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The draft class of 2017 has proved to be a revolutionary one and quite possibly is the best one to emerge out of the 7 competing classes of this decade. The likes of Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, and Kyle Kuzma have been crucial components of their team's successes this season, and very few, if any, have actually proven to be busts of the Anthony Bennett variety.
We at Sportskeeda decided to redraft this class of incoming players into the NBA based on the impact that they have had this season, or are expected to have given their skillsets. For the purposes of our redraft, we have assumed that the rosters for the teams to work withstand as they were on 21st June 2017.
Players like Eric Bledsoe, Nikola Mirotic and Isaiah Thomas, who have been traded away midseason from their original teams, are assumed to be on the same rosters as they previously were. Starting with the 1st pick of the draft, we have the following draft order:
No. 1 pick - Philadelphia 76ers select Donovan Mitchell
The Utah Jazz enacted one of the biggest drafts steals of this decade by trading Trey Lyles and their #24 pick for Donovan Mitchell. The rookie has been beyond sensational for the 6th-placed Jazz, being their premier clutch performer and also their primary scoring option. Mitchell has season averages of 20.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals.
Using his 6'10" wingspan and 42-inch vertical to great effect, the rookie has also produced a number of highlight reel plays in addition to knocking down more 3-pointers than Stephen Curry did in his rookie season. The highlight of his year was winning the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest against Larry Nance Jr in the final round, which he finished off with a 360 windmill dunk reminiscent to that of Vince Carter in the year 2000.
The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to add a combo guard in June 2017, and Mitchell fits the bill perfectly with his sneakily good passing and defensive prowess.
No. 2 pick - Los Angeles Lakers select Jayson Tatum
It is important to remember that at this point, the Lakers still have D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov on their roster. The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking for a go-to scoring option with a consistent jump shot from mid-range and behind the arc. Thus, all they have to do at this point is wait for a dynamic wing player to fall into their laps.
Jayson Tatum fits the bill perfectly. He is one of the most aggressive players on either end of the floor among rookies, and thus far, he has displayed the composure, decision-making ability and timing of a seasoned veteran. He has led the Celtics in minutes this season, and with Kyrie Irving out until the second round of the playoffs, Tatum could end up being their go-to scorer.
Not too bad for a rookie, is it now?
No. 3 pick - Boston Celtics select Kyle Kuzma
At this point in the draft, the Celtics have a number of scoring options to pick from. And yet, picking a power forward who can also play at the shooting guard position for short spans of the game with his skillset looks like their best bet, which is why Kyle Kuzma ends up on the Celtics roster.
Kuzma has emerged as the biggest steal of the 2017 NBA draft, bar none. He has been an absolute revelation for the Lakers, scoring 20 or more points on 23 occasions so far despite mostly coming off the bench. His best game of the season was a 38-point performance against the Houston Rockets on 20th December, when the reeling Lakers managed to stop the Rockets' 16-game winning streak.
Kuzma has a well-rounded offensive game. He can stop on a dime and pull up for a jump shot from anywhere on the court, including the 3-point line from where he's converting 36.5% of his looks. But he can also drive into the paint and score off floaters, runners, and layups. His per-game averages of 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds are highly impressive for a bench player in any year, let alone a rookie. Expect him to be an important part of the Lakers' rebuilding process in the future.
No. 4 pick - Phoenix Suns select Lauri Markkanen
The Phoenix Suns could become a really good playoff contender at this point in their development by landing a scorer in their frontcourt (they still have Eric Bledsoe at this point), which they have sorely lacked ever since the departure of Amar'e Stoudemire in free agency back in 2010. Lauri Markkanen, with his athleticism and stretch forward capability, fits the bill perfectly.
Markkanen has been one of the few bright spots for Chicago Bulls in what has been a tanking campaign right from the start of the season. Scoring 15.0 points and nabbing 7.5 rebounds while knocking down 35% of his 3-pointers, Markkanen has often been compared to the likes of Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis due to his game that relies much more on jump shooting than back-to-the-basket, post-up play.
Markkanen can go OFF on a hot shooting night, as he proved in the Bulls' victory against the Knicks in January when he scored 33 points on the back of 8 3-point field goals. Fans will be watching his development with great interest in the years to come.
No. 5 pick - Sacramento Kings select Lonzo Ball
The Sacramento Kings are looking for a point guard who can run the show for them. It is a tough choice for the front-office to make given LaVar Ball's presence on the sidelines, but eventually, the Kings settle on Lonzo Ball with their first-round draft pick for his all-around basketball ability and high IQ and feel for the game.
Despite compiling a historically bad shooting season for any player, Lonzo's transcendent ability to impact the game in a variety of understated, unnoticed ways sets him apart from every single rookie of this draft class. He has been one of the top playmakers in the league this season, dishing out 7.2 assists per game to rank 8th in the league.
He is also an elite rebounder at his size, nabbing 6.9 boards per game. Lonzo has also been the Lakers' best defender this season, averaging 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks and ranking 6th among all point guards in defensive win shares per game. One would expect him to develop into a true franchise player in the near future.
