2017 NBA Draft Prospect Big Board Version 3
The Draft picture is starting to get a little more clear at least in terms of who is declaring and who will wait to see how they test before deciding. There hasn’t really been any surprises yet besides Robert Williams deciding to go back to Texas A&M. Though I’m sure someone else will pull an Ivan Rabb and pass on being a lottery pick (looking at you Miles Bridges) and return to college for another year.
This doesn’t take into account where teams will end up in the Draft as that tends to play a role in who gets drafted when, but rather if a person is looking at best player available. This list is obviously just college players as well as that’s what we’re focusing on. This Draft will have a few international first round picks (most notably Frank Ntilikina, Terrence Ferguson and Isaiah Hartenstein) but the lottery will be dominated by college guys.
*Notes the player signed with an agent
% Notes the player is testing the waters, but did not sign with an agent
& Notes the player hasn’t announced yet
1. Markelle Fultz (Washington, Freshman, Guard)*
He’s almost become a little forgotten about because he played for a garbage team in Washington and sat towards the end of the year due to injury. That said, he put up a ridiculous stat line of 23/6/6 with minimal help around him. He does get a little careless with the ball, but again playing in Lorenzo Romar’s system of basically saying ‘fuck it, do what you want,’ will do that.
2. Josh Jackson (Kansas, Freshman, Wing)&
His biggest knock during the season was the way he shot the ball. However, he ended the year shooting over 45% from three during the last 15 games. Yes, he has that weird hitch, but if it’s going in, it’s hard to knock him. He’s an excellent rebounder and athlete, so you can play him at a couple different positions and don’t forget about him being an excellent passer.
3. Jayson Tatum (Duke, Freshman, Wing)*
Perhaps no one in the top-10 changed the minds of more people than Jayson Tatum. People questioned when he first started at Duke just how good he is, but he turned into the best player on the team. Like Jackson you can play him at the three or four and is a good rebounder.
4. Lonzo Ball (UCLA, Freshman, Point)*
The biggest misconception about Lonzo Ball isn’t his jumper or defense, it’s the fact people think LaVar Ball will make him fall in the draft. Everyone I’ve talked to has shot down that notion, so let’s just move on from there. Ball has great size at 6’6″ for a point and can obviously control the game with how he sets his teammates up. He does need to work on his defense and shooting when coming off a screen.
5. De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky, Freshman, Point)*
Fox is the quickest player in this draft as we saw him take advantage of that against Ball in the Sweet 16 game. He’s excellent in the pick-and-roll game and can finish at the rim. His shooting percentage was terrible this year, but did start to come on toward the end of the season and numerous scouts have said it’s an easy fix. He’s also regarded as the best defensive guard in the draft.
6. Malik Monk (Kentucky, Freshman, Guard)*
There might not be a better scorer in this draft than Monk as we saw what he can do when he gets in a zone. The biggest question is his size and defense. He’s got the size of a point guard (with absolutely no wing span) but is made to be an off guard. If he goes somewhere like Milwaukee or Philly it’s an easy spot to fill.
7. Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State, Freshman, Guard)*
Smith is another one of these point guards that was fabulous in the pick-and-roll. His ability to finish at the rim or step out and shoot threes (he shot about 36% from behind the arc) make him a difficult cover. What was the most impressive part of Smith’s season at NC State? He was wildly effective (56.3 true shooting percentage) on a pretty garbage team.
8. J0nathan Isaac (Florida State, Freshman, Stretch Four)*
Isaac was effective, especially in a low-usage role at Florida State. He sort of took a back seat to both Dwayne Bacon and Leonard Hamilton’s substitution system, but you can see his talent. He’s an excellent shooter for his size as he shot 35% from the 3-point line and 78% from the free throw line. He also excelled at protecting the rim, especially coming from the weakside with 2.3 blocks per 40 minutes.
