NBA Draft 2016: Latest Mock Draft Picks After Official Lottery Results
Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery went exactly as expected—literally.
The ping-pong balls weren’t feeling feisty and decided to stick to the record-based order for the first time ever:
The Boston Celtics landed in the top three, thereby twisting the knife in the back of the Brooklyn Nets. The Los Angeles Lakers kept their pick. The Philadelphia 76ers finally got their No. 1 selection.
Just like Dikembe Mutombo said.
There was little excitement, but a lot of exhaling for all teams (and fans) involved.
Now that things are official, let’s get serious:
Mock
| 1 | Brandon Ingram (Duke) | 76ers |
| 2 | Ben Simmons (LSU) | Lakers |
| 3 | Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) | Celtics |
| 4 | Dragan Bender (International) | Suns |
| 5 | Kris Dunn (Providence) | Timberwolves |
| 6 | Jamal Murray (Kentucky) | Pelicans |
| 7 | Jaylen Brown (Cal) | Nuggets |
| 8 | Wade Baldwin IV (Vanderbilt) | Kings |
| 9 | Jakob Poeltl (Utah) | Raptors |
| 10 | Skal Labissiere (Kentucky) | Bucks |
| 11 | Henry Ellenson (Marquette) | Magic |
| 12 | Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame) | Jazz |
| 13 | Timothe Luwawu (International) | Suns |
| 14 | Tyler Ulis (Kentucky) | Bulls |
| 15 | Deyonta Davis (Michigan State) | Nuggets |
| 16 | Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga) | Celtics |
| 17 | Marquese Chriss (Washington) | Grizzlies |
| 18 | Cheick Diallo (Kansas) | Pistons |
| 19 | Furkan Korkmaz (International) | Nuggets |
| 20 | Taurean Prince (Baylor) | Pacers |
| 21 | Damian Jones (Vanderbilt) | Hawks |
| 22 | Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) | Hornets |
| 23 | Ivica Zubac (International) | Celtics |
| 24 | Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall) | 76ers |
| 25 | Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) | Clippers |
| 26 | Malik Beasley (Florida State) | 76ers |
| 27 | Zhou Qi (International) | Raptors |
| 28 | Juan Hernangomez (International) | Suns |
| 29 | Diamond Stone (Maryland) | Spurs |
| 30 | DeAndre' Bembry (Saint Joseph's) | Warriors |
Players to Watch
Kris Dunn
The Minnesota Timberwolves are on their way up.
With the past two Rookie of the Year winners, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, leading the way, this band of youth is on the way to becoming a postseason contender.
Nabbing Kris Dunn would accelerate that process.
The four teams picking ahead of Minnesota are unlikely to bite on the former Providence star. The Sixers and Lakers are sure to take Brandon Ingram and Ben Simmons. The Celtics have Isaiah Thomas, so they don’t have a need for another floor general, though they could go with the best player available. Similarly, the Phoenix Suns have Brandon Knight, Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker.
Dunn to the Wolves makes sense at No. 5.
The 22-year-old averaged 16.4 points on 44.8 percent shooting this season for the Friars to go along with 6.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds. His team went 24-11, and he was awarded Big East Player of the Year.
His NBA potential has gotten rave reviews from the likes of CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein and Chris Towers:
Minnesota still has Ricky Rubio, of course, but he’s been at the heart of trade rumors for months, per Hoops Hype. If Dunn is available, expect him to join Towns, Wiggins and Zach LaVine as one of the most promising teams in the Association.
Jamal Murray
DraftExpress has Jamal Murray pegged at No. 6 to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Looking at the board, it’s hard to find a better spot for him.
Of course, the Pels still have Jrue Holiday as their primary ball-handler, but his health has been far from reliable in recent years. Out of a possible 246 games dating back to 2013-14, Holiday has played 139, which works out as 56.5 percent.
Murray would have no problem sharing the floor with Holiday next season. He played well alongside Tyler Ulis in his lone Kentucky campaign. Plus, he figures to play both the 1 and the 2 in the pros.
Murray gave head coach John Calipari 20 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 2015-16 while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
As relayed by ESPN’s Chad Ford, that long-range marksmanship is a skill that should seamlessly translate to the NBA:
The Celtics and Timberwolves would be wise to take a look at Murray given his ability to line up at either backcourt spot. His 6’5”, 207-pound frame gives him the size needed to defend both positions on or off the ball.
ESPN’s Jeff Goodman sees him as an option for Boston, at least:
In the end, though, there are more suitable options for those teams, which sets Murray up to land in New Orleans and play for a team he can immediately influence. With Anthony Davis commanding a ton of attention in the middle, shooters are needed on the perimeter.
As he grows into an all-around guard, the former Wildcat will be able to knock down spot-up looks right away.
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