Orlando Magic Daily 2017 NBA Mock Draft

The Top Five

This one is a no-doubter. The Boston Celtics were going to pick Markelle Fultz. The Philadelphia 76ers almost certainly will take Markelle Fultz. They have pretty much announced as much.

Fultz is my one can’t-miss prospect in this draft. I have very few questions about him and his ability to become an All-Star in this league. He is a great shot maker, able to get into the lane and pull up with ease or attack the basket. He has a great rhythm to the way he plays too. Fultz can still round out his edges as a point guard, but Philadelphia is the perfect place.

The 76ers will probably use Ben Simmons a lot at point guard. That will give Fultz’s game plenty of time to shine. The passing on Philadelphia right now really should lift every one of these young players up.

The next obvious pick. Despite flirtations with other players, I think it is pretty clear Lonzo Ball should be the second pick. His potential and his skills are a little bit ahead of the players behind him and he is just a notch below Fultz as a NBA player.

What always impressed me about Ball was his command of the game. He plays with an unmistakable rhythm on the floor. There always seems to be a good hop to his step and he controls the pace of every game he plays. Which is impressive for a freshman and even more impressive for a player on a team that played at such a fast pace.

There is a lot of noise about Ball. But the reality is Ball is just a good basketball player. He has a great sense for passing the ball and how to run a team. He is a good foundational building block for Magic Johnson and the Lakers.

The third pick marks the first real decision of the NBA Draft between Jayson Tatum and Josh Jackson. The noise around the Draft suggests the Boston Celtics are not thrilled they did not get their sit down with Jackson. That has me leaning toward them taking Tatum.

Tatum is ready to contribute offensively fairly quickly. He is a great isolation scorer and has a developing 3-point shot. He may struggle some to fill a role with the Celtics. But the thing that always impressed me about Tatum with the Duke Blue Devils was his ability to contribute without taking a high usage. He would pull down 12-point, eight-rebound games and it would seem like he is not involved at all.

This is where this mock draft has to take a note. This is a prediction of what I think I would happen, not what I would do. I believe Josh Jackson would be the better fit because he can contribute immediately defensively and boost the Celtics on that end, regardless if they keep him.

The Phoenix Suns would absolutely love Josh Jackson to fall to them. It opens up a lot of avenues and the Suns, as expected, are involved in a lot of trade talks. They have a fantastic young core and some big salaries to spend off. Phoenix could be quietly a very active team at this Draft.

But Jackson also fits the Suns’ current roster too. They have a lot of stretchy, versatile bigs like Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss they need to keep growing. They can survive with Eric Bledsoe at point guard for a little while longer. And Devin Booker can go supernova at any time. They need a strong defender at small forward to complete that young core.

Jackson is that player. He would be absolutely perfect for the Suns, able to anchor their defense on the perimeter. And he is a smart player who can play off Bledsoe and Booker’s shooting.

It feels like the Sacramento Kings have been looking for a point guard forever. They tried to go at it with Darren Collison last year and that did not work. They famously let Isaiah Thomas walk away in free agency. De’Aaron Fox would represent a huge step up for the franchise at this important position.

Fox has gained some John Wall comparisons, which is both unfair but a little bit apt. He has great speed to make up for his below-average shooting and is a great distributor. He stepped up in big games which is a huge sign for his pro prospects. There are lots of people who believe Fox can become a John Wall-lite with better shooting.

That may be putting too much pressure on him. But Fox has a ton of talent and the ability to get to the basket and lead. He is a very strong prospect.