With the 76ers finally “trusting the process” enough to earn the first pick (bad basketball humor), they are now on the clock for June’s 2016 NBA Draft. How should the first round play out? Some of the BBALLBREAKDOWN staff got together to talk about it. We made our picks, gave some rational and took a look at the how the rosters shake out:
1.) Philadelphia 76ers – Brandon Ingram/F/Duke
Jeff Feyerer – Where to start with this team? They finally parlay a truly awful season into the top prize, and for all of the work Sam Hinkie did to get them to this point, it’s the Colangelos that will reap the benefits. It’s a cruel, cruel world. Early talk has the 76ers more interested in Ben Simmons, and rewinding to six months ago, that would have been the easy choice. But after a season that could best be described as uneven, it’s now going to be a difficult decision because Duke freshman sensation Brandon Ingram burst onto the scene.
Ingram, to me, has less question marks in his game. Most of the positives in Simmons’ game – his length, versatility, basketball IQ, passing ability – are trumped by Ingram’s ability to score, shoot and defend. On a team like the Sixers, who have a ton of raw, sub-25 talent, but no one truly proven and no surefire stars, I have a hard time picking a player like Simmons, who can’t shoot it and may check out if things aren’t going well. A front line of Ingram, Noel and Okafor is at least interesting, and the ultimate wild cards, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, are still hanging out there. The question does come in as to whether or not a player like Okafor will be dealt to fill the hole at point guard. If the 76ers can deal one of their young frontcourt players, I can certainly see Simmons being the pick.
PG – Kendall Marshall, TJ McConnell
SG – Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas
SF – Brandon Ingram, Jeremi Grant
PF – Nerlens Noel, Richaun Holmes, Carl Landry
C – Jahlil Okafor
RFA – Hollis Thompson, Isaiah Canaan
Adam Spinella – I have a hard time envisioning the Sixers passing on Simmons here, and find his fit in Philly actually quite nice. The Sixers have lacked a guy who makes plays for others the last few seasons, and the clamors have been loud about their need for a ‘point guard’. Does Simmons not fit that mold in a Draymond Green-esque fashion? He’s best with the ball in his hands, and might be great in the long-term when flanked by Dario Saric. Those two playmaking forwards could play side-by-side with great spacing, and one could go well next to defensive-minded Nerlens Noel or post scorer Jahlil Okafor. While Ingram would boost the offense, I see Simmons as a transcendent talent that cannot be passed on… and the Sixers possessing the frontcourt pieces to shape the team around him.
Jeff Feyerer – I hear what you’re saying Adam. But my problem is the 76ers don’t have dependable perimeter scorer on the roster right now. We’ve seen Covington go off here and there, but he’s not a player they’re going to build around. Agree to disagree.
2.) Los Angeles Lakers – Ben Simmons/F/LSU
Jeff Feyerer – If they keep the pick, the Lakers are likely to take Simmons. With Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt and Julius Randle in the frontcourt, the versatility of Simmons would help facilitate the offense and provide flexibility defensively. While he seemed genuinely disinterested during his time at LSU, he still averaged 19.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG. It will be interesting to see if the fire starts to burn when the bright lights of LA are on him. Simmons’ camp seems to be interested in pushing him to Los Angeles for the exposure, but he would also be a basketball fit. I could also see this as a spot for a trade to acquire a veteran. The Lakers are never a team to commit to a full rebuild and now may be the time for them to capitalize on an asset like the no. 2 pick to acquire an established veteran to complement their core. They only have six guaranteed contracts heading into the offseason and have a huge hole at the center position. A chance to trade down and fill some gaps could be a possibility.
PG – D’Angelo Russell, Lou Williams
SG – Nick Young, Anthony Brown
SF – Ben Simmons, Larry Nance
PF – Julius Randle
C –
RFA – Jordan Clarkson, Tarik Black, Marcelo Huertas, Ryan Kelly
We go to our resident Celtics fan for his thoughts on the third pick…..
