Tyler's 2016 NBA Mock Draft
- Tyler Probst
- Jun 22, 2016
- 4 min read
The 2016 NBA Draft is almost upon us and is expected to be one of the most unpredictable drafts in years. This is considered a relatively weak draft to most and there is a sizable drop off after the top 8. There is also expected to be a multitude of trades as teams such as the Celtics, Sixers, and Nuggets own a large portion of the picks. The lottery could be filled with surprises and this can shape up to be an interesting Draft Day.
Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons. This is the consensus #1 pick and was basically confirmed when Philly brought in Simmons for his only workout on Tuesday morning. He has the tools to be a star after averaging 19 PPG -12 RPG - 5 APG in his lone season at LSU although some believe he has some teammate issues that should not affect how teams feel about the 19 year old from Australia.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram. Ingram has had a workout for the Lakers and his skill set is being compared to Kevin Durant due his lankiness and great jump shot. At 6’9” 195 Ingram shot 41% from 3 at Duke along with his 17 & 7. He will have to gain a good amount of weight to keep up with NBA defenses but this 18 year old has plenty of time to learn and the Lakers could have a potential superstar.
3. Boston Celtics: Marquese Chriss. This is arguably the most difficult pick to mock from the top 8 because you can never know what to expect from GM Danny Ainge. The Celtics might not end up picking 3rd because they are searching for a star to bring them to the next level. They have been said to be interested in Bulls SG Jimmy Butler and Sixers young centers Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. In the meantime Chriss makes sense as an Ainge pick because he has raw talent, as a 6’10” 225lb PF, the 18 year old avgeraged 14 & 5 but many experts believe he has one of the highest ceilings in the draft. Also a Sacramento Native!
4. Phoenix Suns: Dragan Bender. The Suns are currently rebuilding with with Earl Watson at the helm for them and they have 3 great guards to build around in Knight, Bledsoe, and Booker, so drafting a guard would be quite the surprise. Bender would provide them with a young big to pair with the improving Alex Len. Although his stats do not jump out at you there is no doubt this 18 year old 7 footer has loads of talent. One expert has said he believes Bender is the most talented European since Dirk. Drafting Euro players are definitely a humongous risk but, the potential is clearly there.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jamal Murray. This Kentucky SG can flat out shoot. At his Celtics workout he shot 79/100 from 3 which is remarkable. There is a possibility he can go in the top 3 but the Wolves would be a great fit for him in that young nucleus of KAT, Wiggins, and LaVine along with new head coach Tom Thibodeau. Developing with Thibs could make Murray into not only an offensive star, but also a lockdown defender.
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Buddy Hield. This senior from Oklahoma became the best scorer in the nation in 2016 and his draft stock quickly rose. Hield shot a blistering 45.7% from 3 to go along with his 25 PPG average. After an extremely disappointing season in NOLA filled with injuries it was clear their young star Anthony Davis needs help anywhere he can get. Gordon, Holiday, and Evans just won’t cut it and Buddy Hield provides an immediate scoring threat for them that they hope could lead them back to the playoffs in 2017. Hield believes he should go #2 to LA and the Kings are “praying” he falls to them at #8.
7. Denver Nuggets: Jaylen Brown. The Nuggets could be up to something with this pick. Last year they drafted PG Emmanuel Mudiay and it seems he is who they want to build around, so getting him some help from the SF from Cal could be a great thing. Their head coach Michael Malone loves players like Brown who have raw athleticism and defensive skills. His jumper will be a problem which may not bode well also having Mudiay but Denver is a good fit for him and a player they should not pass on, considering who else is left on the board.
8. Sacramento Kings: Kris Dunn. Where to begin? After a disastrous season full of Cousins and Karl drama the Kings look to put that behind them as they head into their new arena in the 16-17 season with Dave Joerger leading them. The PG situation is unclear heading into the offseason and that has been a recurring theme for years now and they need to find some stability. Rondo is an unrestricted FA and not expected to be back and backup Darren Collison is facing multiple Domestic Violence charges so he could be on the way out. Dunn is athletic and a good playmaker despite a slight turnover problem but he could be that PG of the future the Kings once had in Isaiah Thomas.
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