Continuing our preview of the 2017 NBA Draft, we move on to the best available big men in the Draft. While there may not be an immediate difference-maker available at the top, there does appear to be some depth here and there will be good value to be had all the way through the end of the draft. For NBA general managers, it’s going to be about rolling the dice on developing some of these young talents.
MORE BOSSI'S BEST: Top lead guards in the draft | Top wings in the draft
Breakdown: The native of Finland was very good in his lone season at Arizona, averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds en route to first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He has as pretty a jump shot as any big man you will ever see. He’s built like a tank and physicality won’t be an issue.
Can he be replaced?: If anybody is set up to be in good shape to replace a talent like Markkanen, it is Arizona. He’ll be replaced by elite fresman big man DeAndre Ayton and Dusan Ristic is still around to help shoulder the load.
Breakdown: Collins played relatively limited minutes for a great Gonzaga team, but the seven-footer was very productive in them. He can shoot with range, making him a pick-and-pop player. He’s also physical and a pretty good athlete.
Can he be replaced?: The way Gonzaga was built, the idea was for Collins to be the man in 2017-18. With him gone, Killian Tillie (perhaps a potential pro himself) will be needed to make a bigger leap from freshman to sophomore year. Johnathan Williams will be needed to be more consistent as a senior as well.
Breakdown: One of the most rapidly improving players in the country, Collins has developed much quicker than expected. Offensively he is skilled, he is quick around the rim and he has a knack for drawing fouls. A good rebounder, Collins is below average defensively.
Can he be replaced?: Collins would have likely been the favorite to win ACC Player of the Year as a junior, so nobody is replacing him. However, senior Dinos Mitoglou will see an expanded role and incoming freshman Olivier Sarr has athleticism and big upside. Keep an eye out for sophomore Donovan Mitchell, he has skill and could be sleeper for a big jump next season.
Breakdown: Allen is one of those guys who looks like he is just starting to figure out how talented he is. An All-Big 12 third-team selection, he has a tremendous combination of size, agility and athleticism and he’s got soft hands and touch. He lacks strength, but his frame should easily carry more bulk.
Can he be replaced?: He won’t be the same type of player offensively that Allen was, but Texas has the luxury of replacing a first-round pick like Allen with an even more highly regarded prospect in shot blocking machine Mohamed Bamba.
Breakdown: Patton hasn’t come out of nowhere, but he’s been reasonably close to doing it. When he committed to Creighton after his junior year, even people in his hometown of Omaha thought it was a reach. He showed promise as a senior and then redshirted his first year on campus. He is now headed to the NBA after one college season in which he averaged 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds. Great size, some touch, protects the rim, Patton has all the tools and just needs experience and confidence.
Can he be replaced?: In one word, no. Patton will be almost impossible to replace at Creighton. Nobody imagined he would be as good as he was so quick and that he would need to be replaced this soon. Incoming Australian big man Jacob Epperson is skilled and has size and athleticism, but he’ll need a year or two to adjust to college ball.
