Every year a handful of rookies overperform relative to their draft position. Whether it was Rookies of the Year Malcolm Brogdon in 2016-17 or Michael Carter-Williams in 2013-14, a variety of different factors come into play when evaluating first-year performance and how it relates to draft status and long-term production.
After factoring in opportunity and talent, here are the six rookies from the 2017 class in the best position to outplay their draft pick:
Dennis Smith Jr. | PG | Dallas Mavericks
Draft pick: No. 9 overall
Upside: Smith is a dynamic ball-screen guard who has potential as a three-level scorer with NBA spacing. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound athlete is an improved pull-up shooter. Given his combination of elite explosiveness, change of pace and power getting to the rim, he's nearly an impossible cover when his jumper is dialed in.
Smith struggled to play with consistent intensity at NC State and still has some polishing to do as a decision-maker, but his talent has never been in question and he could very well look like a top-five pick for the majority of his rookie year.
Situation: Smith landed in an ideal situation with the Mavericks for a variety of reasons. A lone ranger on an underwhelming NC State team, Smith will be surrounded by respected veterans Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews and J.J. Barea, as well as Harrison Barnes, whose work ethic is praised within the league. Strong ownership, leadership by example and an accomplished head coach in Rick Carlisle should go a long way for Smith, who didn't have that during his one-year rental in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Carlisle will challenge the sometimes lackadaisical Smith, and the infrastructure in place should help chip away at some of the bad habits the North Carolina native played with last season. Dallas, which finished 23rd in offensive efficiency last season, is in dire need of young legs and a point guard of the future. If willing, Smith will learn more nuances of the position under the tactically savvy Carlisle. If the Mavs can provide enough floor spacing, Smith's dynamic pick-and-roll shot creation should lead to some big games in Dallas.
Key stat: 46.5 percent of his offense came via isolation and pick-and-roll last season at NC State.
Donovan Mitchell | SG | Utah Jazz
Draft pick: No. 13 overall
Upside: Mitchell is a long, energetic and physical athlete who will find his way onto the floor with his defense and provide an instant spark offensively with his shot-making. Not the most polished decision-maker, Mitchell has his gunner moments, but his frenetic style usually generates more positive than negative results and he's likely to quickly become a fan favorite in Salt Lake City.
Landing behind the likes of Frank Ntilikina, Malik Monk, Zach Collins & Co. in the draft, Mitchell should play an important role on a fairly successful team while showing the potential to become a top-10 player out of the 2017 class.
Situation: Even with the loss of Gordon Hayward, Utah is still a balanced, veteran team with a fair amount of accomplished guards and wings. Still, the Jazz could use Mitchell's defensive versatility and quick-hitting scoring off the bench.
Mitchell makes winning plays, checks up to three positions, works hard and can shift momentum when he gets hot from 3, which should make it difficult for head coach Quin Snyder to keep the rookie guard off the floor. Snyder wants defensive toughness, and Mitchell is well-suited for a sixth man role on a competitive team. With Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum, Thabo Sefolosha, Rudy Gobert and Ekpe Udoh, the Jazz have several different potential plus-defenders on this roster, and Mitchell should slide in seamlessly.
Key stat: Made 2.9 3-pointers per 40 minutes at 35.4 percent as a sophomore, up by more than 10 percent from his freshman year.
Justin Jackson | SF | Sacramento Kings
Draft pick: No. 15 overall
Upside: The 6-8 North Carolina product is a plug-and-play wing with great scoring and passing instincts. He's at his best in quick-hitting actions and doesn't need many dribbles to have an impact. Jackson is tremendous off of pin-down screens since he can catch and shoot, finish with floaters, curl to the rim or facilitate.
Although No. 15 overall could seem a little high for the 22-year-old, Jackson has NBA starter potential at a key position. If he shoots the ball well, the 2017 NCAA champion has a chance to be one of the more productive wings in this rookie class not named Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum.
Situation: The Kings are a young team in need of a mature, steady wing who isn't going to dominate the ball. Despite his rookie status, Jackson is more ready to contribute than Malachi Richardson, who played only 33 games last season due to injury, which followed a very up-and-down freshman season at Syracuse.
Jackson is an excellent fit next to a ball-dominant point guard like De'Aaron Fox, as he doesn't need to pound the ball to make good things happen. He's excellent filling the lanes in transition, comfortable spacing the floor as a spot shooter and reads the game versus scrambling defenders. With Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield more natural 2-guards, Jackson is the only true wing on this roster besides Richardson and Vince Carter, who should be a positive influence in Jackson's development.
Jackson was a bit slow to get his footing at North Carolina, so there may be a similar adjustment period in the NBA, but he's mature and brings a winning pedigree and a style of play that doesn't require much volume.
Key stat: 59.7 percent of his offense last season came via transition, spot-ups and off-ball screens.
John Collins | PF | Atlanta Hawks
Draft pick: No. 19 overall
Upside: Collins is a high-motor rim-runner, finisher and rebounder with more perimeter skill than he showed at Wake Forest. Collins ran through the ACC, yet questions about his defense and on-court decision-making at a high level dropped him to No. 19 overall.
