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The 2017 NBA Draft, much like any other NBA draft, was surrounded by incredible hype and anticipation. This was a draft that had promising top prospects like Lonzo Ball and De'Aaron Fox who were tipped for greatness in the NBA. However, three years on, the 2017 NBA Draft has turned out to be one of the weirder drafts in the history of the league.
While the draft was in no way a weak one, several of the then top prospects that were chosen were overhyped, which meant that teams that chose these prospects regretted their decisions massively.
On that note, let us have a look at the five worst mistakes made by teams in the 2017 NBA Draft.
2017 NBA Draft: 5 mistakes that franchises have come to regret
For this list, we have looked at the players selected high up in the 2017 NBA Draft. We have strived to measure the extent to which they managed to live up to their expectations, how they have developed in the NBA, and who were some of the better players selected after them. Without further ado, let's begin.
#5 Frank Ntilikina (New York Knicks)
In the 2017 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks selected Frank Ntilikina as the 8th overall pick. This was by no means the biggest blunder made by a team on that night, but the franchise could still be cursing their decision.
It is not because the 22-year-old is a bad player. On the contrary, he has developed into a very good role player for the team and could have the ability to be a factor on a winning team in the future.
However, the fact remains that the Knicks selected Ntilikina over the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo; both these players have since evolved into prominent stars in the NBA today.
Considering the desperation of the New York Knicks to have a star player in its roster as they strive to become relevant again, the franchise can only rue about what might have been had they chosen a player other than Ntilikina on that 2017 NBA Draft night.
#4 Dennis Smith Jr. (Dallas Mavericks)
While Dennis Smith Jr. is not a bad player, he certainly isn't one that should have been picked in the lottery of the 2017 NBA Draft.
The player is a terrible shooter, average passer and is nothing more than below-par at the offensive end as well. The 22-year-old is a good defender, but he needs to be more consistent to become one of the best in the NBA.
If the Dallas Mavericks hadn't been lucky enough to bring in Luka Doncic in the very next Draft, the franchise could very well have been regretting their decision to take Smith in the 2017 NBA Draft till this very day.
With the franchise looking to bolster its roster this off-season, Dennis Smith Jr. remains an example for the Mavericks about what can go wrong if they allow themselves to be swept away by the hype around a prospect.
#3 Josh Jackson (Phoenix Suns)
With the 4th overall-pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns selected Josh Jackson.
The 23-year-old is yet another player who isn't bad, but he was one who shouldn't have been picked in the lottery that night. The fact that De'Aaron Fox was picked right after Jackson, and Kyle Kuzma was also available until late in the first round, makes the Phoenix Suns' decision to pick Jackson look a lot worse, though.
Moreover, Bam Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell were still available to be picked that night at the 2017 NBA Draft. Either of the two players could've made the Phoenix Suns a lot more competitive than they are today, had the franchise made a more informed choice in the 2017 NBA Draft.
#2 Lonzo Ball (LA Lakers)
Despite having a breakout year of sorts with the New Orleans Pelicans last season, Lonzo Ball remains one of the biggest mistakes made by a team (the LA Lakers) in the 2017 NBA Draft.
During his stint with the Lakers, his passing and defense more than lived up to expectations, but the same cannot be said about the other facets of his game. Ball's jump shot is poor by any stretch of imagination, and it sometimes seems that the player may not even be able to make a layup to save his life.
Considering the same, despite being dubbed as the franchise player by Magic Johnson himself, the Lakers traded Lonzo Ball away just two years later after acquiring him during the 2017 NBA Draft.
Three years on from that night, the player has only shown the potential to be a very good role player in the league but has largely failed to live up to his lofty expectations, which makes him one of the biggest mistakes made by a team in the 2017 NBA Draft.
#1 Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers)
Picked at 1st overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, Markelle Fultz is arguably the biggest mistake made by any team in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Fultz, who came into the league with a very bizarre stutter jump shot, couldn't throw the ball through a hoop even if his life depended on it. He needed a shoulder surgery during his first two seasons in the NBA.
To make matters worse, even after his surgery, the 22-year-old is far from a player who can space the floor, an attribute that made the Philadelphia 76ers pick him in the first place.
Despite having an improved year with the Orlando Magic, Fultz has massively struggled to live up to expectations, which makes the 76ers' decision to pick the player in the 2017 NBA Draft the worst one made by any of the 30 teams that night.
Also Read: NBA Free Agency 2020: DeMar DeRozan could boost his Championship chances if he moves to the Miami Heat this off-season.
Guess the Lakers players!