No. 6 pick - Orlando Magic select Josh Jackson
The Orlando Magic are not close to contending for an NBA title anytime soon, so they have the minutes to help develop a forward prospect to pair with Aaron Gordon in the frontcourt. It was a tough pick again, but Jackson's high ceiling wins over the rest of his competition with the Magic front office in the race to be the #6 pick.
While Jackson started off the season stone cold, without adding much value to the Suns, he has been much better of late. After averaging single digit points through 38 games in 2017, Jackson raised his scoring average to 14.5 points per game in the month of January, and then to a season-high 17.7 points in February. He continued in the same vein in March, scoring 17.5 points per game.
Jackson's best game of the season was against the Golden State Warriors when he logged 36 points on 60.9% shooting while also grabbing 6 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists and getting 2 steals and a block. Games like this should answer doubters, who labeled him a bust following his lackluster 2017 calendar year.
No. 7 pick - Chicago Bulls select John Collins
The Chicago Bulls need a high-energy player in their frontcourt who can score points and defend stoutly. John Collins fits the bill quite well despite his lack of outside shooting - mainly due to his athleticism and defensive ability.
Collins has had a sneakily good rookie campaign for what is probably the worst team in the entire league. Playing as an impact player from the bench, the 6'10" power forward-center brings much-needed energy to a Hawks frontcourt that sorely lacks it. His per-game averages of 10.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in only 21.3 minutes played project him as a Clint Capela-type of player on teams which rely on pick-and-rolls heavily.
No. 8 pick - New York Knicks select Dennis Smith Jr.
The New York Knicks are looking for an NBA-ready point guard with a high ceiling, and there is no one left on the draft board better than Dennis Smith Jr. at this point.
Dennis Smith Jr. has been one of the top 5 rookie performers throughout the course of the season in terms of consistency. It is his defensive laxness that drops him this low on the draft board. On offense, however, Smith Jr. has all the chops to make him an elite scorer on a team with a secondary playmaker. DSJ is currently averaging 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
He impressed everyone with his verticality and creativity in the Slam Dunk contest and missed out by a really narrow margin from making the finals after throwing down the most impressive dunk of the whole contest. A number of NBA centers have already been put on posters alongside Smith, who has been one of the bright lights in these dark times for the Mavericks.
No. 9 pick - Dallas Mavericks select De'Aaron Fox
The Mavericks, like the Knicks, are looking for a competent starting point guard with a high ceiling, and De'Aaron Fox is a readily available prospect at no. 9 on our re-draft board.
Fox, like Josh Jackson, endured a tough 2017. He averaged a meager 8.6 points in the month of November, and a beggarly 7.4 points in the month of December despite being the Kings' undisputed starter at the point guard position. After going through these growing pains, Fox's season turned the corner as he rose to average 12.8 points per game this year.
Fox, however, is far from a finished product. An upsurge in his assist and rebound numbers, combined with greater defensive acumen should make him an All-Star caliber player in the future.
No. 10 pick - Portland Trail Blazers select Jordan Bell
Portland are looking for a frontcourt player with the ability to play high-quality defense. The Trail Blazers have no dearth of backcourt talent, which is why original #1 pick Markelle Fultz loses out in the redraft. While there are other players in contention for this spot, Jordan Bell's dynamic play elevates him to the #10 spot on our redraft.
While this is a contentious pick, it is hard to argue with the defensive upside that Jordan Bell has provided in the short bursts of playing time he gets in the stacked Golden State Warriors. He has looked the part in the 13 games that he's started in Draymond Green's injury-enforced absences, and his per-36 numbers of 11.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.6 blocks are nothing to scoff at.
The biggest concern about Bell is not his upside, it is the constant injury troubles that he has inadvertently found himself in over the course of this season. Expect him to be a difference-maker for the Warriors even in the playoffs.
We round off our first round re-drafted picks in the following order:
No. 11 - Charlotte Hornets select Markelle Fultz
No. 12 - Detroit Pistons select Josh Hart
No. 13 - Utah Jazz select Jonathan Isaac
No. 14 - Miami Heat select Bam Adebayo
No. 15 - Sacramento Kings select Jarrett Allen
No. 16 - Minnesota Timberwolves select OG Anunoby
No. 17 - Milwaukee Bucks select Zach Collins
No. 18 - Indiana Pacers select Dillon Brooks
No. 19 - Atlanta Hawks select Semi Ojeleye
No. 20 - Portland Trail Blazers select Justin Jackson
No. 21 - Oklahoma City Thunder select Frank Ntilikina
No. 22 - Brooklyn Nets select Frank Mason III
No. 23 - Toronto Raptors select Cedi Osman
No. 24 - Denver Nuggets select TJ Leaf
No. 25 - Philadelphia 76ers select Alex Caruso
No. 26 - Portland Trail Blazers select Sindarius Thornwell
No. 27 - Los Angeles Lakers select Malik Monk
No. 28 - Utah Jazz select Ante Zizic
No. 29 - San Antonio Spurs select Kadeem Allen
No. 30 - Los Angeles Lakers select Jawun Evans
