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2017 NBA Draft Roundtable: Lonzo Ball, big trades and predictions

By Michael Saenz

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan yells at an official in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Bulls 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan yells at an official in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Spectrum Center. The Hornets defeated the Bulls 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

Which Team Will Reach For A Prospect?

Saenz: Charlotte Hornets. They seem to always make the wrong selection.

Macri: Denver. At 13, all the sure things will be off the board, and at that point in the draft, the best players will be bigs, which the Nuggets already have in spades. Instead of going chalk, they’ll reach for a point guard or wing, both of which are positions of need.

Nelson: Sacramento Kings, with their 10th pick

McFee: His Airness’ Team – the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are in a weird spot right now, dangerously teetering between annual lottery trips and being competitive enough to *maybe* make the playoffs. Cardiac Kemba has steadily shown improvements every year since he’s come into the league, but with aging veterans like Nic Batum and Marvin Williams under contract for the foreseeable future, the pressure is now to try and compete for the postseason.

The thing is, is anyone really confident that whoever the No. 11 overall pick ends up being is going to be the difference maker between a postseason berth or another trip to the lottery; or, put simply, to get over the 6’8″ hump that all the other Eastern Conference teams can’t get over? I can easily see Charlotte taking a Harry Giles or Ivan Rabb in this spot.

Webb: Charlotte takes the chance and drafts Harry Giles. 11th pick on a guy with injury history and little playing time, but Charlotte will take the risk.

Massara: I think that the Denver Nuggets will take a reach pick with a high upside. They have a lot of young assets and a great core to build around. This pick definitely is not a ‘make or break’ draft for them, now is the time to take a swing for the fences, trying to get a player with upside.

Dyal: The Reach Pick will be Dallas taking Donovan Mitchell, I know only a bit of a reach.

Wooden: I wouldn’t be surprised if the Kings use their number 10 pick to draft Luke Kennard. There’s a lot to like about Kennard, most notably his 44% 3-point percentage, which should translate to the NBA. In college, he showed ability to finish with both hands on drives to the hoop, but he lacks the speed, first step, and wingspan to be able to do that consistently in the NBA when the defenders are quicker and taller. His defense is non-existent, which is fine if you’re a player who can get buckets from anywhere on the court but not fine if you’re primarily going to be a shooter. If the Kings use the pick on Kennard, they’ll be drafting a specialist. Top-10 picks should be more than specialists.

Magdziarz: Charlotte Hornets reach and draft Luke Kennard at 11. Duke kid stays local. Hornets need a floor spacer/ catch and shoot playmaker along side Kemba. 18th in the league in 3PT% last year.

Chapman: Sacramento Kings taking Frank Ntilikina at 10 would be a bit similar to the Bucks taking Thon Maker in last year’s draft. Frank Ntilikina is a tall PG who has the opportunity to thrive on defense with that extra length. That said, who knows if the Kings will be able to provide him with an environment he can thrive in.

Murray: I think it’s between Luke Kennard and Harry Biles. Kennard I think has another level he can reach at the NBA level and Giles was viewed as the No. 1 pick entering college but then injuries happened. He’s like Skal Labiersere from last year.

Pontin: With the immense depth of this year’s draft class, there are not many picks that teams could make that would be considered a true “reach,” as Milwaukee’s Thon Maker pick was characterized a year ago. With that being said, my money would be on the Charlotte Hornets to make a reach pick at 11. I’ve seen mock drafts in which they draft Luke Kennard at that spot, which I would personally consider a major reach. Even if he doesn’t become a Hornet, I’ll guess that Charlotte takes some unexpected gamble.

Jamieson: I’ll go with Milwaukee again. They don’t care about conventional wisdom. Thon Maker was seen as a reach last year, but he’s turned out to be a great pick. Some people though drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo was a reach, but now he’s a superstar. They’ve recently changed GMs, but they hired from within which means their draft strategy likely won’t change. The Bucks value length, versatility, and upside.

They are playing a “tall ball” strategy when the rest of the league is trying to go small. If any team is going to make a splash by selecting someone out of nowhere, it’s the Milwaukee Bucks. I have them taking a chance on Harry Giles, which is the ultimate boom-or-bust pick. But they could go in another direction and shock everyone.