POINT GUARDS / SHOOTING GUARDS / SMALL FORWARDS / POWER FORWARDS / CENTERS
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1. Boston: Markelle Fultz
Point Guard / 6-5 / University of Washington / Freshman
23.2 ppg, 5.9 apg
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Fultz is the prospect who offers the most upside as a go-to scorer and playmaker. While consideration will need to be made about how he meshes with point guard Isaiah Thomas, the fact that he is nearly 10 years younger than IT gives him the ability to learn under him and presumably take control of the team when the time is right. Trading Thomas is another possibility, but the Celtics can exercise all options and take their time with Fultz in the fold. |
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2. LA Lakers: Lonzo Ball
Point Guard / 6-6 / UCLA / Freshman
14.6 ppg, 7.6 apg
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It has been reported that Ball is set to only work out for the Lakers, and Ball ending up in L.A. for the Lakers appears to be destiny. |
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Small Forward / 6-8 / Kansas / Freshman
16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
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Jackson is the best prospect available and could end up the best player in this draft. The Sixers could also opt to trade back a few spots to draft a shooter such as Jayson Tatum or Malik Monk. Drafting Tatum here at 3 is another possibility as there are ties between the Colangelos and Coach K, and Tatum is a safe pick. However, he seems to be a bit of a reach here. There are a number of teams that could move up to three to target De’Aaron Fox or Josh Jackson, so a trade with Sacramento for 5 and 10 or a deal with Phoenix or another team are possibilities. |
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4. Phoenix: De’Aaron Fox
Point Guard / 6-3 / Kentucky / Freshman
16.7 ppg, 4.6 apg
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Fox would give the team a potential upgrade or eventual replacement for Bledsoe and a younger running mate for Booker. GM Ryan McDonough seems to have a thing for Kentucky guards as he has taken one in almost every draft (Archie Goodwin, Devin Booker, Tyler Ulis) plus the team’s starting point guard Eric Bledsoe is a UK alum. The team would like to target a big, however it’s unlikely any of the bigs available would be enough value to select at 4. The Suns could look to take Jackson if available, or listen to offers to move down into the 7-10 range and target a big like Zach Collins. |
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Small Forward / 6-8 / Duke / Freshman
16.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg
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Tatum would give the Kings a surefire high-level starter and a player with go-to scoring ability on the wing. While he may lack some of the upside of other prospects, like Jonathan Isaac, he’s one of the least risky prospects available. The Kings are said to be looking to address their PG position with this year’s draft so Fox or Smith are possibilities here, and if they opt for one of the wings, they could gamble that French PG Frank Ntilikina falls to their second pick at 10. |
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Small Forward / 6-10 / Florida State / Freshman
12.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg
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The Magic always seem to be one pick away from grabbing an elite player (see Porzingis). With the sixth pick this year, they should have the opportunity to grab a player with franchise-changing potential. It’s a great draft to have a mid lottery pick as there is a lot of talent available and a lot of prospects with similar value. Picks 5-8 could easily challenge the Top 4 in this year’s draft in the long run, which makes it a unique draft. |
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Point Guard / 6-2 / North Carolina State / Freshman
18.1 ppg, 6.2 apg
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After selecting Kris Dunn early in last year’s draft, it may be difficult for the Wolves to select another point guard this high. But Dunn has been unimpressive and Smith offers the most value at their pick. Malik Monk is another possibility as he would give them a shooter to go along with Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins. |
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8. New York: Malik Monk
Shooting Guard / 6-3 / Kentucky / Freshman
19.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
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The Knicks could use a dynamic young guard to groom for the future to play alongside Kristaps Porzingis. While GM Phil Jackson hasn’t done the greatest job of signing free agents or hiring head coaches, his selection of KP at 4 was a magnificent one. Whether he can duplicate that draft magic at 8 remains to be seen. |
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Point Guard / 6-5 / Strasbourg IG (France) / 1998
5.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
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The Mavs traded for a French point guard by the name of Rodrigue Beaubois a few years back who had similarly long arms and quickness as Ntilikina. Beaubois never panned out for them but that’s unlikely to deter International guru Donnie Nelson from taking another French PG with high risk/reward. While Ntilikina’s readiness is probably not where you would like it, Dallas is looking to rebuild and probably can afford to wait for him. |
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Power Forward / 7-0 / Arizona / Freshman
