Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft: Mock Draft 2.0
5. player. 67. . PG. North Carolina State. Dennis Smith Jr.
2.0 update: With Fultz, Ball and Fox already all of the board before the Kings make their first pick at No. 5, Dennis Smith Jr. feels like the right pick for them still.
1.0 update: With the probable pick for the Sacramento Kings off the table in De’Aaron Fox, the Kings could still look to address their point guard need. That’s where NC State guard Dennis Smith Jr. comes into the fold for the Kings. He may not have been the top option for Sacramento, but he’s still widely seen as a top-10 pick in just about every mock draft you’ll find across the internet. Like Fultz, DSJ played a poor team in the Wolfpack (who fired their coach before the season even ended, yet he kept coaching), but the 19-year-old stood out from the crowd in his one season playing in the Athletic Coast Conference.
RELATED: A good breakdown of Dennis Smith Jr. and other top point guards in this year’s class from SB Nation‘s Posting and Toasting
38. . SF. Duke. Jayson Tatum. 6. player
2.0 update: Four point guards are already off this board and with Elfrid Payton still in the fold, it’s unlikely that the Magic look to France’s Frank Ntilikina this high. Jayson Tatum is still the pick here in this update.
1.0 update: Since the Sixers took Fox and the Suns chose Jackson instead, Duke’s Jayson Tatum “falls” a bit down to No. 6 and the Orlando Magic. Tatum, who spent one year with the likes of Harry Giles and Luke Kennard at Duke, really began to see his stock rise towards the end of the college hoop season. Duke went on an improbable run to win the ACC Tournament with four wins in four days and Tatum was one of the stars of the tournament. If you need a bucket, this is a guy that can get you one. Not many players in the class are better in isolation possessions.