3.) Boston Celtics (via BRK) – Dragan Bender/F/Croatia
James Holas – For the Celtics, getting the third versus the second pick may be a boon. Sure, Ben Simmons has all of the physical NBA tools, but the muttering about his motor and demeanor, his absolute aversion to shooting a jumper, those have to worry teams picking at the top. With him off the board, Danny Ainge can comfortably scoop up this year’s version of Kristaps Porzingis: Dragan Bender. At 7-foot-1, there’s not much that the Croatian Domination (gotta get that trademarked) can’t do on the court. Sure, he’s rail thin, and has a relatively stubby wing span (it’s listed as 7-foot-2; by comparison, Porzingis measured in at 7-foot-6, 6-foot-11, DeAndre Jordan is 7-foot-6 from fingertip to fingertip, and at 6-foot-11, Anthony “Brow” Davis has an insane 7-foot-7 span), the soon-to-be 19 year old kid checks all of the other boxes. Ring ‘em up, Gang Green will take him.
PG – Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier
SG – Avery Bradley, R.J. Hunter, James Young
SF – Jae Crowder, Jonas Jerebko
PF – Amir Johnson, Dragan Bender, Jordan Mickey
C – Kelly Olynyk
RFA: Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller
Adam Spinella – It’s an interesting pick on Bender; after Simmons and Ingram are off the board, there’s certainly quite the drop-off in certainty. Boston needs outside shooting, and while Bender can fill that void, so could Jamaal Murray. Bender is likely too tantalizing to pass on, I agree.
4.) Phoenix Suns – Jaylen Brown/SF/California
Adam Spinella – Phoenix has a good deal of versatility to take the “best player available.” With Bender off the board. They already have three solid backcourt pieces in Knight, Bledsoe, and rookie Devin Booker. That’s where Jaylen Brown comes in. He’’s a frontcourt swingman that is built like a bowling ball and can get to the rim with ease. He adds another transition component to the Suns roster that they don’t have at the forward spot. As far as pure athletic talent and upside go, Brown is the superstar grab that the Suns take at four and hope he turns into a good shooter down the line. Brown is one of the poorest outside shooters in the draft, but playing next to Devin Booker would make this a lot more palatable.
PG – Brandon Knight, Archie Goodwin
SG – Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, John Jenkins
SF – P.J. Tucker, Jaylen Brown, T.J. Warren
PF – Alex Len
C – Tyson Chandler
Jeff Feyerer – It’s crazy to think that Brown could even go no. 3 to the Celtics. He’s got a world of talent, but has got a ways to go. I liken him a little to Stanley Johnson last year. I think Brown is more athletic, but Johnson is better in the way of understanding defensive principles. Given their lack of talent up front behind Len and Chandler, I can also see this as a spot for Chriss.
5.) Minnesota Timberwolves – Jamal Murray/SG/Kentucky
Adam Spinella – Despite possessing the last two Rookie of the Year winners and first-overall picks, the Timberwolves are in need of help on the offensive end. Jamal Murray provides that with his sharpshooting ability from three and ability to score off any type of screen. Last season, the Wolves were 29th in the league in three point attempts and three-point makes — a trend that certainly must change with Tom Thibodeau taking over. Murray shot above 40 percent from three at an SEC school while putting up a high volume of attempts in his lone collegiate season.
He slides well next to or behind Zach LaVine — Murray can play with the ball in his hands a bit, which could give the Wolves a two-headed combo guard attack. He’s far more than just a three-point shooter. Murray is excellent at reading screens and the defense, and utilizes a crafty finishing ability near the rim. The concerns with Murray revolve around his lack of top-level athleticism: this is the perfect young roster to surround a player like Murray with the athletic help he’d need on the defensive end of the court.
PG – Ricky Rubio, Tyus Jones
SG – Zach LaVine, Jamal Murray
SF – Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad, Damjan Rudez
PF – Gorgui Dieng, Nemanja Bjelicia, Adreian Payne
C – Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Garnett
Jeff Feyerer – Love the fit with Murray with their need for shooting, but they have to consider Dunn here don’t they? I guess it really depends on how you view Rubio. The length of Dunn next to LaVine, Wiggins, Dieng and Towns is downright terrifying.
6.) New Orleans Pelicans – Buddy Hield/SG/Oklahoma
Jeff Feyerer – My love for Buddy Hield knows no bounds, but even I can agree that this is the highest he should go. He’s not as complete a player as Jamal Murray, but he does have the chance to be a dynamic scorer. The value of outside shooting in the NBA is at an all-time high and Hield has that in spades. He knocked down 45.3 percent of his three-pointers last year and possesses an ultra-quick, clean release that should allow him to get as many shots off as he wants with relative ease. While not the most athletic player, he has a deceptive ability to get to the rim, not to dissimilar to Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce.
