Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft: Mocking the first round for every team
PG. France. Frank Ntilikina. 11. player. 170.
We’ve already agreed that trades aren’t a thing (and if we didn’t, I already said they’re not a thing), but if a team looks to trade up or down from their current position on the board, it could be the Charlotte Hornets. There’s a possibility that they look to keep North Carolina’s Justin Jackson home with this pick, but there’s a chance they keep it and take a guard, specifically a guard that could land inside of the top 10 picks. France’s Frank Ntilikina is an interesting prospect to take under consideration. He’s a bigger option in the back court that could assist Kemba Walker. The fit feels a little weird from a short glance, but he wouldn’t need to come and run the entire show with Walker in the fold. He could let the American game come to him a little more with a top PG like Walker running Charlotte’s offense.
RELATED: ESPN analyst and international prospect guru Fran Fraschilla on Frank Ntilikina
12. player. 64. . SG. Louisville. Donovan Mitchell
In terms of players at the NBA Draft Combine, not many improved their stock more than Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell. The sophomore guard measured out wonderfully in Chicago during the combine and raised some eyebrows as to what his potential could be at the next level with his size, quickness and relentlessness on both ends of the hardwood. He could be an awesome asset and some insurance just in case the Pistons lose Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. He’s not a primarily good shooter yet, but with his athleticism and potential defensively, the 3-and-D label could be draped all over Mitchell.