The NBA’s two most winningest franchises, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, were winners again at Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery.
Drafting first and second overall in a draft headlined by two players above the rest, the top two picks may already be locked in. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball have been the first-and-second-ranked draft prospects all season, and it would take a major upset should either fall. It puts the spotlight on the Philadelphia 76ers, who moved up one spot in the lottery and will select third overall in what’s sure to be an interesting draft.
Now that we know who is picking where, it’s time for Sportsnet’s first post-lottery mock draft. Donovan Bennett and I will be making the picks— I won the coin-toss and so will select first:
| Pick | Team | Player |
| 1 |  |
Markelle Fultz, PG, Washington |
| Zarum: With fewer questions surrounding his game than any other player in the draft, and a skill-set tailored for today’s NBA, Fultz is simply the best player in the draft. He has legit superstar potential and joins a Celtics team where his advanced offensive game will be able to make an impact right away. There’ll be a ton of chatter around whether or not Boston should trade this pick for a veteran star like Jimmy Butler, but Fultz has a higher ceiling and should be a fixture in the Celts starting lineup for years to come. He also gives Danny Ainge flexibility and security in building his roster going forward, especially with Isaiah Thomas one year away from free agency. | ||
| 2 |  |
Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA |
| Bennett: You just knew LA wasn’t going to lose their pick and that they’d end up with Ball. It seems predestined, mainly because LaVar won’t stop talking about it. But it’s not just a media narrative made in heaven, this pick also makes sense on the court. Ball makes 72 per cent of twos going to the basket, finishes at 73 per cent at the rim and shoots 40 per cent from three. Oh, and he led the NCAA in assists. He’s a mixture of his president Magic Johnson and his coach Luke Walton’s former point guard Steph Curry. Showtime is back! | ||
| 3 |  |
Jayson Tatum, SF, Duke |
| Zarum: Now things can go in a number of directions. Philadelphia has a number of needs, all of which can be addressed with this pick. While the need at point guard stands out, the next best three available are all currently below-average shooters. On a lineup that will heavily feature Ben Simmons, a point guard who doesn’t stretch the floor isn’t the ideal fit. Tatum gives the 76ers a potential go-to scoring option on the wing in a scary lineup that sees Simmons playing point forward, with a deadeye shooter at the two and Joel Embiid and Dario Saric in the frontcourt. I went Tatum over Jackson, because Jackson’s destiny is likely as a hybrid power forward and the Sixers don’t want to face another logjam down low. | ||
| 4 |  |
Josh Jackson, F, Kansas |
| Bennett: The Suns have been in the lottery for seven straight seasons. They need a transformational player on both ends, and Jackson can be that. He was a more complete version of Andrew Wiggins at Kansas and he might be even more athletic. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year put up 16.3 points (on 51 per cent shooting) and 7.4 rebounds per game and, coupled on the opposite wing of Devon Booker, could make the Suns scary in transition. | ||
| 5 |  |
De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky |
| Zarum: With two picks in the top ten, the Kings are in a great position to add building blocks, starting with their point guard of the future. Fox has elite defensive potential and will instantly become one of the NBA’s fastest guards. He finishes at the rim with explosiveness and is good enough to thrive even if his shoddy jump shot doesn’t markedly improve. | ||
| 6 |  |
Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky |
| Bennett: The Magic need everything, so they’ll be taking the best player available. They badly need shooting, too, and luckily are able to grab both with Malik Monk. He’s the best perimeter shooter in the draft and averaged 20 points per game on a loaded Kentucky. Monk will rectify Orlando’s terrible spacing issues. | ||
| 7 |  |
Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona |
| Zarum: Despite high-potential players available at two areas of need in point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and forward Jonathan Isaac on the board, Markkanen may be the most tantalizing prospect available. His incredible shooting stroke as a seven-footer has drawn (unfair) comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki, but whatever the comp he could really help create space in the Timberwolves’ offense and allow Karl-Anthony Towns to dominate even more down low. | ||
| 8 |  |
Dennis Smith Jr., PG, North Carolina State |
| Bennett: The Knicks need a point guard, and although Smith isn’t a fit in the triangle they’ll take him anyways. He projects to be a better pro player than he was a collegian as he’s a maestro in the pick and roll. Coupled with Kristaps Porzingis picking and popping, he’ll be a real threat in the half court. Considered a top-five pick for most of the season this is great value for Phil Jackson, who is under pressure to get this pick right. | ||
| 9 |  |
Jonathan Isaac, F, Florida State |
| Zarum: The best player available and one of the draft’s most versatile prospects, Isaac could make a major impact on both ends of the court. He’ll be a natural heir to Nowitzki’s spot in the starting lineup, while getting the opportunity to contribute off the bench to start his career. | ||
| 10 | |
OG Anunoby, F, Indiana |
| Bennett: Owner Vivek Ranadive is obsessed with the Warriors and building the Sacramento Kings in their image. The rarest piece in the Warriors machine is Draymond Green, and Anunoby has the athleticism and motor to be a proximity of what Draymond provides on the defensive end, plus he has the basketball IQ to develop his acumen on offense over time. Even though he’s just 6’7” his 7’2” wingspan makes him a tantalizing prospect. | ||
| 11 |  |
Donovan Mitchell, G, Louisville |
| Zach Collins is an intriguing big man prospect, and French point guard Frank Ntikilina is arguably the best available. But Mitchell fills a greater need on a Hornets roster with minutes tied up at both positions, and too much salary on the books over the next few seasons to be thinking about rebuilding. Mitchell was a breakout star at last week’s combine and can play alongside or behind Kemba Walker. | ||
| 12 |  |
Zach Collins, F/C, Gonzaga |
| Bennett: Stan van Gundy was hoping a top-three point guard fell to him. When that didn’t happen, he settled on Collins who can help spread the floor and be a post playmaker the way Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis were under Van Gundy in Orlando. | ||
| 13 |  |
Frank Ntikilina, PG, France |
| Zarum: There’s always at least one player that inexplicably falls, and in this mock it’s clearly Ntikilina. With his length and doggedness he can be a top-three defender at his position, and that’s what the Nuggets will be banking on in a lineup where that’ll come in handy alongside Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay. | ||
| 14 |  |
Justin Jackson, G/F, North Carolina |
| Bennett: Jackson stayed in college for three years despite being a big-time recruit out of high school. Pat Riley loves upperclassmen, and he loves guys who defend. Jackson checks both boxes and will be a cultural fit in Miami. | ||
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BONUS! With the 23rd pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select…
Zarum: Jonathan Jeanne, C, France. At 7’2” with a 7’6” wingspan, Jeanne has disruptive length and can run the floor and has range that could one day stretch to the three-point line. This would be a bit of a roll of the dice, but having played in the top level of the competitive French league, he’s not a long-term project in the mould of Bruno Caboclo and is worth a shot on a roster looking to evolve with the rest of the NBA.
Bennett: T.J. Leaf, F, UCLA. In the second round, the Raptors got killed by Kevin Love and Channing Frye stepping out and hitting threes. If you can’t beat them, join them. T.J. Leaf is the best floor-spacing big in this draft. The cultural reset starts with a kid who, along with Lonzo Ball, allowed UCLA to play faster and shoot from farther than anyone else in the NCAA.
