NBA Mock Draft 2017: Latest Projections for 1st-Round Prospects

The NBA playoffs are in full swing after beginning last Saturday. Some teams look like they'll sleepwalk to the second round, while others might be headed home early after a four- or five-game series.

Speaking of the latter teams, here's a look at three of them and what they can do to improve through the 2017 NBA draft.

1	Boston Celtics	Markelle Fultz	PG	Washington
2	Phoenix Suns	Josh Jackson	SF	Kansas
3	Los Angeles Lakers	Lonzo Ball	PG	UCLA
4	Philadelphia 76ers	Malik Monk	SG	Kentucky
5	Orlando Magic	Jayson Tatum	SF	Duke
6	New York Knicks	De'Aaron Fox	PG	Kentucky
7	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jonathan Isaac	SF	Florida State
8	Sacramento Kings	Frank Ntilikina	PG	Strasbourg IG (France)
9	Dallas Mavericks	Lauri Markkanen	PF	Arizona
10	Sacramento Kings	Zach Collins	C	Gonzaga
11	Charlotte Hornets	Justin Jackson	SF	North Carolina
12	Detroit Pistons	Dennis Smith Jr.	PG	North Carolina State
13	Denver Nuggets	Rodions Kurucs	SF	FC Barcelona B (Spain)
14	Miami Heat	TJ Leaf	PF	UCLA
15	Chicago Bulls	Justin Patton	C	Creighton
16	Portland Trail Blazers	Terrance Ferguson	SG	Adelaide (Australia)
17	Indiana Pacers	Donovan Mitchell	SG	Louisville
18	Milwaukee Bucks	Harry Giles	PF	Duke
19	Portland Trail Blazers	Luke Kennard	SG	Duke
20	Atlanta Hawks	Isaiah Hartenstein	PF	Zalgiris (Lithuania)
21	Oklahoma City Thunder	Jordan Bell	PF	Oregon
22	Brooklyn Nets	Jawun Evans	PG	Oklahoma State
23	Utah Jazz	John Collins	PF	Wake Forest
24	Toronto Raptors	Semi Ojeleye	PF	SMU
25	Orlando Magic	Ivan Rabb	PF	Cal
26	Portland Trail Blazers	Caleb Swanigan	PF	Purdue
27	Brooklyn Nets	OG Anunoby	SF	Indiana
28	Los Angeles Lakers	Jarrett Allen	C	Texas
29	San Antonio Spurs	Dillon Brooks	SF	Oregon
30	Utah Jazz	Josh Hart	SG	Villanova

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Houston Rockets scored 62 points in the paint during their 118-87 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. As Tom Ley of Deadspin noted, Thunder backup center Enes Kanter was the primary victim of Houston's pick-and-roll machine:

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Kanter has always been a decent big man off the bench when he’s only asked to score and rebound, but his defensive deficiencies are too much to suffer when facing a team that is as deadly in the pick-and-roll as the Rockets are. It’s no coincidence the Utah Jazz, who start defensive player of the year candidate Rudy Gobert at center, traded Kanter away.

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Kanter is an efficient offensive player, averaging 14.3 points in just 21.3 minutes per game, but he ranks 67th among 70 NBA centers in defensive real plus-minus, per ESPN.com.

The Thunder need a rim protector who can prevent teams from controlling the key. Enter former Oregon forward Jordan Bell, who made a name for himself during the NCAA tournament by blocking 16 shots in five games, including eight against Kansas in the Elite Eight.

He's a bit small for a big man at 6'9" and 225 pounds, but as NBADraft.net notes, he "brings unbridled energy and explosive athleticism."

Bell can immediately step into the Thunder rotation and help Oklahoma City's low-post defense.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is in an interesting spot. The Blazers have three draft picks in the first round, but according to Basketball Reference, everyone on the team is signed through next season. There's only so much room on the roster (only 12 players can suit up for games), so one has to wonder how Portland will use its picks this year.

For this scenario, let's say the Blazers keep at least two picks and move some other players.

Anyway, Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and shooting guard C.J. McCollum combined to score 74 of Portland's 109 points in a 121-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors. In other words, they accounted for 67.9 percent of their team's scoring.

Furthermore, the Blazers bench had a rough day at the office, scoring just nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Shooting guards Terrance Ferguson and Luke Kennard could help provide some scoring punch. Here's a December 8, 2016, write-up on Ferguson from Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress:

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Ferguson's jump-shot is the basis of his game, and that has translated fairly nicely so far, as evidenced by his 39% 3-point percentage. He elevates high off the ground, has a quick release point, is always on balance, and shoots it virtually the same every time, even with a hand in his face. He'll likely be able to make shots at a NBA level very early on in his career, especially from the corners, where he's extremely effective.

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Kennard had a fantastic sophomore season at Duke, averaging 19.5 points per game and making 48.9 percent of his shots (including 43.8 percent of his three-pointers). 

Together, those two could help provide some needed scoring depth from the wing for the Blazers.

Indiana Pacers

Small forward Paul George has played great in his first two playoff games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 30.5 points, 7.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds.

But he's not getting enough help from his teammates. Lance Stephenson, who was waived by the New Orleans Pelicans in November following a groin injury and let go by the Minnesota Timberwolves after his second 10-day contract expired, was the Pacers' second-leading scorer in Game 1 with 16 points. He also took the second-most shots on the team (13) in Game 2.

Stephenson is a solid player, but it's not a good sign that someone who has been in and out of the NBA this year is such a key contributor for a playoff contender.

Donovan Mitchell could help the Pacers on both ends of the floor. The former Louisville shooting guard averaged 15.6 points and 2.1 steals per game for the Cardinals last year, leading his team in both categories.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report selected Mitchell for the Pacers in his latest mock draft. Here's his take:

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He'd have more fans if he were more of a combo guard. Mitchell never developed as a playmaker, but that's not what the Indiana Pacers will draft him for at No. 17. With the ability to attack and knock down difficult jumpers from all over the floor, Mitchell will look to carve out a career as a microwave scoring specialist.

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A "microwave scoring specialist" who can play some defense as well is what the Pacers need. This seems like a perfect match.