NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14: Markelle Fultz is still no. 1
By Chris Stone
New order, new destinations. This is our latest mock 2017 NBA Draft.
The NBA Draft continues to draw nearer and with each passing week, we get a little more clarity about where the standings may fall. Most recently, the Miami Heat embarked on a win streak that took them from the top five to outside of the top 10, opening up some new options in at the top of the lottery.
At this point, there are still plenty of lingering questions about where prospects will ultimately grade, though, like what changes the NBA trade deadline will bring, who will actually declare and what will happen during the pre-draft process. So, for now, these selections should be viewed as an estimate, a preliminary attempt to connect the talent of a prospect with the needs of the team drafting him. The order is almost entirely fluid.
As usual, the draft order has been set using order of expected finish via 538’s projection system, which estimates final records by simulating the remainder of the season. Trades and pick swaps have been accounted for.
Markelle Fultz
PG, Washington
The best prospect in the draft continues to be Washington’s Markelle Fultz, a 6-foot-4 point guard with tremendous upside because of his youth and physical tool set. There has been a growing online chorus suggesting that UCLA’s Lonzo Ball could challenge Fultz for the top spot by the time the draft rolls around, but that strikes me as premature. Ball is in a much better team situation with the Bruins than Fultz is at Washington. The 18-year old freshman carries a heavy load for the Huskies (30.8 percent usage rate) and has just two teammates who are competent outside shooters to help space the floor on offense. It’s not hard to imagine Fultz being even more productive than he currently is (23.2 points, 6.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game) in Ball’s situation.
The Washington freshman is also a better creator for himself. Ball occasionally struggles to separate from his defender in one-on-one situations while Fultz is very good at creating space and using his body to get looks at the rim for himself. While Ball can excel as a slasher off the ball, Fultz can simply do more as an individual scorer with the ball in his hands.
For Boston, this pick creates a bit of a conundrum given the team’s glut of guards. Fultz, though, has much higher upside than any of their current pieces. The Celtics can’t pass on a player like that.