NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 16: Lonzo Ball to the Lakers

The Sacramento Kings are in the midst of a massive rebuild after trading away franchise centerpiece Demarcus Cousins, and while the team has plenty of centers to help try and fill that massive void, it lacks an interesting power forward pairing. Enter Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen.

The Finnish 7-footer is arguably the best big man shooting prospect of all time. He is shooting better than 45 percent from deep this season while shooting 84 percent on free throws and hitting 2.8 3s per 40 minutes. Markkanen has impressive per possession numbers off the catch, in pick-and-pops and coming off of screens. His release is quick and at 7-foot, there aren’t a ton of players who will be able to challenge his shot with consistency. The best thing is that Markkanen won’t have to learn to shoot once he gets to the league. He already knows how to.

The thing holding the 19-year old back is his defense. Markkanen has shown the ability to slide his feet and move laterally at times, but not much else. He has average length for a 7-footer and is basically a zero when it comes to rim protection. Whichever team ultimately drafts him will be doing so based on his offensive potential and hoping he can change the game significantly on that end of the floor.

Learn more about Lauri Markkanen at The Step Back.