The Philadelphia 76ers and their long-suffering fan base finally got a reward for years of tanking and “Trust the Process” rebuilding: The top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
A Manning-Leaf debate has already begun over whether the Sixers should take LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke forward Brandon Ingram with their selection, and while the back-and-forth talk will rage on for months, Philly’s front office should wake up Wednesday and declare Ingram is their pick.
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Simmons’ prodigious talent is undeniable. He will no doubt be a star, one of those players who will wow you with crisp passing one moment, scoring the next and some consistent rebounding all night.
But there are some question marks — he’s a point forward whose struggles with his jump shot. There’s also the talk that Simmons might more of a Scottie Pippen-esque No. 2 on a team than a full-on first-option superstar.
While that sounds appetizing, it’s not what the Sixers need heading into next season.
Philadelphia, with its glut of young talent in the middle including Jahlil Okafor and defender Nerlens Noel, don’t need another body in the paint (albeit one with elite skills driving to the hoop). They need a scorer and a floor spacer.
Enter Ingram. With his 7-foot-3 wingspan and long-range prowess, the comparisons to Kevin Durant (!) are already flying around, though he’ll have to add some weight on to his frame. Suddenly, the Sixers can score down low with Okafor, outside with Ingram and could have Dario Saric come over from Europe and the oft-injured Joel Embiid finally make his NBA debut.
That sounds like a dangerous young core that might be a guard away from a playoff team. And if the front office, with veteran basketball mind Bryan Colangelo at the helm, decides a backcourt upgrade would be a better fit instead of a tall pile of forwards? Trade one of them — Noel or Okafor is a possibility to make room for Embiid — for some guard help.
But it all starts by taking the pure scorer with heaping upside.
1. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons -- Philadelphia has talked a lot about the need for a balanced roster, which might put Simmons in the lead if they do get the No. 1 pick. Still, the Sixers need talent, and also don't have a true power forward, so Simmons retains the top spot for now.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram -- Ingram's perimeter shooting, and not needing to dominate the ball to be effective, make him an easier fit than Simmons, and he would slide into a position, and skill set, of need for the Lakers.
3. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn): Dragan Bender --Boston could go in a lot of different directions, but after having built a top defensive versatility in the front court, what head coach Brad Stevens could do with somebody who has Bender's mobility is intriguing.
4. Phoenix Suns: Jaylen Brown -- Brown's draft stock is as volatile as any top prospects, with some seeing any incredible athlete who has a future as a high-volume slasher, and others questioning whether his perimeter skill set and understanding of the game will ever allow him to reach that potential. If the Suns stay at fourth, they could gamble on Brown's upside.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jamal Murray -- Shooting will be at a premium for Minnesota as they look to center their offense around Karl-Anthony Towns, and Murray's off-the-ball game would open things up quite a bit for Towns down the line.
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Henry Ellenson -- Ellenson measured nearly 7 feet at the combine, giving him an interesting combination of size, defense, and potential as a floor spacing big, something that New Orleans could value next to Anthony Davis. Defense is the biggest concern, however.
<p>7. Denver Nuggets (via New York): Buddy Hield --Hield's off-the-ball scoring would help a team that finished 26th in the league in three-point percentage, and help open up the lane for Emmanuel Mudiay's dribble penetration.</p>
8. Sacramento Kings: Kris Dunn -- Dunn's fall in this scenario is almost entirely predicated on the teams in front of Sacramento being relatively set, or at least invested in, their point guard spot, which would help bring stability at an important position to the Kings.
9. Toronto Raptors (via Denver): Timothe Luwawu --With uncertainty over whether to bring back DeMar DeRozan at the salary he's going to command in free agency, Luwawu's shooting, athleticism, and defensive potential would give Toronto important depth on the wings.
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10. Milwaukee Bucks: Jakob Poeltl -- Poeltl's fall here, like Dunn's above him, is also very situational, with a number of teams (Kings, Raptors, Nuggets) having just invested in centers, or others (Wolves, Pelicans) prioritizing floor spacing for any additions to the front court they might make. While Milwaukee has a lot invested in Greg Monroe, the Bucks' defensive struggles might lead them to believe he's not a long-term fit, and Poeltl defensive rotations should be a strong suit of his.
