Fansided

2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 25: Lakers at No. 1, Knicks at No. 2

By Chris Stone

Jan 18, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dunks against Colorado Buffaloes forward Tory Miller (14) during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Colorado Buffaloes guard Dominique Collier (15) watches the play at left. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 18, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) dunks against Colorado Buffaloes forward Tory Miller (14) during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Colorado Buffaloes guard Dominique Collier (15) watches the play at left. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rodions Kurucs

SF, Barcelona II

Draft status: In, but undecided

This is the second of three first round selections for the Portland Trail Blazers. It originally belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies, but comes to Portland via the Denver Nuggets. With three first rounders, the Trail Blazers have an opportunity to take a gamble on a young wing who has intriguing upside as a scorer and creator. Barcelona’s Rodions Kurucs is averaging 9.2 points per game in Spain’s second division this season.

Kurucs is a long-term project, but he has shown some interesting ability to create offense in international youth competitions. He has a quick first step, can run a bit of pick-and-roll and has a decent handle. Given how much wing scorers are prized in the modern NBA, that should excite teams. In order to open up his game, though, Kurucs needs to become a better 3-point shooter. Right now, he’s inconsistent and he’s made just 31.6 percent of his attempts this season. If he can raise that number, it will make his off the dribble game more effective.

Defensively, Kurucs is an interesting prospect simply because of his size. At 6-foot-8, he has solid length and used it to post a 3.5 percent block rate and a 2.0 steal rate this season.