2016 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Ben Simmons and 1st-Round Prospects

Historic as they might be, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers can clutch the spotlight only for so long.

Storming back from a 3-1 deficit to upend a 73-win Golden State Warriors team won't ever fade entirely, but the Association is like any other sport—it's on to the next one, no matter what the next one might be.

It's the Ben Simmons-and-Brandon Ingram-led 2016 NBA draft right now. One of the deeper classes in recent memory features elite talent and major franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics owning picks in the top five and ready to change the landscape of the league before free agency.

In other words, Thursday's draft is a worthy focal point for NBA fans. Before things get underway, here's a look at an updated mock and some critical details.

2016 NBA Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
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	SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky
5.	Minnesota Timberwolves	SF Jaylen Brown, California
6.	New Orleans Pelicans	F Marquese Chriss, Washington
7.	Denver Nuggets (via New York)	PG Kris Dunn, Providence
8.	Sacramento Kings	SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
9.	Toronto Raptors (via Denver)	C Jakob Poeltl, Utah
10.	Milwaukee Bucks	C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep
11.	Orlando Magic	PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State
12.	Utah Jazz	F Henry Ellenson, Marquette
13.	Phoenix Suns (via Washington)	C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
14.	Chicago Bulls	G Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
15.	Denver Nuggets (via Houston)	SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey
16.	Boston Celtics (via Dallas)	SG Timothe Luwawu, France
17.	Memphis Grizzlies	PG Dejounte Murray, Washington
18.	Detroit Pistons	SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
19.	Denver Nuggets (via Portland)	G Caris LeVert, Michigan
20.	Indiana Pacers	PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina
21.	Atlanta Hawks	C Diamond Stone, Maryland
22.	Charlotte Hornets	PF Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
23.	Boston Celtics	F Paul Zipser, Germany
24.	Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami)	G Malik Beasley, Florida State
25.	Los Angeles Clippers	C Cheick Diallo, Kansas
26.	Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City)	F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida
27.	Toronto Raptors	F Taurean Prince, Baylor
28.	Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland)	C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt
29.	San Antonio Spurs	PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
30.	Golden State Warriors	C Zhou Qi, China

The Fate of Ben Simmons 

Most seemed to agree the battle between Simmons and Ingram at No. 1 would go to Simmons. 

While Ingram is more pro-ready now thanks to his range from deep—he hit 41 percent of his long-range shots last year to Simmons' 33 percent—everything else goes to the LSU product in a head-to-head analysis. 

This includes defense, cutting to the basket, getting others involved and even size. Whereas Simmons is 6'10" and 240 pounds, Ingram comes up short and lean at 6'9" and 190 pounds.

Simmons recently visited with the Philadelphia 76ers and dropped this bombshell on Instagram:

Talk about taking the air out of the balloon. Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com then reported the 76ers told Simmons he's the guy at No. 1.

It might seem anticlimactic now, but there's a reason most mocks have had Simmons as the top pick for weeks. It remains in flux what the 76ers may or may not do with Jahlil Okafor and the logjam underneath the basket, but the team was never going to pass on a special talent such as Simmons.

Barring a Godfather offer from another team, Simmons will wind up on the 76ers. Trust the process, indeed.

Boston's Decision 

The Boston Celtics sit in the most undesirable position of all, which sounds odd considering they have a top-three selection in the draft.

That's third place, aka the first loser in a draft where Simmons and Ingram will come off the board and the Celtics are left to pick from among the rest of the class.

Still, the Celtics have always been a major trade candidate. Management has a young playoff roster on its hands already and another wealth of draft picks, starting at No. 3 and encompassing three total in the first round alone, with eight in all.

That's why it's not a shock when Andrew Perna of RealGM suggests the team wouldn't mind making a move for a guy such as Kevin Love.

Still, presuming the Celtics hang on to the No. 3 pick, the front office has to decide whether it bites the bullet and gets another guard such as Kentucky's Jamal Murray or scoops up a high-upside forward such as Dragan Bender or Jaylen Brown.

There's no easy answer, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the Celtics to add to the logjam in the backcourt, which boasts Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart and upside guys such as Avery Bradley and Terry Rozier.

That leaves the forwards, and the only smart option is Bender. The Celtics don't necessarily need a guy who will have a major impact right out of the gates and might be unable to find one anyway, so why not get a 7'1", 216-pound prospect who can shoot well?

With so many picks in the first round, Boston can afford to look far into the future at No. 3 and get immediate depth at the later two picks.

The Fall of Buddy Hield

The closer the draft gets, the further Oklahoma's Buddy Hield seems to fall away from the top three. 

Which makes plenty of sense. The draft is all about upside. Getting a pro-ready player already near his ceiling doesn't hurt, but it is usually a move reserved for teams in the mid-first round or later.

Hield hasn't hit his ceiling by any means, but good luck convincing NBA executives he has a long way to go. He's already 22 years old after spending four seasons with the Sooners. And while he averaged 25 points per game last year, players three years younger than him have more time to adapt to the pro level and then blossom. 

A recent ESPN.com scouting report hit on most of the key points:

"

Hield may be the best shooter in the draft, but the shine from his terrific senior season is beginning to wear off slightly as teams come to grip with the idea that he's undersized (6-foot-5, 212 pounds), he's not an elite athlete and he may be a bit one-dimensional. Upside is so valuable in the top five, and while Hield possesses enormous talent, most teams don't see a lot of upside left for the 22-year-old.

"

Hield won't fall out of the top 10 by any means. He offers too much for too long for NBA teams to keep taking a pass, but the rise of guys such as Jaylen Brown and Marquese Chriss makes it hard for him to stick in the top five.

Look for Hield to land with a team such as the Sacramento Kings. With some of the major needs off the board (Kris Dunn, primarily), the Kings won't mind getting a bit of a win-now player in Hield.

In Sacramento, he offers DeMarcus Cousins some much-needed support and perhaps helps the front office keep the league's best center happy. In other words, it's the perfect role for Hield, whose stock has sunk back to reality.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.