abound, and we get to watch the ESPN guys squirm while Woj alerts viewers of those new beginnings earlier than they would like. What more could you ask for? A mock draft, that’s what.
Making a mock draft is a great way to pass the time while we wait for the big night to arrive. Upside, risk factors and team needs all factor into the selections that you’re about to read. This may be our first mock draft of the year, but that doesn’t mean it’s the final one you’ll see here before June 22. After all, rumors inevitably change, and guys will move up and down big boards.
We’ve only plotted out the first round here, partially because the second round is exponentially harder to predict and partially because I’m tired and this is a lot of words already. Scouting reports from Draftexpress.com and The Ringer were consulted while writing this post. Strap in, here we go.
Let’s not get cute. Fultz is in a tier of his own among this year’s draft class. At 19, he’s already an incredibly sophisticated playmaker and creator for both himself and for others. He’s got the physical tools to back up this skill too. Fultz’s 6-foot-10 wingspan gives him elite length at the point guard position.
It’s a lot of work trying to find holes in Fultz’s game. Yeah, sometimes he seemed to check out on defense during the year or approach things a little too casually, but can you honestly say you would’ve acted differently in his situation? Markelle Fultz is the best player in this class, full stop.
It seems just short of guaranteed that Lonzo Ball will be drafted second to the Lakers at this point. That could change before draft night, of course, but it’s solid for now. Ball sees the floor in transition better than any guard prospect in several years. His future team will be in a better place offensively the second he walks through the door.
Ball’s shooting mechanics and their quirks have been well documented, but the ball goes through the hoop an awful lot. I’m inclined to worry about his shot when it becomes necessary, not before. He might struggle on defense, but so will most rookies, and he should be able use that impeccable floor vision to nab a few steals here and there.
There are athletes, and then there are NBA athletes. After that, there’s Josh Jackson. Jackson’s explosiveness is off the charts, and his two-way potential surpasses everyone else in this class. He can grab a rebound and go coast-to-coast and lock down the other team’s star on the next possession.
The problem with Jackson is that his shot is in bad shape. While that might not really matter for a couple years, it will seriously impede his ability to become a legit star. This is particularly worrisome for the Sixers, who already have one non-shooter in Ben Simmons as part of their young core.
Jayson Tatum has the perfect body for an NBA wing. He’s 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, and he showed flashes of similar two-way potential to Josh Jackson during his one season at Duke. Tatum has the footwork and offensive versatility to be a go-to scorer in the NBA. Plus, he could seriously help hide Devin Booker’s defensive woes.
In the modern NBA, Tatum probably functions best as a four on offense, but not necessarily on defense. On last year’s Suns, that wouldn’t have been an issue since P.J. Tucker could have guarded fours while playing the three on offense. This year, it might be tougher. That said, I’ll take that risk for the payoff of what Tatum could be. If he can successfully stretch out to 3-point range, watch out.
De’Aaron Fox jumped onto the scene after his performance in a high-profile NCAA tournament game pitting Kentucky against Lonzo Ball and the UCLA Bruins. This dude is fast, and he could easily grow into a nightmare for opposing squads on both ends of the floor. He’s got the handle of a floor general several years his senior, and his deceleration could prove to be just as lethal as his top speed drives.
Fox’s biggest obstacle will be his shooting. He was straight up bad from 3-point range during his freshman year, and it will likely take several years for him become a threat from deep if it ever happens at all. Despite his 3-point woes, Fox is still an intoxicating prospect that could easily be gone long before the Kings have a chance to snatch him up.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t structure this whole top 10 just to get Dennis Smith Jr. and Aaron Gordon on the same team. Think of the dunks these guys would lay down during practice. I certainly have, and it’s led me down several YouTube rabbit holes, so much so that I had to unplug my router to make myself finish this mock draft.
Smith is a crazy explosive guard, and it’s hard to find a point guard who can play above the rim quite like he can. He’s a dynamic finisher at the rim and a capable passer, though he could certainly improve. He has a low ceiling on defense, the main area where his lack of length hampers him. But come on. Think of the dunks. Orlando could give up trying to make the playoffs and just be the new Lob City.
Jonathan Isaac is exactly the kind of guy the Timberwolves should be targeting to round out their young core. He slots in perfectly next to Andrew Wiggins, pushing Karl-Anthony Towns to the five where he belongs (sorry, Gorgui). Isaac is an incredibly versatile scorer from inside the arc, but he doesn’t need the ball in his hands. That bodes well if he’s sharing the floor with guys like Towns and Wiggins. His 7-foot-1 wingspan should come in handy on the defensive end too.
