The Brooklyn Nets 2017 NBA Draft Prospect Tiers
With the 2017 NBA Draft only one day away(!), let’s take a look and rank 50 prospects the Brooklyn Nets could take a chance on.
Greetings, 16 Wins A Ring readers! For the past week, I’ve been profiling draft prospects the Brooklyn Nets could be interested in (links below, sorry for the self-promotion). I’ve profiled 50 high upside, mid-first, consensus second and fringe draft prospects that Sean Marks may select with the Nets’ 22nd or 57th selections. Yes, the 22nd and 57th selections. Goodbye 27th pick. With Brook Lopez going back to Cali and D’Angelo Russell d-loading his way to Brooklyn, things are a little different now.
I’ve also taken a bit of a dip into prospects the Nets could be interested in if they move up in the draft as well (cue eyes emoji…now!). So far, every NBA mock draft has varied greatly with whom the Nets may select. There really is no general trend.
Essentially, the Nets’ biggest team need is talent, no matter what position.
Here, I’ve ranked (in my personal opinion) the 50 prospects I covered, and grouped them based on their potential role in the NBA or readiness to play on the biggest stage of them all. No, there are no Markelle Fultz’s or Josh Jackson’s in this ranking. These are the players that could be in the Nets’ range in the first and second round, with many of these players being recent participants in workouts at the Nets’ practice facility.
While the Nets only have a late second-round pick, they could be in the market for buying, dealing for and acquiring additional second-round picks. The team needs everything.
Note — some of the mock draft info in these images may not be up-to-date with the latest mocks. (They change like every hour!)
High Level Role Players
1. O.G. Anunoby
2. T.J. Leaf
3. Bam Adebayo
While they may not project as All-Stars, this trio will be solid NBA contributors, albeit with varying skill-sets. For picks in the 20’s, drafting a role player is what many teams are hoping for — a Rudy Gobert-type pick at 27 happens essentially once a decade. Anunoby is the best prospect in the Nets’ range. Myths and legends reined on his wingspan prior to the 2016–17 season, and his sheer hustle and motor has propelled him to be a fringe lottery prospect, despite a torn ACL. Leaf and Adebayo are solid bigs that have roles in today’s NBA. Leaf is a versatile forward with shooting range, and Adebayo is an energy big with an advanced body and solid motor.
High Upside Projects
4. Harry Giles
5. Jarrett Allen
6. Anzejs Pasecniks
7. Justin Patton
8. Terrance Ferguson
9. Isaiah Hartenstein
10. Ike Anigbogu
This is the “boom or bust” category. Some of these prospects could become solid starters in the NBA, or could be out of the NBA once their rookie contract expires. Six out of these seven prospects are 19 years old. Anigbogu, Ferguson, Hartenstein and Giles saw limited minutes in their one-and-done years. Patton and Allen showed flashes and flaws. Pasecniks is a late-blooming 21-year-old.
Each of these players could fit the role of a “modern” NBA player, with positional versatility and athleticism. The Nets need a dose of athleticism and youth. These players may take several years to understand NBA schemes, but they could be worth the wait.
Foundation Pieces
11. D.J. Wilson
12. Semi Ojeleye
13. Jonah Bolden
14. Derrick White
15. Wesley Iwundu
16. Jordan Bell
17. Josh Hart
18. Caleb Swanigan
19. Jawun Evans
20. Kyle Kuzma
Eight of these players are upperclassmen, or would be an upperclassman in the case of Jonah Bolden. These are the players with standout skills that could bolster an NBA reserve unit early on, or develop into a reliable mid-tier starter down the line. Ojeleye, Hart, Bell, Iwundu, White, Evans and Kuzma are all mature players with strong college pedigrees. Their games are battle-tested, with teams potentially selling low on these players because their games are a known commodity.
Swanigan and Wilson are two super supreme sophomores that made the leap from highly-touted freshmen to NBA prospects. Bolden, possibly the highest riser throughout all mock drafts, put his talent on display in Europe after a lackluster tenure at UCLA. These will be complementary players if all breaks right.
