Chad Ford NBA Draft 2017: Takeaways from ESPN Guru's 6th Big Board

The NBA scouting combine is likely to cause significant changes in draft stock, but this still makes the latest big board released by ESPN NBA draft analyst Chad Ford an important one.

From May 9-14, the top prospects in the class will go through athletic testing, medical checks, interviews and in some cases, 5-on-5 scrimmages. Some players could come out of nowhere to showcase their upside, while others could fall with a disappointing performance.

With that said, providing a baseline prior to the combine should prevent any overreaction either way compared to what we have seen on the court until this point. The latest big board from May 8 provides that with over a month until the June 22 NBA draft.

Rank	Player	Previous
1	Markelle Fultz, G, Washington	1
2	Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA	2
3	Josh Jackson, F, Kansas	3
4	Jayson Tatum, F, Duke	4
5	De'Aaron Fox, G, Kentucky	5
6	Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State	6
7	Malik Monk, G, Kentucky	7
8	Dennis Smith, G, North Carolina State	8
9	Zach Collins, C, Gonzaga	11
10	Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona	9
11	Frank Ntilikna, G, France	10
12	Harry Giles, F, Duke	12
13	OG Anunoby, F, Indiana	13
14	Jarrett Allen, C, Texas	14
15	Luke Kennard, G, Duke	17
16	Terrance Ferguson, G, Australia	18
17	TJ Leaf, F, UCLA	16
18	Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA	19
19	Justin Patton, C, Creighton	15
20	Tony Bradley, C, North Carolina	22
21	John Collins, F, Wake Forest	21
22	Donovan Mitchell, G, Louisville	N/A
23	Edrice Adebayo, F, Kentucky	20
24	Ivan Rabb, F, California	23
25	Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina	25
26	Moritz Wagner, F, Michigan	24
27	D.J. Wilson, F, Michigan	26
28	Jawun Evans, G, Oklahoma State	27
29	Andrew Jones, G, Texas	28
30	Isaiah Hartenstein, F, Germany	29

Biggest Takeaways

Top Eight Stay the Same

Considering no games have been played since the last big board in April, it shouldn't be a surprise the movement was kept to a minimum. This is especially true at the top, with players who were extensively researched and debated throughout the college basketball season.

Markelle Fultz remains the top overall player as a 6'4" point guard who put up outstanding stats during his freshman season for an otherwise poor Washington squad. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in 2016-17, showcasing a versatile all-around game on both ends of the court.

Of course, there is a lot of competition at that position alone.

Lonzo Ball is the biggest name in the class after being the catalyst for one of the top offenses in the nation. Ford reported the Los Angeles Lakers are "enamored" with the former UCLA star, which could be interesting if they land the No. 1 pick.

De'Aaron Fox is also a threat to be the top point guard in the class, especially after scoring 39 points against Ball in the NCAA tournament. While he is considered a tier behind Fultz and Ball, this doesn't bother him.

"At the end of the day, we still got to get on the court and play," Fox said, per Chris Haynes of ESPN. "If they're picked ahead of me, then they're picked ahead of me. At the end of the day, it doesn't mean much but I just want to be productive on the court."

This attitude alone could make him a quality choice for some teams. Adding in Dennis Smith and Frank Ntilikina, and this is an excellent class to find a point guard.

Shakeup Among Big Men

Although there weren't many changes near the top, one area that saw movement is the centers and forwards.

Gonzaga's Zach Collins rose a couple of spots and is starting to be listed as one of the top big men in the class. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported similar findings:

Collins mostly came off the bench and averaged just 17.3 minutes per game during his freshman year, but still managed to average 10.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Beyond the numbers, the 7'0" player showed natural athleticism to run the floor and finish on the offensive end while being a legitimate difference-maker on defense.

Considering how raw he remains, Collins should be a hot commodity by the time of the draft.

Moving the other way on the big board was Justin Patton, who fell four spots from the previous list. The Creighton center is another quality defender who also made 67.6 percent of his shots from the field. There are some concerns about his athleticism as well as some inconsistent rebounding, but it would be a surprise to see him drop too far in the draft.

There are likely bigger issues surrounding Edrice Adebayo. The Kentucky forward is a physical player who was often able to bully smaller defenders, although he might not be as successful doing this in the NBA. The 6'9" forward is a bit undersized for the position and isn't much of a shooting threat.

In the modern game, this doesn't have too much value. 

Donovan Mitchell Debuts at 22

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After just testing the waters at first, Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell decided to sign with an agent, effectively ending his college career.  

This allowed Ford to move him in his top 30 at No. 22, saying teams believe he can be a sleeper in this class. 

It's the pure scoring ability scouts will love from Mitchell after he averaged 15.6 ppg in his sophomore year. He can create his own shot and knock them down from distance, an important role for anyone hoping to make an NBA rotation.

Additionally, his athleticism could help him on both ends of the court.

It's hard to imagine Mitchell jumping too much higher into the lottery due to size limitations. At 6'3" without much skill as a point guard, his upside remains limited.

Still, fans should expect the guard to stay in the first round projections until draft day.