Isaac is being marketed as a tall 3-and-D wing, but I’m not sure I’m completely sold on the 3 part yet. He shot 34.8 percent from deep on 89 attempts last season, a small and unconvincing sample. Hopefully, he’ll be able to improve his shooting while his scoring role is still limited. If so, the Timberwolves will be even scarier than they are now. That, or Derrick Rose could come and ruin the whole thing.
This is another pick that’s meant to be. Malik Monk is flashy as hell, but I’m not sure if he’ll ever get to a place where he’s winning you a lot of games. If that doesn’t scream New York Knicks, then what does? Monk can straight up score, no two ways about it. He can also shoulder a heavier ball handling duty in New York than he did at Kentucky, especially if Derrick Rose is waving off KAT screens and thinking about his son’s graduation in Minnesota.
Size will be the biggest concern with Monk. 6-foot-3 isn’t very big for a shooting guard, and his 6-foot-4 wingspan will put him at a pretty serious disadvantage guarding bigger wings. He might always be a defensive liability, but he’s so lights out on the other end that he’s still worth a top 10 pick.
There’s usually at least one guy in every draft nowadays that’s just unconscious from long range, so much so that it vaults him into lottery consideration. This year, that guy just so happens to be seven feet tall. Yes, Lauri Markkanen is a white seven-footer from another country, much like Dirk Nowitzki. Let’s just get that lazy comparison out of the way, seeing as many analysts will use it as their entire basis for placing Markkanen here. However, there are more legitimate reasons why the Mavericks should look at him.
Markkanen is capable of playing the four next to a rim-running center like Nerlens Noel as well as playing stretch-five and allowing Rick Carlisle to have five shooters on the floor at once. The problem? Shooting is basically all Markkanen has at this point. He’s a subpar rebounder and his defense is currently an eyesore. Noel’s presence should soften that blow for Dallas, though, and Markkanen is just too good a shooter to ignore.
The Kings have enough big men, and this pick could help to solidify their backcourt of the future by finding a shooting guard to pair with De’Aaron Fox. Donovan Mitchell would fit that bill quite nicely.
Mitchell is wickedly athletic with the potential to become an elite defender. If everything breaks right, he and Fox could be the best defensive backcourt in the league someday. Mitchell projects to be an effective shooter from long range as well and shows encouraging flashes as a playmaker.
Like Malik Monk, Mitchell is just a little too short to be a pure shooting guard, although his length helps to compensate for it. His finishing at the rim also leaves something to be desired, but that’s at least fixable. Things might just be turning around in Sacramento.
The Hornets need a big man fit for the modern NBA, and Zach Collins could potentially be just that. Collins didn’t play a ton during his year at Gonzaga, which makes this pick a bit more risky than normal. However, he’s shown enough potential to stretch the floor and protect the rim to overcome that risk
Last season proved that Cody Zeller is very important to how the Hornets function, and it’s unclear how well he and Collins could play together. However, it would be delusional to think that Zeller couldn’t be supplanted if Collins proves to be the player many think he could be.
Collins’ downsides are more abstract than just shooting or footwork. He needs to grow up a lot and stop committing foolish fouls that nail him to the bench. Only then does he have a shot of realizing his potential.
Defense is French point guard Frank Ntilikina’s main attraction. He has no official wingspan, but it’s been rumored to be upwards of seven feet, a ludicrous figure for a point guard. He’s got good floor vision, even if he can’t always execute on it, and he can shoot the ball well off the catch and pulling up.
Ntilikina needs a lot of work on his ball handling skills and his passing accuracy, two pretty crucial facets of being a point guard. He could potentially play off the ball and let Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith continue to do most of the distributing in Detroit next year, but ideally, Ntilikina would play alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the other team just wouldn’t score any points.
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.
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.
We made it all the way to No. 15 before finding a guy who’s older than 20, but better late than never. Justin Jackson has an incredible basketball mind by all accounts, and it shows through in his game. Jackson doesn’t have any one elite skill that stands out above the rest, but he makes up for it by having a similar absence of glaring holes in his game.
He’s a good passer and an improving shooter, and he likely won’t be a liability on the defensive end. He isn’t as athletic as many of his fellow wing prospects, and his handle could be better. If he can improve his creation off the dribble, Jackson could rise above his station in the NBA.
