NBA Mock Draft 2016: Predictions for Where Coveted 1st-Round Prospects Will Land

Nothing has truly changed since the college basketball season ended two months ago, but no NBA mock draft has since stayed the same.

Top recruits don’t suddenly get better at basketball during a workout. Scouts have already watched and developed opinions on all the premier prospects. Some of the high-lottery teams may have a concrete plan in place for June 23.

Public perception, however, tilts as analysts fall in and out of love with certain guys, leading to more pundits following the herd and validating those beliefs. Inside information either reveals a team’s thinking or fools everyone into buying a smokescreen. 

Less than three weeks until the 2016 draft, let’s take a look at where some of the most exciting future pros now stand.

 

Ben Simmons, F, LSU

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The Ben Simmons-Brandon Ingram debate is running out of steam. Most mock drafts have retreated to the original consensus of the LSU forward going No. 1 overall.

Even if they’re already covertly printing Simmons jerseys, the Philadelphia 76ers can’t and won’t make their intentions known until draft night. Yet according to Philadelphia Magazine’s Derek Bodner, they’re leaning the expected way:

Every indication I get is #sixers have strong preference for Ben Simmons. Still 4 weeks away, but would set him as heavy favorite.

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) May 28, 2016

Also increasing the likelihood of Philadelphia targeting Simmons, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford reported the team’s interest in shopping Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. Pairing those big men with another forward with a limited jumper would clutter the court.

The 76ers have spent years clamoring for a future superstar, and the Australian teenager has a boundless ceiling. Despite his shooting setbacks, he’s an elite athlete who can run the court and thrive as a point forward.

He’s not the perfect fit for their current roster, but Simmons is precisely the type of prospect a downtrodden …

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