9. Lauri Markkanen (Arizona, Freshman, Stretch Four)*
The last impression of Lauri in college is pretty gross. He simply didn’t touch the ball the last 11 minutes in Arizona’s loss to Xavier, but that was more of an Arizona problem than it was a Markkanen problem. He’s an excellent shooter as he shot over 42% from three. He was used in a variety of ways to get open from behind the arc, both in a pick-and-pop and showing his ability to pull up off the dribble. Against bigs in the NBA he’ll be valuable in stretching the floor, but needs to be better at protecting the rim.
10. Justin Jackson (North Carolina, Junior, Wing)&
Jackson turned into exactly what looked like a 3&D player in the NBA. He has great size to play on the wing and showed his defensive ability against Malik Monk in the Elite Eight. He has a quick shot release from behind the arc and that floater has been talked about non stop for three years.
11. Miles Bridges (Michigan State, Freshman, Stretch Four)&
Bridges is an absolute freak athlete. He will win a dunk contest at some point in the NBA and will be a perfect fit as a secondary option on the wing. He was a little miscast this year as the go-to guy for Michigan State and that doesn’t really fit his game. He can stretch the floor as he shot 39% from three, but was a high-volume shooter. He will be able to take advantage of slower guys off the dribble in the NBA.
12. John Collins (Wake Forest, Sophomore, Post)%
No doubt Collins was the most improved player in college basketball this season. The sophomore big man was extremely efficient at finishing in the paint and used a couple different moves throughout the season. Wake did like to bring him up to set high ball screens or have him in the post, so he showed he finish off different sets. His per-40 numbers were outrageous at 28.8/14.8.
13. Justin Patton (Creighton, Freshman, Post)*
The 7’0″ freshman is one of those guys that looks and plays like the new-era post player. He can protect the rim with 1.4 blocks per game this year and has shown the ability to step out and shoot. He does need to improve his free throw shooting which was just 51%, but his form is there.
14. Zach Collins (Gonzaga, Freshman, Post)&
I’m starting to second guess having him this low when I go back and watch his plays throughout the year. He obviously broke out during the Final Four game against South Carolina, but that’s who he is as a player. He’s an excellent shot blocker, averaging 4.1 blocks per 40 minutes. Collins also has a nice array of post moves as he prefers to finish with a hook shot, he does also have a nice drop step.
15. Bam Adebayo (Kentucky, Freshman, Post)%
One of the most underrated thing about Bam’s game is his defensive ability. Kentucky switched him on every ball screen and he showed the ability to stay in front of guards or bang in the post with bigs. He graded out as a very good defender despite not having any help at the four spot. Throw in the fact he’s a strong rebounder and started showing flashes of his post game, he’s moved his way into a top-20 prospect.
16. Jarrett Allen (Texas, Freshman, Post)%
Jarrett Allen was supposed to be the reason Texas was a good team this year. Only one of those two things happened. Jarrett Allen was good, Texas was not. The freshman big is a great defender, despite Shaka Smart not using him correctly. He had some highlight blocks and does have a wingspan of 7’6″ that makes him enticing as a late-lottery pick.
17. Ivan Rabb (Cal, Sophomore, Post)*
It was worst case scenario for Rabb who decided to come back to Cal for another year. He lost Jordan Matthews as a late transfer while obviously losing Jaylen Brown to the Celtics. He did up his averages 14/10.5 but his stock fell a little due to a deeper draft.
18. OG Anunoby (Indiana, Sophomore, Wing)&
If healthy, OG would easily be a lottery pick. However, the torn ACL has made him one of the more intriguing prospects to keep an eye on in terms of if he decides to come to college or not. He’s able to guard multiple positions and his 7’6″ wingspan makes him a decent shot blocker for his size. He does need to improve his outside shooting still, but can get buckets by making a quick move off the bounce and finishing in the lane.
19. Donovan Mitchell (Louisville, Sophomore, Wing)%
Mitchell made the leap during his sophomore year that everyone expected him to. He’s a prototypical NBA wing in the sense that he’s uber-athletic, can shoot it and is a decent defender. His biggest improvement came with shooting the 3-point ball, which was viewed as a weakness heading into the season. He shot over 35% from behind the arc.
