2017 NBA Mock Draft 2.0
69. . PF. Arizona. Lauri Markkanen. 6. player
Player Profile:
“Markkanen is one of the best shooters in this year’s draft class — and he’s 7 feet tall. The Finnish product has been a focal point in an Arizona offense that has been on a tear as of late, with his perimeter shooting and overarching skill in the post providing a catalyst for one of the nation’s more explosive units.
What Markkanen lacks in physical superiority, he makes up for in innate skill. His shooting alone makes him incredibly tough to guard. He’s able to pop out on screens, negating any help on the ensuing drive for the ball handler. He has also shown the ball handling skills needed to dribble off of screens himself, while showing some promise in sizing up his own offensive opportunities in the mid-range game.
He’s not overly quick, nor is he all that long, but Markkanen knows his way around the floor — and can flat out score the ball offensively. In a league that thrives in pace-and-space regimes, adding a skilled forward with the knockdown shooting prowess of Markkanen is going to interest a plethora of teams come June.” — 2017 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0.
Outside Opinion:
“Markkanen is quite simply the best shooting big man that college basketball has ever seen and he will enter the NBA with a smooth 3-point stroke unlike most frontcourt players who develop it over the course of their professional careers. The 19-year old is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers per 40 minutes as a freshman and has knocked down 48.7 percent of his attempts from the college line. He can score in pick-and-pops, coming off of screens and occasionally off the dribble.” — Chris Stone in FanSided’s NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14.
Team Fit:
Markkanen allows the Pelicans to commit to Anthony Davis at the five spot, while still retaining the versatility to — ideally — avoid some of the wear and tear that comes with it. At 7-feet tall, Markkanen’s lack of defensive prowess could suit him best at the five spot semantics-wise, allowing Davis to continue guarding power forwards when the matchups suffice.
Offensively, the fit is relatively clear-cut. While Davis is certainly a capable 3-point shooter in spots, his best offense comes around the painted area. Markkanen would afford AD more space than he currently has to work around the interior, as well as give the Pelicans another prominent floor spacer to develop alongside Buddy Hield.
In today’s pace-and-space league, this makes the utmost sense. Davis helps counteract Markkanen’s defensive woes, while their offensive games should work well once in sync.