NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14: Markelle Fultz is still no. 1

The idea of the Utah Jazz drafting Baylor’s Johnathan Motley to help smooth over some of their potential contract issues in the frontcourt is not a new one in this mock and Motley has done nothing to show he deserves to slip. In Big 12 play, the Baylor junior is averaging 21.9 points and 14.6 blocks per 40 minutes. Offensively, he’s shown the ability to score in a variety of ways, including in the post, facing up and even occasionally from behind the arc. It’s an enticing combination for a power forward.

Defensively, Motley is a tremendous rebounder due to his activity, athleticism and length. This season, he’s posted a 22.7 percent defensive rebounding rate while playing primarily in Baylor’s hybrid 1-1-3/1-3-1 zone defense. Motley is also a decent weakside rim protector, blocking 2.1 shots per 40 minutes during his career, and has experience guarding perimeter players because he’s often stationed on the wing of the zone.

Motley is another player near the end of the first round who seems to have a pretty high floor as a rotation player at the next level even if he never breaks through to star status. That’s a quality piece for Utah to pick up here.