He projects as a dynamic pick-and-roll finisher who can also make a short-roll jumper and punish switches on the block with turnarounds or jump hooks. He's the first big down the floor every possession, a relentless offensive rebounder and a positive on the defensive glass as well, which will help ease his transition picking up NBA-level defensive schemes. Although his game may not exactly fit the modern NBA, the 19-year-old produces, plays with energy and is one of the most explosive athletes in this rookie class, all of which should combine to result in a lottery-level season for the former Demon Deacon.
Situation: This Paul Millsap-less Hawks team has an uninspiring big man core of Dewayne Dedmon, Miles Plumlee, Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Muscala. Collins has the opportunity to work his way into big minutes as the season progresses.
Although he doesn't exactly fit the shoot/dribble/pass style the Hawks want to play, Collins should win over Mike Budenholzer and his staff early on with his energy and efficient production (28.8 points per 40 minutes last season on 62.4 percent from 2). Collins will have his growing pains with the speed of the game on both ends, but the 6-10 pogo stick should be a welcome addition on a team lacking considerable athleticism at the big man spots.
Collins gives Dennis Schroder a strong roller and a dynamic pick-and-roll partner. He also will likely be able to pop to 18 feet more consistently than he showed at Wake Forest. He's more of a 4/5 in today's NBA, so it will be interesting to see how often the Hawks will use Collins at center, as a youthful lineup of Schroder, Kent Bazemore, DeAndre' Bembry, Taurean Prince and Collins has some appeal in the open court.
Key stat: Led the nation in player efficiency rating (PER) playing in the ACC as a 19-year-old sophomore.
Jarrett Allen | C | Brooklyn Nets
Draft pick: No. 22 overall
Upside: Allen is a physical specimen full of raw talent, yet it's not clear what his exact role will be in the NBA. With measurements very similar to Clint Capela, Allen could act as a similar rim-runner, finisher and shot-blocker with switch potential. To go along with his go-go-gadget 7-5 wingspan and massive hands, Allen has natural touch and impressive agility for his size.
Scouts have often questioned how much Allen actually loves basketball, which is one of the main reasons the top-10 talent fell to No. 22 overall. But Allen, who doesn't come from a strong basketball background, grew at Texas as the season progressed and showed glimpses of the exact center NBA teams are looking for in today's game.
Situation: Allen landed in a solid situation with the Nets. He'll play under development-focused head coach Kenny Atkinson without too much pressure to put up big numbers early on, Going too high in the draft could have been a burden for Allen, and Atkinson should do a great job getting the most out of the big man, who has a tendency to float in and out of games at times.
Timofey Mozgov is Brooklyn's only other true center on the roster, and with the addition of D'Angelo Russell, Allen has a lob-thrower and pocket-passer to get him easy looks. Allen, who was forced to play a healthy amount of 4 at Texas, can focus on cutting, finishing around the rim, cleaning the offensive glass and developing into a legitimate rim-protector on the defensive end. There isn't a ton of stress to win now in Brooklyn and Allen should be able to play through mistakes without losing confidence early in his career.
Key stat: 17.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per 40 minutes in Big 12 play.
Kyle Kuzma | PF | Los Angeles Lakers
Draft pick: No. 27 overall
Upside: Kuzma is a skilled modern 4 who can push in transition, make a spot-up 3, attack off the dribble and make plays on the move. He has made huge strides after arriving at Utah in 2014 as an unranked recruit and averaging 3.2 points per game as a freshman.
He's streaky in nature both as a shooter and a decision-maker, but he's exactly what NBA teams are looking for in a 4. He has to get more consistent on the defensive end and on the glass, but he has the talent to outplay fellow 4s like D.J. Wilson, TJ Leaf and Tyler Lydon, all of whom were taken ahead of him.
Situation: Kuzma is in a perfect situation to thrive as the Lakers have no stretch-4 on the roster and want to push in transition and move the ball quickly.
Lonzo Ball loves to give it up early in transition, and Kuzma's ability to push in the open floor will play really well next to the UCLA product. While the Lakers aren't short on big bodies with Julius Randle, Larry Nance, Brook Lopez and Ivica Zubac, Kuzma brings a different skill set and can play alongside any of those bigs fairly comfortably.
He doesn't solve many of the Lakers' defensive concerns and it remains to be seen how real his summer league shooting explosion is, but Kuzma fits the versatile style of play Luke Walton wants. Ball needs a spaced floor to be at his best, and Kuzma helps fills that void. The fluid 6-9 forward still has to earn his minutes, but a lineup of Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, Kuzma and Lopez has at least the threat of shooting at every position and several guys who can handle and facilitate.
Key stat: A career 30.4 percent 3-point shooter, Kuzma made 38 percent of his 3s after Jan. 1 of his junior season at Utah.
Second-round names to watch: Jordan Bell, Semi Ojeleye, Damyean Dotson, Sterling Brown and Ike Anigbogu (if healthy)