NBA Mock Draft 2017: 2 Round Predictions for Every Pick

Josh Jackson will be one of the first forwards taken in the 2017 NBA Draft. (Getty)

Just a few weeks remain before the 2017 NBA Draft. It is the calm before the storm with limited information flowing from teams.

Lonzo Ball is slated to work out with the Los Angeles Lakers on June 7, and it looks like the only team Ball will work out for is Los Angeles. Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler reported Ball must “blow the doors off” the workout for the Lakers to select him with the No. 2 pick.

This is hard to believe for a few reasons. The Lakers will have their first draft since Magic Johnson is back in the front office. Johnson wants to get good players for the Lakers, but also understands the Los Angeles market. Ball and all that surrounds him is a perfect fit for the L.A. lights. There are also obvious similarities to Johnson in Ball’s passing ability and court vision. All this will be too tempting for the Lakers to pass up.

However, HuffPost Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports the Lakers are not sold on Ball citing a Lakers source close to the situation. “It’s not even close right now. Ball won’t be a Laker unless they really start to buy into him as a star,” the source told Schultz.

The Lakers are working out additional players with an eye on the other top point guards in the draft. The Vertical’s Shams Charania reported the Lakers will work out Dennis Smith Jr. and De’Aaron Fox. Smith is an interesting name to watch as he as much talent as anyone in the draft but questions surround his poor finish at NC State.

As you are waiting for draft day, take a look at the statistical model Reddit user kip_chelly put together as a way to compare 2017 NBA Draft prospects to current NBA players. The model uses prospects stats and compares them with past college players. Here are a few notable comparisons, but be sure to check out kip_chelly’s full findings.

Fox’s numbers most closely resembled Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson. Fox’s data also had similarities to Marcus Smart and Elfrid Payton- players who could be viewed as Fox’s floor.

Jonathan Isaac was comparable to Al-Farouq Aminu and Kawhi Leonard. Isaac has not displayed massive amounts of offensive ability but does have the versatility to defend multiple positions. The hard part is projecting whether Isaac can develop into a primary scorer.

My big board of top 75 players is now available on Fan Speak where you can control your favorite team and conduct your own mock draft. Try it out for yourself and reach out to me on Twitter @JonDAdams with your results.

Fans wishing to look ahead to 2018 can also check out my latest 2018 NBA mock draft outlining the stars to watch for next year’s draft.

Here’s my breakdown of every pick of the NBA draft in my latest two-round mock draft.

NBA Mock Draft 1st Round

Malik Monk’s shooting ability is about to make one NBA team very happy. (Getty)

The third pick will begin to show how the draft will unfold. Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk are the four likely candidates in play for the Sixers. What direction they choose will have a domino effect on the rest of the draft. As of now, I have the Sixers siding with Jackson, but Fox is also a logical choice depending on how serious the Sixers are about playing Ben Simmons at point guard.

NBA Mock Draft 2nd Round

Dillon Brooks is a name to watch in the second round. (Getty)

The second round is where things get interesting as teams look for players who have a chance to make their roster or are worth stashing in the D-League. Here are a few sleepers to keep an eye on.

Syracuse forward Andrew White is a perfect Three-and-D candidate at the next level. White has good size, shot 40 percent from the three-point line and averaged 18.5 points. A team in need of shooting would be wise to take a chance on him.

All Johnathan Motley did at Baylor was produce averaging nearly a double-double in Waco. Motley is a steal if he falls into the second round.

Florida’s Devin Robinson is an interesting prospect who I got to see in person a few times. Robinson is crazy athletic but lacks polish. While he is not always in the right place, Robinson has a good motor and a team will see value in his upside.

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