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2016 NBA Mock Draft: Breakdown of Top Center Prospects and 1st-Round Predictions
- Updated: June 3, 2016
Today’s NBA is not an easy place for big men.
After all, small-ball lineups, three-point shooting, stretch 4s and uptempo attacks dictated the tone throughout much of the league in 2015-16.
The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record with 73 wins as league MVP Stephen Curry drilled an unheard of 402 shots from three-point range and the 6’7” Draymond Green served as a center in critical moments. The Cleveland Cavaliers unleashed Kevin Love and Channing Frye as long-range shooting power forwards, while LeBron James played nearly every position on the court on the way to the Finals.
However, there is still enough room in the NBA for low-post presences. Just ask DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan, Hassan Whiteside and Andre Drummond. Or the Oklahoma City Thunder after they used Steven Adams and Enes Kanter to wreak havoc on the Warriors’ small-ball lineups in the first four games of the Western Conference Finals.
The next wave of impact big men is on the way via the 2016 NBA draft on June 23. With that in mind, here is a look at a mock first round and some of the top center prospects available this year.
A player was considered a center if DraftExpress’ mock draft listed him as such. The order of the picks is from the DraftExpress mock that was updated on May 27.
Top Center Prospects Available
Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
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Labissiere arrived at Kentucky as a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the No. 1 center and No. 2 overall player in the class of 2015. The Anthony Davis comparisons were almost too easy since he, too, was a Wildcat, but Labissiere didn’t live up to those expectations from a statistical perspective.
He scored 6.6 points and grabbed 3.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game. He did tally 1.6 blocks a night in those limited minutes, which is a testament to his potential as a rim protector at the next level.
The numbers don’t jump off …
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