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2017 FanSided NBA Network Mock Draft: Let the experts decide

By Staff

March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the first half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the first half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s NBA Draft season, the time of year when every basketball fan becomes an expert on team needs and obscure draft prospects. Here at FanSided, we decided to pool our actual team experts together for a Mock Draft.

We cover NBA basketball with a passion here at FanSided and our network of team sites go year-round covering the nuances and intricacies of each franchise. We have been running Mock Drafts for weeks here at FanSided, but with the draft just a few days away we wanted to pull together our site experts and let them use their deep knowledge of their teams to make the picks. If you don’t already, make sure to follow these sites on Twitter, and check them out for more great coverage of each team.

Here are our first round selections

1

Markelle Fultz

Point Guard, Washington

The Philadelphia 76ers traded UP for the first pick of the 2017 NBA Draft for the nearly flawless fit of Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the young core of the Sixers. With the team planning to go full steam ahead with the point guard role of Ben Simmons, the team needs a versatile guard who can run the team, but also play off ball, sink 3-pointers, and elevate the play of all teammates around him. In the end, this trade is made possible due to the presence of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. With two players at first pick quality, the addition of Markelle Fultz creates a trio of star-potential players.

Markelle can certainly run an offense, but the bigger-bodied Ben Simmons is a facilitator. That allows Fultz to focus on his shooting and his offense, both of which he has mastered quite well. Place Markelle Fultz alongside Ben Simmons in the back court, and you’ve paired the top two draft picks in consecutive years at a minimum. Now you have a perimeter hot hand to go with the strong ball movement of Simmons. Toss Joel Embiid’s post offense and you’ve truly created a basketball team bound for years of entertainment and excellent play for the city of Philadelphia. This was a match made by destiny. With the opportunity to trade for Fultz, the 76ers have seized their future.

— Bret Suter, Sixer Sense, @SixerSense