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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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Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

Rank The Order In Which These Prospects Will Be Drafted: Jayson Tatum, Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith Jr, Frank Ntilikina.

Saenz: Tatum, Fox, Smith, Monk, Ntilikina.

Macri: Fox, Smith Jr., Tatum, Monk, Ntilikina. Let’s go backwards…Ntilikina won’t fall past the Mavs at 9 but won’t go earlier than the Knicks at 8…Monk doesn’t have the upside that the other three guys have, and teams don’t pass up chance for a star…Tatum’s scoring will translate, but it’s uncertain what else he’ll excel at…that leaves Smith Jr. and Fox.

Teams will squint and convince themselves they’re looking at Russell Westbrook and John Wall. If Smith’s shot were a surer thing, he’d go first. Fox’s defense, on the other hand, is as much of a guarantee as there is in the draft. Thus, he’s the first off the board.

Nelson: Tatum, Fox, Smith, Monk, Ntilikna.

McFee: De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Smith/Malik Monk (tie), Frank Ntilikina.

Fox is my favorite PG in this class, and I think has a legitimate shot at being viewed as the best player from this draft class down the road. Now, with that out of the way, I think he’ll be taken before any of the other prospects listed above; possibly as high as two to the Lakers. (I’m all for Fox in L.A., I think he’d make an awesome backcourt with Russell.) Tatum is a scorer, and I could see a team like Phoenix valuing his scoring ability; even though an Orlando or Minnesota would love to add him.

I think Smith is explosive and will be a fine player, but not exceptional; and Monk is just a scorer. It’s kind of a toss up where they’ll get drafted, I wouldn’t be surprised if either goes as early as 5. Finally, admittedly I haven’t watched as much tape on Ntilikina as the other prospects, but I think the Emmanuel Mudiay ‘saga’ has really put a damper on foreign PG prospects that don’t have a lot of basketball experience/tape on them. I think he’ll still go in the lottery, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he fell.

Webb: 1) Fox- Phoenix 2) Tatum- Sacramento 3) Monk- Orlando 4) Ntilikina- New York 5) Smith Jr – Dallas

Massara: De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Smith Jr., Malik Monk, Frank Ntilikina.

Dyal: Fox,Tatum,Smith Jr,Ntilkina, Monk

Wooden: Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Dennis Smith Jr, Frank Ntilikina.

Magdziarz: Tatum – Fox – Monk – DSJ – Frank

Chapman: Fox, Tatum, Monk, Smith Jr., Ntilikina

Murray: Tatum, Fox, Monk, Smith Jr., Ntilkina

Pontin: I am very confident that Jayson Tatum and De’Aaron Fox will be the first two of this bunch to be drafted, respectively. Frank Ntilikina will be the last of the 5 off the board, but the middle two could go in any order. But, I have to make a prediction, and I believe that Malik Monk will be drafted before Dennis Smith, Jr. Smith has a higher upside, but Monk has the higher floor. Personally, I have Monk at 6 to the Magic and Smith at 8 to the Knicks. Tatum-Fox-Monk-Smith,Jr.-Ntilikina.

Jamieson: Tatum, Fox, Smith Jr., Monk, Ntilikina… I have Tatum going third to Boston if they don’t trade to get Jimmy Butler, Fox going fifth to Sacramento, Smith Jr. going sixth to Orlando, Monk going eighth to New York, and Ntilikina going ninth to Dallas.