2016 NBA Draft/College Basketball Thread

[Unbreakable99]

I know this basically means nothing because I have only watched youtube clips, BUT, Jamal Murray doesn't seem to have the athleticism to thrive at the NBA level. I don't think he is worth a top five pick.

I want a team that is long and athletic. That means if we get the opportunity to draft Simmons I want him playing the 4. There really aren't many young talented shooting guards. I don't love Paul George but I am not sure who else is worth trading for. He is only 25 and signed for three more seasons. I wish Kyle Lowry were 2-3 years younger because I think he would be an interesting trade target. Something like Miami 1st/OKC 1st for Lowry. Okafor/Covington for George.

PG- Lowry, Marshall
SG- Stauskas, Thompson
SF- George, Grant
PF - Simmons, Saric
C- Noel, Embiid

Address the SG position in the 2017 draft. I don't see any FAs on the horizon who would be worth the contract.

I like guards who can break down players and can get into the lane. I will watch Murray closely but I think Demetrius Jackson would be ideal. We can get him with s lick in the teens hopefully.

[jbent87]

I keep going back to what Sam Hinkie and Joshua Harris have said over and over again. The goal is MULTIPLE championships and to become the next great dynasty in the NBA. So I start thinking about the great teams of all time that added high lottery picks to their core after they won championships. The first team that really jumps out at me is the ‘86 Celtics drafting Bias at #2. Everyone talks about how great that team would have been, even with a core that were all past their prime. The modern day team that never got all the way there is the Sonics/OKC team that had three of the top ten players in the NBA in Durant/Westbrook/Harden. Maybe it’s a poor analogy, but I think Sam Hinkie is trying to follow the OKC model and keeping the core together while adding at least one Bias-level talent every season.

Our assets right now:
Okafor – #3 pick
Embiid – #3 pick
Noel – #6 pick
Stauskas – #8 pick
Saric – #12 pick
Draft picks – Ours, Lakers, Miami, OKC, Sac Swaps, GS swap, Sac future 1st
Hinkie special – Covington, McConnell

If Dragan Bender truly is the best player in this draft 5 years from now, I’m looking to draft him with the Lakers pick and use our pick for one of Simmons/Ingram while trading back into the top 10 with the (Miami+OKC+?) package for one of Murray/Dunn.

Jamal Murray/TJ McConnell
MAX SG IN FREE AGENCY/Nik Stauskas
Brandon Ingram/Robert Covington
Nerlens Noel/Dario Saric
Jahlil Okafor/Joel Embiid
with Kings swaps intact in 2017, future Kings first, and the rights to Dragan freaking Bender.

I know it’s crazy to even say this. But if the 2017-2018 Sixers win it all just as everyone on the team is hitting their absolute primes, we’ll be adding Dragan Bender to a STACKED team. We’ll almost be too stacked that it’ll be ridiculous. And then the following season, if we win it all again with Dragan Bender while the Kings win the lottery in 2019, we’ll be adding a first overall pick to THAT.

It’d basically be a healthy version of the ’86 Celtics adding Bias (if he lived) and then David Robinson or Scottie Pippen the following year.
Or the ’93 Bulls adding Jason Kidd that offseason and then Kevin Garnett the following season. Or the ’07 Spurs adding Kevin Durant and then either Russell Westbrook or Kevin Love the following season.

The potential for the Sixers having the deepest roster in NBA history is there. If Sam Hinkie pulls this one off, he’s got a one-way ticket to the Hall of Fame.

great post overall but I think we need to get away from Stauskas and the 8th overall pick label. He isn't a championship level team starting SG so he's less of an asset in my mind than the other guys. Need a guy like him on a championship level team to get you back in games and knock down FTs when it matters but I don't think other teams/GMs are looking at him and seeing 8th overall pick trade/team value so we shouldn't either.

[phiphan]

Simmons's handle + speed with the ball + playmaking are unreal for a guy his size. I really like Ingram but Simmons is a can't-miss dude.

Is he a 4? We'd have a million 4's. I understand you don't turn down the next Jordan because you have Clyde Drexler, but man, we'll have a glut at that position.

