Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown compared top National Basketball Association prospect Ben Simmons to Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, though his team are still deciding how they will use the number one draft pick. The Process of tanking that Sam Hinkie put in place has paid off with the No. 1 overall pick and with the choice between Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons, the 76ers can advance into next season with one of the two best prospects in the draft. Now that the 76ers officially own the No. 1 pick, they’re faced with a tough, but auspicious decision: Ingram or Simmons.
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“I coached Ben’s father a long time ago; I’ve known Ben since he was born”, Brown said in a USA TODAY story from Nicole Auerbach.
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, the national player of the year and considered the best shooter in the draft, is projected to go in the top 10 but most observers believe he will go in the 3-7 range. Yesterday, the Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Draft Lottery and will pick first in the 2016 NBA Draft.
It’s no secret that the Lakers have struggled these past few seasons, though those losing years have allowed them to form a young core that includes promising players such as D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. In a shocking turn of events, they landed third while the Cavs, who had a 1.7 percent chance, got the top pick.
“Players that we draft, there are no guarantees”, Ainge said.
The following is an excerpt from NBA.com about Saint Joseph’s DeAndre’ Bembry and VCU’s Melvin Johnson’s pre-draft workouts for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers have the second pick and are crying out for a young star to head the team’s rebuild under new coach Luke Walton following Kobe Bryant’s retirement.
Either way, the Lakers were the real winners of Thursday night’s lottery and will get the chance to add yet another building block in their quest to rebuild themselves into the championship-level product fans in Southern California are used to seeing.
What the Sixers do with the pick remains to be seen. Boston possesses a total of eight draft picks, including three selections in the first 23 picks.
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The Pelicans had the 6th pick in 2013, but traded it to Philadelphia as part of the trade for guard Jrue Holiday. This isn’t a bad thing, but they do need some guards to actually bring some sense of balance to the team. He’ll get better coaching in the National Basketball Association, and it’s too early to rule out the possibility that he can become an adequate shooter.
