2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 27: The final randomized lottery
By Chris Stone
New order, new destinations. This is our latest mock 2017 NBA Draft.
The NBA Draft Combine is under way and it will give us a greater glimpse into the prospects entered in the 2017 draft. Measurements, five-on-five games, interviews and various drills will offer a chance to for NBA teams to find out a bit more about the prospects who will be welcomed into their buildings next fall.
The presence of the Combine also means that the draft lottery is looming. So, this will be the last version of our mock draft with a randomized lottery thanks to Tankathon. The order is certainly an interesting one at the top.
Here’s what it looks like…
Markelle Fultz
PG, Washington
Draft status: In with an agent
The results of this lottery show off some of the flexibility that the Philadelphia 76ers have in the 2017 draft. With the No. 1 pick going to the Sacramento Kings, the Sixers can exercise their pick swap rights to snag the top spot. That pick will be used on Washington’s Markelle Fultz, the near consensus top-rated prospect in the draft class.
Fultz’s fit with Philadelphia might be a bit odd given that the team will have two primary ball-handlers competing for possessions, but Fultz’s ability to shoot away from the ball should make that stretch less awkward. The pick will also maximize the franchise’s chances at landing a game-changing superstar.
Fultz has that type of potential. He possesses the two most necessary skills for a point guard in the modern NBA: the ability to run pick-and-roll and the ability to shoot off the dribble. Combined, those skills make him a really difficult player to guard on the offensive end. There will be some concerns raised about his willingness to settle in the mid-range, but with additional coaching, that can be worked out of his game.