Ranking the Best Athletes of the 2017 NBA Draft Class

When it comes to the NBA draft, teams love to chase upside and potential. Often times, those categories are heavily driven by athletic ability. 

Skills can be taught over time, but athleticism represents uncoachable talent that leads to easy baskets and defense, regardless of how much fundamental polish the player lacks.

The projected 2017 field has dozens of highlight-reel athletes, but we picked out the top five (plus an honorable mention) based on four key factors: explosiveness, quickness, agility and coordination. 

Here we are ranking athleticism in a vacuum, not each prospect's NBA potential.

Honorable Mention: OG Anunoby (Indiana, SF, Sophomore)

Without knowing the true severity of OG Anunoby's season-ending knee injury—or how he'll look once recovered—it's difficult to confidently call him a top-five athlete with such strong competition. 

At full strength, however, he's a lock thanks to his unusual quickness and explosive leaping ability at the rim. 

The appeal to Anunoby stems from his unreal foot speed for a 6'8" forward. Strong and long enough to guard 4s, his defensive ceiling is through the roof based on his potential to smother wings, 2-guards and ball-handlers.

Anunoby has been equally effective tapping into his spring around the rim as a finisher off transition, line drives, lobs and cuts. Despite his skill level being far behind, he still shot a terrific 65.2 percent inside the arc through two years at Indiana. 

5. De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky, PG, Freshman)

De'Aaron Fox's identity revolves around speed, a big reason why Kentucky finished top 30 in pace after ranking outside the top 200 in 2015-16, per KenPom.com.

He beats opponents down the floor after missed or made baskets, having converted 67 field goals at the rim within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock.

Between his first move and explosiveness around the basket, Fox flashed major potential as a driving scorer. He's gotten himself dunks off drives against set defenses, a difficult feat once the game slows down in the half court.

At the rim, he's coordinated and acrobatic, which helps him compensate for a skinny frame and legs.

With elite-level quickness, Fox is poised to put heavy pressure on both the basket and opposing ball-handlers defensively. 

4. Donovan Mitchell (Louisville, SG, Sophomore)

Improved shooting and ball skills propelled Donovan Mitchell into this year's first-round discussion, but the athleticism had created buzz for years. 

You get the impression there's a jetpack underneath his jersey.

Mitchell explodes off the floor as a leaper. But it's more than just hops. He's highly coordinated, capable of catching off-target lobs with one hand and finishing or adjusting his body midair to avoid challenging arms and create easy layup angles.

The coordination and agility also show up off the dribble, where he slices through tiny gaps and screens with long, power hop steps that propel him from the perimeter into the heart of the defense.

Quick hands and feet also translate to on-ball pressure and 2.1 steals per game. 

3. Malik Monk (Kentucky, SG, Freshman)

Teams won't be overly worried if Malik Monk measures 6'3" for a non-playmaking shooting guard. They'll figure he'll compensate with explosiveness and bounce, as well as his difficult shot-making.

He uses his 42-inch vertical to elevate high into jumpers and over his defender. Monk creates separation with his springs as opposed to his ball skills and dribble.

He can also hit the invisible trampoline in the paint and launch himself above the rim with force. Agility in the open floor and leaping ability should continue leading to exciting highlights in transition.

He'd be ranked higher if he had more turn-the-corner burst in the half court. Monk relies mostly on fast breaks for points at the rim, having converted 55 of his 78 field goals there within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock.

2. Dennis Smith Jr. (North Carolina State, PG, Freshman)

A torn ACL in 2015 hasn't slowed down Dennis Smith Jr., whose explosiveness remains unmatched among point guards in the 2017 draft.

Physically and athletically, he reminds us of Eric Bledsoe, another physical ball-handler who can soar. 

Smith has a dangerous first step, as well as the agility and shiftiness to weave through traffic with coordinated side-step dribbles and hop steps. But it's his last step at the hoop that separates him from others at the position. 

He leaps with power, including off two feet for alley-oops or jump stops into the rare two-handed dunk.

Smith could wind up being an and-1 machine with his ability to hang in the air, bounce off contact, adjust and finish. If he can stay alert and engage, he'll pester opposing ball-handlers defensively with quick feet and aggressive hands.

1. Josh Jackson (Kansas, SF, Freshman)

Josh Jackson's athleticism is fueled by a mix of explosiveness and quickness. 

At 6'8", he moves like a 2-guard and plays notably light on his feet, something that shows at both ends of the floor.

Jackson possesses a blow-by first step off the catch (making him difficult to close out on) and out of triple-threat position. He's also an explosive leaper off one foot and only needs one dribble to gain enough momentum to rise above traffic for a power dunk. 

He's just as effective from off two feet, generating enough bounce to make plays over crowds hopping from standstill position. A quick jumper, Jackson averaged 9.6 rebounds per 40 minutes and converted 90.9 percent of his putback chances at the rim.

His foot speed should allow him to defend both wings and guards. Even if his scoring and shooting plateau, Jackson's defensive versatility, transition game, attacking ability and high-flying finishing create a floor that still says NBA starter. 

Stats courtesy of Hoop-Math.com unless otherwise noted.