Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have won this year’s and their first-ever Larry O’Brien Trophy, it’s that time of the year again where we welcome in some new young bloods into the league for next season.
The 2016 NBA Draft is upon us and it will officially commence this coming Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. And to give you an idea as to what’s bound to happen in the draft itself, check out our first-round projections below.
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The Sixers would be extremely foolish not to draft Ben Simmons. He has all the makings to become a future superstar in the league. The size, speed, strength, athleticism, handles and versatility are there, but the only thing that the 6-foot-10 forward is missing is a consistent jump shot.
Once Simmons fixes that, there’s no telling how dominant this kid is going to be. His lone year at LSU, where he averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists, is only a small glimpse of his overall potential. He also might just be the one who can start giving Philadelphia fans a very good reason to watch their games next season.
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke
As much as how it would be nicer to see Ben Simmons putting on a purple and gold jersey, the Los Angeles Lakers would likely have to select Duke’s Brandon Ingram if Philadelphia uses their first overall pick on the LSU star. Well, in all honesty, the Lakers should be very happy about ending up with Ingram.
A number of basketball experts actually feel that Ingram is much readier than Simmons to make the jump to the NBA and could eventually be the next Kevin Durant. The 18-year-old forward can score from any part of the hardwood and his insane 7’3” wingspan allows him to do so.
To be specific, Ingram is very deadly from the outside as he shot 41 percent from beyond the arc in his lone year with the Blue Devils. That shooting prowess is definitely what the Lakers, who were the worst three-point shooting team in the league last season, need and would love to have especially now since they’ll be adjusting to an up-tempo system under new head coach Luke Walton.
3. Boston Celtics – Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
It’s hard to predict what the Boston Celtics are going to do with their pick. They could either use it to draft someone or probably trade it. If the latter doesn’t happen though, the C’s could use their third overall pick on Oklahoma’s star guard in Buddy Hield.
Hield is arguably the most proven and the best shooter in the draft. He posted 25.0 points, drained 45.7 percent of his three-point attempts and nabbed the Wooden Award after guiding the Sooners to an appearance in the Final Four last season. More importantly, he is a guy who can make an impact immediately and that’s precisely what the Celtics are looking for.
4. Phoenix Suns – Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
If this does happen, you can probably say goodbye to Eric Bledsoe, whom the Phoenix Suns are trying to send someplace else, and expect instant contributions from Kris Dunn.
Dunn is one of the truest point guards you will ever see. He averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his senior campaign at Providence. But what’s more intriguing about the 22-year-old is that he’s also quite athletic and boasts a pretty nice stroke. It’s going to be really fun to see how well he’s going to mesh with the Suns’ Devin Booker.
Jamal Murray should give the Minnesota Timberwolves another capable offensive threat or another reliable option for Ricky Rubio’s passes. The 6-foot-5 guard led the Wildcats in scoring last season, averaging 20.0 points on 45.4 percent shooting per contest. His scoring prowess is a given, but Murray is still an unfinished product.
Speaking of which, Murray has to make better in-game decisions and improve on his overall speed. And once he does so, you can expect the 19-year-old standout to eventually turn out to be one of the brightest young stars in the league.
