NBA Draft 2017: 5 best pure shooters available
By Chris Stone
1. Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
It’s not often that a 7-footer is mentioned among the best shooters in a draft class, but that’s exactly what makes Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen so special. The 19-year old is arguably the best shooting big man to enter the draft in recent memory and his game can help open up offenses given the value that shooting from the frontcourt positions has in the modern NBA because of its ability to pull rim protectors away from the basket.
Markkanen knocked down 42.3 percent of his 163 3-point attempts this season while taking 5.7 attempts per 40 minutes and shooting 83.5 percent from the foul line. The big man attempted more than eight 3s per 100 possessions as a freshman, a feet matched by only four 7-footers in the NBA this season. None of those players shot above 35.0 percent. Markkanen’s combination of volume and accuracy at his size will be unique the moment he steps on the floor in the league.
What makes the Arizona product so special beyond that, though, is that he won’t have to be pigeonholed into a spot up role. Sure, Markkanen can stand in the corner and hit shots or work out of pick-and-pops — he averaged 1.118 points per possession (PPP) (85th percentile) on spot ups, per Synergy Sports — but he can also come off of pin downs or flare screens.
On 32 possessions off screens this season, Markkanen averaged 1.250 PPP (91st percentile). He also ranked in the 81st percentile in terms of efficiency on jumpers off the dribble. Those are absurd numbers for a 7-footer and that combination of size and shooting is what makes him such an exciting NBA prospect.