Chad Ford NBA Mock Draft 2016: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's 7th Mock

After years with favorable odds in the lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers finally struck gold, winning the top overall pick in this year's draft. Now, the real questions begin.  

ESPN Insider Chad Ford attempted to answer all of the various draft questions with his latest mock draft. Below, we'll take a look at those selections and break down some of his more intriguing projections. 

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Philadelphia 76ers	Ben Simmons, F, LSU
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Brandon Ingram, F, Duke
3	Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn Nets)	Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky
4	Phoenix Suns	Dragan Bender, F, Croatia
5	Minnesota Timberwolves	Kris Dunn, G, Providence
6	New Orleans Pelicans	Buddy Hield, G, Oklahoma
7	Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks)	Henry Ellenson, F, Marquette
8	Sacramento Kings	Jaylen Brown, F, California
9	Toronto Raptors (via Denver Nuggets)	Marquese Chriss, F, Washington
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
11	Orlando Magic	Skal Labissiere, F, Kentucky
12	Utah Jazz	Furkan Korkmaz, G, Turkey
13	Phoenix Suns (via Washington Wizards)	Denzel Valentine, F, Michigan State
14	Chicago Bulls	Deyonta Davis, F, Michigan State
15	Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets)	Tyler Ulis, G, Kentucky
16	Boston Celtics (via Dallas Mavericks)	Ante Zizic, C, Croatia
17	Memphis Grizzlies	Domantas Sabonis, F, Gonzaga
18	Detroit Pistons	Wade Baldwin IV, G, Vanderbilt
19	Denver Nuggets (via Portland Trail Blazers)	Ivica Zubac, C, Bosnia
20	Indiana Pacers	Malachi Richardson, G, Syracuse
21	Atlanta Hawks	DeAndre Bembry, F, St. Joseph's
22	Charlotte Hornets	Malik Beasley, G, Florida State
23	Boston Celtics	Thon Maker, F, Australia
24	Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami Heat)	Dejounte Murray, G, Washington
25	Los Angeles Clippers	Demetrius Jackson, G, Notre Dame
26	Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder)	Patrick McCaw, G, UNLV
27	Toronto Raptors	Cheick Diallo, F, Kansas
28	Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers)	Juan Hernangomez, F, Spain
29	San Antonio Spurs	Chinanu Onuaku, C, Louisville
30	Golden State Warriors	Ben Bentil, F, Providence

1. Sixers Select Ben Simmons

Without question, the Philadelphia 76ers selecting No. 1 overall offers the most compelling question of the entire draft: Do they take LSU's Ben Simmons or Duke's Brandon Ingram?

Each player can make a strong case to be the top pick.

Simmons is a fantastic athlete who already has a filled-out frame and a diverse set of skills. He is excellent at getting to the rim and finishing. He's a phenomenal distributor and playmaker for a big man, and he is a good rebounder. He'll likely be a point forward at the next level, and the offense will go through him.

Ingram, meanwhile, is the better pure scorer and already has an excellent stroke from range. He has a fantastic wingspan and will be a matchup nightmare on the wing for smaller guards or forwards. He's (18) also a willing defender and is younger than Simmons (19), so it's possible he's still growing into his body.

Both also have downsides, of course.

For Simmons, the biggest question mark is without a doubt his jumper. He shot just three jumpers all season long, and his jump shot is beyond a work in progress. His playmaking ability and uncanny knack for getting into the lane and finishing near the basket overshadowed his poor jumper in college. In the NBA, it's a skill he'll need to improve.

Ingram, meanwhile, is impossibly lanky and slight. More powerful players in the NBA will bully him in the lane, and his frame will make him an injury concern. If he doesn't add bulk, it will be a major concern.

So, those are the scouting reports on the two players. What do the Sixers need?

Outside of more centers, the answer is everything. Why does Ford ultimately see Simmons as the pick?

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There will be a lot of debate in the Sixers' front office on whether to take Simmons or Ingram. But I think they'll lean toward Simmons. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown knows him from his days coaching in Australia. He desperately needs a playmaker, and new GM Bryan Colangelo wants a player who can contribute right now. Ingram will be tempting. They need shooting, and Ingram could really fit the bill. But right now, the odds are on Simmons going No. 1.

"

Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report wrote on Wednesday that the Sixers are "leaning heavily" toward selecting Simmons, per league sources. They reportedly have "great confidence in the upside of Simmons, whose ambidextrous athletic ability at 6’10” and 240 pounds comes with innate basketball instincts."

So Simmons seems to be the front-runner as the top selection. And he'll be the face of the "Trust the Process" rebuilding effort in Philadelphia that looks set to finally bear fruit.

3. Celtics Select Jamal Murray

There's little intrigue about the second overall pick. The Lakers are either going to draft Simmons or Ingram, depending on whom the Sixers don't select, or they are going to trade the pick for a veteran star. And then that team will draft Simmons or Ingram.

So, the real intrigue after No. 1 is the Boston Celtics at No. 3. And the Celtics have a number of options.

They could look to trade the pick for a veteran star, though landing outside of the top two selections really hurts the value of the pick. They could potentially upgrade at point guard with Kris Dunn. They could look to strike European gold like the New York Knicks did this season in Kristaps Porzingis by selecting Dragan Bender. They could add a pure scorer like Buddy Hield. 

Or they could select combo guard Jamal Murray. 

Ford noted, "The Celtics really like Dunn, and he might eventually be better than the point guards they already have, but Murray's shooting ability and versatility might make him a more valuable player, or trade chip, for the Celtics."

Murray can fill it up. He averaged 20 points, 5.2 rebounds and two assists for Kentucky this season, shooting 45.4 percent from the field 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. At one point this season, he scored 20 or more points in 12 straight games.

He can also play both guard positions, and his upside may be at point guard in the NBA (he played off the ball more at Kentucky because Tyler Ulis handled the point guard duties). As of now, of course, he looks like a 2-guard with upside who should, at the very least, be an effective scorer in the NBA.

5. Timberwolves Select Kris Dunn

Because Bender makes a lot of sense for Phoenix at No. 4, the last pick in this draft with true intrigue and the ability to shape the board is Minnesota at No. 5. And the Timberwolves will have a fascinating choice to make.

Do they go for the pure point guard and excellent defender, Dunn? Do they add a pure scorer to rotate with Zach LaVine at 2-guard in Hield? Or do they improve at power forward, where they also need a scoring presence, and select Henry Ellenson?

From a need standpoint, either Hield or Ellenson would probably be the better fit. So why Dunn?

As Ford notes: "Tom Thibodeau, the new president and coach, believes in defense first, and Dunn is an elite defender. Taking him would give them flexibility, should they choose to trade Ricky Rubio. It's a tough call. But from what I could gather at the combine and the lottery, they might be leaning toward Dunn."

The New Orleans Pelicans will be rooting for this outcome, as it would allow them to select Hield, the scorer and shooter they need at guard, especially if Eric Gordon departs as a free agent. Hield would also give them an instant contributor, which is appealing for a team built around an established superstar in Anthony Davis. 

Dunn, Hield and Ellenson are all intriguing prospects, and it's hard to imagine any of the three being dramatically better than the others. So Minnesota probably can't mess this pick up too badly. But it will have a major bearing on how the rest of the top 10 plays out, which makes it an interesting selection.

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