I’m not saying he’s the same player, but his ability to weave through traffic is reminiscent to them. There are questions surrounding both his defense and playmaking ability. I have no concern about his defense as Hield has shown through four years of college the desire to work his way to being a better player, and often times when it comes to defense, the “want” to play it can be more important. As far as his playmaking ability, I’m reserving judgement until I see him in a more even basketball lineup. He found himself playing in a lineup next to two natural point guards at Oklahoma so the need to create wasn’t always there. Hield next to Anthony Davis has my attention.
PG – Jrue Holiday, Toney Douglas
SG – Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield, Bryce Dejean-Jones
SF – Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter, Luke Babbitt
PF – Anthony Davis
C – Omer Asik, Alexis Ajinca
RFA – James Ennis, Tim Frazier
Adam Spinella – I’m not as high on Hield as most, but he is as good of a fit as anybody in New Orleans with that jumbled roster. They could reach for a stretch-4 to try and move Davis to the center spot, but that may be giving Dell Demps too much credit.
Jeff Feyerer – I could see a number of options for them here because taking a step back, Davis is really the only long-term piece they can count on.
7.) Denver Nuggets (via NYK) – Marquese Chriss/PF/Washington
Adam Spinella – The Nuggets possess three first-round picks, but might be the team in the lottery most in need of a bonafide superstar, but also the one that can swing for the fences the most in the top 10. The Nuggets unfortunately draft too far down to snatch one of the top few prospects, and in this mock draft would be left with either poor position fits with another talented big man, or a point guard in Kris Dunn that essentially replicates last year’s Mudiay pick.
The best fit of the players on the board appears to be Marquese Chriss, the Washington Huskie with as pure a jumper as you’ll see for a frontcourt guy. He’s a little undersized to be a center and the coveted “stretch-5”. It shouldn’t be expected that Chriss plays a role right away for the Nuggets; he’s still very raw offensively and doesn’t stay out of foul trouble on the defensive end. There are some character concerns here as well: the upside to Chriss is tantalizing, but his floor is as low as any prospect getting top 10 attention. Given the constant trade talk surrounding Faried and Gallinari, Chriss would also serve as nice frontcourt insurance policy.
PG – Emmanuel Mudiay, Jameer Nelson
SG – Gary Harris, Will Barton, Axel Toupane
SF – Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, JaKarr Sampson
PF – Kenneth Faried, Marquese Chriss, Joffrey Lauvergne, Darell Arthur
C – Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic
8.) Sacramento Kings – Kris Dunn/PG/Providence
Jeff Feyerer – I can’t believe Kris Dunn falls all the way to no. 8. On my own board, he’s the third player in the draft behind Ingram and Simmons, but there doesn’t seem to be an ideal landing spot before this. Each prior drafting team, outside of Philadelphia, has a young or “youngish” point guard already in the fold. But when it comes to Dunn, I would take him over all of them.
Physically, he looks like how you would build a point guard from scratch. Standing 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Dunn possesses elite quickness and athleticism, skillful ball-handling, an ability to score at the basket while not eschewing his distribution responsibilities as a point guard, and the potential to be an All-NBA defender. There were questions earlier in his career about his ability to shoot it from the outside, but he got progressively better as time wore on and shouldn’t be a liability from that area. His turnover numbers were relatively high and he struggled some in pick-and-roll, but I chalk that up to not always being surrounded with top level talent at Providence.
I think many of those problems will be gone when he enters an NBA lineup with players that can finish consistently. I have no hesitation saying that in the right situation, Dunn should be the favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year. I don’t see the Kings re-signing Rondo as they try to revamp the culture that led to a disastrous 2015-2016 season. New head coach Dave Joerger will love what Dunn brings to the table. A future led by Dunn, DeMarcus Cousins and Willie Cauley-Stein could be a good start. But I really do think an interested team does trade up to snag him before the Kings pick. He’s too good.
PG – Kris Dunn, Darren Collison
SG – Ben McLemore, Marco Belinelli
SF – Rudy Gay, Omri Casspi
PF – Willie Cauley-Stein
C – DeMarcus Cousins, Kosta Koufos
RFA – Seth Curry, Eric Moreland
9.) Toronto Raptors (via DEN, NYK) – Deyonta Davis/PF/Michigan State
Adam Spinella – Toronto is in an enviable position, reaping the benefits of their Andrea Bargnani trade a few seasons ago. While battling in the Eastern Conference Finals, they find themselves in possession of a top 10 pick and their position of need, the frontcourt, is ripe with lottery-level talent. Enter Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis. Davis is a long, athletic, and skilled big man with the versatility to play multiple positions on the frontline. While he as a ways to to become a finished product, the talent is there. With Bismack Biyombo having the ability to opt out of his contract following a great playoff performance, the Raptors select another body to insert there while having the luxury as a playoff team to bring him along slowly.
