2017 NBA Mock Draft: Who Each Lottery Team Should Pick

1. Boston Celtics (via Nets): Markelle Fultz, SG/PG

Team needs: Wing efficiency, inside scoring, rebounding

Here, the numbers and the scouting are on the same page...and that's a good thing, because Fultz is the closest thing to a can't-miss that we've seen in the last few Drafts.

Despite having the league's 8th-best offense and 13th-best defense, in terms of efficiency, the Celtics need help down low. They rank 28th in the NBA with just 26.6 made field goals per game from inside the arc. Meanwhile, they're 25th and 27th, respectively, in offensive rebounding percentage (21.2%) and defensive rebounding percentage (75.3%), as they surrender 10.8 offensive boards a game to opposing teams.

Most times, that would point us toward a power forward or center selection, but there isn't a worthy player within the top five-to-seven prospects. And according to 82games, the Celtics' 13.7 PER from the shooting guard spot is the lowest on the team thanks to the inefficient efforts of Avery Bradley (-1.4 nERD), Marcus Smart (-3.9) and Terry Rozier (-2.6). Therefore, combo-guard Markelle Fultz is the pick.

In his one year with the Washington Huskies, Fultz posted a PER of 27.9 with a whopping 35.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per 100 possessions. Roughly 19.4 of those points came from inside the arc, on two-point field goals. He'd be the perfect complement to Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford's perimeter-oriented games.