2016 NBA Mock Draft: Complete 1st-Round Predictions for Top Prospects and More
The NBA draft lottery is still a month away, but it’s never too early to ponder where the top prospects in this year’s class could land when late June rolls around.
And although this year’s class isn’t the deepest, there appears to be a defined upper crust of players capable of changing the fortunes of franchises drafting inside the lottery.
As a housekeeping note, keep in mind that the following projections were made based on season-ending standings, subsequent tiebreakers and projected lottery odds, which were retrieved from Tankathon.com.
| 1 | Philadelphia 76ers | Brandon Ingram, F, Duke |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Ben Simmons, F, LSU |
| 3 | Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets) | Buddy Hield, SG/SF, Oklahoma |
| 4 | Phoenix Suns | Dragan Bender, PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Kris Dunn, G, Providence |
| 6 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks) | Jaylen Brown, F, California |
| 8 | Sacramento Kings | Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette |
| 9 | Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets) | Ivan Rabb, F, California |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | Demetrius Jackson, PG, Notre Dame |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Denzel Valentine, G/F, Michigan State |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns (via Washington Wizards) | Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah |
| 14 | Chicago Bulls | Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Gonzaga |
| 15 | Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets) | Timothe Luwawu, G/F, Mega Leks |
| 16 | Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks) | Diamond Stone, C, Maryland |
| 17 | Memphis Grizzlies | Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington |
| 18 | Detroit Pistons | Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt |
| 19 | Denver Nuggets (via Portland Trail Blazers) | Deyonta Davis, PF/C, Michigan State |
| 20 | Indiana Pacers | Brice Johnson, PF, North Carolina |
| 21 | Atlanta Hawks | Tyler Ulis, PG, Kentucky |
| 22 | Charlotte Hornets | Furkan Korkmaz, G/F, Turkey |
| 23 | Boston Celtics | Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor |
| 24 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami Heat) | DeAndre' Bembry, F, St. Joseph's |
| 25 | Los Angeles Clippers | Dejounte Murray, PG, Washington |
| 26 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder) | Malik Beasley, SG, Florida State |
| 27 | Toronto Raptors | Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt |
| 28 | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers) | Cheick Diallo, PF/C, Kansas |
| 29 | San Antonio Spurs | A.J. Hammons, C, Purdue |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Melo Trimble, PG, Maryland |
Fits to Consider
Buddy Hield and the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have sturdy wing options in Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder.
But with Evan Turner set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer following a stellar season under head coach Brad Stevens, Boston may soon be in need of a new sixth man.
So if the Celtics are fortunate enough to land a top-three pick, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield should be firmly on the team’s radar.
Although Boston boasted the league’s 10th-ranked offense from an efficiency perspective, per Basketball-Reference.com, the diminutive Isaiah Thomas is still the team’s only real potent scoring option.
Thus, Hield feels like a seamless match. Unlike Thomas, who operates as a ball-dominant guard who thrives as a shot-creator off the bounce, Hield can roam free away from the rock, sprint off screens and shred defenses with his catch-and-shoot stylings from beyond the arc.
For a Celtics team that ranked 28th in three-point field-goal percentage (33.5) this season, a pro-ready scorer like Hield has to be enticing.
"Shooting is at an all-time premium, and Buddy's ability to hit contested shots will benefit him against longer and quicker NBA defenders," ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla said, per ESPN.com’s Carl Carchia. "He has no problem getting into his shooting motion, even when he sees a hard close-out."
Demetrius Jackson and the Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker represent the future of the Milwaukee Bucks frontcourt, but the team’s backcourt is still shrouded in mystery.
Michael Carter-Williams has one year remaining on his contract before the team can either renounce his rights or extend him a qualifying offer, but the only thing consistent about his play to this point is that it’s been inconsistent.
Even though the lengthy floor general shot a career-best 45.2 percent from the floor this season, he continued to shoot below 40 percent from every mid-range zone on the floor, per Basketball-Reference.com.
And with defenses content to go under screens and dare Carter-Williams to shoot, the Bucks offense has been robbed of an extra dimension.
Enter Demetrius Jackson—the Notre Dame point guard with a lightning-quick first step and a 38.1 percent conversion rate from beyond the arc during his three seasons with the Irish.
"At 198 pounds with explosive bounce, sharp ball-handling skills, a clean stroke and high basketball IQ, Jackson aces the NBA eye test,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "It's tough to project him as a starter, but at the very least, Jackson should settle into the league as a spark of toughness off someone's bench."
With one year remaining on MCW’s deal until he can test free agency—restricted or otherwise—coming off the bench as a pure ball of energy could serve as a solid transition for Jackson before the Bucks hand him the keys to the offense.
Skal Labissiere and the Orlando Magic
Like the Bucks, the Orlando Magic have two foundational frontcourt components in Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon.
But what the Magic don’t possess is a springy shot-blocker who can serve as a deterrent around the rim. With that void in mind, Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere could be a seamless fit for Orlando in the latter stages of the lottery.
The lanky 6'11'' big man averaged a staggering 4.2 blocks per 40 minutes during his freshman season at Kentucky, per Sports-Reference.com, and numbers like those would be awfully helpful for a Magic team that ranked among the league’s worst in terms of rim protection last season.
According to NBA.com’s player-tracking data, Orlando allowed opponents to shoot 54.7 percent at the rim this season—the fourth-worst mark among all teams.
Labissiere’s offensive game still has a ways to go—especially when it comes to developing a consistent mid-range jump shot and reliable post moves—but his elite shot-blocking skills are tailor-made for a Magic frontcourt in need of extra bounce.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
