Revisiting the 2016 Draft

[Somebody]

It is interesting that Brown has been as good if not better than Ingram and Simmons. Siakam is an interesting player but I am not quite sure he is the star he has shown flashes of being.  And yes, age is a critical factor in the evaluation for draft and still is although getting less.  At 23, Jaylen has more upside than say Heild at 27.  There is just no doubt about this.

It was an interesting draft.  A lot of talent emerged from it.  I am very happy with Brown.

Is Siakam not a star yet? He's a huge reason for the Raptors maintaining a top offence and is still a key cog in their defensive system.

[Vermont Green]

It is interesting that Brown has been as good if not better than Ingram and Simmons. Siakam is an interesting player but I am not quite sure he is the star he has shown flashes of being.  And yes, age is a critical factor in the evaluation for draft and still is although getting less.  At 23, Jaylen has more upside than say Heild at 27.  There is just no doubt about this.

It was an interesting draft.  A lot of talent emerged from it.  I am very happy with Brown.

Is Siakam not a star yet? He's a huge reason for the Raptors maintaining a top offence and is still a key cog in their defensive system.

Exactly, I am not sure where to put him.  Is he Giannis or another true top guy who can lead a title contender?  A guy that you put the ball in his hands at the end of a game?  I am saying maybe but it is not fully clear exactly what he is or could be.  We could certainly use him on the Celtics.  He is stunningly great return for the 27th pick.

[Somebody]

It is interesting that Brown has been as good if not better than Ingram and Simmons. Siakam is an interesting player but I am not quite sure he is the star he has shown flashes of being.  And yes, age is a critical factor in the evaluation for draft and still is although getting less.  At 23, Jaylen has more upside than say Heild at 27.  There is just no doubt about this.

It was an interesting draft.  A lot of talent emerged from it.  I am very happy with Brown.

Is Siakam not a star yet? He's a huge reason for the Raptors maintaining a top offence and is still a key cog in their defensive system.

Exactly, I am not sure where to put him.  Is he Giannis or another true top guy who can lead a title contender?  A guy that you put the ball in his hands at the end of a game?  I am saying maybe but it is not fully clear exactly what he is or could be.  We could certainly use him on the Celtics.  He is stunningly great return for the 27th pick.

Oh okay. I think he's an All-NBA guy as of right now, he's certainly not an MVP candidate like Giannis...yet. I will never doubt this guy's chances of making a leap until he starts to age lol.

[Moranis]

I went 4th/5th.  I still think Simmons goes 1.  Siakam and Ingram seem like the 2 and 3, though I'm not sure the order.  I think Brown, Murray, and Brogdon are the 4/5/6 slot, though I think it might depend on the team on which one they go with as they are all pretty close.  I also think a random team here or there might think Hield or Sabonis should be there over those guys.  I voted 4/5 though think he theoretically could go 6.

[Sophomore]

I still have him 3d. I assume the Cs are getting that pick. Siakam and Ingram are off the board as 1 and 2. (Simmons is fine, but would Philly, knowing what it knows today, rather have Siakam? I think that’s a pretty easy question. He’d fit so much better alongside Embiid.) Then who would the Cs take ahead of Brown? Brogdon is better today, but not by much and he’s older. Brown still has more upside. Sabonis is a nice player but I’d rather have a plus-length wing who has potential to be elite on both ends. I see the argument for Murray. He’s the one I could imagine, given his ability to craeate. But I like Jaylen’s defensive upside a lot. Nobody else moves the needle for me, especially if you’re trying to build the kind of team the Cs we’re trying to construct. The core requires two-way wings with good length for their position.

[keevsnick]

I went 4th/5th.  I still think Simmons goes 1.  Siakam and Ingram seem like the 2 and 3, though I'm not sure the order.  I think Brown, Murray, and Brogdon are the 4/5/6 slot, though I think it might depend on the team on which one they go with as they are all pretty close.  I also think a random team here or there might think Hield or Sabonis should be there over those guys.  I voted 4/5 though think he theoretically could go 6.

Thats totally fair, and it's worth pointing out that doesn't make Jaylen disappointing. Its just there are a lot of guys from this draft who are balling out and a lot still left to play out. Right now taking him fifth might be justified, a year from now maybe he's 1st or 2nd. I think he still has some untapped upside if his playmaking can improve.

Mostly I'm just kind of surprised how much this draft has flipped over the start of this year. There were serious reservations about Ingram's health and ability to ability to shoot. Everybody thought Simmons was secure as the best player in the draft. Brown was disappointing last year. Siakam looked good, but was he starter or star level good? How much more than just a "solid cog" could Brogdon be? Did Sabonis have anther level? So much has broken right for this draft.

