2017 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions and Analysis for Top Prospects Available
The NBA playoffs started with a fury, and plenty more postseason action remains on the docket. Yet nearly half the league awaits May 16's draft lottery.
Teams desperate for a franchise cornerstone—and the Boston Celtics, who own the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed and the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick—must spend weeks preparing for a landmark decision without knowing their draft slot. The random drawing is especially critical to the Los Angeles Lakers, who will give their selection to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls below No. 3.
Draftniks are also operating in the dark, using a primitive blueprint that the basketball gods will soon render irrelevant. For now, this early-postseason mock draft uses reverse standings.
Tied for the sixth slot at 31-51, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves will flip a coin Tuesday to settle the tiebreaker, per Jerry Zgoda of Star Tribune. It's a moot point if either franchise rises into the top three, but New York won the coin flip without further room for advancement in this practice run.
Since so many talented guards are gracing the draft class, let's look at three slated to go in the top five.
| 1 | Boston Celtics (via Nets) | Markelle Fultz, G, Washington |
| 2 | Phoenix Suns | Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA |
| 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | Josh Jackson, F, Kansas |
| 4 | Philadelphia 76ers | Malik Monk, G, Kentucky |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky |
| 6 | New York Knicks | Frank Ntilikina, G, France |
| 7 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jayson Tatum, F, Duke |
| 8 | Sacramento Kings | Dennis Smith Jr., G, NC State |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona |
| 10 | Sacramento Kings (via Pelicans) | Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State |
| 11 | Charlotte Hornets | Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga |
| 12 | Detroit Pistons | Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina |
| 13 | Denver Nuggets | OG Anunoby, F, Indiana |
| 14 | Miami Heat | TJ Leaf, F, UCLA |
| 15 | Chicago Bulls | Jarrett Allen, C, Texas |
| 16 | Portland Trail Blazers | Justin Patton, C, Creighton |
| 17 | Indiana Pacers | Donovan Mitchell, G, Louisville |
| 18 | Milwaukee Bucks | Terrance Ferguson, G, Australia |
| 19 | Atlanta Hawks | John Collins, F, Wake Forest |
| 20 | Portland Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies) | Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany |
| 21 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Harry Giles, F, Duke |
| 22 | Brooklyn Nets (via Wizards) | Ivan Rabb, F, California |
| 23 | Utah Jazz | Luke Kennard, G, Duke |
| 24 | Toronto Raptors (via Clippers) | Semi Ojeleye, F, SMU |
| 25 | Orlando Magic (via Raptors) | Dwayne Bacon, F, Florida State |
| 26 | Portland Trail Blazers (via Cavaliers) | Wesley Iwundu, G, Kansas State |
| 27 | Brooklyn Nets (via Celtics) | Tyler Lydon, F, Syracuse |
| 28 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets) | Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA |
| 29 | San Antonio Spurs | Edrice Adebayo, F, Kentucky |
| 30 | Utah Jazz (via Warriors) | Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina |
1. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets): Markelle Fultz, Washington
Boy, Brooklyn could sure use an explosive playmaker like Markelle Fultz. Instead, the Celtics can add a potential All-Star to their deep roster if they avoid lottery misfortune. Per Tankathon, they wield a 25-percent chance of snagging the No. 1 pick with a 64.3-percent probability of staying inside the top three.
Fultz filled the box score in his freshman year, averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks for the Washington Huskies. He was also an efficient high-volume scorer, notching a 53.8 effective field goal percentage despite taking 17.6 shots per game, per Sports-Reference.com.
As noted by Basketball Society, he matched the NBA's premier shooter in terms of college shooting prowess:
Coming off a 53-win season, the Celtics are in position to select the best player available. This will create a guard surplus, but Isaiah Thomas is only under contract for one more season. They can also dangle Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley or this pick on the trading block. The Nets would love to have this problem.
Earlier this month, ESPN Insider Chad Ford said he believes Boston is "leaning Fultz at the moment" over UCLA's Lonzo Ball. Even if he's not the perfect fit, he's the best player on the board and could help attract a top-tier perimeter player in free agency.
2. Phoenix Suns: Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Pairing Ball with the Los Angeles Lakers is easy. The 6'6" local prospect runs the court with the type of flair new team president Magic Johnson will appreciate. If the Lakers ascend to No. 1 or 2, nobody will pass on that prediction because they already have point guard and 2015 No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell.
So why would the Phoenix Suns look elsewhere because of their roster construction?
Before the trade deadline, they reportedly shopped Brandon Knight, who didn't play after Feb. 15. Eric Bledsoe, whom Phoenix also shut down, may not factor into the franchise's future plans either.
The Washington Post's Tim Bontemps made the case for dealing the team's second-leading scorer behind Devin Booker:
"For all of Bledsoe’s talents, it would seem likely Phoenix will want to see what he’s worth. Booker is 20, and Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, the team’s first round picks in the 2016 NBA draft, are both going to turn 20 later this year. The three of them, plus whomever Phoenix takes with their first rounder in this year’s draft, are going to form the core of the Suns moving forward — all on a different time frame than Bledsoe, who will play next season at 28.
If Bledsoe could net the Suns another young asset or two to go with that core, moving on from him now could make sense.
"
If the Suns view Booker, Chriss and Bender as their three future cornerstones, Ball fits their long-term plans better than Kansas forward Josh Jackson, who makes more short-term sense. Having distributed 7.6 assists per game as a freshman while draining 80 of his 194 three-point attempts, the Bruins point guard has the makings of an ideal modern floor general.
Ball certainly won't fix their defensive woes, but no rookie could. In a guard-driven league, the Suns won't forgo the opportunity to land a potentially great one.
4. Philadelphia 76ers: Malik Monk, Kentucky
With Fultz and Ball off the board, the Lakers settle for Jackson at No. 3. Of course, the 76ers could easily pick in that slot instead and also receive pick No. 4 via Los Angeles. They can also swap first-round selections with the Sacramento Kings, who currently reside at No. 8.
This lottery could be a game-changer for Philadelphia, who will welcome 2016 top selection Ben Simmons and hope for better health from standout center Joel Embiid. Although the roster lacks a point guard, the struggling franchise looks intent on using Simmons there.
"I definitely want to be a point guard and be one of the leaders," Simmons said to the media Thursday, per CSNPhilly.com's Jessica Camerato.
According to Derek Bodner of DerekBodner.com, team president Bryan Colangelo has lofty expectations for the proposed experiment:
Those plans diminish the chances of the 76ers selecting De'Aaron Fox. Instead, they'll grab his Kentucky backcourt teammate, Malik Monk.
After ranking No. 27 in field-goal percentage and No. 25 in three-point percentage, the 76ers sorely need a perimeter scorer. Monk, who hit 104 threes for the Wildcats in his freshman year, fits the mold.
Although smaller than the typical NBA shooting guard, his size won't hurt as much when sharing the court with Simmons, Embiid and Dario Saric. Their strategy will hinge on the lottery results, but this current placement bodes well for Monk joining The Process.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
