2017 NBA Mock Draft 3.0

Vivek Ranadive loves shooters, and that’s what Markkanen is in this NBA draft. The Finnish 7-footer is hitting on 43.2 percent of his 3-point shots this season, as aspect of his offensive game that currently takes up 44.4 percent of his shot selection, per Hoop-Math.com. There’s a legitimate argument to be made that Markkanen is the best pure shooter in this year’s class — and that’s virtually unheralded considering the simple fact that he’s a true big man.

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The Kings would, in this case, add Markkanen to a core consisting of Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox, a solid balance of both slashing and shooting on the perimeter to coincide with the strong spacing the Arizona freshman brings to the frontcourt. Lauri is an easy pick-and-pop threat, with the gravity of his shooting often opening up driving lanes for the ball handler or giving him far-too-easy looks off the ensuing double team. He can also handle the ball in a 4-5 pick-and-roll, a weapon that’s both unique and extremely dangerous when utilized correctly.

Imagine Markkanen coming around screens and finding Willie Cauley-Stein with some quality lob passes. That’d be fun to watch.

The biggest weakness in Markkanen’s game at this point is his defense, as his lack of awareness and mediocre length often limit his effectiveness in protecting the rim and being effective in rotations around the basket. His mobility is a nice boost, and he’ll likely become more comfortable as he spends time in an NBA system and continues to add strength to his frame, but the deficiency is one that teams will have to game plan around.

Regardless, though, the Kings are primed to pull the trigger on him here. The offensive versatility he provides in the frontcourt alongside Hield and Fox is something that Sacramento can build upon moving forward, while giving them the ability to experiment in the frontcourt a bit with the aforementioned Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere as they gauge their rotation moving forward.