NBA Mock Draft 2016: Latest Projections and Comparisons for Underrated Prospects
It can be hard to look past a 2016 NBA draft class headlined by major names such as Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Dragan Bender.
Rest assured each team in the Association isn't overlooking anyone.
NBA teams understand the value of finding the gems in the first round. As a more recent example, look at what Kawhi Leonard, the No. 15 pick in the 2011 draft (by the Indiana Pacers), has done for the San Antonio Spurs.
Not every team will go out and find a Leonard, but underrated prospects with intriguing comparisons exist at all levels of the draft. Before breaking down a few of these to know, let's take a look at an updated mock.
2016 NBA Mock Draft
| 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 | SG Buddy Hield, Oklahoma |
| 5. | Minnesota Timberwolves | SF Jaylen Brown, California |
| 6. | New Orleans Pelicans | SG Jamal Murray, Kentucky |
| 7. | Denver Nuggets (via New York) | C Jakob Poeltl, Utah |
| 8. | Sacramento Kings | PG Kris Dunn, Providence |
| 9. | Toronto Raptors (via Denver) | PF Henry Ellenson, Marquette |
| 10. | Milwaukee Bucks | C Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep |
| 11. | Orlando Magic | PF/C Deyonta Davis, Michigan State |
| 12. | Utah Jazz | F Marquese Chriss, Washington |
| 13. | Phoenix Suns (via Washington) | C Damian Jones, Vanderbilt |
| 14. | Chicago Bulls | G Tyler Ulis, Kentucky |
| 15. | Denver Nuggets (via Houston) | SG Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey |
| 16. | Boston Celtics (via Dallas) | SG Timothe Luwawu, France |
| 17. | Memphis Grizzlies | PG Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame |
| 18. | Detroit Pistons | SG Denzel Valentine, Michigan State |
| 19. | Denver Nuggets (via Portland) | G Caris LeVert, Michigan |
| 20. | Indiana Pacers | PF Brice Johnson, North Carolina |
| 21. | Atlanta Hawks | C Diamond Stone, Maryland |
| 22. | Charlotte Hornets | PF Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga |
| 23. | Boston Celtics | F Paul Zipser, Germany |
| 24. | Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami) | G Malik Beasley, Florida State |
| 25. | Los Angeles Clippers | C Cheick Diallo, Kansas |
| 26. | Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City) | F Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida |
| 27. | Toronto Raptors | F Taurean Prince, Baylor |
| 28. | Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland) | C Skal Labissiere, Kentucky |
| 29. | San Antonio Spurs | PG Wade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt |
| 30. | Golden State Warriors | C Zhou Qi, China |
Comparisons for Underrated Prospects
Denzel Valentine, G, Michigan State
Compares to: Lance Stephenson
Maybe a comparison to Lance Stephenson isn't the best thing in the world, but give it a chance.
Remember, before his odd falling out with the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson had averaged 13.8 points, 4.6 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2013-14.
It's easy to see shades of Stephenson in Michigan State's Denzel Valentine from an on-court perspective. A four-year player with the Spartans, Valentine did his most notable stock-boosting play over his final two seasons:
| 2015-16 | .462 | .444 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 19.2 |
| 2014-15 | .443 | .416 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 14.5 |
He's a solid all-around scorer, but some teams might find it easy to sleep on Valentine because he spent four years in college and might already sit close to his ceiling.
Others, though, will find the value in a pro-ready player who can act as a core rotational piece for a long time. Valentine won't blow anyone away with his athleticism, but at 6'6" and 210 pounds, he's proven time and again he can find ways to score.
The Detroit Pistons land Valentine in the above mock, as they are ready to add more in the way of backcourt depth to an already strong and growing playoff roster. Valentine contributes scoring talent to the equation, perhaps without the other problems Stephenson presented.
Cheick Diallo, F, Kansas
Compares to: Kenneth Faried
Many might only consider Kansas forward Cheick Diallo a project player with insane athleticism and then move on to look at others.
But there is nothing wrong with freak athletes underneath the basket in the right system. Remember the glory days of Kenneth Faried with the Denver Nuggets? The No. 22 pick in 2011 has carved out a nice career for himself while posting career averages of 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds.
Diallo might be able to do much of the same, if not more. NBA teams just have to look past his rawness, which limited him to an average of 7.5 minutes per game with the Jayhawks.
At 6'9", 219 pounds and 19 years old, Diallo can play right out of the gates and develop in the right system. He's already a strong rim protector and rebounder while his offensive game grows.
The Los Angeles Clippers take the dive at No. 25 in the mock, a product of the team needing to look ahead to life without Blake Griffin. That doesn't suggest Griffin will leave or get dealt, but it's an observation that sooner or later his insane athleticism will begin to fade.
In theory, Diallo has the upside to step in and allow the Clippers to change little in the way they conduct their on-court business.
Diamond Stone, C, Maryland
Compares to: Jusuf Nurkic
In a center class with ridiculous excitement thanks to unknowns such as Thon Maker and Zhou Qi, Maryland's Diamond Stone falls to the backburner.
That isn't such a bad thing for a team in need of a high-upside player at the position.
Stone gets little credit as an NBA prospect after going one-and-done at Maryland. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor.
Standing at 6'10", 254 pounds, Stone might remind some of Denver's Jusuf Nurkic, another underrated player with pro-ready offensive capabilities who came off the board at No. 16 in 2014.
Nurkic has been unable to stay healthy, appearing in just 30 games over the course of his first two years, or otherwise he'd be a more well-known name.
Given his current talent and upside, Stone has the ability to come out ahead of this comparison in a hurry. In the old-school NBA, he'd be a lottery pick, but a lack of athleticism these days hurts a player even with such a strong set of offensive talents.
Stone falls to No. 21 with the Atlanta Hawks in the mock, which is a dynamite fit if the team loses Al Horford this summer. If not, it's still a win for all involved, given the depth Stone provides and the lessons he can glean from one of the game's best players at the spot.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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