NBA Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Projections and Predictions for Fringe Prospects

You know the stars in this year's NBA draft, but what about the fringe first-rounders teams will take a gamble on in the hopes of unearthing the next big thing?

Let's take a look at a few players hovering around the end of the first round in most projections, along with a first-round mock draft for this year's NBA draft.

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

Patrick McCaw, SG, UNLV

Patrick McCaw is an interesting prospect. His height (6'7") and length for the shooting guard position are ideal, and he's one of the best on-ball defenders in this draft class. His 2.5 steals per game are just one indicator of how dominant he can be on the defensive end, and his ability to guard three positions will make him valuable.

His offensive game is what makes him a fringe first-rounder. While he's a strong distributor and shot well in college (46.5 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from beyond the arc last season), he has difficulty creating his own shot and isn't an elite athlete.

Teams that believe he can add some bulk to his skinny frame (185 lbs) and will develop into a dangerous perimeter shooter will likely take a first-round flier on him, as his defensive prowess should compensate for his limitations.

But teams that don't envision him ever growing into any type of offensive threat will likely pass on him until the second round.

Stephen Zimmerman, C, UNLV

John Gurzinski/Getty Images

Derek Bodner of DraftExpress broke down the many contradictions of Stephen Zimmerman:

"

Stephen Zimmerman has a number of skill sets—mobility, shooting touch, pick-and-roll potential—that are extremely sought after in the NBA, packaged with a 7' frame, solid length, and a body type that looks like it could add bulk down the line. But every positive that Zimmerman currently has is qualified with some form of concern, whether that's the need to prove he can extend his range and become more consistent in his jump shot, struggles competing physically in the paint, and concerns about his perimeter defense. 

Zimmerman is stuck a little bit between positions, without the kind of rim protection decision-makers want anchoring their defense, and struggling to defend the pick and roll game in what is becoming an increasingly perimeter-oriented league. 

"

And that's why Zimmerman finds himself stuck on the fringes of the first round. All of his potential is mitigated by the very real holes in his game, yet there will be teams that believe he can put it all together, which is why he sneaks into the first round of this mock draft.

Centers always intrigue NBA teams simply because it is so hard to identify good ones, and Zimmerman showed a lot of promise as a freshman. In Zimmerman's case, his potential should outweigh the concerns for NBA teams, and he'll likely slip into the first round. 

But it wouldn't exactly be surprising if many teams saw him as too much of a project and he dropped into the second round, either.

Chinanu Onuaku, C, Louisville

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Chinanu Onuaku didn't crack the first round in this mock draft, but ESPN Insider Chad Ford projected him to the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 29 pick.

"Onuaku might be raw offensively, but he could bring a lot of the same toughness the Spurs saw in the Thunder's Steven Adams," Ford wrote. "Onuaku is a good rebounder and shot-blocker who plays with great toughness."

Of course, there's no guarantee that Onuaku will even enter the draft, as he has yet to hire an agent.

"Let's say I go to the league and I don't do well, then my career's not going to be that great," said Onuaku, per Jeff Greer of the Louisville Courier-Journal. "If I go back (to U of L for a junior year), I can get another year under my belt and probably be a lottery pick."

Despite that concern voiced by Onuaku, Greer also reported that Louisville head coach Rick Pitino expected the big center to remain in the draft.

He's a solid rim protector and has the upside to be a nice rotational piece in a frontcourt down the line, but his lack of skill and polish means he's unlikely to ever be a star. Another season at Louisville may benefit the big man and would likely improve his draft stock. 

But if he does stay in the draft, he's likely to fall in the 25-40 range. It's hard to imagine him falling very far into the second round.

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