NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 10: Dennis Smith Jr. to the Sixers
By Chris Stone
New order, new prospects. This is our latest mock 2017 NBA Draft.
Since we last ran a mock draft, there have been some interesting developments. The Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers completed a trade sending the latter’s 2017 first round pick to Portland for a 2018 first rounder. There has also been plenty of basketball that has allowed us to get a deeper look at some of the top prospects in the 2017 draft class.
One of the benefits of doing these mock drafts weekly is that we can be reactive to those games and make adjustments accordingly. We’ll also inject some freshness each week because the standings will be changing all throughout the regular season.
Once again we’ll run through the first 30 picks in the 2017 NBA Draft with notes on how each player fits with the team that drafts them and the potential that prospect brings to the NBA. The draft order was determined using the league standings as of Tuesday morning.
Markelle Fultz
PG, Washington
Washington’s Markelle Fultz is the sort of do-it-all point guard that can become the centerpiece of an NBA franchise. At 6-foot-5, he’s shown a penchant for scoring at all three levels, converting 62.7 percent of his shots at the rim, 44.4 percent of his other 2s and 43.5 percent of his 3-pointers, per Hoop-Math. His athleticism and court vision make him a passing threat any time he gets into the lane and once he starts playing with NBA talents, his assist numbers should be set to rise as those teammates are more capable of knocking down the looks Fultz can help create.
If there’s a critique of Fultz, it’s on the defensive end where he often lacks the engagement that teams want to see. His college situation isn’t helping him. Washington has historically been a poor defensive team under Lorenzo Romar, often focusing on scoring in transition rather than locking down opponents. In the league, Fultz’s size and athleticism should let him guard spots 1-3 on the floor and if necessary, he can be hidden against the worst of those perimeter players for stretches.
Learn more about Markelle Fultz at The Step Back.