2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 21: Malik Monk to the Sixers

Indiana’s OG Anunoby hasn’t played in a basketball game since January due to a season-ending knee injury that he’s expected to make a full recovery from. Assuming the 19-year old regains his athleticism and mobility, he has the potential to be the best defender in the 2017 draft class. At 6-foot-8 with a lengthy wingspan and strong frame, Anunoby should be able to defend multiple positions in the NBA as he did in college. His size is often smothering for smaller players while his quickness allows him to take advantage of defending larger ones. In two season, Anunoby averaged 2.2 steals and 2.2 blocks per 40 minutes for the Hoosiers, numbers that put him at or near the top of wings in this class.

Anunoby has a long ways to go offensively, though, and his time off the court with the knee injury didn’t do him any favors. The sophomore struggles as a shooter. He’s attempted just 74 totals 3s in two season and while he’s made 36.5 percent of them, that number is swayed significantly by a hot shooting streak last season. Anunoby’s free throw numbers (52.2 percent) are more in line with what to expect from him.

At this point, Anunoby is only really going to get involved offensively as a cutter and on the boards. That was enoug for him to averaged 17.6 pointers per 40 minutes as a sophomore, but he’ll need to do more to earn a starting spot on an NBA team.

Learn more about OG Anunoby at The Step Back.