NBA Mock Draft 2017: 1st-Round Predictions and Elite Prospects Breakdown

If you check out three of the latest NBA draft big boards, you'll notice that four players stand out among the rest of the prospects.

Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, De'Aaron Fox and Josh Jackson are all in the official top five for NBADraft.net, DraftExpress and Bleacher Report. Barring something unforeseen, it's very likely that they will be your top four picks in the NBA draft. It's just a matter of the order.

Here's a guess on that top-four order in a mock draft alongside some analysis of the four players.

2017 NBA Mock Draft

1. Boston Celtics: Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington

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

3. Philadelphia 76ers: De'Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky

4. Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas

5. Sacramento Kings: Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke

6. Orlando Magic: Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, Florida State

8. New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina, PG, SIG Strasbourg (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, N.C. State

13. Denver Nuggets: Rodions Kurucs, SF, FC Barcelona B (Spain)

14. Miami Heat: Donovan Mitchell, SG, Louisville

15. Portland Trail Blazers: Harry Giles, PF, Duke

16. Chicago Bulls: Jarrett Allen, C, Texas

17. Milwaukee Bucks: OG Anunoby, SF, Indiana

18. Indiana Pacers: John Collins, PF, Wake Forest

19. Atlanta Hawks: Justin Patton, C, Creighton

20. Portland Trail Blazers: Luke Kennard, SG, Duke

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jordan Bell, PF, Oregon

22. Brooklyn Nets: Tyler Lydon, PF, Syracuse

23. Toronto Raptors: Ike Anigbogu, C, UCLA

24. Utah Jazz: TJ Leaf, PF, UCLA

25. Orlando Magic: Isaiah Hartenstein, PF, Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)

26. Portland Trail Blazers: Terrance Ferguson, SG, Adelaide (Australia)

27. Brooklyn Nets: Jawun Evans, PG, Oklahoma State

28. Los Angeles Lakers: Bam Adebayo, PF, Kentucky

29. San Antonio Spurs: Jonathan Jeanne, C, SLUC Nancy (France)

30. Utah Jazz: Derrick White, PG, Colorado

Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington: Boston Celtics

Fultz posted 23.2 points per game in his lone season in Seattle, shooting 47.6 percent form the field while also grabbing 5.9 rebounds and dishing 5.7 assists per game.

The 6'4" Fultz has a world of potential and could conceivably be a member of the All-NBA First Team someday. He's that good due to his shooting ability and length.

Fultz is the top player on seemingly everyone's draft board and seems destined to wear a Boston Celtics uniform next year. In fact, that's the only team he is working out for per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

If Boston takes him, he will be a boost to a Celtics bench in need of a scoring and shooting punch and will likely be starting by the beginning of the 2018-19 season.

Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA: Los Angeles Lakers

NBADraft.net lists Jason Kidd as the NBA comparison to Lonzo Ball. Considering that Kidd is a future NBA Hall of Famer, 10-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA First Team member, that's a very impressive comparison for the former UCLA star.

Ball shined in his one year in Westwood, averaging 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals for a 31-win UCLA team that earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and made the Sweet 16.

Per KenPom.com, UCLA was No. 2 in Division I men's college basketball in offensive efficiency last season. The Bruins also ran at the 20th-fastest pace in the country. Ball was obviously the floor general for that successful Bruin attack and seems capable of running a productive, high-octane offense in the NBA.

The Lakers are the best fit for Ball. L.A. needs a pass-first point guard who can lead that offense and provide some direction. Ball can be that player, and D'Angelo Russell can kick out to shooting guard, with Jordan Clarkson coming off the bench as a combo guard.

De'Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky: Philadelphia 76ers

The former Kentucky point guard's stock has risen dramatically since an impressive NCAA tournament run, with the highlight being a 39-point performance in a Sweet Sixteen win over UCLA.

Fox checks nearly every single box. He is a great defender. He plays with intensity. He's a terror driving the line and finishing, and he is a great leader at a young age.

The problem right now is that he's not a good outside shooter, and that could be an issue in an NBA era that has never been more reliant on the three-pointer. For perspective, Minnesota shot the fewest three-pointers in the NBA (21.0 per game). That's still nearly one every two minutes.

However, Fox doesn't even turn 20 years old until December 20. He has plenty of time to work on his outside shooting.

Although the Philadelphia 76ers claim they will use Ben Simmons as their point guard next year, Fox may very well be the best player on their board when their turn arrives. He might have the highest ceiling of anyone in the draft, and the 76ers should take him.

Ultimately, don't be surprised if he's considered the best player from the 2017 class if those threes start falling.

Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas: Phoenix Suns

The term "two-way forward" is part of hockey parlance and describes someone who plays center or wing but still handles defensive responsibilities as well.

Borrowing that term for basketball for a moment, Jackson is the best two-way forward in this year's draft class and could develop enough to the point where he could be considered one of the top three two-way forwards in the NBA alongside Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler.

The 6'8" Jackson is a Swiss Army knife who can score, dish, rebound and play defense. Most notably, he is an efficient scorer, shooting 51.3 percent from the field last year (and 37.8 percent from three-point range).

No team would be a better fit than the Phoenix Suns, who desperately need defensive help. The Suns were third-to-last in the NBA in defensive efficiency, per ESPN.com, and no team gave up more points then they did (113.3).

Jackson could come in and help the defensive effort against the multitude of offensive powerhouses in the Western Conference.