2016 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Prospects Heading into Final Day of Season
NBA laggards crawling to the finish line must wait nervously once the 2015-16 concludes on Wednesday night.
While the losing finally stops, the league's bottom-feeders won't know where they pick in the NBA draft for over a month. Pure chance will alter franchises' futures when the draft lottery unfolds on May 17.
The stakes are always high for teams buried in the standings, but the Los Angeles Lakers will be especially anxious while watching the proceedings. Holding the league's second-worst record behind the Philadelphia 76ers, they could welcome a future star to begin life without Kobe Bryant. If they fall outside of the top three, however, their pick goes to Philadelphia.
Any mock draft in any sport is an inexact science, even if done minutes before commencing the selection process. Successfully pairing top prospects with new employers is, of course, impossible without knowing the draft order. Instead, the onus falls on analyzing the top players rather than worrying about franchise fits.
| 1. | Philadelphia 76ers | F Ben Simmons, LSU |
| 2. | Los Angeles Lakers | SF Brandon Ingram, Duke |
| 3. | Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn) | PF Dragan Bender, Croatia |
| 4. | Phoenix Suns | SF Jaylen Brown, California |
| 5. | Minnesota Timberwolves | SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky |
| 6. | New Orleans Pelicans | SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma |
| 7. | Denver Nuggets (via New York) | PF Henry Ellenson, Marquette |
| 8. | Sacramento Kings | C Jakob Poeltl, Utah |
| 9. | Milwaukee Bucks | PG Kris Dunn, Providence |
| 10. | Toronto Raptors (via Denver) | C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky |
| 11. | Orlando Magic | PF Ivan Rabb, California |
| 12. | Utah Jazz | PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame |
| 13. | Phoenix Suns (via Washington) | SG Timothe Luwawu, France |
| 14. | Chicago Bulls | PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State |
| 15. | Denver Nuggets (via Houston) | SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey |
| 16. | Boston Celtics (via Dallas) | SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 17. | Memphis Grizzlies | PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt |
| 18. | Detroit Pistons | G Tyler Ulis, Kentucky |
| 19. | Denver Nuggets (via Portland) | PF Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga |
| 20. | Indiana Pacers | G Caris LeVert, Michigan |
| 21. | Charlotte Hornets | C Diamond Stone, Maryland |
| 22. | Boston Celtics | PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina |
| 23. | Atlanta Hawks | F Marquese Chriss, Washington |
| 24. | Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami) | SG Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia |
| 25. | Los Angeles Clippers | F Taurean Prince, Baylor |
| 26. | Toronto Raptors | G Malik Beasley, Florida State |
| 27. | Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City) | PG Melo Trimble, Maryland |
| 28. | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland) | C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt |
| 29. | San Antonio Spurs | F Juan Hernangomez, Spain |
| 30. | Golden State Warriors | C Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV |
Ben Simmons, F, LSU
Last fall, Ben Simmons looked poised to saunter into the league as an undisputed No. 1 pick who'd persuade NBA teams to unapologetically tank the 2015-16 season. Instead, the forward finds himself the subject of numerous think pieces wondering if he's the proper choice over Duke's Brandon Ingram.
Anyone who is disappointed by his freshman performance set the bar too high. While his LSU Tigers missed the NCAA tournament, the 19-year-old registered 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. His mouthwatering talent didn't evaporate; his supporting cast just stunk.
Naysayers will point to shooting concerns, as he made one three-pointer in only three attempts. As a result, a team may doubt his ability to flourish in the modern NBA, which places an added emphasis on shooting.
SI.com's Ben Golliver argued for Simmons' other talents offsetting his one area of needed improvement:
"Yes, the knee-jerk reaction to Stephen Curry’s brilliance is to label all non-shooters with a scarlet letter. Remember, though, that LeBron James, John Wall and Russell Westbrook are all weak-shooting lead ball-handlers who are doing just fine in “Today’s NBA.” Yes, whichever team selects Simmons will need to give him the ball from day one and surround him with multiple wing shooters, moves that could require displacing current players or investing other assets to build a functional offense around him. To me, his playmaking ability and natural command presence serve as worthwhile justifications for those moves.
"
It's hard to imagine anyone, especially the 76ers or Lakers, passing on his superstar ceiling because toiling away at LSU widened his learning curve. Even if he's no longer considered a can't-miss star or LeBron James 2.0, Simmons warrants the top draft slot.
Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
Well, if a team prefers shooting...
Buddy Hield won't leapfrog Simmons and Ingram, but a sensational senior season propels the Wooden Award winner into top-five consideration.
After taking the Oklahoma Sooners to the Final Four, he finished the year with an NCAA-high 925 points and 147 three-pointers. His downtown efficiency—shooting 45.7 percent despite taking 8.7 threes per contest—will attract pro scouts.
Despite a rough performance against eventual champions Villanova, Hield averaged 25.2 points during five tournament games. NBA teams shouldn't overrate recent results, but as one pro scout told USA Today's Derek Bodner, they do anyway.
“The last impression you have of an event or a person is usually the memory that carries the most weight in your head,” the scout said. “I think scouts are just as susceptible to that as anyone else.”
As a more projectable 22-year-old who will be drafted to score, Hield is more at the lottery's mercy. The 47-win Boston Celtics need a shooter and can justify snagging a high-quality role player with the Brooklyn Nets' pick. Loaded with talent but light on shooters, the Minnesota Timberwolves would also represent an ideal fit.
Jamal Murray, SG, Kentucky
Then again, those teams searching for shooting early can take Kentucky's Jamal Murray instead.
He wasn't nearly as sharp in two tournament games, going 3-of-16 from behind the arc. Yet NBA executives' memories aren't bad enough to forget a late-season stretch where he posted over 20 points in 12 consecutive games.
Extra experience helps in nearly any other job hunt. In the NBA draft, however, a 19-year-old offers more untapped potential and a larger professional window than his 22-year-old counterpart.
Murray recorded 20.0 points per game in his one and only season with the Wildcats. Hield averaged 8.0 points per game while shooting 24.7 percent from deep as a freshman. While Hield's yearly progression is a selling point for added growth, most organizations would rather harness a youngster on their watch and to their benefit.
As a tweener guard with limited speed, Murray could dip deeper down the lottery choices. However, it's more likely someone enamored by his smooth shooting stroke will grab him inside the top 10.
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