2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 12: The Lakers keep their pick

Ideally, all draft prospects would be two-way players who can both fit in offensively and defend. However, that’s obviously not always the case and sometimes teams have to be willing to take risks on prospects who are outlier talents at one end or the other with the hope that they will eventually improve where they lack. Such is the case with Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen, an elite shooter who is 7-feet tall.

Markkanen showed off his offensive skills in the Wildcats’ 96-85 win over UCLA last weekend, scoring 18 points while knocking down three of his four 3-point attempts. This season, the 19-year old has made 50.0 percent of his 96 3-pointers while hoisting 6.1 attempts per 40 minutes. He is accurate both coming off of screens and as a catch-and-shoot weapon in pick-and-pops. Markkanen also has the ability to attack close outs in a straight line and occasionally has been able to find teammates off the dribble, although he averages just 1.3 assists per 40 minutes. At his size and position, Markkanen is simply an outlier offensive talent.

On defense, it’s another story. Despite being a 7-footer, Markkanen has combined to produce just six steals and 10 blocks this season. He is not an excellent vertical athlete and because he lacks above average length, he will likely never be a good rim protector in the NBA. He has occasionally shown the lateral mobility to defend smaller players, but needs to be more engaged to make an impact.

For Minnesota, Markkanen would allow Karl-Anthony Towns to play his more natural position as a center. That would hopefully cover up for much of what the 19-year old lacks defensively. He would also give the team some much-needed 3-point shooting while not requiring the ball on offense.

Learn more about Lauri Markkanen at The Step Back.