2017 NBA Draft Prospect Big Board, Top-25 Rankings

Reags12/19/2016 9:00 PM

It’s that time of the year where there’s a lack of quality games during the week. So without anything to preview, why not look ahead as everyone likes to do. We’ll look at the 2017 NBA Draft and start putting together a big board. Hell, it’s the first time in a couple years the Draft feels absolutely loaded thanks to a freshman class that’s living up to the hype.

This doesn’t take into account where teams will end up in the Draft as that tends to play a role in who gets drafted when, but rather if a person is looking at best player available. I would say right now everyone seems to agree on the top-3, but not in the same order and then it’s wide open after those three. This also doesn’t include any international players, so just college basketball’s best NBA prospects.

Markelle Fultz (Freshman, Guard, Washington) – Fultz is this year’s Ben Simmons. He’s a great player with garbage talent around him and even more garbage coaching. He can play on or off the ball and at 6’4” has good size for either spot. We’ve seen his athleticism with the dunk videos that float around Twitter, but he’s also a strong outside shooter. He struggles defensively, but part of that could be the fact he’s at Washington.
Jayson Tatum (Freshman, Forward, Duke) – Tatum missed part of the season due to injury, but since he’s been on the floor you can see his talent. At 6’8” he’s perfect for the small ball movement as he can play that stretch four position. His biggest downside is a lack of athleticism, especially when going to the rim, but he does have that Paul Pierce type game where he gets creative with his shots.
Josh Jackson (Freshman, Forward, Kansas) – He’s been drawing comparisons to Andrew Wiggins ever since he decided to commit to Kansas and it’ll likely continue as he’s putting up similar numbers but still feels a little ‘underwhelming’ to the casual fan. He can guard multiple positions and has shown his ability to shoot the ball as well as create for his teammates. He needs to improve his range and if that happens he’ll make a jump to No. 1.
Jonathan Isaac (Freshman, Forward, Florida State) – Everyone fell in love with Brandon Ingram last year because of his length, size and ability to shoot the ball. Jonathan Isaac is Brandon Ingram playing at Florida State. He’s shooting 44% from 3, 45% from the field and has no problem crashing the glass. Like Tatum, he missed some time to injury, but is back on the floor and a reason to tune in to Florida State games (also, the Seminoles are pretty good).
Harry Giles (Freshman, Forward, Duke) – Everyone knows about his injuries, but this kid is still an elite prospect. He’s expected to come back and play tonight, but there was a time when he was regarded as the best prospect in all of basketball (including over Towns, Okafor, Simmons, etc). If he plays just above average he’ll be a top-5 lock.
Lauri Markkanen (Freshman, Forward, Arizona) – The Finland native is a legit 7’0” and can score from anyone on the floor. He was probably the worst kept secret coming into the season, but he’s completely outplayed expectations. He’s shooting over 45% from three and fits that stretch four position in the NBA.
Dennis Smith Jr. (Freshman, Guard, NC State) – The biggest surprise about Smith is his grading of ‘poor’ in Iso sets. He’s an explosive player that has drawn comparisons to Derrick Rose. The inclusion of Omer Yurtseven should help open up space for him as the two of them excel in pick-and-roll situations.
De’Aaron Fox (Freshman, Guard, Kentucky) – He’s the best on-ball defender in the group and has incredible size for the point guard spot. He struggles shooting the ball from deep, but has a nice pull-up game and is extremely athletic.
Lonzo Ball (Freshman, Guard, UCLA) – You can interchange these three point guards in any order and I won’t fight you about it as they are all a little different. Ball fits the more ‘traditional’ point guard role as he is incredible at setting his teammates up. Shot is extremely awkward as it looks like Kevin Martin’s shot, but effective. I worry about his defense, as he struggles both on and off the ball.
OG Anunoby (Sophomore, Wing, Indiana) – He’s drawing comparisons to Kawhi Leonard based on his defensive ability, size and wingspan. That’s enough to scare people from passing on him like they did Leonard. He’s shown the ability to score and we know all about his defense. As long as he stays healthy, he’ll stay in the top-10.
Malik Monk (Freshman, Guard, Kentucky) – So, do we think Malik Monk can score? His biggest knock coming into the season was his shot selection, but he’s that’s starting to evaporate and be blamed more on playing on a subpar high school team. He’s undersized for the wing spot in the NBA, but his athleticism can make up for it. He’s a streak shooter, but we all just saw what can happen when he’s on.
TJ Leaf (Freshman, Forward, UCLA) – The 6’11” freshman was supposed to take a backseat this year with all the talent around him at UCLA. However, he’s quickly turned into the second best player for the Bruins as he can do it all on the offensive side of the ball. He has a nice shot from outside and a wide array of moves from the paint. Has good size at 6’11” and like a lot of other guys in this Draft, fits the stretch four position that’s becoming more important in the NBA.
