2017 NBA Mock Draft: The final predictions

This is the second first round pick for the Portland Trail Blazers and we’ll project them to continue filling out their frontcourt rotation with Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo. The Blazers know that they’ll need their big men to be capable of defending pick-and-rolls out in the Western Conference as long as the Golden State Warriors are running wild and Adebayo’s ability to defend in space is probably his best attribute. The 6-foot-10 center is a very capable lateral athlete who can stay with point guards on switches for stretches.

The key will be sorting out what additional skills Adebayo will bring to the table because he is not necessarily elite at any of them. His next best skill is probably his ability as a dive man in the pick-and-roll. His vertical pop in traffic is solid and he likes to dunk just about everything. He’s still developing the rest of his offensive game, but showed flashes of a mid-range jumper as a freshman. Adebayo may also have some potential as a rim protector. He averaged just 2.0 blocks per 40 minutes this season. He doesn’t have a great wingspan, but the athleticism he possesses could make him serviceable on that end.

Learn more about Bam Adebayo at The Step Back.