2017 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0
12. PF Bam Adebayo, Kentucky
Height/Weight: 6-10, 250 lbs
Adebayo has risen considerably here, as his stellar defensive presence and dominance on the boards has established him as one of the more intriguing big men prospects in this draft class. While De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk have stolen the show for the top-ranked Kentucky team thus far, Adebayo’s anchor in the post has been among their most critical assets.
When your nickname is Bam, there’s really no arguing just how physically imposing Adebayo is. While some think he’ll need to make the transition to the center position at the next level–something that isn’t ideal for the barely-6-10 big man–his strength underneath is simply undeniable. His 250 pounds is essentially all muscle, and the eye test alone is enough to convince anybody that Bam is going to be a true force at any level of basketball. He may not have the most well-rounded skill set, but he simply excels in a few key areas of the game. He’s a commanding shot blocker around the basket, and athletic enough to cover either frontcourt position at an elite level–regardless of height. He elevates incredibly well for somebody as bulky as he is, and watching him play is almost like watching a poor man’s Dwight Howard among a group of college kids.
He doesn’t have much to lean on offensively from a skills perspective, but is an easy lob target at the rim and a strong finisher in general when he gets the ball on the block. He’s an obvious pick-and-roll stud, and the type of offensive rebounder that any team could benefit from given his sheer energy on the boards. It’s tough to find such physically gifted athletes in the college game that are ready to compete immediately at the next level, but Adebayo has surely proven himself to be one of them. He’s a firm lottery-talent for the time being.
11. SF Jonathan Isaac, Florida State
Height/Weight: 6-11, 205 lbs
Isaac’s ceiling is immensely high, it’s just a matter of him reaching it at this point. Standing at 6-11, Isaac’s pure length at the small forward spot is unique, and he has showcased the aptitude to use it to his utmost advantage on that side of the ball at times. He’s a swift athlete, whose speed is irregular for somebody at his height, and his offensive arsenal is beginning to look more and more NBA-ready as he progresses.
The most pressing concern with Isaac is his frame, as the lanky freshman is painfully thin. There will be the tendency for him to get bullied by stronger opposition from time to time, and his lack of polish elsewhere could make him into more of a long-term NBA prospect. That, however, shouldn’t rule him out of the lottery conversation. He has the shooting touch needed to stretch the floor from day one, and his ability to creative space off the dribble via his length is second to none in this draft class. He’s still working out some of the kinks in his jumper from a consistency standpoint, and his finishing prowess at the rim is going to be a work in progress to some extent as his frame continues to fill out. He’ll also be somewhat prone to turnovers, but that still shouldn’t be considered too much of a detraction.
He has a rare blend of athleticism in a body that is typically sized for a power forward, not a small forward. He towers over the vast majority of the players who will be tasked with guarding him, and the fact that he’s still just 19-years-old means that he could feasibly continue to grow over the next couple of years. Defensively, having Isaac’s length and foot speed on the outside is a defensive blessing waiting to happen as well. Isaac is the yearly Kevin Durant comparison that everyone will draw, and while he’s still years away from being remotely at that level of polish, the sheer potential he holds is worth keeping and eye on.
10. PG Frank Ntilikina, Strasbourg
Height/Weight: 6-5, 170 lbs
As we enter the realm of the elite point guard crop, Ntilikina establishes himself as the highest ranked international prospect so far. At 6-5, he has excellent size for the one-spot at the next level, and has the type of explosiveness that could make him immediately effective upon his arrival in the NBA. Despite being one the younger side of the prospects, the 18-year-old is one of the most intelligent basketball players you’ll find in a draft setting, and that’s something that truly shows on the court.
For all the concerns about Ntilikina’s aggressiveness at this stage in his development, the French guard makes up for it with among the most polished facilitating skills in 2017’s crop. He has tremendous vision with the ball in his hands, and utilizes his craftiness with the ball to get inside the defense and orchestrate the offense at an impressively high level for a player as young as he is. He can tear defenses apart at times when running the pick-and-roll, and has the type of savvy passing ability that is mostly seen out of veterans–seldom future rookies who just recently turned 18. He’s still thin in build and has scoring concerns, but those stem more from willingness than capability, and shouldn’t scare off too many teams on draft night.
Ntilikina has seen his most extensive criticism come from his willingness to score more so than anything, and he can become a bit too content with passing the ball at times. He has shown strong range on his 3-point shot and has the explosiveness needed to get to the rim and finish in impressive fashion, it simply comes down to him deciding to do so. Ntilikina has been tasked with playing off the ball a bit with Strasbourg thus far, and that could be a highly beneficial move if it inevitably approves his scoring approach a bit. In addition to all of that, Ntilikina’s tools help him project as an elite multipositional defender moving forwards as well.