NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 10: Markelle Fultz lands in Boston

Drafting in the lottery again is an odd position for the Denver Nuggets. Their roster has plenty of talent, but much of it just hasn’t meshed or come to fruition yet. At the point guard position, for example, Emmanuel Mudiay has shown flashes of what made him a lottery pick, but has generally disappointed. Finding another potential starter there may turn into a priority for the Nuggets going forward depending how they feel about Mudiay’s long-term prospects.

Strasbourg’s Frank Ntilikina is an 18-year old French point guard who is the youngest prospect in the draft class. At 6-foot-5 with a reported 7-foot wingspan, he has excellent length for the lead guard spot. His 170-pound frame is slight, but should improve as he matures physically. Ntilikina’s length and good instincts make him a plus defender with the ability to cut off penetration, get through screens and even provide some rare shot blocking crashing down from the perimeter. Assuming he’s able to put on some weight and add a bit of athleticism, it’s not hard to see him becoming someone who can guard multiple spots in the NBA.

Offensively, Ntilikina has had some good results shooting the ball lately, converting 17-of-29 3-pointers in the FIBA U18 European Championships suggesting he could be a useful player off the ball in addition to operating as a lead guard. His point guard credentials largely center around running high pick-and-roll where he is a decent, but not elite distributor. Still, he should be able to offer some positives on that end of the floor.

Learn more about Frank Ntilikina at The Step Back.