Chad Ford NBA Mock Draft 2016: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's 2nd Mock

We're still only at the quarter point of the 2015-16 NBA season, but the draft never sleeps. College basketball is getting into full swing with conference play soon ramping up, which means it's as good a time as ever to check in on where the top prospects stand.

ESPN's Chad Ford did just that Thursday, releasing the second version of his mock draft. The breakdown covers all 30 picks in the first round and largely goes as you'd expect if you've been paying attention. LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons heads to the Philadelphia 76ers with the first pick, with a number of fellow one-and-dones following in his footsteps.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence would acknowledge this isn't the way the picks will come off the board next June. There are far too many variables over the next half-year, many of which will be sorted out on the court and others off.

Still, here is a look at Ford's latest breakdown along with some analysis on the biggest takeaways.

Chad Ford Mock Draft 2.0

Pick	Team	Player
1	Philadelphia 76ers	Ben Simmons, F, LSU
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Skal Labissiere, F/C, Kentucky
3	New Orleans Pelicans	Brandon Ingram, F, Duke
4	Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn)	Dragan Bender, F, Croatia
5	Sacramento Kings	Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky
6	Denver Nuggets	Jaylen Brown, F, Cal
7	Portland Trail Blazers	Henry Ellenson, F/C, Marquette
8	Milwaukee Bucks	Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
9	Minnesota Timberwolves	Furkan Korkmaz, G/F, Turkey
10	Phoenix Suns	Kris Dunn, G, Providence
11	Toronto Raptors	Cheick Diallo, F/C, Kansas
12	Washington Wizards	Ivan Rabb, F/C, Cal
13	Detroit Pistons	Damian Jones, F/C, Vanderbilt
14	Orlando Magic	Stephen Zimmerman, C, UNLV
15	Denver Nuggets (via Houston)	Demetrius Jackson, G, Notre Dame
16	Utah Jazz	Caris LeVert, G, Michigan
17	Memphis Grizzlies	Timothe Luwawu, G/F, France
18	Boston Celtics (via Dallas)	Thomas Bryant, C, Indiana
19	Chicago Bulls	Wade Baldwin IV, G, Vanderbilt
20	Boston Celtics	Zhou Qi, C, China
21	Los Angeles Clippers	Isaiah Briscoe, G, Kentucky
22	Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami)	Malik Newman, G, Mississippi State
23	Indiana Pacers	Chinanu Onuaku, F/C, Louisville
24	Atlanta Hawks	Denzel Valentine, G/F, Michigan State
25	Toronto Raptors	Grayson Allen, G, Duke
26	Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City)	Jonathan Jeanne, C, France
27	Charlotte Hornets	Diamond Stone, C, Maryland
28	Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland)	Carlton Bragg, F, Kansas
29	San Antonio Spurs	Domantas Sabonis, F, Gonzaga
30	Golden State Warriors	Dwayne Bacon, F/G, Florida State

Ben Simmons Stays Head And Shoulders Above the Pack

Barring a catastrophic injury, Simmons will be the No. 1 pick in June's draft. Write it in Sharpie. Whichever team wins the lottery gets Simmons, who is perhaps the best pro prospect in college basketball since Anthony Davis was terrorizing the SEC for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Simmons is averaging 19.9 points, 14.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He's recording 2.4 steals and blocking 1.6 shots. He's playing like an NBA 2K create-a-player brought to life, affecting the game in ways we'd only imagine LeBron James would have if he ever made the collegiate leap.

"

He's a tremendous talent. There is so much he can do," a general manager told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. "He fits into the modern NBA as far as a big who can handle, pass and rebound. High basketball IQ. He has a few things he could work on, but he is a foundation player. He just makes everyone better. It's hard to find players who make everyone better. He is unique in that way. Growth needs to occur, but he has a lot of skills. A lot of tools.

"

Simmons' main weakness at this point is that he can't shoot. He's taken only two three-pointers all season, and LSU's three consecutive losses proved Simmons can't do it all alone. His disappearing act against the North Carolina State Wolfpack was particularly disconcerting, when Simmons scored just four points on 1-of-6 shooting.

That said, the concerns here are minor. Simmons is a long, springy power forward with elite court vision and athleticism; the quintessential point forward. He doesn't have to become an elite shooter to become an All-NBA player; he just has to improve. Otherwise, it's smooth sailing.

All Freshmen Everything

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that one-and-dones rule the NBA draft process at this point. The last six drafts have seen a freshman go No. 1 overall. Only twice since the age limit's institution has a non-freshman gone first, and one of those years was the cooky 2006 draft where Italian forward Andrea Bargnani was the first pick. The other was 2009, when then-sophomore Blake Griffin went first.

But the freshman effect has only grown stronger in recent years. In 2014, the first four picks were one-and-dones. Last year, it was the first three.

If Ford's board winds up being an accurate representation, 2016 could blow every record out of the water. Six of the first seven picks are currently freshmen, with the only exception being Croatian stud Dragan Bender. Simmons is joined by Kentucky's Skal Labissiere and Duke's Brandon Ingram in the top three, while Kentucky's Jamal Murray, Cal's Jaylen Brown and Marquette's Henry Ellenson are also in the top seven.

It's not until Utah Utes center Jakob Poeltl at No. 8 do you get to a player who has played multiple seasons of college basketball. Each of the last two seasons have seen the top five be comprised of one-and-dones or internationals, but Ford's current order would set an NBA record.

Odds are, Poetl or Providence Friars senior Kris Dunn will wind up mucking things up come June. For now, though, it appears the NCAA-to-NBA youth movement is reaching its apex.

Lottery Internationals Update

Dragan Bender, PF/C, Croatia (No. 4, Boston Celtics): Bender is a 7-footer who didn't turn 18 until November and is already wowing scouts with his all-around ability. A gifted ball-handler in the open court and whip-smart passer, Bender is not unlike Simmons in his point-forward skills.

While the comparisons will come, his game is far different than Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis'. Bender doesn't stretch the floor nearly as well and needs the ball in his hands more to be effective. Whereas Porzingis has impressed with better-than-expected strength so far, Bender's really going to have to pack on the pounds to play the 4.

Still, the physical skills here are considerable. Bender can really play and would thrive if he went to Boston, which could use his passing out of the high post.

Furkan Korkmaz, G/F, Turkey (No. 9, Minnesota Timberwolves): Casuals don't know much about Korkmaz at this point, but they will. The Turkish swingman has some similar traits to Mario Hezonja, though Korkmaz is more controlled in his on-court madness. Listed anywhere from 6'6" to 6'8'' depending where you look, Korkmaz has an excellent jumper and creates well in the open court, though he struggles at times when the action slows.

Most of the concern here comes from Korkmaz's frame and defensive struggles. He doesn't always try, which is a problem given the fact he's going to be at a disadvantage even against most average NBA 2s. There's no chance he can defend small forwards at this point.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter