Adrian Fedkiw
The intrigue at the top of the NBA Draft is reportedly over, but selecting Ben Simmons is only the beginning of what is going to be a long night for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Bryan Colangelo needs to make his mark.
There’s still so many unanswered questions. Will the Sixers trade Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel to get into the top eight? Will they package the 24th and 26th picks to move up in the first round? If they stay put at 24 and 26, who will those picks be? And will the Sixers make a trade to get into the second round?
The biggest storyline is the future of Okafor and Noel. There’s been reported interest from the Boston Celtics about Okafor as far back as the NBA trade deadline in February. We know that Philly is infatuated with Kris Dunn and I believe Colangelo will get a deal done — pun intended — with Boston at No. 3. I’m thinking a straight up Okafor swap for the third selection, although I’m hoping the Celtics could sweeten the deal a little more.
I also believe the Sixers will make a move up the draft using the 24th and 26th picks as ammunition. Philadelphia desperately needs wing players who can shoot and defend. It’d be nice if they could find a Bruce Bowen type, like a Malik Beasley. There’s questions about the metal rod in his leg, however. Syracuse’s Malachi Richardson is another option if Philly wants to trade up, but he can’t defend like Beasley. These are players that do have the potential of falling to Philly at 24 or 26, but if there’s a prospect it covets, move up.
If the Sixers choose to stay put, St. Joseph’s DeAndre Bembry and UNLV’s Patrick McCaw would be solid gets. Bembry isn’t much of a shooter yet, but can defend multiple positions on the floor and thrives in transition, which fits the “pace and space” style the Sixers want to play. McCaw is a relentless defender, who can shoot it a bit too.
If the Sixers don’t find a way to acquire Dunn, Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson could be a first-round option for the Sixers. He’s a slithery point guard who can penetrate through gaps and either finish at the rim or kick to the open man. He’s also a solid on-ball defender. Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis is small in stature, but his high basketball IQ might make up for it. Another option could be Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, but I don’t think he falls to 24 and 26.
The questions will be answered tonight. And now, the mock draft:
2016 NBA MOCK DRAFT
- Philadelphia- Ben Simmons (LSU)
- LA Lakers- Brandon Ingram (Duke)
- Boston- Kris Dunn (Providence)
- Phoenix- Jaylen Brown (California)
- Minnesota- Buddy Hield (Oklahoma)
- New Orleans- Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
- Denver- Dragan Bender (Croatia)
- Sacramento- Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)
- Toronto- Marquese Chriss (Washington)
- Milwaukee- Henry Ellenson (Marquette)
- Orlando- Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
- Atlanta- Jakob Poeltl (Utah)
- Phoenix- Deyonta Davis (Michigan State)
- Chicago- Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt)
- Denver- Forkan Korkmaz (Turkey)
- Boston- DeJounte Murray (Washington)
- Memphis- Malachi Richardson (Syracuse)
- Detroit- Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)
- Denver- Timothe Luwawu (France)
- Indiana- Malik Beasley (Florida State)
- Atlanta- Cheick Diallo (Kansas)
- Charlotte- Brice Johnson (North Carolina)
- Boston- Ivica Zubak (Croatia)
- Philadelphia- DeAndre Bembry (St. Joseph’s)
- LA Clippers- Taurean Prince (Baylor)
- Philadelphia- Patrick McCaw (UNLV)
- Toronto- Thon Maker (Australia)
- Phoenix- Zhou Qi (China)
- San Antonio- Juan Hernangomez (Spain)
- Golden State- Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV)