NFL Tickets
The NBA draft is quite different than the NFL draft as players are much harder to project because they can leave college after one season instead of three. A scout can try his best to study a player and project how he will develop down the road, but no one actually knows how a 19-year-old kid will mature and adapt at the NBA level. That being said, here’s my top 10 players in the 2016 NBA Draft.
10. F Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
Getty ImagesLabissiere isn't anywhere close to helping a team, but he has the highest upside of any player in this draft. With some proper seasoning, he could end up being an All-Star down the road.
9. G Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Getty ImagesValentine is a lot like Deron Williams. He's a big-bodied point guard who can distribute, rebound and score. Being a four-year player at Michigan State should have him well-prepared to help a team immediately.
8. G Jamal Murray, Kentucky
Getty ImagesMurray is a prototypical two-guard who can score in a variety of ways. He's mature beyond his years and only needs to develop a more consistent 3-point shot to instantly become a force to be reckoned with.
7. F Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Getty ImagesPoeltl is already a solid rim protector and rebounder, and he has a lot of usable tools offensively. I don't believe it'll take long for the Austrian to become a solid starter in the NBA.
6. G Kris Dunn, Providence
Getty ImagesDunn is the best pure point guard in this class. He's a great distributor, can create his own shot and shoots a decent percentage from three. Dunn could be a game-changer right off the bat.
5. G Jaylen Brown, California
Getty ImagesBrown is an athletic freak and could be a superstar in the future. He's still extremely raw, but the tools are there for him to succeed at the pro level.
4. F Dragan Bender, Israel
Getty ImagesBender is definitely a project at just 18 years old, but scouts absolutely love him. He's drawn a lot of comparisons to Kristaps Porzingis because of his range and scoring ability at 7-foot-1.
3. G Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Getty ImagesThere are number of scouts who don't love Hield because of his defensive deficiencies, but he's by far the most polished offensive player in this class. He has the ability to hop in and help right away.
2. F Ben Simmons, LSU
Getty ImagesSimmons is a solid rebounder, great ball-handler and passer, but he's too small to play center or power forward in the NBA and he doesn't have a jumper to play small forward. I worry that he's going to struggle, but the tools are certainly there.
1. G Brandon Ingram, Duke
Getty ImagesThe consensus out there is that Simmons is the best player in this draft by a large margin, but I think he's going to find more struggles than most expect. I see a lot of Kevin Durant in Ingram's game and expect him to be a game-changer.
Share 
