Flagrant 2 Mocks the 2017 Draft 2.0 — Rest of the First Round
We posted our Lottery Edition last week, and today we are posting the second half of our Mock Draft 2.0. Like the first part, we didn’t dive too much into the actual prospect or the team fit. Instead, we used this Mock Draft to just give some insight into the prospects for the 2017 draft and where they could potentially fall come June.
I assume a lot will change, but regardless, here is our Mock Draft 2.0 — Rest of the First Round Edition:
15. Milwaukee Bucks
Marques Bolden
Duke University,C
Seriously, the fact that all of the big 3 Recruits for Duke are injured has seriously put a damper on this whole thing but regardless…. Bolden is a monster and the Bucks need a monster in the middle. If we are talking about guys who played Center for the Bucks, he seems to me more of an Andrew Bogut type than Greg Monroe. Most kids in college will have a tough time stopping Bolden this year and even though his offense will never be his calling card, Bolden knows how to use his physical tools to his advantage. With Bolden back from injury, it will be interesting to see if he starts to climb up the draft boards.
16. Portland Trailblazers
OG Anunoby
Indiana University, SF
I think Anunoby fell victim to overhype this off-season and people are starting to nitpick when watching him, which isn’t really fair to him. We were talking about OG as being the next Kawhi Leonard after a strong March Madness but he only averaged about 13 minutes during the regular season. He had a Tyrus Thomas-esque leap in the eyes of the internet, which is a blessing and a curse. As of now, it is a curse but he is too talented to be held down. He might not turn into Kawhi, but his evil combination of length, athleticism and strength has me thinking of a more offensive MKG. If you look at his per-40 stats, than we are looking at a guy who is scoring almost 20 PPG, 10 RPG, 2 BPG with a shooting split of 53/38/66 and I don’t know about you but those are pretty sweet numbers.
17. Detroit Pistons
Terrance Ferguson
Adelaide 36ers, SG/SF
Similar to the TWolves, I don’t really have an idea on what the Pistons should do. They don’t need a center or point guard, and they just drafted Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson which means the only area would be backcourt depth especially if KCP leaves. I think adding someone who has serious two-way potential in Ferguson would be ideal for the Pistons. Ferguson will come into the league as a gunner in the same vein of JR Smith or Terrence Ross, but I think he turns out to be a better defender than both. Some people might look at his decision to leave for Australia as a cop out, but not me. I actually love it, he will gain great perspective on what it means to be a professional from guys who have scrapped and fought their way to call themselves pro players. He has some serious DeRozan in his game, but with the ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.
18. Utah Jazz
Frank Jackson
Duke University, PG/SG
The Jazz are a pretty deep team, and they don’t have many holes but adding an additional shooter like Jackson wouldn’t hurt. We have always been high on Jackson and this might be higher than expected a month into the season, but he has looked pretty damn good as the lone freshman playing. Once thought to be the worst of the four, Jackson has come out of the gate hot and I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped into the lottery by seasons end. In terms of offense, he would fit in nicely playing off the ball with both Rodney Hood and Gordon Hayward and his ability to shoot could make Exum a trade piece. If he can learn how to play in the PnR, Jackson could turn out to be very dangerous for Utah. Also, Jackson is from Utah and bringing the prodigal Utah native home would be pretty damn cool to me.
19. Oklahoma City Thunder
Tyler Lydon
Syracuse University SF/PF
The Thunder could use some shooting and Lydon fits the mold of the hybrid 3/4 that is so prevalent in today’s NBA. He has a great compact shooting stroke that looks great for someone his size, and should be able to stretch that out to the NBA perimeter pretty easily. Westbrook will love playing with him in the PnR in a small-ball lineup. Alongside a grizzly guy like Steven Adams, a guy like Lydon can be effective even without being the best defender. Even though he isn’t the strongest guy, he does have sneaky athleticism that will benefit him as a defender at the next level.
20. Brooklyn Net (from Boston)
Robert Williams
Texas A&M University, PF/C
Yup, you are right…..I have also sipped the Robert Williams Kool-aid and it is good. This kid is an absolute freak show athlete and it shows on the court. At 6’9 with 7’5 wingspan, Williams has the motor needed to be a game-changer without having the most skill. The Nets will take any young talent that has the potential to be a game-changer and grabbing someone who can protect the rim like Williams could be massive.
21. Charlotte Hornets
Bam Adebayo
University of Kentucky, PF/C
Bam is interesting player in that he falls into that Faried type of player. He is clearly a talented player who will be effective in the NBA but his lack of a polished offensive game really limits his future outlook. If Bam showed any evidence of being more than a 6’10 Faried than I think he could jump into the lottery but teams are not going to risk taking a guy who has no touch around the rim. Good thing a team like Charlotte isn’t in need of a low-block maestro, with Kemba running the offense. He could fit in nicely with Frank Kaminsky, who likes to spread the floor and adding someone with Bam’s strength and athleticism will be huge for Frank’s game. Surprisingly he is a decent FT shooter at 63%.