The Bulls have been searching for a wing that can space the floor and stay on the floor for approximately 75 years. They’ll try one more time by picking Luke Kennard from Duke. Kennard has great size for a shooting guard and can shoot the lights out of the gym. He showed off impressive handles last season as well, so he should be able to help Jimmy Butler and [insert bad point guard] with the ball-handling duties as well.
Kennard has short arms and average athleticism, meaning that he’s never going to be an elite defender. It’s unclear how well he’ll be able to create for himself in the pros, whether that’s at the rim or rising up over his defender. He’s got flaws very similar to other young guys in Chicago, and he likely won’t solve their shooting problems by himself. The Bulls will absolutely pick him.
The rim is safe in Ike Anigbogu’s giant hands. The big man out of UCLA projects to be a perfect modern center, capable of throwing down scary lobs and holding down the back line on defense. Think DeAndre Jordan or Clint Capela. That’s Anigbogu’s ceiling.
Fit is a bit of an issue in Milwaukee, since Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker look to have the rim protection department locked down. The Bucks don’t really have a clear position of need, however, and Anigbogu will likely top out as a great backup center anyway.
Newly minted Pacers president Kevin Pritchard has mentioned several times that his team needs better size for position. Indiana also has a sizable hole at the shooting guard position. Terrance Ferguson could help with both of those things. He’s 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, and could potentially play a bit at the three if Paul George finds himself elsewhere.
A threesome of Lance Stephenson, Ferguson and Myles Turner could be elite defensively. Ferguson’s issues will lie more on the offensive side of the ball. He’s got a long way to go as a shooter and creator, but he’s had some hot streaks that create hope of something more down the line.
Justin Patton has serious two-way potential thanks to his athleticism and fast-growing skill set. He’s got a great motor that could potentially help him become Dwight Howard’s successor and the Hawks’ center of the future. If things break right, Patton and Dennis Schroeder could become an excellent pick-and-roll pairing.
He’s got a lot of improving left to do, especially offensively. His footwork is rough, and he’s not very good at positioning for rebounds. Hack-a-Patton could become a problem for his team if he doesn’t improve his free throw shooting.
At No. 19, Patton is worth a gamble. He may never realize his potential on both ends, but teams will find that risk with every prospect this late in the game.
John Collins is perhaps the most efficient low post scorer in this draft class. His footwork is very advanced for a college sophomore, and he can play the pick-and-roll with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as well. While his offensive game is similar to that of a traditional five, Collins is capable of guarding fours on the perimeter, which bodes well for his fit with prodigal son Jusuf Nurkic.
Collins very well might have been born a few years too late. His destiny seems to be a backup big who functions a bit more traditionally, in the mode of Enes Kanter or Al Jefferson. At the 20th pick, however, that’s nothing to sneeze at. Collins will be an asset wherever he goes.
It’s unclear if he’d come over right away, but Rodions Kurucs could a solution to the Thunder’s long-standing struggles with wing depth. Only 19 years old, Kurucs is already finishing at the rim at a high level and can make plays for others. He could not only really help OKC from a creation standpoint when Russell Westbrook sits, but also spot up on the wing when Russ is running the show.
He’s got to be able to reach a passable level on defense and on the glass for any of this to be possible, which means he needs several pounds of muscle. He’s shown encouraging signs of 3-point range, but it’s not there consistently yet. Kurucs could be exactly what the Thunder need, but they may not have time to wait for him to deliver.
You can’t improve at being 7-foot-2, so Jonathan Jeanne has a permanent advantage. His height and wingspan, along with his impressive athleticism make him an immediate threat in the pick-and-roll and as a rim protector. His 3-point range isn’t here yet, but there’s reason to hope that it could get here eventually.
Brook Lopez isn’t going to be on the roster by the time the Nets are close to respectable, and I don’t have high hopes about Justin Hamilton. Jeanne could be the center of the future in Brooklyn if he gets stronger and finds his shooting stroke.
He has a lot of little things to learn, but that’s the thing about being 20: He’s got time, and he’s already mastered that being-really-freaking-tall part. Jeanne will be dunking on fools in no time.
The Raptors will need 3-point shooting if Kyle Lowry heads to the States, and that’s exactly what Tyler Lydon brings. Lydon has a quick release for 6-foot-10 guy and can score from all over the court. He’s got elite instincts playing off the ball and could become one of the premier cutters in the league if he reaches his ceiling.