Productive but flawed
21. Frank Mason
22. Tyler Dorsey
23. Thomas Bryant
24. Frank Jackson
25. Alec Peters
26. Cameron Oliver
27. Ivan Rabb
28. Devin Robinson
29. Tony Bradley
There may be a bit of overlap between this group and the previous tier. But, with this group of players, their flaws are more evident. For Frank Mason, Frank Jackson and Tyler Dorsey, it’s their lack of positional versatility, a trait the Nets greatly value. Robinson, Bryant and Oliver often struggled with their feel for the game and overall awareness, troubling for three players with intriguing skill-sets and frames. Rabb and Peters may be hindered due to their lack of a true position — Peters may not thrive as a smaller, slower power forward, and Rabb may have to shift to center due to his lack of shooting. This group of players could be exciting rotation players in the NBA, only if their strengths mitigate their notable flaws.
Solid but unspectacular
30. Johnathan Motley
31. Tyler Lydon
32. Sindarius Thornwell
33. Mathias Lessort
34. Dillon Brooks
35. Monte Morris
36. Sterling Brown
These seven players impressed with productivity, rather than oozing with potential. Motley and Lessort project as offensive rebounding monsters, useful for a Nets team that missed a lot of shots — and rarely rebounded them. Lydon and Brooks were solid options for the Orange and the Ducks, respectively. Morris is probably the purest (and steadiest) point guard in the second round. Brown and Thornwell project as glue players that may not dominate stat sheets, but could be there when teams need them. Players in this group may not even crack a rotation, but they have potential to play 10 to 15 solid minutes a night.
Three Years Away
37. P.J. Dozier
38. Edmond Sumner
39. Vlatko Cancar
40. Alberto Abalde
These players are raw products that are far from finished prospects. They’ll need some time in the G-League or overseas to round out their games. It would be best for the Nets to take a flyer on one of these players if they acquire an additional second-round pick. Dozier and Sumner are long athletes that project as really tall point/combo guards in the NBA. Cancar is a skinny forward from Mega Leks that needs to work on his skinny frame. Abalde is a smart, heady player, but his jump shot is a major downside to his current game.
Low basement, low ceiling
41. Dwayne Bacon
42. Damyean Dotson
43. Jaron Blossomgame
44. Davon Reed
45. L.J. Peak
46. V.J. Beachem
47. Aleksandar Vezenkov
These players are a bit older (with Blossomgame the oldest, turning 24 later this year) with solid resumes. Bacon is a bucket getter with a strong body and potential tools. Reed, Peak, Dotson and Beachem project as solid 3-and-D guys — if their shooting catches up to their defense, or vice versa. Blossomgame embodies energy as a modern-day power forward. Vezenkov is a smart shooter, but not much else. At least one of these players will crack their way onto an NBA rotation. Late in the draft, teams are merely looking for players to make the final roster. Expect some of these players to possibly be two-way contract G-League players in 2017–18.
Long shots, long arms
48. Alpha Kaba
49. George De Paula
50. Kobi Simmons
These three players are raw and are off draft boards in most mocks. De Paula and Simmons are athletic combo guards with intriguing measurements and relatively little skill. De Paula’s length is what teams salivate over, but his level of competition wasn’t. Simmons’ athleticism is through the roof (or the ceiling), but he was far from impressive at Arizona. Kaba could have been an early second-round pick if he played for a major college program. His length and energy rates similarly to many raw bigs in this year’s draft. He also played for Mega Leks (now Mega Bemax), whose jerseys should migrate to the NBA.
I know the “three years away” class is two tiers up, but these guys may be “three years away from being three years away,” as Bill Simmons (or was it Jalen Rose?) said previously.
A New Era (not the hats)
Brook Lopez is gone. The Nets’ cornerstone center is no longer a Nets roster member. It’s the beginning of a newer, younger Nets team. In the draft, the team could be looking for the next Brook Lopez, or at least someone that could project as a sturdy center for the future. Still, the Nets could look to any position and fill a need.
As I’ve said previously, this draft could be a major factor in the Nets’ success in their uphill ascent from the basketball doldrums. At this point, any player would excite a Nets fanbase that has been starved hope for the last few years. It all changes on draft night. See you there.
Here’s where you can find the rest of my huge, long, multi-site 2017 Brooklyn Nets NBA Draft Guide!
Hashtag Basketball — Nets Draft Needs
NetsDaily — Nets Draft Assets, History and Trends
Brook-Lin — Guard Prospects, Part 1
The Brooklyn Game — Wing Prospects, Part 1
NetsDaily — Big Prospects, Part 1
Brook-Lin — Guard Prospects, Part 2
The Brooklyn Game — Wing Prospects, Part 2
NetsDaily — Big Prospects, Part 2
