Brooklyn Nets
Jan 21, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Duane Notice (10) in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 85-69. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Here are five NBA prospects that the Brooklyn Nets need to consider selecting with the 27th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Brooklyn Nets have three picks in the 2017 NBA Draft: the 22nd pick, the 27th pick and the 57th pick. Considering the team finished with the league's worst record of 20-62 this past season, Brooklyn is going to need all the help it can get, and it will likely use all three picks to add some young talent to a rather unappealing roster.
It's certainly unfortunate the worst team in the league won't be picking in the lottery, which brings up the question of what kind of talent will be available with the Nets picking so late into each round.
On the flip side, the fact that Brooklyn will be picking late actually creates a win-win situation for them: there's no pressure to bank a long-term star, but uncovering a diamond in the rough would be spectacular for a team that's been down on its luck for so long.
The following is a list of five prospects that could turn out to be absolute steals at the 27th pick.
Honorable Mentions
Let's split the honorable mentions into two distinct groups.
First, there's guys who are the most likely to get drafted long before the 27th pick comes around. Ivan Rabb is one of those guys that could go as high as 15, though Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer has Rabb going at 27th to the Brooklyn Nets.
Both Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders and NetScoutsBasketball.com have Duke center Harry Giles listed at 27, while Draft Express (DX) places Giles at 20. Adi Joseph of USA Today has 7-foot-2 center Jonathan Jeanne going to Brooklyn at 27, but the Nets would possibly have to take him at 22.
I'll add lottery talent OG Anunoby and Australian sharpshooter Terrance Ferguson to the list of honorable mentions. Both could go anywhere in the 20s if they make it out of the late-teens.
The second group of players is most likely to slip into the secnd round. Jonah Bolden, the 2017 ABA League Top Prospect, played for Serbian club Radnicki Basket after playing two years with UCLA. While The Ringer Mock Draft has Bolden listed at 27, Draft Express has Bolden going as late as 46.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News likes guard P.J. Dozier at 27 despite Dozier being listed at 50 by DX. Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports lists Jordan Bell at 27, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports lists Caleb Swanigan at 27, and NBADraft.net lists Dwayne Bacon at 27. According to Draft Express, Bell could go as late as 35, Swanigan could go as late as 41, and Bacon could go as late as 55.
Frank Mason III is listed at 48 by Draft Express, but the Nets would be foolish to wait until 57 to pick up a steal like Mason. The 27th pick could be a bit too high for a 5-foot-11 point guard, but keep in mind that 5-foot-9 MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas was picked at No. 60.
Brooklyn Nets
Feb 4, 2017; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Tyler Lydon (20) shoots the ball against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at the Carrier Dome. The Orange won 66-62. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
5. Tyler Lydon, SF/PF, Syracuse
Playing 34 games for Syracuse this past season, the 6'10" Tyler Lydon averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks in 36.1 minutes per game. He shot 47.3 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from behind the arc and 83.9 percent from the free throw line.
Lydon is a versatile, athletic forward capable of stretching the floor. He doesn't project to be much of a creator, nor does he project to be much of a defender, but his basketball I.Q. and overall feel for the game will prove beneficial to translating his game to the next level.
The 21-year-old Lydon should be higher on this list, but considering he's my personal choice and no other reputable site has suggested he'd fit with the Brooklyn Nets (DX lists him at 30), he comes in as Brooklyn's fifth option at No. 27.
Brooklyn Nets
Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward D.J. Wilson (5) drives against Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds (23) during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
4. D.J. Wilson, PF, Michigan
D.J. Wilson averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.5 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game for Michigan. He shot 53.8 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has the 21-year-old Wilson going to the Nets at 27 in his latest mock draft. Draft Express has Wilson going at 28 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wilson was measured having a 7'3″ wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine, and he's displayed incredible agility and coordination for a 6'10" power forward. He's also a solid scorer both inside the paint and outside beyond the arc.
He isn't a complete player by any means and would have to work on his rebounding, but any team that picks him would be thrilled to have a prospect that exudes as much potential as Wilson. The Brooklyn Nets are in the perfect position to slowly develop his game as they continue to rebuild.
