NBA Mock Draft 2017: Latest Projections and Comparisons for Underrated Prospects

There's good and there's bad with owning a lottery pick in the NBA draft. The good side of the coin is that a team with a lottery pick is in position to add a potential game-changer to its roster. The bad is that teams owning lottery picks are generally coming off miserable seasons and aren't ready for immediate contention.

Now, the Boston Celtics—who own the first overall pick this year thanks to an old trade with the Brooklyn Nets—are an exception.

Teams other than Boston who are in position to compete will be picking far outside the lottery range this year. However, this doesn't mean they cannot find early contributors. There are underrated prospects who will be available near the back end of Round 1 who can be valuable at the pro level.

We're going to examine this type of player here. We'll look at their strengths and their weaknesses and provide pro comparisons for some of the most underrated prospects in the draft. We'll also make our projections for the entire first round based on factors like player potential, team needs and roster fit.

2017 NBA Mock Draft

1. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn): Markelle Fultz, G, Washington

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Josh Jackson, F, Kansas

4. Phoenix Suns: Jayson Tatum, F, Duke

5. Sacramento Kings (via Philadelphia): Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State

6. Orlando Magic: De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Malik Monk, G, Kentucky

8. New York Knicks: Harry Giles, F, Duke

9. Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr., G, NC State

10. Sacramento Kings (via New Orleans): Frank Ntilikina, G, France

11. Charlotte Hornets: Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga

12. Detroit Pistons: Ivan Rabb, F, California

13. Denver Nuggets: Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona

14. Miami Heat: Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina

15. Portland Trail Blazers: Terrance Ferguson, G, Australia

16. Chicago Bulls: OG Anunoby, F, Indiana

17. Milwaukee Bucks: Jarrett Allen, C, Texas

18. Indiana Pacers: Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina

19. Atlanta Hawks: TJ Leaf, F, UCLA

20. Portland Trail Blazers (via Memphis): Dwayne Bacon, F, Florida State

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: John Collins, F, Wake Forest

22. Brooklyn Nets (via Washington): Moritz Wagner, F, Michigan

23. Toronto Raptors (via LA Clippers): Jordan Bell, F, Oregon

24. Utah Jazz: Justin Patton, C, Creighton

25. Orlando Magic (via Toronto): Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany

26. Portland Trail Blazers: (via Cleveland): Josh Hart, G, Villanova

27. Brooklyn Nets (via Boston): Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina

28. Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston): Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA

29. San Antonio Spurs: Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue

30. Utah Jazz (via Golden State): Rodions Kurucs, F, Latvia

Underrated Prospects

Jordan Bell, F, Oregon

There's a lot to like about Oregon product Jordan Bell. He has an NBA-ready body at 6'8" and 225 pounds. He's valuable on both ends of the court, and he's more experienced than a lot of the players in this draft—Bell decided to come out as a junior.

"He impacts the game in so many ways defensively," one general manager said of Bell, per Chad Ford of ESPN.com. "His ability to switch and guard four, maybe five positions is his real value in the league. And I think he knows who he is. He doesn't try to force things offensively. He's going to earn his way onto a roster."

While Bell is physically ready to be a pro, he is a bit undersized for the center position he typically played for the Ducks. This is why he's considered a forward prospect even though it's not his natural position.

The obvious drawback is that it could take a while for Bell to fully find a role at the NBA level.

Early in his career, Bell is likely to play a role similar to that of Cleveland Cavaliers veteran Larry Sanders. He can be a bit of a hybrid center/forward off the bench who isn't likely to earn a lot of points but can defend and rebound in spurts.

Contenders looking for depth, especially defensively, should love what Bell could be within the next couple years.

Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina

While Bell has a lot of defensive upside, South Carolina's Sindarius Thornwell is pretty close to a finished product. After four years of college ball and at 22 years old, there isn't a lot of room upward for him.

However, this also means Thornwell is as close to being NBA-ready as anyone in the draft, making him underrated. He averaged 21.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season. He may never reach those scoring numbers offensively as a pro, but he can be a reliable role player for several years.

Jason McIntrye of Fox Sports 1 recently compared Thornwell to longtime San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili:

In many aspects, a Ginoibli comparison is pretty apt for Thornwell—or at least his ceiling. Ginobili was never a true star of a guard, but he has always been a consistent presence for the Spurs.

For his career, Ginobili has averaged 13.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Thornwell will probably be closer to these numbers as a pro than his collegiate numbers, but that's OK. Contending teams should be perfectly fine adding a guy who can immediately get them a dozen points and a handful of rebounds each game as a role player.

Rodions Kurucs, F, Latvia

Latvia product Rodions Kurucs is an intriguing prospect because he already possesses good size (6'8" and 200 pounds) and positional versatility. He can play both guard or forward, depending on a team's makeup, and he can be a handy role player for a potential contender.

The downside with Kurucs is that he has already experienced his fair share of injuries and could also be an injury risk at the pro level.

Stefanos Markos of NBADraft.net wrote the following of Kurucs:

"Rodions Kurucs is a really skilled player, who can bring a lot in the table, especially on the offensive end of the floor. His scoring ability and physical attributes are undeniable. If he remains healthy, works on his body and fixes some of his weaknesses (ball handling, court vision, defensive concentration) he can become a really good player in the future."

Markos' pro comparison for Kurucs is Houston Rockets forward Sam Dekker. At 6'9" and 220 pounds, Dekker is a bit bigger than Kurucs is right now, but physically, the comparison is valid.

Offensively, I think Kurucs can have a bit more upside than we've seen from Dekker thus far in his career, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him settle into a Jae Crowder-type role with the right team. Kurucs may not be an offensive first option, but he does have the potential to average double-digit points per game.