20. TJ Leaf (UCLA, Freshman, Stretch Four)*
Lonzo Ball dominated the headlines for UCLA this year, but Leaf quietly put up at 16.3/8.2/2.4 stat line as he shot 46% from three, attempting a shade under two a game. He can score in the post, but his game is made facing up and dominating the midrange. He’s not a great defender but can protect the rim a little bit, blocking over 1 shot per game.
21. Jawun Evans (Oklahoma State, Sophomore, Point)*
There’s a lot to love about Evans game, most notably his ability to split defenders in the pick-and-roll. He was the most consistent player I watched this year playing in the high ball screen and his ability to pull up and shoot 38% from three. His one knock is his ability to finish in the lane, which showed against Michigan in the Round of 64 game. But, for teams that want a back-up point guard, Evans is an easy pick.
22. Luke Kennard (Duke, Sophomore, Wing)*
This is absolutely the right decision by Kennard to declare for the draft and hire an agent. His stock will never be higher and his game this year really shined. Most notably he showed his passing ability from the wing as he would pass guys into easy buckets. He’s a natural scorer and is shooting (43% from three) will translate to the NBA.
23. Harry Giles (Duke, Freshman, Post)*
Giles is by far the toughest guy to judge here because of all the injuries he’s suffered, which is a damn shame. When he was healthy he was the best prospect in basketball and would have easily been the No. 1 pick. He did show some flashes throughout the season whether it was an explosive dunk or hitting a midrange jumper, but his injury history is a real concern.
24. Tyler Lydon (Syracuse, Sophomore, Stretch Four)*
There’s no doubt Lydon has a role in the league, especially with the way he shoots the ball, but I always question guys who come from a system like Syracuse. Can he defend without playing the 2-3 zone? If we saw him in more man sets, he could potentially be higher on lists. That said he does protect the rim well, as he averaged 2.0 blocks per-40.
25. Caleb Swanigan (Purdue, Sophomore, Post)%
He was one of the best post players in college basketball this year, but there are serious questions when it comes to his foot speed and ability to defend at the next level. I mean, even at the college level teams would attack him with guys like Deonte Burton. But, there’s no questioning he’s a great rebounder who added range to his jumper and can be a rotational big.
26. Monte Morris (Iowa State, Senior, Point)
Similar to Jawun Evans, Monte Morris is the exact type of player teams will look at to be the backup point guard. He showed this season his ability to be a scoring point guard while still taking care of the ball. He simply doesn’t turn the ball over despite a fairly high usage rate.
27. Semi Ojeleye (SMU, Junior, Wing)%
Perhaps the biggest breakout star of the year, Ojeleye is an interesting prospect. He played mostly the four at SMU, but he’ll be looked at as more of a three/wing in the NBA. He shot 42% from the 3-point line and showed his athleticism with some poster dunks. He does have a 6’9″ wingspan, which will help a little, I am curious to see him against other wings in the NBA opposed to college fours.
28. Jordan Bell (Oregon, Junior, Post)&
I’m a little higher on him than most, but he’s the type of player a team will reach on, especially as the bigs in this class are a little weird. Bell was the best defender in the country this year and an excellent rebounder. He’s the type of guy you can play at the five if you’re going small ball and let him protect the rim. He is still a little raw on the offensive side, but does have a nice move when he catches the ball a couple feet off the block.
29. Josh Hart (Villanova, Senior, Wing)
Hart had an unbelievable season but what he did the best in terms of getting ready for the NBA was improve his pick-and-roll game. He became a better passer coming off the screen and showed he’s capable of handling the ball in that situation. He’s an excellent rebounder from the wing and you can play him at either position because of that.
30. Edmond Sumner (Xavier, Sophomore, Guard)*
This is a complete flier due to Sumner’s injuries. He was a top-20 prospect before he got hurt so I’m banking on the talent still being there. In fact there are a handful of guys that you can put here that are currently battling some injuries. But, Sumner has great size and athleticism for the guard spot and you can play him with another more ‘natural’ point guard.