The NBA offseason is once creeping up. And one of the highlights of which is the much-anticipated NBA Draft. This coming June 23, a new batch of players will finally realize their big NBA dreams when some of the best amateur hoopsters from around the planet gather in Brooklyn—all anxious of their chances to get in the NBA via the draft.
For us mere mortals who can’t even make a decent layup, we’ll always have our bet tickets to keep us excited for that day. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular NBA Draft prop bets below.
Will Ben Simmons Get Selected 1 Overall & Brandon Ingram Selected 2 Overall in 2016 NBA Draft?
Sam Hinkie is no longer with the Sixers so that’s one less crazy dude in the team’s front office. But Hinkie would’ve campaigned for Philly to get Ben Simmons, who is arguably the best all-around talent on the draft. If it means anything, Sixers coach Brett Brown coached Simmons’ father in Australia and the two have been close friends over the years.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have the second pick overall and the consensus is that they will pick Brandon Ingram out of Duke. That’s of course assuming that the Sixers don’t do something stupid or use their first pick on Ingram.
Prediction: So far, most experts have Simmons at no. 1 and Ingram at no. 2. Moreover, there are no big rumors of the Sixers or the Lakers trading their respective picks. We’ll just go with the flow and say that yes, Simmons will go first followed by Ingram. See all NBA Draft prop odds.
2016 NBA Draft: 1st Player Selected: Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, Dragan Bender, Kris Dunn
We’re pretty sure that by the time the team with the no. 3 overall pick announces its choice, both Simmons and Ingram are off the board already. Here’s where it starts to get a bit tricky: Who will the Celtics scoop up after the Sixers and the Lakers?
Then throw into the equation the possibility of Danny Ainge using the pick to trade for an established commodity who is still under contract somewhere else. You know, like a DeMarcus Cousins or a Blake Griffin. That’s a situation we should all monitor but for now, let’s just assume that the Celtics will keep their pick.
Buddy Hield, Dragan Bender, Jamal Murray, and Kris Dunn are the faves to be the third pick overall. Hield’s decision to stay for one more year in Norman obviously paid off in terms of making his draft stock rise. That said, Hield’s odds of going first among the aforementioned group are just +340. Hield could fit in nicely with the Celtics, who are in need of a knockdown shooter.
Dragan Bender, meanwhile, brings a lot of intrigue, considering that he’s from Europe. He’s just 18 years old but Boston is a team that has enough long-term room to wait for Bender to fully develop. Kentucky’s Jamal Murray is the favorite to go first at odds of +160.
Boston’s backcourt has an All-Star guard in Isaiah Thomas and a couple others in Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, who can’t shoot. Smart shot 34.8% from the field last season, while Rozier had a 27.4% clip. With Murray in the mix, the Celtics will have a scoring guard capable of draining shots from anywhere on the floor.
Lastly, we have Kris Dunn. Dunn also doesn’t have an excellent perimeter form but he brings so much to the table (averaged 16.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.5 SPG last season for Providence) that the team who’ll get him is one that’s willing to overlook that weakness.
In terms of talent and upside, there are more than 15 players on the draft better than Valentine. But what makes the ex-Spartan an attractive pick is his known leadership and maturity plus his ability to contribute on both ends of the floor. The four-year senior was named the Associated Press Player of the Year in 2016 and could find himself in the rotation right off the bat should he land on a suitable club.
Johnson was a double-double machine for North Carolina last season. He had a monster 39-point, 23-rebound, three-block performance against Florida State, which more than proved how NBA-ready this kid was. He won’t be that dominant from the get-go in the NBA, however, and a lack of polish on offense continues to tie his draft stock to early 20’s in the first round.
Prediction: Michael Jordan makes sure Johnson stays in Carolina, as the Hornets take the Tar Heel 22nd overall. See all NBA Draft prop odds.
Will Marcus Paige Get Selected in 1st or 2nd Round of 2016 NBA Draft?
Marcus Paige had a nice collegiate career, which was punctuated by a strong performance in the National Championship Game against Villanova. But it’s hard to see Paige getting selected in the first round. While he obviously possesses a high basketball IQ and has the ability to make and create shots for his teammates, his physical attributes and subpar athleticism are going to hold NBA teams back from spending a first round pick on him.
It wouldn’t even shock us if he would be left off the second round, where guards like Caris LeVert, Tyler Ulis, and Kahlil Felder are expected to remain available.
Will Ryan Arcidiacono Get Selected in 1st or 2nd Round of 2016 NBA Draft?
Like Paige, Arcidiacono was a great college point guard. In fact, he was named the co-Big East Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in his junior and senior year in Villanova. Arcidiacono, however, has a glaring absence of NBA-level athleticism that suggests that he shouldn’t be expecting to get a call in the first round.
