2016 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Prospects Who Will Sneak into 1st Round
When drafting NBA players, should teams select them based on their skill level? How about their potential? And what about their fit with the team?
It's always a combination of these three, along with several other smaller factors. With that in mind, let's pick the first round of the 2016 NBA draft, one that isn't particularly strong on paper but could contain several impact players.
We'll also be focusing on three prospects who may not be seen as first-round picks by most outlets, but could sneak into the top 30 because of a potentially great fit with a particular team. For each of these players, their DraftExpress prospect ranking will be listed after where they are selected in the first round.
| 1 | Philadelphia 76ers | Ben Simmons, F, LSU |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Brandon Ingram, F, Duke |
| 3 | Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets) | Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma |
| 4 | Phoenix Suns | Dragan Bender, F, Croatia |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky |
| 6 | New Orleans Pelicans | Kris Dunn, G, Providence |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks) | Jaylen Brown, F, California |
| 8 | Sacramento Kings | Timothe Luwawu, G/F, France |
| 9 | Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets) | Ivan Rabb, PF, California |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | Furkan Korkmaz, G/F, Turkey |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Malik Beasley, G, Florida State |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns (via Washington Wizards) | Denzel Valentine, G/F, Michigan State |
| 14 | Chicago Bulls | Skal Labissiere, F/C, Kentucky |
| 15 | Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets) | Domantas Sabonis, F, Gonzaga |
| 16 | Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks) | Henry Ellenson, F/C, Marquette |
| 17 | Memphis Grizzlies | Demetrius Jackson, G, Notre Dame |
| 18 | Detroit Pistons | Deyonta Davis, F/C, Michigan State |
| 19 | Denver Nuggets (via Portland Trail Blazers) | Tyler Ulis, G, Kentucky |
| 20 | Indiana Pacers | Thon Maker, F/C, Australia |
| 21 | Atlanta Hawks | Stephen Zimmerman, C, UNLV |
| 22 | Charlotte Hornets | Marquese Chriss, F, Washington |
| 23 | Boston Celtics | Taurean Prince, F, Baylor |
| 24 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami Heat) | Wade Baldwin IV, G, Vanderbilt |
| 25 | Los Angeles Clippers | Brice Johnson, F, North Carolina |
| 26 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder) | Malachi Richardson, G, Syracuse |
| 27 | Toronto Raptors | DeAndre' Bembry, F, St. Joseph's |
| 28 | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers) | Dejounte Murray, G, Washington |
| 29 | San Antonio Spurs | Juan Hernangomez, F, Spain |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Malcolm Brogdon, G, Virginia |
Potential First-Round Picks
Thon Maker, No. 20 to the Indiana Pacers (No. 41 prospect)
It's tough to predict where Maker is going to go in this year's draft. After becoming eligible in early April, the 7'0" Sudanese big man has been slotted in a wide variety of spots.
DraftExpress has him as its No. 41 prospect, Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler picked him to go 11th in a recent mock draft and NBADraft.net has him leaving the board at No. 28. Maker's potential as a versatile, athletic and energetic big is tantalizing, but scouts are also worried about his lack of offensive polish and questionable feel for the game.
However, if any team is willing to take a gamble on Maker, the Pacers seem like a logical candidate.
Indiana's playoff big-man rotation is Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi as the starters, with rookie Myles Turner and Jordan Hill coming off the bench. Turner is obviously a keeper and will soon emerge as the team's second-best player after Paul George—if he isn't already. The rest of those names do not inspire much hope for a squad looking to take the next step, and Mahinmi and Hill's contracts both expire this summer.
Maker fits the profile of a guy who could (emphasis on "could") become an excellent complement to Turner. Both can be good defenders who can switch out onto smaller players if necessary. Turner looks the part of a higher-usage guy, and Maker can end up doing the dirty work by scoring off putbacks and lobs.
Brice Johnson, No. 25 to the Los Angeles Clippers (No. 33 prospect)
The Clippers are a good team, but they don't seem to have the depth to become legitimate title contenders, plus Blake Griffin keeps getting injured. North Carolina's Brice Johnson could help alleviate those problems.
Los Angeles simply needs more help behind Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Cole Aldrich has emerged as an excellent defender and inside finisher this year, but the Clippers' other big men are small-ball options (Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Jeff Green).
The 6'9" Johnson could slide nicely into that fourth big slot right off the bat, play next to Aldrich and provide some of the athleticism and scoring skill that the former Kansas standout lacks. Aldrich's strong interior defense also covers up Johnson's deficiencies on that end of the floor.
Additionally, in the event of another Griffin injury (they've happened the past two seasons), Johnson can slide into the starting spot and help Los Angeles keep a similar identity, rather than forcing the team to play mostly small ball.
Malcolm Brogdon, No. 30 to the Golden State Warriors (No. 39 prospect)
The Warriors are awesome. A regular-season record of 73-9 makes that obvious. They did, however, take a step back defensively this season, going from first in defensive efficiency in 2014-15 to fourth in the statistic this year, per ESPN.com.
Though the starting lineup can get lazy on defense, Golden State's bench is clearly the bigger problem for the team. Guys like Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights are more offensive-minded players, and the unit could use a defensive spark, considering stalwart Andre Iguodala plays a lot of minutes with the starters anyway.
Enter Brogdon, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year from Virginia. The 6'5", 215-pound swingman relishes the opportunity to guard the opponent's best offensive wing, and usually succeeds with his length, strength and instincts.
With the Warriors, Brogdon can focus almost completely on defense with all the offensive weapons Golden State has. However, he's a smart enough player to keep pace in Golden State's fast-paced, ball-movement-heavy offense and score when his number is called.
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