Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

2017 NBA Draft- Annual Editor’s Mock Draft

By Tamberlyn Richardson

Feb 4, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) passes UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. UCLA won 107-66. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) passes UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. UCLA won 107-66. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Markelle Fultz
Apr 4, 2017; NBA draft prospect Markelle Fultz watches courtside during the second half of a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Markelle Fultz. 1. player. 93. . Point Guard. Washington

Team Needs:

Philly ranked 30th in turnover percentage and offensive ranking was 28th in defensive rebounding percentage and 27th in field goal percentage.

Free Agents:

  • Tiago Splitter – UFA
  • Sergio Rodriguez – UFA
  • Alex Poythress  – RFA

Roster Gaps:

Veteran leadership, scorers (particularly in clutch situations), starting point guard

Not to be redundant, but the 76ers won the lottery they just had to buy their way to it. The two greatest needs for Philadelphia were a starting point guard and veteran leadership. GM Bryan Colangelo will have the remainder of the offseason to address the second portion of this equation.

Markelle Fultz:

As for Markelle Fultz, our draft prospect preview outlined his myriad of skills:

"The skill set is diverse with Fultz being capable of doing it all in key categories. He’s more of a score first point guard, but has the ability to create for his teammates. His versatile offense allows him to drive, hit from the field or maneuver to create shots for his teammates. A solid rebounder for his position and a capable defender which may not have been as apparent this season given Washington was lacking in personnel. Both Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray exited in last season’s draft leaving the coffers bare,  which meant Fultz had to do it all. And, do it all he did, akin to the NCAA version of Westbrook – Fultz was responsible for close to 50 percent of Washington’s offense."

76ers Overview and Fultz Fit:

Danny Ainge continues to give credence to my belief he is the NBA’s version of Shakespeare’s Shylock. It’s doubtful a contending team (or middling for that matter) would have given up as much as the 76ers did. That said, this move by Philly makes sense given their need for a true point guard.

Although the core group is extremely young, they’ll grow together with near-future success in mind.   It will be interesting to see if Fultz can avoid the injury bug which has plagued Philly rookies the past few seasons. Only Dario Saric has fully escaped the major rookie injury.

Moreover, how will underrated head coach Brett Brown balance who is assigned the majority of the ball-handling responsibilities? Certainly, it’s a nice problem to have. Another question: will both Fultz and Simmons start? It seems logical they would, given they’ll eventually be playing alongside one another anyway.

Still, with Ben Simmons (remember this will also be his rookie year), Saric, Jahlil Okafor, and a sure-fire superstar in Joel Embiid, this team will be exciting to watch as they figure out the nuances of winning and grow.

Philly may not be playoff-bound, but it’s time to move from the Process into the Production.

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