2017 NBA Mock Draft: Josh Jackson to the Lakers

Kentucky. Bam Adebayo. 15. player. 79. The Dallas Mavericks were the beneficiaries of Golden State’s pursuit of Kevin Durant, bringing in former Warriors Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut. Bogut will slot in as the team’s starting center in 2016-17, but given his 11-year playing career and injury history, Dallas will likely need to find some additional help at the center position in the near future. <p>Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo is a 6-foot-10, 250-pound freight train who could eventually slot in nicely at the center spot with a few more years of seasoning. The problems with Adebayo right now — and the reasons I’m lower on him than most — is that he’s a bit undersized in terms of height for the center spot at the next level and most of his best work is the result of the energy he exerts on the floor rather than a particular set of skills. Prospects in that mold can eventually develop into solid NBA talents (e.g. Bismack Biyombo) or they can flitter out and become above average rotation players (e.g. Kenneth Faried).</p> <p>Adebayo’s work ethic on the floor will be enough to make him a presence defensively as a rim protector and on offense as the roll man in the pick-and-roll. While that may not be enough to make him a top 10 selection, it should be make him a worthy pick in the middle of the first round.</p>. C