Future Watch: 2016 NBA Mock Draft – Top 10 Prospects – The 2016 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23rd. The event will be hosted by the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. With just over two weeks remaining, the first several selections are starting to take shape.
Panini America, the exclusive trading card licensee of the NBA, will have a wealth of young talent in which to use at the core of building their 2016-17 basketball card products. Their will be no shortage of rookies for collectors to chase when the new collecting season gets underway later this year.
In addition, large market teams hold the top three picks in the 76’ers, Celtics and Lakers, respectively. this bodes well for the hobby as a whole as the fan bases for each team extend well beyond their local geography.
While anything can change, it is fairly certain and most experts agree, that Ben Simmons of LSU and Brandon Ingram of Duke, will in all likelihood be selected number one and two respectively. Here is a look at the current state of the consensus mock drafts from various sources across the country.
Future Watch: 2016 NBA Mock Draft – Top 10 Prospects
#1 – Philadelphia 76’ers
Ben Simmons (6’10”, 240lbs) – Small Forward, LSU – Simmons is widely regarded as the best player in the draft. Despite some off-court issues, the Sixers management seem prepared to make him the number one overall pick in this year’s draft. Simmons was the recipient of numerous prep athlete awards including being named a McDonald’s All-America, Gatorade National Player of the Year and Naismith Prep Player of the Year. In his lone year at LSU he was named a consensus first-team All-American and was the SEC Freshman of the Year. He averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
#2 Los Angeles Lakers
Brandon Ingram (6’9″, 195lbs) – Small Forward, Duke – With rebuilding officially underway in Los Angeles, following the retirement of perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are looking to add talent quickly. Ingram fits the bill. The former McDoanld’s All-American put up solid numbers for Duke this past season. He averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
#3 Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown (6’7″, 223lbs) – Shooting Guard/Small Forward, California – Brown is an extremely versatile player with strong defensive skills and moves well without the basketball. He would be an ideal fit in the Celtics offense. The former McDonald’s All-America was named first-team All-Pac-12 at Cal. He averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in his single season of NCAA ball.
#4 Phoenix Suns
Dragan Bender (7’1″, 225lb) – Power Forward/Center), Israel – The ongoing influx of international talent will most likely yield another top 10 selection in Bender. The native of Croatia has been playing professionally in Israel. He has a solid game at both ends of the floor and would be a nice compliment to Tyson Chandler. Bender was named an Israeli League All-Star and his team won back-to-back championships in 2015-2016. He won’t blow you away with his scoring but he is a solid, reliable player that makes his teammates better.
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves
Kris Dunn (6’4″, 205lbs) – Shooting Guard, Providence – The Timberwolves are definitely a team on the rise. With another top five draft pick at their disposal and a core of young talent already in place, they are in the unique position of being able to add a specific player that meets their needs. That player is Dunn. The former Parade and McDonald’s All-American was twice named Big East Player of the Year at Providence. He is easily the best defender in the draft and has a solid all-around game. In four years at Providence he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.8 assist and 2.2 steals per game.
#6 New Orleans Pelicans
Buddy Hield (6’5″, 225lbs) – Shooting Guard, Oklahoma – Hield’s list of hardware, accolades and accomplishments is absolute ridiculous and includes Jerry West Award, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Sporting News College Player of the Year, consensus first-team All-American and was twice named Big 12 Player of the Year. In his four years at Oklahoma, the native of the Bahamas averaged 17.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
#7 Denver Nuggets
Marquese Chriss (6’10”, 233lbs) – Power Forward, Washington – With three picks in the top 20, the Nuggets can afford to take a gamble on this big-man. Chriss has one of the highest ceilings in the draft but not all scouts are convinced of his potential longevity. The number seven selection has had great debate to it so don’t be surprised if Chriss’ draft stock quickly drops. He averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last year at Washington.
#8 Sacramento Kings
Jamal Murray (6’4″, 207lbs) – Shooting Guard, Kentucky – It’s quite possible the talented shooter goes higher in the draft if a couple of teams ahead of them forego specific needs and opt for best available. He would serve as either a solid replacement for Rajon Rondo or a great compliment as he can space the floor well. At Kentucky last year, he averaged 20 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
#9 Toronto Raptors
Jakob Poeltl (7’1″, 239lbs) – Power Forward/Center, Utah – The big-man who is a native of Austria, would fill an immediate need for Toronto. He had a standout year in 2015-16 earning several awards and honors including: Pete Newell Big Man Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, Pac-12 Player of the Year, First-team All-Pac-12. In two years at Utah, he averaged 13.3 points, 8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.
#10 Milwaukee Bucks
Deyonta Davis (6’11”, 237lbs) – Power Forward, Michigan State – The Bucks have always drafted stable players with a high-upside. That criteria makes Davis their likely pick. He is a good defensive player due to his ability to move his feet and protect the rim. He also has potential of shooting the ball out to around 15 to 18 feet. Another former Parade and McDonald’s All-American, he averaged 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the Spartans last year.
While these selections aren’t written in stone, it is almost certain that the majority of these players are selected at some point in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft. Other players that could be featured prominently include:
For a look at more mock drafts, checkout NBA Draft, Bleacher Report and CBS Sports.
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