11. Orlando Magic: Marquese Chriss -- Chriss' potential as both a perimeter shooter and weakside shot blocker would be an interesting fit in Orlando, even if there is some overlap with Aaron Gordon in the front court
12. Utah Jazz: Wade Baldwin -- Utah has invested a lot in point guards over the years, but they also have little certainty at that position. Baldwin gives them another point guard prospect with a high upside, but also one who can defend multiple positions with his 6-foot-11 1/4 wingspan and his ability to shoot off the catch, which gives him a chance to play alongside Dante Exum.
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13. Phoenix Suns (via Washington): Skal Labissiere -- Labissiere had a very disappointing season for Kentucky, but many scouts are still intrigued by his perimeter jump shot, shot blocking potential, and high character. His skills could, in theory, complement Alex Len well.
14. Chicago Bulls: Demetrius Jackson -- Jackson would provide the Bulls with some much-needed youth at the point guard spot, and has the kind of pick and roll game that could develop down the line.
15. Denver Nuggets (via Houston) Deyonta Davis -- Davis' potential as a defender is good value here, even if it's going to take some time before his offensive game comes around.
16. Boston Celtics (via Dallas): While Boston has some depth on the perimeter, Valentine would be a nice fit for a Boston squad that could use his shooting and play making.
17. Memphis Grizzlies: Tyler Ulis -- There's a lot of uncertainty in Memphis, a veteran team on the verge of being broken up, and with Mike Conley about to hit free agency. Ulis provides them some depth at the position, and would be valuable regardless of whether Conley does ultimately return.
18. Detroit Pistons: Taurean Prince -- Prince never quite took the jump offensively some hoped he would, but he still has value as a combo forward who can stretch the floor, and would be a good value selection this late in the draft.
19. Denver Nuggets (via Portland): Domantas Sabonis -- Sabonis is once again redundant with some of Denver's youth, but this late in the draft his rebounding and interior scoring ability is enough to take based on value alone.
20. Indiana Pacers: Brice Johnson -- For a team that had as much success as Indiana did this season, their front court situation, outside of Myles Turner, is fairly fluid. Johnson's offensive game, centered around scoring around the basket, would fit in well with Turner.
21. Atlanta Hawks: DeAndre Bembry -- Bembry's stock has been steadily trended upwards for quite some time, and there's a chance he could go in the middle of the first round. He would add good size, defense, rebounding, and passing ability to Atlanta's wing rotation.
22. Charlotte Hornets: Furkan Korkmaz -- Korkmaz stock has taken a bit of a hit, in part because he's out of sight, and thus out of mind, but also because he just hasn't done enough outside of shooting to really remind executives of his potential. Still, this far into the draft, his size, athleticism, and three-point marksmanship would be a nice value pick.
23. Boston Celtics: Ante Zizic -- Zizic's rebounding is something that should translate well to the NBA, and the fact that he's likely to spend at least another year overseas might actually be a positive for Boston, who has three first round picks this year and only limited minutes to develop them.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami): Malik Beasley -- Philadelphia desperately needs two things: depth on the perimeter and three-point shooting to open the floor for their bigs. At 24, Beasley could fit that bill.
25. Los Angeles Clippers: Petr Cornelie -- Regardless of whether Los Angeles sticks with both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Cornelie's three-point shooting would help space the front court for the Clippers.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City): Patrick McCaw -- Another versatile wing, McCaw's combination of athleticism, size, shooting, and potential as a secondary play maker would fit in well for a Philadelphia team that has a lot of minutes available on the perimeter.
27. Toronto Raptors: Malcolm Brogdon -- Brogdon's strong showing at the combine, combined with his off-the-ball scoring and strong defense, could vault him into the first round, and Toronto could be a likely landing spot.
28. Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland): Zhou Qi -- Zhou fits in well for Phoenix as a value pick this late in the draft, and also adds some additional shot blocking and youth to Toronto's front court.
29. San Antonio Spurs: Cheick Diallo -- Diallo had as strong of a combine as anybody, and reminded executives of his long-term potential. That showing was enough for Diallo to hire an agent and fully commit to the draft, and he has the chance to rise up into the first round.
30. Golden State Warriors: Caris LeVert --With Golden State unlikely to have high draft picks for the foreseeable future, they should swing for talent, and despite LeVert's struggles to stay healthy over the years, he has far more talent than your typical 30th pick in the draft.
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