Semi Ojeleye
Mar 11, 2017; Hartford, CT, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Semi Ojeleye (33) reacts after a play against the UCF Knights in the second half of the semifinals during the AAC Conference Tournament at XL Center. SMU defeated UCF 70-59. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
3. Semi Ojeleye, SF/PF, SMU
Semi Ojeleye averaged 19.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 34.1 minutes per game for SMU. He shot 48.7 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from three and 78.5 percent from the line. Draft Express has Ojeleye going at 27 to the Brooklyn Nets.
With a 6'10" wingspan and 40″ max vertical leap, the 22-year-old Ojeleye brings a combination of great physical tools and a versatile skill-set. While he's a bit small for a prototypical power forward, Ojeleye's athletic ability could prove a problem for defending bigs.
Per Draft Express scout Julian Applebome:
"Semi Ojeleye of SMU posted an impressive 40.5 Max Vertical Leap (tied for fifth best), but perhaps the more significant numbers for him were the 10.58 seconds he posted in the lane agility testing and 3.16 seconds he posted in the three-quarter court sprint which rank third and eighth best overall respectively.
"Ojeleye weighed in at strong 241 pounds yesterday which he has proved is not too high of a number to compromise his athletic ability. He's a highly unique physical specimen, ranking in the 95th percentile or better in those three categories in our extensive database."
The Nets would be wise to pick up a player like Ojeleye, who could develop in the mold of someone like Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
Brooklyn Nets
Nov 23, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball against the Cleveland State Vikings in the first half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
2. Bam Adebayo, C, Kentucky
In 38 games for Kentucky, the 19-year-old Edrice Adebayo (a.k.a., Bam Adebayo) averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 30.1 minutes per game. He shot 59.9 percent from the field and 65.3 percent from the free throw line.
Both Michael Scott of Basketball Insiders and Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer love Adebayo at No. 27 for the Brooklyn Nets, while Draft Express has him going at No. 24 to the Utah Jazz.
Adebayo posted a 7'2″ wingspan and 38.5″ max vertical leap at the NBA Draft Combine, showing off the athleticism that helped earn him the reputation as a high-energy player. Under the right tutelage, he has the potential to develop into a versatile, respectable center able to protect the rim, defend the pick-and-roll, clean up the glass and score when necessary.
The Nets could very much use an athletic big man like Adebayo to add depth behind centers Brook Lopez and Justin Hamilton.
1. Rodions Kurucs, SF, Latvia || 19 y.o. || 6-8, 190 lbs.
Splitting time between FC Barcelona II and FC Barcelona Lassa, Rodions Kurucs combined for 25 games this past season on averages of 9.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game. He shot 43.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from behind the arc and 79.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Danny Chau of The Ringer has the Brooklyn Nets drafting and stashing Kurucs, saying that Kurucs could possibly "exceed expectations as a high-IQ playmaking wing/forward" later down the road.
Furthermore, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders stated that the Nets are apparently "sold" on Kurucs. Christian Milcos of Nothin' But Nets also wrote a comprehensive article explaining why Kurucs is "an ideal Brooklyn Net."
While I'm not particularly high on Kurucs, there's really no wonder why he's held in such high regard by a wide range of basketball analysts: He's an athletic, prototypical wingman with a high basketball I.Q. that could prove to be a high-risk, high-reward player in the near future.
The Nets should be wary, though. Kurucs has already suffered a couple of notable injuries, earning him a reputation as being injury-prone. In a way, Kurucs reminds me of former Golden State Warriors guard Nemanja Nedovic out of Serbia, dubbed "The European Derrick Rose" because of his amazing athletic ability. Unfortunately, Nedovic also displayed the negative aspects of Rose's career, failing to remain healthy enough to compete in the NBA.
In addition, not really all that much is known about the international product, who hasn't really showed flashes of stardom throughout his young career playing in Europe. The Nets could be putting themselves in a "Darko Milicic is the next Dirk Nowitzki" situation with Kurucs.
Nevertheless, I can't deny that Kurucs would be a perfect fit in Brooklyn's culture.
More from Hoops Habit
This article originally appeared on 