Your guess is as good or better than mine bro, but I'm thinking he's a 4. I don't have any problems drafting a 4 at this point because I don't think any of Noel/Okafor/Embiid are good fits at the 4 (or at least aren't at their best at that position), and Saric is still an unknown quantity. Holmes and Wood aren't worth thinking about in terms of drafting for need.

[KramerDSP]

Watching Ben Simmons rebound the ball and go coast to coast at a ridiculous speed reminds me of Barkley, and his passing in that body reminds me of Magic. This kid is special.

Skal's "strengths" DraftExpress video was impressive but nothing that made me say OMG.

[KramerDSP]

JBent87, agreed that Stauskas isn't valued highly and we shouldn't value him highly either. With that said, I am rooting for him so bad to succeed that it hurts to see him clank threes.

[Unbreakable99]

I know it's only been a half of basketball but I'm not impressed with Ingram nor Skal. Murray looks good. I hate to say it but Skal won't go top 5. Yes I came to that conclusion with under 20 minutes of basketball lol. Skal hasn't even scored yet. I don't see it in him. His teammates haven't gotten him the ball in the right spots but even so I don't see the big deal out of him. I saw the big deal about Okafor from play one. Same with Towns.

[tsmith]

I know it's only been a half of basketball but I'm not impressed with Ingram nor Skal. Murray looks good. I hate to say it but Skal won't go top 5. Yes I came to that conclusion with under 20 minutes of basketball lol. Skal hasn't even scored yet. I don't see it in him. His teammates haven't gotten him the ball in the right spots but even so I don't see the big deal out of him. I saw the big deal about Okafor from play one. Same with Towns.

too early to tell, way too early

[Unbreakable99]

I know it's only been a half of basketball but I'm not impressed with Ingram nor Skal. Murray looks good. I hate to say it but Skal won't go top 5. Yes I came to that conclusion with under 20 minutes of basketball lol. Skal hasn't even scored yet. I don't see it in him. His teammates haven't gotten him the ball in the right spots but even so I don't see the big deal out of him. I saw the big deal about Okafor from play one. Same with Towns.

too early to tell, way too early

Of course it is but its never too early for a hot take.

[tsmith]

Murray looked very good

[Unbreakable99]

And just like I only needed less than 20 minutes to not be impressed with Skal or Ingram I only needed less than 3 possessions to be very impressed with Ben Simmons. He is the number one pick. We need the top pick.

[phiphan]

Totally agree. Simmons is our franchise guy.

[phantom84]

Man is Simmons athletic, dude is 6'10 and can play all 5 positions. #TankforSimmons.

[phiphan]

Simmons has only played 20 minutes in his first college game against a school called McNeese State, but I'll literally kill myself if we don't get him

[KramerDSP]

Simmons has only played 20 minutes in his first college game against a school called McNeese State, but I'll literally kill myself if we don't get him

Let's not go that far.

[phiphan]

Come on Kramer, I need someone to drink that koolaide with if we don't get #1

[OleSchool]

I missed the Duke game, how'd Ingram look?

[Unbreakable99]

We need Simmons in the worst way. We need the first pick. With how great of a passer Simmons is and hopefully with the addition of Saric we might actually be one of the best passing teams in the league. And I don't care what position Simmons plays. He's positionless. He just needs to have the ball in his hands and be our point forward. He needs to set the team up. Simmons is a less athletic less explosive LeBron. He's very unselfish and cerebral.

[Mik317]

I am going to avoid watching any LSU games to prevent lust

[freshie2]

I just did a mock lottery on tankathon, and the Sixers ended up with:

#1 overall- Ben Simmons
#4 overall- Jamal Murray
Also, the Sixers got Caris LeVert and Marcus Paige.

That is a true dream scenario:

C- Okafor/ Embiid
PF- Noel/ Saric/ Holmes
SF- Simmons/ Covington
SG- LeVert/ Stauskas
PG- Murray/ Paige

I mean...yes.

Simmons and Murray would make the last three seasons worthwhile...add a few veteran shooters with Embiid and Saric and you have a legit team...contenders for the east in 2018.

[freshie2]

Simmons has the skill/size of Odom without the unfortunate issues above the shoulders.