2017 NBA Mock Draft: The best choice each team can make

Identifying prospects who will turn into valuable NBA players is a challenge, but one thing that can provide a baseline for a prospect to work from in the modern NBA is defensive versatility. The NBA Finals continues to show that having versatile defenders at a variety of positions can help make the game significantly tougher on the opposition. For that reason, SMU’s Semi Ojeleye is worth a first round pick and what better spot for him to land than the Toronto Raptors, a franchise that is still searching for a long-term solution at the power forward spot.

Ojeleye is 6-foot-7 and 241 pounds. He’s built to handle battles against bigger and stronger players, which should give him the ability to switch onto more frontcourt opponents at the next level. Ojeleye combines that physical size with quick feet and lateral mobility that allow him to wall off the painted area from the perimeter. Although he did not put numbers into the box score on the defensive end at SMU, the physical tools and tape are there to give us an idea of what he’ll be.

For Ojeleye to reach his ceiling, he’ll need to provide some value on the offensive end. That wasn’t a problem this season as he shot 42.4 percent from behind the 3-point arc, but that spot up shooting will need to be more sustainable from a deeper 3-point like to maximize his skill set.

Learn more about Semi Ojeleye at The Step Back.