PG – Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, Delon Wright
SG – DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross
SF – DeMarre Carroll, Norman Powell, Bruno Caboclo
PF – Patrick Patterson, Deyonta Davis
C – Jonas Valanciunas, Bismack Biyombo, Bebe Nogueira
10.) Milwaukee Bucks – Jakob Poeltl/C/Utah
Jeff Feyerer – The Bucks saw a significant drop-off last season from their 2015 playoff appearance due mainly to a bevy of injuries, porous interior defense, and a host of young, athletic players still trying to find their role on the team. One thing the Bucks have is length, but not when it comes to defending at the rim or banging in the post.
For all that Greg Monroe brings skill-wise on the offensive end, he leaves just as much on the defensive side of it. Giannis Antetokounmpo, though he can play every position on the court, seems to be settling on the perimeter, and Jabari Parker, for all his offensive skill, has no business defending in down low. These factors coalesce to make Jakob Poeltl a very intriguing selection.
For all of the talk about the NBA going “small,” there will always be room for players that can rebound, create second chance opportunities for their team, and defend at the rim. Poeltl can do that. While still raw after playing only two seasons at Utah, and still needing to add some muscle to his frame, Poeltl can run the floor, has good footwork on defense, can absorb contact and can finish around the rim. He was in the top 5 in the Pac-12 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and his desire to play defense down low drastically outweighs that same desire of players currently on the Milwaukee roster.
PG – Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis
SG – Khris Middleton, Rashad Vaughn
SF – Giannis Antetokounmpo
PF – Jabari Parker, John Henson
C – Greg Monroe, Jakob Poeltl
RFA – Miles Plumlee
11.) Orlando Magic – Skal Labissiere/C/Kentucky
Adam Spinella – As difficult as it is for me to write this, I think the Magic go with Labissiere here. Labissiere is a strong shot blocker and an incredibly mobile defender, something the Magic are in desperate need of. They lack strong outside shooting and must retain RFA Evan Fournier to keep their offensive spacing. Still, the lack of rim protection on this roster is daunting and it is difficult to find someone that can play next to or behind Vucevic.
Labissiere is a work in progress on the offensive end and must learn to defend without fouling, but the athletic potential is clearly there. Orlando still has a need to upgrade their offense, and they are incredibly thin on the wings as well. The first step for a team hoping to compete in the East is to add a rim protector though: they can add a scorer through free agency, whereas rim protectors do not come cheap.
PG – Elfrid Payton, C.J. Watson, Shabazz Napier
SG – Victor Oladipo, Roy Devyn Marble
SF – Mario Hezonja
PF – Aaron Gordon, Ersan Ilyasova
C – Nikola Vucevic, Skal Labissiere
RFA – Evan Fournier, Andrew Nicholson
12.) Utah Jazz – Denzel Valentine/SG-SF/Michigan State
Jeff Feyerer – The Jazz are almost there. Utah was one game away from making the playoffs in 2015-2016, and if you account for the fact their “point guard of the future,” Dante Exum, missed the entire season, the season they had, coupled with the youth of their roster, was quite the accomplishment.
A core built around Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Exum, Trey Lyles, Rodney Hood, and Alec Burks doesn’t leave much to be desired. What the Jazz really need is someone versatile enough to plug any holes they could have. Lucky for them, that “swiss army knife” type of player is in this draft in Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine. The AP College Basketball Player of the Year was neck and neck with Buddy Hield for every individual honor last year, but while Hield was putting up points, Valentine was doing everything on the floor for the Spartans.
Valentine doesn’t have elite quickness or athleticism, but he can knock down open shots and provide a secondary facilitator on the floor with his passing ability. Most importantly, his basketball sense and ability to defend multiple positions make more for some interesting lineup options for head coach Quin Snyder.
PG – Dante Exum, Trey Burke, Raul Neto
SG – Rodney Hood, Alec Burks
SF – Gordon Hayward, Denzel Valentine, Joe Ingles
PF – Derrick Favors, Trey Lyles
C – Rudy Gobert, Tibor Pleiss
Adam Spinella – This is a great fit for Utah, more so due to what the team needs than overall talent. Valentine can play now, handle the ball and is great in a Quin Snyder scheme. They have plenty of directions they could go with this pick.