15.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg
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The Kings would love to grab a point guard with one of their picks and if they determine that the Mavs are likely to take Ntilikina at 9, they may be forced to grab Smith (or Frank himself) at 5. Markkanen may struggle defensively but would give them a spread the floor big to play alongside Willie Cauley-Stein. |
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11. Charlotte: Zach Collins
Center / 7-0 / Gonzaga / Freshman
10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg
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Collins is the player that offers a great deal of upside at the Mavs’ pick. Lauri Markkanen is an intriguing prospect as the team could attempt to mold him into another Dirk, with Dirk’s tutelage. However, Collins shows more strength to carry weight and eventually impact both ends of the floor. |
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12. Detroit: Jarrett Allen
Center / 6-10 / Texas / Freshman
13.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg
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The Pistons could look to grab a guard or forward here, however Allen would seem to be the player with the most upside available. Detroit isn’t a team that is close to contending at this point, so drafting for need this high wouldn’t make much sense. Andre Drummond remains the team’s most valuable player, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they wouldn’t draft a player at the same position if they felt they were the best talent available. |
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13. Denver: Justin Patton
Center / 7-1 / Creighton / Freshman
12.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
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The Nuggets moved Nurkic and added Mason Plumlee. They have Jokic as their starter at center but could use a young back up to groom behind him with such a strong stable of young guards. There’s a chance the Nuggets look to move this pick as they are a very young team. |
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14. Miami: John Collins
Power Forward / 6-10 / Wake Forest / Sophomore
19.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg
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Collins is more of a traditional power forward, although at times he showed some touch on his face-up game. Assuming he maximizes his potential and develops into an NBA starter, he could pair with Hassan Whiteside to form an extremely athletic frontcourt. |
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Power Forward / 6-10 / UCLA / Freshman
16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg
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Leaf is currently being undervalued by NBA teams… which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as he figures to be a face-up four that fits into today’s spread-the-floor style perfectly. Leaf is a skilled, finesse power forward who could fit well with their terrific backcourt and Jusuf Nurkic. |
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16. Chicago: Kyle Kuzma
Small Forward / 6-9 / Utah / Junior
16.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg
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No. 16 may seem high for Kyle Kuzma, who is all over the place on team’s boards following a stellar draft combine. The Bulls could use some help in their frontcourt and Kuzma could push the inconsistent Mirotic for minutes. Despite being nearly 22, Kuzma offers a nice mix of experience and upside as a potential face-up four. |
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Power Forward / 6-10 / California / Sophomore
14.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg
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The Bucks are loaded with talent and could use more of a solid, dependable type as opposed to swinging for the fences once again. Depending on Greg Monroe’s decision to stay or go, the team could be looking to add a post player. Zach Collins would work well, but they would have to move up roughly 6-8 spots to land him. |
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18. Indiana: Luke Kennard
Shooting Guard / 6-6 / Duke / Sophomore
19.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg
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What happens with Paul George, or what the Pacers plan on doing with him this offseason could factor into which direction they go with this pick. Kennard would offer them a skilled shooter on the wing. While not the biggest or most athletic of players, some scouts see some Kyle Korver in his game. |
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19. Atlanta: Justin Jackson
Small Forward / 6-8 / North Carolina / Junior
18.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
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Jackson is likely to benefit more than anyone from UNC’s title and provides experience and shooting. The Hawks are a playoff team that could use another shooter and also a player ready to come in and produce, so JJ checks a number of boxes for them. Jackson is a cerebral small forward who showed that he’s not afraid of the limelight. |
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20. Portland: Bam Adebayo
Power Forward / 6-10 / Kentucky / Freshman
13.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
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Bam is a player that seems to be undervalued as teams are shying away from the more traditional post players in favor of the versatile, multifaceted, spread-the-floor bigs. The Blazers dealt away Mason Plumlee when they landed their highly skilled center of the future in Jusuf Nurkic, but could find a similar player in Bam who would work well in tandem with Nurkic. |
