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

Draft status: In with an agent

The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs as the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed setting up what will likely be a highly competitive, but short series with the Golden State Warriors in round one. Once their season ends, the Trail Blazers will turn their attention to a draft in which they have three first round selections. Here, the first one lands them Duke’s Luke Kennard, an efficient scoring guard who could prove to be a spark plug for Portland’s bench unit.

Kennard averaged 22.0 points per 40 minutes as a sophomore while posting a 63.0 true shooting percentage. He was a killer, particularly, from behind the 3-point arc where he made 43.8 percnet of his 201 attempts. The fact that he did so on a high number of attempts and shot 85.6 percent from the free throw line suggests he should shoot it well in the NBA, too. Perhaps the biggest compliment to Kennard’s offensive game, though, is that he was the best offensive player on a roster that included preseason National Player of the Year favorite Grayson Allen and elite scoring wing Jayson Tatum.

Kennard’s defense is what will likely limit him in the NBA. He doesn’t have good length and isn’t a great athlete, which will limit his upside. At best, he might become a competent team defender, but for now most of his value comes on the offensive end.