[Who]

I got Jaylen at #2 behind Siakam at #1. Then I'll go Ingram #3.  Hield #4. Ben Simmons at #5 and then Brogdon at #6. Jamal Murray at #7 and Sabonis at #8.

I went with Jaylen over Ingram because I think Ingram's stats are inflated by playing PF next to 3 guards on an all-offense (albeit misfiring offense) lineup / game-plan. Ingram needs to improve significantly as a defender to become a PF. He is more a SF where his offensive advantages are less.

I went with Hield at #4 because he is not just a strong shooter/scorer but an exceptional one. His volume and accuracy on three pointers is game-changing. I gave Hield the nod over Ben Simmons because I wasn't willing to gamble on losing Hield's scoring / shooting for Simmons' upside.

However, I was willing to take that gamble when we turn to Brogdon. Great glue guy. Maybe a 3rd option type although I am not completely sold on him maintaining high scoring numbers when he has the to share the ball with more offensive talent alongside him. Not a natural scorer. More passive than assertive. Put him alongside a guy like Kemba and Tatum and I am not sure Brogdon is a 20ppg guy. More a 15ppg.

Ben Simmons has the chance to be something special if a team is built around him. However, his lack of improvement on his jump-shooting makes me disinclined to gamble on that over what Jaylen, Ingram and Hield have already shown me. I'd love to see Simmons have a team built around him like Giannis has.

Tough call between Jamal Murray and D.Sabonis. I went Murray. He can play both guard spots and I reckon he'd do more (be more efficient) outside of Denver when he doesn't have to play PG anymore.

[konkmv]

Delighted with jaylen.. 2 way player on a good team plays as a third option behind Walker Tatum and maybe Hayward and even so he becomes better and better.. Murray has a licence to shoot at will playing for a weak team.. Ingram and hield too..Simmons has no shooting and is not Giannis.. and does not play hard... siakam looks good but  is he a star? Good players but who is drastically improving every year..? I 'll keep him

[moiso]

There are a lot of good players who are in the same tier in that draft.  Many of them would be interchangeable in a redraft.  My main thought is that I'd rather have Brown than the guy who was drafted #1.  I'd rather have quite a few of those guys than the guy who went #1.  Simmons is awesome in spurts, especially when the game gets ragged and there are multiple fast break opportunities for him.  But in the the halfcourt he's probably the absolute worst player out of all those guys who have been mentioned.  And he looks pretty uninterested in doing more than coasting a lot of the time.  I'm pretty thrilled with Jalen in comparison.

[Moranis]

Delighted with jaylen.. 2 way player on a good team plays as a third option behind Walker Tatum and maybe Hayward and even so he becomes better and better.. Murray has a licence to shoot at will playing for a weak team.. Ingram and hield too..Simmons has no shooting and is not Giannis.. and does not play hard... siakam looks good but  is he a star? Good players but who is drastically improving every year..? I 'll keep him

Denver is a weak team?

[celticsclay]

Pretty sure if Toronto offered Siakam for Simmons Brett Brown is driving him to the airport. I feel like people are fairly oblivious that Simmons hasn't developed at all on the offensive end. He shows no improvement from foul line, no willingness to take jumpers and is averaging a career high in turnovers. These are things that players work on improve (look at Brown from ft).

[Sophomore]

Pretty sure if Toronto offered Siakam for Simmons Brett Brown is driving him to the airport. I feel like people are fairly oblivious that Simmons hasn't developed at all on the offensive end. He shows no improvement from foul line, no willingness to take jumpers and is averaging a career high in turnovers. These are things that players work on improve (look at Brown from ft).

Agree 💯.

Ujiri would be at the airport to stop Simmons from getting on the plane while he tries to figure out who ok’d it and whether he can undo it.

[footey]

1. Siakam
2a. Ingram
2b. Brown
4. Simmons
5. Hield
6. Brogdon

[Moranis]

Pretty sure if Toronto offered Siakam for Simmons Brett Brown is driving him to the airport. I feel like people are fairly oblivious that Simmons hasn't developed at all on the offensive end. He shows no improvement from foul line, no willingness to take jumpers and is averaging a career high in turnovers. These are things that players work on improve (look at Brown from ft).

That is probably correct, though it doesn't mean Siakam is better or has more value than Simmons.  That would more a reflection of the poor fit that Simmons is with Embiid. 

[footey]

Pretty sure if Toronto offered Siakam for Simmons Brett Brown is driving him to the airport. I feel like people are fairly oblivious that Simmons hasn't developed at all on the offensive end. He shows no improvement from foul line, no willingness to take jumpers and is averaging a career high in turnovers. These are things that players work on improve (look at Brown from ft).

That is probably correct, though it doesn't mean Siakam is better or has more value than Simmons.  That would more a reflection of the poor fit that Simmons is with Embiid.

Where would Simmons fit best? I'm not sure who.