2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 23: The NBA Playoffs are upon us

Draft status: In with an agent

The Denver Nuggets finished as the first team out of the Western Conference playoff picture, which means they have a shot at landing the top pick on lottery night, although it’s an incredible slim shot. Most likely, the Nuggets will end up right about here, picking late in the lottery. It’s an area of the draft with a lot of uncertainty and Denver could go any number of ways, but snagging Indiana’s OG Anunoby makes some sense in terms of what the franchise needs to add.

Assuming he makes a full recovery from the knee injury that caused him to miss the second half of the season, Anunoby is a terrific athlete who plays above the rim on both ends of the floor. His athleticism and length — reportedly he has a wingspan well over 7-feet — make him one of the best defenders in the 2017 draft. Anunoby averaged 2.2 blocks and 2.2 steals per 40 minutes in college and should at least be able to translates a decent amount of that to the NBA game.

Figuring out what to do with Anunoby offensively will be a challenge as he doesn’t have much ability to create his own shot or shoot at this point in his career. He made just 31.3 percent of his 3s this season and shot it poorly from the free throw line. Anunoby also averaged fewer than two assists per 40 minutes over two campaigns with the Hoosiers.
Learn more about OG Anunoby at The Step Back.