Top 10 point guards
- Markelle Fultz, Washington
No player in this draft has a better mix of upside and polish. The comparisons to fellow recent No. 1 overall point guards Derrick Rose, John Wall and Kyrie Irving aren’t quite perfect, though. Fultz lacks the athleticism of the first two and the singular talent of Irving’s scoring, but he appears to be an even more well-rounded prospect with more size and defensive potential. The only real question appears to be mental: Is he a natural competitor?
- Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Ignore his father, please. Ball is the best passer to enter the NBA Draft since Ricky Rubio — if he’s not better than Rubio. And he is a proven high-volume shooter with all sorts of range. Still, questions abound on the defensive side, where he lacks quickness and instincts. And the bigger underlying issue is whether his strange shooting form will prevent him from being able to hit pull-up jumpers against NBA defenses. Nonetheless, his basketball IQ is high enough to overcome some flaws.
MORE NBA DRAFT COVERAGE:
Potential No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz works out with 76ers
NBA mock draft 3.0: Is Lonzo Ball a lock to the Lakers?
Markelle Fultz: I want to beat Lonzo Ball in 'everything I do'
Potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz inks deal with Nike
- De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky
Fox’s trajectory is up, up, up. He’s an outstanding athlete with a great court sense. More Rajon Rondo than John Wall, he fits the pick-and-roll heavy offenses of the NBA with one issue: his jump shot. That may prevent him from being a superstar, but he’s an elite defensive prospect and natural playmaker.
- Dennis Smith, North Carolina State
Smith is the point guard prospect who really looks the part. He has a traditional point guard build with great athleticism and no obvious holes in his game. The question mark comes with his attitude; he’s been known as headstrong for most of his high-level playing career so far.
- Frank Ntilikina, France
Though U.S. fans may not know much about the French point guard (pronounced nee-lee-KEE-na), scouts don’t doubt what he brings to the table. Ntilikina has enough size to become an elite defender, and he’s a selfless game manager who has rapidly improving range on his jumper.
- Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State
- Frank Mason, Kansas
- Monte Morris, Iowa State
- Edmond Sumner, Xavier
- Melo Trimble, Maryland