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Shooting Guard / 6-3 / Louisville / Sophomore
15.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg
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Mitchell should be one of the most NBA-ready guards as his defensive ability is among the best in this year’s draft. He has been built up by some as a player that can become a point, and while he likely has a sharp learning curve to get there, learning behind Westbrook and spelling him wouldn’t be such a bad place to learn. |
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22. Brooklyn: Harry Giles
Power Forward / 6-10 / Duke / Freshman
3.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg
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Giles is obviously a big-time talent, but his inability or unwillingness to explode off his knee has left a lot of skepticism and concern about his future. The Nets are said to be very high on him, and after having been fleeced by the Celtics for their picks a few years back are having to be creative with finding marquee talent late in the first round. They proved last year that they are willing to gamble on guys coming off of injuries when they took Caris LeVert, two spots earlier. |
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23. Toronto: Terrance Ferguson
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Adelaide 36ers (Australia) / 1998
4.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg
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The mystery man drew positive reviews from those around him in Australia. He remains a bit of a project, but Masai Ujiri loves athletes, and if Ferguson is available, he may be the highest upside athlete on the board. Ferguson figures to be a three-and-D type of player if he develops. |
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Small Forward / 6-10 / Michigan / Sophomore
11.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
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Utah has a solid core of young talent and is particularly strong at the center position with Gobert and wing position with Hayward (assuming they don’t part ways). Wilson could compete for minutes with Trey Lyles, and provide depth behind Derrick Favors at the four. |
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25. Orlando: Dwayne Bacon
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Florida State / Sophomore
17.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg
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After nabbing Isaacs with their first pick, the Magic stay in State with his teammate Dwayne Bacon late in the first round. While Bacon has drawn some criticism for his lack of focus and skill development, he’s a talented, versatile kid with a lot of athleticism. |
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Point Guard / 6-6 / South Carolina / Sophomore
13.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg
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After taking bigs with their first two picks, Portland goes backcourt with an Evan Turner play-alike. Dozier gives them an additional defender and athlete in the backcourt off the bench to groom for the future at a low cap figure. |
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27. Brooklyn: Wesley Iwundu
Small Forward / 6-7 / Kansas State / Senior
13.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg
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Iwundu is a bit of a dark horse for the first round, but his fluidity and athleticism has given him a lot of intrigue among scouts. He can legitimately be a playmaker at the point position and defend 2s and 3s. The Nets need talent, and the fact the Iwundu is a senior should allow him to contribute sooner, plus he still has upside left to develop. |
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28. LA Lakers: Jordan Bell
Power Forward / 6-9 / Oregon / Sophomore
10.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg
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The Lakers have another explosive young forward in Larry Nance, and Bell would give them a smaller, but scrappier forward to compete for minutes with Julius Randle. Bell was one of the big winners at the combine, exhibiting his freak explosiveness and speed, and high character in interviews. |
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Small Forward / 6-9 / FC Barcelona B (Spain) / 1998
9.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
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The Spurs have gone domestic the past few seasons with a number of tremendous picks (Kyle Anderson, Dejounte Murray) in the late first. They seem due to go with an international stash pick, and if Kurucs opts to stay in the draft, he or Isaiah Hartenstein, are possibilities. |
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30. Utah: Tyler Lydon
Small Forward / 6-9 / Syracuse / Sophomore
13.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg
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Lydon fits into more of a half-court system and the Jazz have a balanced team and can afford to go with a player they see as their best fit. If the team loses Gordon Hayward, they could be looking for more offensive firepower from the bench. |
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Key: (*) Standard salary for players selected with that pick in 2017-18.
from HoopsHype http://ift.tt/2rCgJQq
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