Omer Yurtseven (Freshman, Center, NC State) – He just became eligible for the Wolfpack and immediately showed how polished he is on the offensive side of the ball. He’s got good size and showed a mid-range jumper that makes him even more dangerous. Watching him and Dennis Smith in the pick-and-roll is must-see TV.
Ivan Rabb (Sophomore, Forward, Cal) – The decision to come back by Rabb was a questionable one as he lost a lot of talent around him. He’s shown he can be the guy though as he’s improved in every statistical category. He still needs to develop more of a jumper and be better at the free throw line.
Robert Williams (Freshman, Forward, Texas A&M) – The real breakout star of the freshman class, Williams is flying up draft boards. He has a 7’5” wingspan and has per-40 numbers of 21/10/5 blocks, which is flat out absurd.
Bam Adebayo (Freshman, Forward, Kentucky) – He’s severely undersized for the NBA post, so that’s why I hate the comparisons to Dwight Howard we’ve been seeing on TV. He’s more Kenneth Faried for me in the sense of his actual size and how he crashes the glass. Needs to become more polished on the offensive side of the ball.
Miles Bridges (Freshman, Forward, Michigan State) – Stock is down a little bit right now due to an injury, but he’s struggled in having to ‘be the guy’ for Michigan State. He’s better suited as the second option, but is an elite athlete. He can guard multiple positions and in the NBA has the ability to play multiple spots.
Thomas Bryant (Sophomore, Post, Indiana) – Here’s a guy who is starting to show every part of his game. He’s stepping into 3’s and the one thing I like that Crean is doing with Bryant is letting him handle the ball and having a guard screen for him. That’s not only helping Indiana, but helping Bryant’s stock.
Luke Kennard (Sophomore, Wing, Duke) – Perhaps the biggest breakout star of the season, Kennard is showing why he was a McDonald’s All-American. At 6’6” he has good size and has range from anywhere on the court. He’s the smartest player on Duke and a wildly underrated passer.
Marques Bolden (Freshman, Post, Duke) – Another Dukie who was hampered by injuries, Bolden is starting to get some run like Tatum. He has great hands and nice moves in the post, but a lack of athleticism will hurt him in the NBA. He does a great job of reading the ball though to crash the offensive glass.
Josh Hart (Senior, Guard, Villanova) – He bet on himself to come back to Villanova and crack the first round and he’s doing just that. Hart has improved in the pick-and-roll game, he’s a strong rebounder and his shot looks to be improving. People are comparing him to Malcolm Brogdon in the sense that he’ll go late first round/early second round and be a contributor off the bench right away.
Jarrett Allen (Freshman, Post, Texas) – He’s been arguably the biggest ‘bust’ of the freshman class, but a large part of that is because he’s playing without a point guard. Allen has a 7’6” wingspan and can be considered a rim protector at the next level. Again, he’s one of the high-energy, defensive big guys that are becoming more valuable.
Grayson Allen (Junior, Guard, Duke) – Honestly, it probably doesn’t matter when Allen comes out, he’s going to be somewhere between 18-30 every year. He’s extremely athletic, can handle the ball and can shoot. However, he’s a liability on the defensive side of the ball, but is exactly what you want coming off the bench in the NBA.
Ike Anigbogu (Freshman, Post, UCLA) – The third freshmen from UCLA, the big guy is already dominating the glass and protecting the rim. He just turned 18, so he’s one of the youngest players in the country and is still raw. However, you can’t teach the athleticism that he has.
Alec Peters (Senior, Post, Valpo) – He’s a guy that can do it all, similar to a Draymond Green type player. Valpo runs the offense through him, despite being 6’8”. He has range and is a strong rebounder, however lacks athleticism.
Jaron Blossomgame (Senior, Post, Clemson) – He’s undersized at just 6’7” but does have a 6’10” wingspan. He needs to improve his outside jumper as he’s struggling this year after a decent junior year. That will ultimately decide where he’s drafted.
Tony Bradley (Freshman, Post, UNC) – His per-40 stats are 21/15, which shows just how skilled this young player is. However, he still struggles to protect the rim and lacks the athleticism on the offensive side of the ball.
Jawun Evans (Sohpomore, Guard, Oklahoma State) – The fear of taking a smaller guard is starting to go by the wayside and Evans is a guy who thrives in the pick-and-roll offense. His shooting and overall offense have improved and does a good job of creating for teammates.
Johnathan Motley (Senior, Post, Baylor) – He’s showing all of his potential this season. He was often considered a high-energy guy that would crash the glass and play some defense. While he’s doing that, he’s now averaging 17 a game and showing a nice touch from the field and free throw line. He has good size and will be worth looking at late in the first.
Monte Morris (Senior, Guard, Iowa State) – He’s showing he’s more than just a distributor this year. He’s been called upon to be the go-to guy for Iowa State and is showing he can be that two-way guard in the NBA. Another guy that likes the pick-and-roll, he’s a capable backup point guard.