NBA Mock Draft 2017: 1st-Round Predictions and Top Fringe Prospects to Know
Friday brought a ton of buzz about the summit of the 2017 NBA draft class.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein and Zach Lowe, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to move up from No. 3 to No. 1, possibly to snag Washington's Markelle Fultz:
The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed what Lowe reported about the No. 3 pick.
While the tippy top of the first round is the talk of the town, the bottom of the draft is loaded with intriguing prospects, too. FanRag Sports' Jon Rothstein pointed to a few:
Let's talk about one of those—and another sleeper—who could crack Round 1 below.
Mock
| 1. Celtics (via BKN) | Markelle Fultz, G, Washington |
| 2. Lakers | Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA |
| 3. 76ers | De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky |
| 4. Suns | Josh Jackson, F, Kansas |
| 5. Kings (via PHI) | Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State |
| 6. Magic | Jayson Tatum, F, Duke |
| 7. Timberwolves | Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga |
| 8. Knicks | Frank Ntilikina, G, France |
| 9. Mavericks | Dennis Smith Jr., G, NC State |
| 10. Kings (via NO) | Malik Monk, G, Kentucky |
| 11. Hornets | Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona |
| 12. Pistons | Harry Giles, F, Duke |
| 13. Nuggets | Luke Kennard, G, Duke |
| 14. Heat | OG Anunoby, F, Indiana |
| 15. Trail Blazers | Bam Adebayo, C, Kentucky |
| 16. Bulls | John Collins, F, Wake Forest |
| 17. Bucks | Justin Patton, C, Creighton |
| 18. Pacers | Jarrett Allen, C, Texas |
| 19. Hawks | TJ Leaf, F, UCLA |
| 20. Trail Blazers (via MEM) | Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Lithuania |
| 21. Thunder | Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina |
| 22. Nets (via WAS) | Jordan Bell, F, Oregon |
| 23. Raptors (via LAC) | Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA |
| 24. Jazz | Ivan Rabb, F, California |
| 25. Magic (via TOR) | Donovan Mitchell, G, Louisville |
| 26. Trail Blazers (via CLE) | Dwayne Bacon, F, Florida State |
| 27. Nets (via BOS) | Sindarius Thornwell, G, South Carolina |
| 28. Lakers (via HOU) | Frank Jackson, PG, Duke |
| 29. Spurs | Caleb Swanigan, F, Purdue |
| 30. Jazz (via GSW) | Josh Hart, G, Villanova |
Jordan Bell
The world met Oregon Ducks big man Jordan Bell in March.
For starters, his team advanced to the Final Four on the back of his nightly block show.
Against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight, Bell racked up 11 points, 13 boards and eight rejections. The next round against the North Carolina Tar Heels, Bell went for 13 points and 16 rebounds to go along with four swats. Though he's only 6'9", Bell was an absolute force in the middle, even against Kennedy Meeks.
The Ducks fell to eventual-champion UNC, though, which led to some tears from Bell, via Sports Illustrated:
SI's Jordan Schultz praised Bell—a former "rim-runner"—as a "legitimate shutdown menace" during a sleepers segment:
"He has decent enough touch. My only question for him is, 'Is he going to be a real liability offensively?' But you look at him, and he's not as big as a Ben Wallace, but that's the type of impact, ideally, you could see him having. For me, I would take him in the mid-20s and feel good about it."
If you think Ben Wallace is high praise, try this one from Philadelphia 76ers executive Brandon Williams to Philly.com's Keith Pompey: Dennis Rodman.
That's a flattering comparison, being that that's what Bell prides himself on, per HoopsHabit's Gerald Bourguet:
At that same workout, Bell set a record in a grueling drill that has prospects go up and down the court as many times as possible in three minutes:
Bell is projected by DraftExpress to land at No. 35 to the Orlando Magic. It wouldn't be surprising if he climbs into the first round, though. That's where good teams are picking, and playoff contenders can afford to take a defensive specialist while tankers are looking for all-around studs.
Caleb Swanigan is an absolute house.
At 6'9", 250 pounds, the sophomore still has time to physically mature. It's something he's used to; according to ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf, the Purdue Boilermakers star center weighed 360 pounds the summer before eighth grade.
This season, Swanigan averaged 18.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists during his Big Ten Player of the Year campaign. When March Madness rolled around, Swanigan remained dominant.
In a Game of the Year contender against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second round, "Biggie" dropped 20 points, 12 boards and seven assists while burying 3-of-6 threes. Purdue went to the big fella seemingly every time down, and for good reason. Swanigan sealed the win with an offensive rebound in traffic:
Swanigan is 6'9", which is small for a conventional down-low center in today's NBA. But given his touch and skill for a bruiser—he averaged 5.0 dimes a night in the NCAA tournament—the 20-year-old has appropriate role models in mind, per Tony Ray Harvey of PublicityAgents.com:
"I'm a bigger Draymond Green but I'm more fluid, can play on the perimeter to hit shots, move my feet, find the open man, and I also want to rebound more than Draymond," Swanigan said, per Harvey. "I'm not saying I'm a better rebounder than Draymond by any means. But he's more oriented one way, playing outside in, and I'm more oriented the other way, playing inside out depending on the match up."
DraftExpress has Swanigan falling to No. 40 to the New Orleans Pelicans. Don't count out the San Antonio Spurs at No. 30, though. SB Nation's Kyle Holderfield wrote that the fit "makes too much sense" on June 1.
Biggie later worked out for Gregg Popovich's squad on June 7. Jeff McDonald of mySA.com reported that, despite Swanigan's shortcomings in explosiveness, San Antonio "could be [the] team" that steals him.
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