Chad Ford NBA Mock Draft 2016: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru’s 8th Mock

LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons and Duke Blue Devils swingman Brandon Ingram are the presumptive top two picks in the 2016 NBA draft. But with less than three weeks to go until the Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock at No. 1 overall, uncertainty reigns supreme behind the standout freshmen.

In Chad Ford’s latest mock draft entry for ESPN.com, that much is clear, as significant shake-ups in the early stages of the lottery have muddied the picture quite a bit.

Here’s a look at Ford’s most recent projections:

 

3. Celtics Select Kris Dunn

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The Boston Celtics backcourt is already stocked with plenty of top-tier talent in the form of Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley. However, Ford doesn’t see that depth standing in the way of the Celtics drafting Providence Friars point guard Kris Dunn.

Although Ford wrote, “Trading the pick seems like the most probable route if they can fetch a young veteran in return,” he noted, “Dunn seems like less of a fit until you realize that he would be the best pure point guard on the roster—right away.”

While that’s quite a lofty statement since Thomas was one of eight players—along with Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, James Harden, Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard and Eric Bledsoe—to average at least 20 points and six assists during the 2015-16 season, the prospect of adding Dunn is a compelling one.

Dunn is a tenacious on-ball defender and could immediately give Boston the league’s most dominant defensive backcourt, as Bradley is already a first-team All-Defense contributor and Smart is among the league’s brightest up-and-coming lockdown presences.

“He’s so disruptive to someone’s offense,” Providence head coach Ed Cooley said, according to the Providence Journal’s Kevin McNamara. “How he rebounds and how he defends, his deflections. I think he’s a dominant defensive guard, as disruptive as anyone I’ve ever seen.”

The …

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