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Chad Ford NBA Mock Draft 2017: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru’s 1st Mock
- Updated: August 23, 2016
The 2016 NBA draft was seen as a two-player class. It was Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and then a whole lot of unknowns and dice rolls.
The 2017 class is decidedly the opposite. On paper, it looks every bit as hype-worthy as last season’s loaded bunch and might rank as the best since 2003. There is no clear-cut No. 1 prospect but instead a handful of guys who could theoretically ascend their way to that spot. Looking deeper, there might be 10-12 guys who would have been top-three picks in this year’s class.
Hyperbole aside, these are special players. Expect the hype for this class to only grow as we get closer to the college basketball season and crest at the point you literally know each of their pets’ names.
So, in that sense, we should probably get started about now. ESPN’s Chad Ford got things underway Tuesday, releasing the first iteration of his mock draft. We know the fluidity of these things means to take them with a grain of salt; Cheick Diallo and Malik Newman were top-10 picks at this time a year ago. But it’s nonetheless a good exercise in figuring out where players will stand heading into the season.
Chad Ford Mock Draft
Notable Storylines The Battle for No. 1
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Ford accounts for team need in this mock, which makes Washington guard Markelle Fultz a natural fit. The Sixers will in all likelihood experiment with Simmons handling the ball as much as possible next season, but they still need a long-term fit at point guard. Free-agent acquisitions Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez are mere stopgaps.
Fultz is more of a combo guard than a true 1 right now, but that works given Simmons’ ball-handling skills. He’s a good (not great) athlete who stretches the floor well and uses his basketball IQ to get to the rim rather than just bulling his head down. From a modern guard standpoint, there’s a lot to like about Fultz—even if he gambles way too much defensively.
But take away the Sixers …
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