2017 NBA Mock Draft: The worst picks every team can make

Like Josh Jackson to the Minnesota Timberwolves or Dennis Smith Jr. to the Dallas Mavericks, Frank Ntilikina to the Denver Nuggets would certainly not register an “F” in the draft grades column. In an exercise like this, it’s inevitable that some players are going to fall and some teams are going to land better than expected players at their draft position.

Ntilikina is a 6-foot-5 combo guard with excellent potential as a versatile defender and a developing offensive skill set. He needs to add weight, but his 6-foot-10 wingspan will give him the length to defend either guard spot and handle himself alright if he gets switched onto someone bigger. Ntilikina has shown some point guard skills on the offensive end, although he may project better as a secondary handler in the shooting guard position because he lacks elite burst. He’s also still developing as a jump shooter despite shooting a solid percentage from behind the arc this season.

The problem with the Ntilikina fit in Denver is also one of asset duplication. If the Nuggets have young talent at a position, it’s at shooting guard and bringing in Ntilikina could disrupt some of that development. If that’s not enough to deliver Denver a questionable grade for the selection, then blame them for not taking Indiana’s OG Anunoby or trading up to snag Jonathan Isaac as either player would be an excellent power forward next to Nikola Jokic.

Learn more about Frank Ntilikina at The Step Back.