2016 NBA Mock Draft: How high can Marquese Chriss climb?

12. player. 118. <p>With Dante Exum presumably back in the fold next season, the Utah Jazz’s starting lineup may already be set up with Exum joining Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert. That means Utah has plenty of flexibility this offseason for filling out its roster to find depth at various positions. One player who can provide solid versatility from the bench and eventually develop into a potential starter is Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine.</p> <p>The 22-year-old is coming off one of the most impressive seasons in college basketball history, averaging 23.3 points 9.4 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per 40 minutes. He’s an excellent playmaker with the ball in his hands and functioned as the Spartans’ point guard for much of the season. At worst, Valentine will be a good outside shooter at the next level. He has experience shooting off of both screens and the dribble. In four seasons, he connected on 40.8 percent of his 650 three-point attempts.</p> <p>There are plenty of questions surrounding Valentine’s ability to defend at the next level, but his offensive upside is impressive, and he’s a smart enough player to at least be a decent team defender. How his athleticism and effort holds up will be the key.</p> <p><em>To read more about Denzel Valentine, <a href=. SG. Michigan State. Denzel Valentine