13.) Phoenix Suns (via WAS) – Henry Ellenson/PF/Marquette
Adam Spinella – The Suns are on the clock once again and can take another player that is best available or fits a positional need. To offset the poor outside shooting that Brown exhibits from the fourth pick, the team could bring in Ellenson, a true stretch-4 and dominant rebounder on the interior. It’s the right timing to take this pick on a player that many scouts project will struggle to defend at the next level. He’s a below-average athlete that would be benefited by playing alongside a rim protector like Tyson Chandler early in his career. He’d also not be expected to do too much right away from the 13th pick and can blend into a role player status here. He’s likely a lottery talent that is sliding due to the trend away from unathletic 4-men. He can find a niche in a rebuilding situation in Phoenix.
PG – Brandon Knight, Archie Goodwin
SG – Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, John Jenkins
SF – P.J. Tucker, Jaylen Brown, T.J. Warren
PF – Alex Len, Henry Ellenson
C – Tyson Chandler
14.) Chicago Bulls – Demetrius Jackson/PG/Notre Dame
Jeff Feyerer – To say the Bulls presence in the lottery is a surprise would be an understatement. Attributing their precipitous fall to a coaching change would be incredibly short-sighted as they’ve been getting by with a terribly mismatched roster, ill-suited for today’s NBA and ill-equipped for injuries that arise, for some time.
The team is in a difficult position because the roster probably needs a revamp, but the East is weak enough and there is enough talent still present to compete. Trading Jimmy Butler would bring back a wealth of assets, but his attendance as the team representative at Tuesday’s Draft Lottery, though seemingly trivial, seems to indicate he is the current and future face of the franchise. One common thread recently with the Bulls has been their inability to develop a young point guard to play behind Derrick Rose or eventually take over for him following the 2016-2017 season.
Last season, they were prepared to take a point guard when Bobby Portis fell in their lap. This season, drafting at 14, they should have few point guard options including Washington’s Dejounte Murray and Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, but Demetrius Jackson is the most intriguing. Jackson had a tremendous junior season leading the Irish back to the Elite Eight, even after the departures of 2015 NBA Draft Picks Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton. Jackson has elite speed with the ball in his hands and is a terror in transition. In the half-court, he operates well in the pick and roll and is a good decision maker making smart plays when distributing. He needs to work on his defensive recognition, but he is a willing defender with quick hands able to disrupt his opponent. While only 6-foot-1, his 6-foot-4 wingspan and tremendous athleticism allow him to play bigger.
PG – Derrick Rose, Demetrius Jackson
SG – Jimmy Butler, Tony Snell, Justin Holiday
SF – Mike Dunleavy, Doug McDermott
PF – Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis
C –
Adam Spinella – While I have my bugaboos about Wade Baldwin, Malachi Richardson and Dejounte Murray, I’d be surprised if Chicago went with Jackson here. Don’t be shocked if they try to trade up a few picks and grab Kris Dunn as the new heir apparent, leapfrogging Sacramento to ensure they get him.
Jeff – Agreed.
15. Denver Nuggets (via HOU) – Furkan Korkmaz/SF/Turkey
16. Boston Celtics (via DAL) – Domantas Sabonis/PF-C/Gonzaga
17. Memphis Grizzlies – Malachi Richardson/PG-SG/Syracuse
18. Detroit Pistons – Wade Baldwin/PG/Vanderbilt
19. Denver Nuggets (via POR) – Damian Jones/C/Vanderbilt
20. Indiana Pacers – Brice Johnson/PF/North Carolina
21. Atlanta Hawks – Stephen Zimmerman/C/UNLV
22. Charlotte Hornets – Dejounte Murray/PG-SG/Washington
23. Boston Celtics – Timothe Luwawu/SG/France
24. Philadelphia 76ers (via MIA, CLE) – Malik Beasley/SG/Florida State
25. Los Angeles Clippers -Taurean Prince/SF/Baylor
26. Philadelphia 76ers (via OKC, CLE, DEN) – Patrick McCaw/SF/UNLV
27. Toronto Raptors – Thon Maker/PF/Australia
28. Phoenix Suns (via CLE, BOS) – Diamond Stone/C/Maryland
29. San Antonio Spurs – Tyler Ulis/PG/Kentucky
30. Golden State Warriors – Malcolm Brogdon/SG/Virginia
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