2016 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Where Top Prospects Will Land in 1st Round
Are you excited for the 2016 NBA draft? The class may not seem particularly strong or deep, but there will still be plenty of quality players working hard in the coming weeks to prove their worth to scouts.
Of course, players and classes frequently prove projections wrong. The 2016 draft could end up being stronger than anticipated thanks to player development and teams drafting prospects who are good fits for their rosters and approaches.
We'll look at a first-round mock draft, then project the landing spots for the three best backcourt prospects in this year's crop of players.
| 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 | SF Jaylen Brown, California |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves | SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma |
| 6 | New Orleans Pelicans | PG Kris Dunn, Providence |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets (via New York) | PG/SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky |
| 8 | Sacramento Kings | SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey |
| 9 | Toronto Raptors (via Denver) | PF/C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | C Jakob Poeltl, Utah |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | G/F Timothe Luwawu, France |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | G Malik Beasley, Florida State |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns (via Washington) | F Henry Ellenson, F, Marquette |
| 14 | Chicago Bulls | F Marquese Chriss, Washington |
| 15 | Denver Nuggets (via Houston) | F/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State |
| 16 | Boston Celtics (via Dallas) | SG/SF Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 17 | Memphis Grizzlies | PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt |
| 18 | Detroit Pistons | PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Denver Nuggets (via Portland) | F Taurean Prince, Baylor |
| 20 | Indiana Pacers | F Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga |
| 21 | Atlanta Hawks | C Stephen Zimmerman, UNLV |
| 22 | Charlotte Hornets | PF/C Thon Maker, Australia |
| 23 | Boston Celtics | G Caris Levert, Michigan |
| 24 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami) | PG Tyler Ulis, Kentucky |
| 25 | Los Angeles Clippers | PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina |
| 26 | Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City) | G Malachi Richardson, Syracuse |
| 27 | Toronto Raptors | PG Melo Trimble, Maryland |
| 28 | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland) | G Dejounte Murray, Washington |
| 29 | San Antonio Spurs | C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | SG Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia |
Projections for Top Backcourt Players
No. 5, Minnesota Timberwolves: SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
By most statistical measures, the Timberwolves' four best players last season were Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng. That's a great young core of players to build around, but the foursome doesn't have much long-distance shooting. As a team, the Timberwolves ranked second-worst in three-pointers made and 25th in three-point percentage during the 2015-16 season.
And that's where Buddy Hield comes in.
The best shooter in college basketball last season, the Oklahoma shooting guard is especially dangerous from behind the arc. He made an astounding 147 three-pointers during the campaign, 22 more than anyone else in Division I despite playing in the rough-and-tumble Big 12.
He could immediately start on the perimeter with Rubio and Wiggins, spacing the floor for the former's stellar passing and the latter's explosive slashing. Zach LaVine, another intriguing young prospect for the team, could thrive in a sixth-man role, which he seems most suited for at this point in his career.
Hield will probably never be an All-Star, but that's not a terrible thing. As long as he draws attention away from Towns and Wiggins, hits open shots and gives strong effort on defense, he'll be worth a high pick.
No. 6, New Orleans Pelicans: PG Kris Dunn, Providence
Kris Dunn is the best floor general in the draft, and a lot of his potential stems from his physical tools. At 6'4" and 205 pounds with a 6'9 ½" wingspan, per DraftExpress, he's explosive with or without the ball and can rise for dunks in traffic.
Check out this one he threw down on Butler in March, courtesy of ABC6's Nick Coit:
Dunn's defense is also already excellent, and he can maneuver pick-and-rolls well with a quick first step and decent pull-up jumper. It's exciting to imagine the 22-year-old working with Anthony Davis on both ends and causing all sorts of problems for opponents in transition.
Jrue Holiday's injury problems never seem to stop, and neither Norris Cole nor Toney Douglas is a good long-term option for New Orleans. The Pelicans need to snatch Dunn from the board immediately if he's available at No. 6 and hand him the ball on Day 1.
No. 7, Denver Nuggets: PG/SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky
Let's make one thing clear: despite a rough rookie season, Emmanuel Mudiay isn't losing his starting point guard spot anytime soon. He slipped to the No. 7 pick last summer after many fans thought he would land in the top four, and he showcased a bunch of potential in 2015-16.
But with California's Jaylen Brown off the board, the Nuggets' smartest move is to go with the best prospect left, a guy who happens to play a lot of his minutes at point guard.
Jamal Murray could help Denver's second unit immediately and occasionally play as a 2-guard next to Mudiay, though defensive stalwart Gary Harris is deserving of that role in the short term. The Kentucky standout's skill set could eventually mesh with Mudiay's full time, helping space the floor for him and giving him some ball-handling relief from time to time.
Players who can shoot the ball and do most other things well are valuable in the NBA, even if they never become full-fledged superstars. Murray looks like a 15- to 17-point-per-game scorer who'll consistently make a positive impact for his team throughout his career.
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