2017 FanSided NBA Network Mock Draft: Let the experts decide
By Staff
Bam Adebayo
Center, Kentucky
Although the Utah Jazz already have one of the premier big men in the league in All-NBA center Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz suffered from some deficiencies in their frontcourt last season. Yes, Joe Johnson and at times Gordon Hayward filled in admirably as small-ball fours when needed and the aging Boris Diaw had his moments of proficiency. But with Derrick Favors constantly bridled with injury, Trey Lyles suffering a sophomore slump and Jeff Withey being little more than a placeholder, they could use some additional talent in the paint.
With that being the case, the Jazz would do well to select Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo if he’s available with the No. 24 pick. At 6-foot-10, 260 pounds he has the size of a center but also boasts the athleticism to potentially play some at the power forward spot, continuing the “two towers” approach that the Jazz have long used with Gobert and Favors lurking in the post. What perhaps makes him most intriguing, however, is his ability to shoot the 3-ball. In his recent workout with the Charlotte Hornets, he knocked down 13-of-25 3-pointers and has certainly turned some heads as a potentially dangerous shooter from range at some point in the future. Of course, converting at that rate in a workout is much different from doing so in a game, but at a minimum it shows that the potential is there.
One of the main strengths that the Jazz benefited from this past season was versatility in their players as individuals as well as in their overall lineups. Selecting big man Bam Adebayo with the No. 24 overall pick would be an excellent way for the Jazz to continue that trend while also filling a crucial area of need.
— Jared Woodcox, Purple and Blues, @PurpleandBlues1