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NBA draft: Point guards and freshmen dominate first round

NEW YORK - The 2017 NBA draft will be known as the draft of point guards and freshmen. No surprises came at the top as the 76ers selected Markelle Fultz first and the Los Angeles Lakers took Lonzo Ball second Thursday night at the Barclays Center.

NEW YORK - The 2017 NBA draft will be known as the draft of point guards and freshmen. No surprises came at the top as the 76ers selected Markelle Fultz first and the Los Angeles Lakers took Lonzo Ball second Thursday night at the Barclays Center.

Since the advent of the draft lottery in 1985, it's the first time that the first two picks were point guards.

"I take a lot of pride in it," Fultz said about being at the head of this class. "First of all, just being the competitive nature I have, I'm very competitive, and then just competing against all these guards, I know how talented they are and how talented this draft class."

Not only were point guards taken with the first two picks, but there were three among the top five and five in the first 10 picks.

"Yeah, the point guard position is very strong [in the draft], and it's even stronger in the NBA," Ball said.

Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox was the third point guard taken, No. 5 overall by Sacramento. Fox, who outscored Ball, 39-10, in an NCAA tournament win over UCLA, had said before the draft he felt he was the best point guard.

Known as the fastest and best defensive point guard in the draft, Fox said there is no extra motivation to show he should have been the first point guard selected.

"Well, like I always said, it doesn't matter what order we get picked in, the motivation is already there," Fox said. "We're all going to the NBA."

And not surprising, with the increase of one-and-done players in college, this was a freshman dominated draft, especially at the top.

The first seven picks of the draft were freshman, breaking the record of four in 2014: Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, and Aaron Gordon.

Besides Fultz and Ball, the other freshmen were forward Jayson Tatum of Duke, selected third by Boston, followed by forward Josh Jackson (Kansas) to Phoenix; Kentucky's Fox; Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac to Orlando at No. 6 and Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen by Minnesota, a pick that was traded to Chicago.

The No. 8 pick, point guard Frank Ntilikina to the New York Knicks, wasn't a freshman, but he's from France and is only 18. He is the highest drafted French player ever.

Three more freshmen were then taken: North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith by Dallas at No. 9; Gonzaga center Zach Collins at No. 10 by Sacramento (a pick traded to Portland); and Kentucky shooting guard Malik Monk by Charlotte at 11.

Finally, at No. 12 an old-timer, Duke sophomore shooting guard Luke Kennard was selected by the Detroit Pistons.

This year marks the first time in the common draft era (1966 to present) that the same four teams - the Sixers, Lakers, Celtics, and Suns - made the first four picks for the second consecutive draft.

There was plenty of trade activity in the first round.

The Chicago Bulls traded three-time all-star swingman Jimmy Butler and the rights to the No. 16 pick (Creighton center Justin Patton) to Minnesota for point guard Kris Dunn, shooting guard Zach LaVine and the rights to the No. 7 pick (Arizona's Markkanen).

Sacramento traded the draft rights to the No. 10 pick (Gonzaga's Collins) to Portland for the draft rights to No. 15 (North Carolina's Justin Jackson) and No. 20 (Duke center Harry Giles).

Utah sent forward Trey Lyles and the No. 24 pick (forward Tyler Lydon of Syracuse) to Denver for the No. 13 pick (Louisville shooting guard Donovan Mitchell).

mnarducci@phillynews.com

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