Lydon is a bad defender and that will realistically never change. He’s kind of slow, and he’s caught in limbo, lacking the strength to guard bigs and the quickness to guard wings. Still, his offensive upside is enough to give him a chance, and a 6-foot-10 offensive spark off the bench is a pretty great return on the No. 23 pick.
T.J. Leaf is an impressive scorer who could add precious youth the the Utah Jazz core. Leaf has a high basketball IQ and excellent floor vision. His offensive game would be a welcome addition for the Jazz at power forward after Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw age out of usefulness. He projects to be a passable defender as well, so Utah doesn’t have to worry about him ruining their top five defense.
Leaf won’t be protecting the rim anytime soon, and a lineup with him at the four likely won’t set any rebounding records. His wingspan leaves something to be desired, and he’ll need to speed up his release against NBA defenders.
Overall, Leaf’s offensive game is pleasantly well-rounded, and glaring weaknesses are hard to find. He’s as safe a bet as you’ll find in the late first round.
The Magic have a young core of Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr., Aaron Gordon, Terrence Ross and Evan Fournier at the moment? The only thing missing is a big man, and Isaiah Hartenstein is definitely big. He’s 7-foot-1, but he’s got the skill set of a perimeter player. He moves like someone six inches shorter, and he can really handle the ball.
His 3-point range is still forming, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that it will get there. Despite his height, his explosiveness is a bit lacking, so don’t expect him to be throwing down a whole lot of violent dunks. That’s what Gordon and Smith are for. Hartenstein could be a great stretch five if all goes right.
The Blazers need a small-ball five to play while Nurkic sits (or Heaven forbid, if Nurkic doesn’t work out), and that’s where Ivan Rabb comes in. Rabb is an elite rebounder with a whole catalogue of little tricks to get the best position under the hoop.
He struggles defending out on the perimeter, meaning he’ll probably have to play the five in the NBA. He’s got a solid post game and can cut to the basket in a pinch.
His outside shot is pretty broken, so don’t get your hopes up that he’ll be stretching the floor much. He’s got a lot of other translatable skills, though, and he would thrive in a backup role in Portland.
Jawun Evans is fast.
What he lacks in height, he makes up for with truly insane speed, stampeding to the rim faster than you can say, “maybe we shouldn’t have sent three of our first-rounders to the Celtics.” Evans has all the tools to be a maestro in the pick-and-roll. He can pull up, he’s a great passer and he can get to the rim with ease.
He’s a smart defender as well, and he could improve to be average despite being undersized. Being only 6-feet-0 along with only average explosiveness has severely hampered his draft stock, but teams in the 20s should take a long look at him. His 3-pointer needs work as well.
Evans has everything he needs to run an NBA offense. Taking a flyer on him to pair with Caris LeVert could pay off for Brooklyn in the long run.
You knew it was happening eventually. Harry Giles was projected to be a high lottery pick before a troubling litany of injuries sidelined him and hurt his stock. Despite the justified concerns, Giles has extreme upside, especially on the defensive end. In small doses, he’s shown the ability to switch one through five, although his rim protection is a bit lacking.
He’s an excellent rebounder, and he runs the floor well for a near seven-footer. Alongside the injuries, his outside shot needs work, and his interior game isn’t much further along. To top it off, he’s not really great at shooting free throws.
Giles has intoxicating upside, but the two risks that he uses to run up and down the floor make it dangerous to give him more than a late first-round flyer.
I’m not sure anymore if the Spurs just know which foreign guys are going to become really good or if those foreign guys become good as soon as the plane touches down in San Antonio. Regardless, I have high hopes for Anzejs Pasecniks.
Pasecniks runs to the rim with all the force that his 7-foot-2 frame contains. He can move well on defense, but he has a ways to go toward understanding what’s happening in front of him. Pop should help with that.
On offense, it’s unclear how far out he’ll be able to stretch his game, but with everything else that he brings, a 3-point shot would be pretty gravy.
3-and-D wings are always at a premium in the modern NBA, and Semi Ojeleye has everything it takes to thrive in such a role. Ojeleye is a combo forward who will be comfortable guarding multiple positions, and his 3-point range already looks pretty solid. He’s on the older side at 22, but in his case, I think he will in fact come into the league able to contribute right away.
His offensive game is slightly elementary. His handle needs work and he can’t really create much other than back-to-the-basket turnaround jumpers.
Next: Moses Kingsley could be worth a flyer
All that being said, role players don’t need to have every trick in the book under their belt. Ojeleye is destined to spot up in the corners and lock down opposing wings. He can do that well, and that’s what matters most.