22. Atlanta Hawks
Thomas Bryant
Indiana University, C
Bryant is very similar to Bam in that his offensive skills are not what will get him drafted. Bryant is a guy who plays basketball for the pure joy of it, and you can watch it every time he steps onto the court. He has Mitch McGary type cheerleading ability but instead of doing it dressed in a suit, he is doing it on the court. His passion and motor will get him on the court early as a rookie, and although he will struggle offensively, you won’t have to worry about him sulking over it. Feel like Bryant can definitely turn into that Anderson Varejao type guy.
23. Toronto Raptors
Edmond Sumner
Xavier University, PG/SG
Sumner is a weird dude, he could be a steal this late but I worry that he might be an absolute bust in the league. He is a stud in college due to his supreme athleticism which allows him to finish at the rim, something that won’t be as easy in the NBA. Even though he is an aggressive scorer, my main concern with Sumner is his below-average shooting from both the FT line and 3PT line. Another massively important area that I will be interested in is his Assist-to-Turnover numbers, right now he is averaging about 4 assists to 3 turnovers per game. He can be as lethal as John Wall lite or as lost as Archie Goodwin. It is still early in the season, but Sumner can easily jump into the Top-20 if he keeps up with his hot start.
24. Chicago Bulls
Grayson Allen
Duke University, SG
It will be pretty funny if Allen wins the NPOY this season and gets drafted by the Bulls, since they grabbed the last two NPOY in Valentine and McDermott. Allen is a pretty polarizing player, but he is definitely an NBA-level talent and just needs to find his niche role to carve out a career. He doesn’t do anything elite but he is above-average at almost all facets on the offensive side of the ball. His defense and strength will be a major issue as a rookie but I think that Allen can grow into a valuable bench player for a contending team by his second contract.
25. Houston Rockets
Jawun Evans
Oklahoma State University, PG
With so many talented PGs in this class, a guy like Evans will fall but the talent is there. He came into the season as a potential 2nd rounder, but so far this season he has blown away the competition. Even though he isn’t the tallest player, which is probably why he is a late first round player, his wingspan will help him contend on defense at the next level. He is a ballhawk on defense which I love, and seems to never stop attacking on offense. He reminds me a little bit of a Lowry/Kemba hybrid with the bulldog mentality of Lowry and the scoring prowess of Kemba.
26. Denver Nuggets (From Memphis Grizzlies)
Jaron Blossomgame
Clemson University, SF/PF
Don’t really know what the Nuggets need after taking Rabb at 10, but Blossomgame could be a nice addition for this young roster. Don’t think Blossomgame has the upside to develop into an all-star but he reminds me of a potential Jae Crowder type talent. He should be able to play small-ball four for stretches which will definitely improve his stock come June. Even though he currently is shooting below 20% from 3 this season, I think he is more in line with his junior year numbers and we should be looking at a mid 30% shooter in the NBA.
27. Toronto Raptors (From LA Clippers)
Chimezie Metu
University of Southern California, PF/C
We love Metu at the Flagrant 2, and for good reason. This season Metu has really broken out and it is time for people to take notice. With a freak pogo-stick athlete like Metu, it won’t be surprising to hear that he is a gifted shotblocker but what is surprising is his ability to hit free-throws. For the season, Metu is shooting 75% from the line which is crazy for a guy who shot low 50% last season. With an improved stroke, Metu could shoot up draft boards.
28. San Antonio Spurs
Dwayne Bacon
Florida State University, SG/SF
The Spurs are old, and are in need of some youth which is why adding a pure scorer like Bacon would be a huge get for them. At 6’7, Bacon is a strong guard who can put points on the board in a variety of ways and even though he might not like defense, his frame makes him into a potential two-way player. In terms of prospect outlook, to me he is in the Reggie Bullock or PJ Hairston tier, which is a tier of players that need to realize they are not Lebron James and if they do that than they will be productive NBA players.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers
Josh Hart
Villanova University, SG/SF
At this point in the draft, if you are a talented team like the Cavs there are really two options; either draft a raw kid who has a high ceiling but low floor or someone that can fill a certain role right away. Regardless of who you draft, if they grow into a vital asset than you can call the selection a success in my eyes. The Cavs lack depth at wing, and someone like Josh Hart would be great in that role off the bench. He doesn’t have much upside, but you know what you are getting in Hart and that is all that you will need at this point in the draft. He is older than most but he guards well for his size and can put points on the board when given the opportunity.
30. Utah Jazz (From Warriors)
D.J. Hogg
Texas A&M University, SF
Teams like the Nuggets or Jazz really annoy me when putting together these Mocks, because a team on the rise like the Jazz do not need an additional two rookies on their bench. They have plenty of other young dudes who are already eating time on the bench, and most likely trading it is the best option but grabbing someone like Hogg this late would be huge. He has some similarities to Gordon Hayward with his length and frame, but is already a better shooter at this stage of their respective careers. Hogg needs to add some muscle to his slender frame and improve on his handle to be considered in the first, but if he does, than the Jazz could be dancing in the streets.
There are a lot of great guys who I left out of the first round that could jump into it by Mock Draft 3.0, which should be interesting. One guy in particular is Ömer Yurtseven, who should jump into the first round after his suspension is over. Other guys I like are Kyle Kuzma, Nigel Hayes, EC Matthews, Malik Pope and Justin Jackson.
