NBA Draft Watch: Washington's Markelle Fultz Leads The Way

Throughout the 2016-2017 season, it has felt almost inevitable that Markelle Fultz will be the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In fact, it is almost so inevitable that Fultz is flying under the radar. How is that possible, you ask? Well, it starts and ends with where he chose to play his single year of college basketball.

The Washington Huskies were never supposed to be “good” this season, even with Fultz at the helm. It is fair to say that most thought Lorenzo Romar’s team would be better than the hideous record they have accumulated to this point, but Romar’s ability to maximize talent has been in question for quite some time now. Still, Fultz made the decision to head in that direction for college with full knowledge of the system in place, and even if Washington was legitimately dangerous on the court, the Huskies’ status as something of a secondary team in the Pac-12 would make it difficult for many to get an extended look at Fultz.

Fast-forward to this season and the otherworldly point guard prospect has basically operated in the worst possible situation. Washington presents very little in the way of spacing and player movement, leaving Fultz cramped in his attempts to create for himself and others. The results have still been good, with the 6’4 guard averaging 23.2 points (on 48 percent shooting from the floor and 41 percent from three), 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. It is entirely possible, though, that Fultz isn’t getting enough credit for producing at that obscene rate despite some impossible circumstances.

As a prospect, Fultz is the entire package. He’s a big point guard who can play off the ball when he needed. He is both a quality shooter and a distributor capable of making others better in the right situation. Defensively, he has quick hands and the size to switch when needed, while presenting enough effort where his long-term future on that end isn’t a huge concern. Perhaps best of all, Fultz finishes at the rim with effectiveness and is an excellent athlete that will enter the NBA Draft at just 19 years old.

Are there still questions? Sure. There are always questions about any NBA Draft prospect. Fultz probably isn’t the purest of point guards right now, to the extent that anyone still cares about that in a Russell Westbrook world, and the winning “issue” in college will likely be a lightning rod for some. Still, nothing has changed with regard to Fultz sitting atop the prospect heap this season and he still projects as the best player – short-term and long-term – in the 2017 NBA Draft class.

It would be easy to point fingers and blast both Fultz and Ben Simmons for their college choices but, in the end, it appears both stories will end with the same result in late June.

The Lottery

1) Markelle Fultz (Freshman, PG, Washington) – He’s very good at basketball.

2) Josh Jackson (Freshman, SF, Kansas)

Jackson isn’t his team’s best college player, but he remains a favorite of NBA Draft evaluators for good reason. The 6’8 forward from Detroit has been highly productive (16.3 points, 7.2 rebounds per game) but more importantly, Jackson has flashed the versatility, athleticism, and explosiveness that make him a top-five pick. It is probably controversial to have Jackson comfortably ahead of Ball, but he’s more projectable if nothing else.

3) Lonzo Ball (Freshman, PG/SG, UCLA) – Ball’s ceiling remains in question based on his strange shooting form and lack of elite athleticism. With that said, his floor also appears to be quite high given his incredible passing vision, sheer size, and basketball IQ. While his strange jumper isn’t a problem in catch-and-shoot situations, I continue to think it will be a problem in the NBA off the dribble. That might limit his pure scoring ability and because he probably won’t be more than a passable defender, that is the combination that locks him in at No. 3 this time around. No, LaVar Ball, I am not hating on your son.

4) Dennis Smith (Freshman, PG, NC State) – I contemplated putting Smith ahead of Ball, which is more of an indication of my love affair with Smith than anything else. The Wolfpack’s super-athlete has been (easily) the brightest spot in an otherwise messy situation all season and his shooting (37.2 percent from three) is encouraging. Smith will almost certainly be better in the open-floor game of the NBA, and his burst leaps off the screen every time you see him.

5) Jonathan Isaac (Freshman, PF, Florida State) – If Isaac was in last year’s class, I’m convinced he would have been in the mix for No. 2 overall alongside Brandon Ingram. Florida State’s basketball program doesn’t provide him with quite the level of shine that a few others on this list have received, but he defends, scores efficiently, rebounds, and checks every athletic box. I’m highly intrigued.

6) Jayson Tatum (Freshman, SF, Duke)

Tatum took a sizable step forward in February, based largely on a 41.7 percent clip from beyond the three-point arc. If he can maintain that level of efficiency (or something close to it), the projection should change for the talented scoring forward. He’ll never be my favorite prospect based on playing style, but it is easier to see why some scouts love him now than it was earlier in his freshman campaign.

7) Lauri Markkanen (Freshman, PF/C, Arizona) – Markkanen wasn’t great in a national TV match-up against UCLA, but his skill set remains tantalizing. It isn’t a regular occurrence to find a legitimate 7-footer with elite shooting ability. Markannen’s rebounding and defense are an added bonus. He probably won’t be a star, but his skill set plays extremely well in the modern NBA.

8) De’Aaron Fox (Freshman, PG, Kentucky) – There are prospects who can’t shoot, and there are prospects who really can’t shoot. Fox is the latter. He is shooting a robust 19 (!) percent from three at the college level, and while there is a sliver of hope that he could become passable, Fox isn’t close to that right now. On the flip side, he is tremendous at virtually everything else, and I’m a sucker for point guards that can lock down defensively while effectively facilitating for others. Fox is polarizing – but I’m still a fan.

9) Frank Ntilikina (18-year-old, PG/SG, France) – If we’re honest, there won’t be a ton to learn about Ntilikina until NBA Draft season really heats up and scouts can see him up close and in person during workouts. What we know now is that he is extremely talented, long, and dynamic against quality competition. He’s also perhaps the most underrated prospect in the class.

10) Malik Monk (Freshman, SG, Kentucky) – At halftime of a recent game against Florida, the whispers were growing that Monk was overrated as a prospect. Frankly, that is something I’ve thought for quite some time, but given how he was playing, it was a convenient narrative. On cue, Monk exploded for 30 points in the second half of that nationally televised game and followed it up with 27 points in the ensuing contest against Vanderbilt. There is little doubt that he is a pure scorer. What remains up for debate is, well, almost everything else.

11) Terrance Ferguson (18-year-old, SG/SF, Australia)

This placement will look foolish if Ferguson’s jumper doesn’t materialize in the way that I believe it can. That is just the reality. Still, talented wings with athletic tools are hard to come by in the NBA, and teams will pay a premium for the chance to develop them. Ferguson isn’t a sure thing by any estimation but people seem to be forgetting him entirely and that wouldn’t be wise.

12) Robert Williams (Freshman, C, Texas A&M) – Williams is an off-the-radar prospect for those who aren’t quite plugged into this year’s class yet. But he’s coming on strong. The uber-athletic big man is putting up 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per 40 minutes during his maiden voyage in College Station, and while he is quite raw, it isn’t difficult to see why NBA types love his potential.

13) Justin Patton (Freshman, C, Creighton) – You don’t see many “one and done” prospects at places like Creighton, and in truth, Patton wasn’t supposed to be one of them either. What he’s done, though, is highly impressive, especially with regard to his 69.2 percent clip from the floor this season. My concern with Patton is that he appears to be merely an average rebounder and rim protector at the college level. While that can change, he’ll need to improve in order to justify this perch.

14) Miles Bridges (Freshman, SF/PF, Michigan State) – There is something scary about Bridges as a prospect, but he’s too talented to fall out of the lottery … for now. It wouldn’t surprise me if Bridges went in the top 10 based on how he has shot the ball this year (and his ownership of some pretty excellent raw tools), but it also wouldn’t shock me if he fell based on questions about the role he’ll fill in the NBA and how he projects defensively.