Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft: Mocking the first round for every team
player. 38. . SF/PF. Syracuse. Tyler Lydon. 25
I’ve mentioned Tyler Lydon before when it’s come to the Bulls addressing their own needs. He’s a tall small forward that can probably play the four and can really shoot it at times. He’s likely to be a later pick in the first round and like the Bulls, the Orlando Magic need … a lot. Their first pick brought Duke’s Jayson Tatum in this mock and with their second pick of the first round, Syracuse’s Tyler Lydon comes to Disneyland. With Tatum and Lydon in the fold, Magic point guard Elfrid Payton has two young offensive targets that he can work with. Unfortunately for Orlando, the Mario Hezonja project just isn’t working out and Aaron Gordon is not a small forward no matter what anyone says. Lydon can fit at either the 3 or 4, so the possibility of a Payton-Terrence Ross-Tatum-Lydon-Gordon small-ball lineup could be of interest for the defensive-minded Frank Vogel to find some offense, too.
RELATED: Our own Michael Whitlow on how the Bulls can attack their needs (Tyler Lydon, 3-point shooting)
After Michigan’s late-season run that included a Big Ten Tournament title and a Sweet 16 berth, Wolverines forward D.J. Wilson just might have played his way into the first round during that run. Wilson showed supreme confidence in his jump shot and provided a defensive spark at times for the Wolverines. He’s still a project after an up-and-down season, but he certainly picked a good time to peak. His stock was high and after deciding to stay in the draft, he’s taking the chance that what he heard about his draft positioning was good. It just might be. Portland could use their final first-rounder on a 3-and-D guy like Wilson can be. He’s a power forward at around 6-foot-10, but like Lydon, he’s versatile and could probably play some 3, too.