NBA Draft 2017: Top 10 Draft Prospects Buy or Sell

Markelle Fultz- Buy

It’s hard to find any alternative to Markelle Fultz as the best player in this year’s draft. The stud from the University of Washington has all the tools to become a superstar and the Mavericks would snatch him up first without a doubt.

For those who don’t already know, here is a quick glimpse into the game of Fultz via his freshman year stats: 23.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.6 spg, and 1.2 bpg. He also shot nearly 48% from the field and 41% from three. His free throw percentage needs some work at 65% but other than that, this player is ready to go.

Lonzo Ball- Sell

Lonzo Ball is a little bit tricky because there is not a real definitive reason to believe that he won’t be a stud in the league. He is a good scorer who passes well and grabs plenty of boards for a point guard. The concern I have with Lonzo is that he will not be coachable enough to work in Dallas’ system. There have been enough instances of big-headed players to know that Dallas does not need another one.

I try my best not to bring Lavar Ball up in this discussion, but it is hard not to be worried about Lonzo’s mentality with the way his father is. It may not be a full deterrent, but a team with less of a no-nonsense coach than the Mavericks would be better suited for the services of Lonzo Ball.

Jayson Tatum- Buy

Jayson Tatum is a definite baller. One of the highest touted players in the draft class, Tatum brings together the tools to be a very formidable stretch 4 down the road. Not only is he a fairly prolific scorer, he also comes with a great nose for the ball off the glass, good defensive skills, and a reasonable enough 3-point shooting percentage.

The biggest brightside to Tatum in my eyes is that he is coming off of a year being coached by one of the greatest, Coach Krzyzewski of Duke. This undoubtedly disciplined the young star and makes him a far more coachable player on the court than the average. Tatume would fit the system well playing the 4 next to Harrison Barnes while also having the tools to play small forward in bigger lineups.

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Josh Jackson- Buy

Josh Jackson is probably the most versatile player in the draft class and is sitting high in the lottery because of it. Playing a lot of 2-guard while at Kansas, the 6’8″ Jackson is also capable of playing both forward positions fairly well. He will most likely settle in as an above average small forward in the league, a tough position to fill.

Jackson is capable of playing an all-around spectacular game which would go incredibly well for the Mavericks. In his one year with the Jayhawks, Jackson put up averages of 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game along with 51% FG and 38% 3P. His game has a lot of room to grow as well.

Jonathan Isaac- Sell

One of the players that has had rumors of falling a little bit in the draft is Jonathan Isaac from Florida State. Originally viewed as a potential top 5 pick, many believe that Isaac will now fall to the 8-12 range in the draft. Although often times falling draft stock can be recipe for a draft steal, this won’t be the case for Dallas I believe.

Aside from his obvious physical tools, I never personally felt like Isaac brought much to the table. Every time I watched him at FSU, Jonathan Isaac underwhelmed me. Obviously as young freshmen this is a common thing, but I just have a hard time trusting a guy that can’t take over a game the way Jonathan Isaac had many chances to.

Next: #6 - #10