Chad Ford's 2016 Big Board 2.0

[Eddie20]

I placed in bold things that stood out...

Our Big Board is a more detailed look at the top 30 players (essentially the first round) from our top 100. It tracks player movement, stock fluctuation and gives you the latest intel from NBA scouts.

So here it is -- our preseason Big Board for the 2016 NBA draft.


1Ben SimmonsCOLLEGE: LSUHT: 6-10WT: 239POS: SF
The majority of scouts and GMs I speak with continue to believe Simmons is the player in this class who has the best chance to be transcendent. His size, athleticism and feel for the game are unique. He's going to fill up the box score.

"Ben's really good at just allowing himself to play whatever the game dictates," LSU head coach Johnny Jones told reporters after LSU's exhibition win over Southwest Baptist. "He doesn't force it. If he's got an opportunity to make plays, knock down shots, I think he takes advantage of it. He can get to the rim, play inside or out, and he's done a good job of making passes. His assist line could have been up even higher."

Scouts can't peg what position he plays, no one is exactly sure what sort of season he'll have at LSU, but virtually all of them agree that he has the best chance to become a star.


2Skal LabissiereCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 7-0WT: 225POS: C
Like his predecessors Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, Labissiere is a super-skilled big man who can score from everywhere on the floor. Seven-footers that can do that efficiently are rare, which is why scouts see him as the top contender to Simmons for the No. 1 pick. His weakness, like Davis and Towns before him, is showing toughness in the paint as a freshman. And head coach John Calipari is already working on transforming him into a low-post monster.

"He's got a ways to go," Calipari told reporters. "We've got to really do a better job of teaching him how to fight for position (in the paint), how to hold his position and how to make sure you're catching balls, catching it close. It's all new to him. The reason you want to step away from the basket is because it's easier. You're not going to have to (play) body to body. 'I don't have to fight. Let me just shoot this fadeaway jumper.' Yeah, (Towns) said the same thing."

If Labissiere shows the same progress Towns did last season, he's going to keep the race for the No. 1 pick very competitive.


3Dragan BenderCOLLEGE: CroatiaHT: 7-1WT: 216POS: PF
With Kristaps Porzingis making the Lakers and Sixers second-guess passing on him in the draft and Nikola Mirotic moving into the starting lineup in Chicago, big Euros who can play multiple positions and stretch the floor are back in fashion. And some scouts believe that the athletic, versatile Bender could end up being better than Porzingis and Mirotic.


4Brandon IngramCOLLEGE: DukeHT: 6-10WT: 219POS: SF
While Simmons, Labissiere and, to a lesser extent, Bender dominate the discussion about who's No. 1, scouts haven't forgotten about Ingram. A lanky wing, he has the ability to be a scoring machine. He's an athletic small forward who stands 6-foot-10 with a 7-3 wingspan who can shoot and finish above the rim. If he shows more aggressiveness this season, he could sneak into the conversation for the top pick.


5Jaylen BrownCOLLEGE: CaliforniaHT: 6-7WT: 221POS: SF
Brown looks the part of a pro player already. He might be the most athletic prospect with the best NBA body of anyone at the top (though Simmons probably begs to differ). His ability to do things like this has scouts drooling. He'll be playing out of position at Cal this season, much like Justise Winslow did last season at Duke. Brown and Winslow are very similar players, in their strengths and their weaknesses.

6Jamal MurrayCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 6-5WT: 207POS: PG
Murray lacks the elite size and athleticism of other players at the top, but his basketball IQ and productivity on the court might trump the rest of the field. Murray is a scoring and passing machine who can orchestrate an offense better than anyone in the draft (again, with the possible exception of Simmons). Scouts will fret a bit all season about his lack of explosion and defined position, but he's got a real chance to win player of the year as a freshman on the way to becoming a dominant starting guard in the NBA someday.


7Henry EllensonCOLLEGE: MarquetteHT: 6-10WT: 228POS: PF
Ellenson fits the mold of what NBA scouts are looking for in a big. His combination of size, athleticism and ability to shoot with range make him highly coveted in an otherwise weak power forward pool. While he's not a great defender yet, he has the tools to improve.


8Malik PopeCOLLEGE: San Diego StateHT: 6-10WT: 215POS: SF
Pope is the hardest player in the top 10 to peg at the moment. He has the skills and body of a top-5 prospect. However, the consistent production wasn't there during his freshman season. If he dominates this season, we might have him too low. He brings just about everything Ingram does to the table. If he struggles to put up numbers on a nightly basis, we probably have him too high.


9Cheick DialloCOLLEGE: KansasHT: 6-9WT: 220POS: PF
Diallo is still waiting for the NCAA to clear him academically. He's been allowed to practice with the team, but is unable to play. If he does get cleared, he'll instantly make an impression with a motor that never stops, toughness and elite athletic abilities. His offense is still a work in progress, but it's developing. If he doesn't get cleared by the NCAA? I doubt it will do anything to his draft stock in either direction.


10Malik NewmanCOLLEGE: Mississippi St.HT: 6-4WT: 180POS: PG
Newman is switching to full-time point guard at Mississippi State as a freshman. If he can handle those playmaking duties, I think he's a very similar to Brandon Knight as a prospect, but his transition could be a little rough. He's sat out the past few weeks with a turf toe injury, missing valuable time on the court.


11Furkan KorkmazCOLLEGE: TurkeyHT: 6-6WT: 200POS: SG
Korkmaz is playing a supporting role off the bench this season for Andoulu Efes, averaging about 13 minutes per game in Euroleague play and 21 per game in Turkish play. His stats don't really wow right now -- 3.7 PPG on 50 percent shooting in Euroleague play -- but his team is playing at the highest level of Europe, and that much playing time should be enough for scouts to accurately evaluate him.


12Jakob PoeltlCOLLEGE: UtahHT: 7-0WT: 248POS: C
Poeltl's massive weight gain over the summer was the big story for him; he put on 30 pounds, according to his coach. Scouts were concerned all last season that he lacked the strength to play his game in the post. That shouldn't be the case this season. If he dominates, he'll rise.


13Kris DunnCOLLEGE: ProvidenceHT: 6-4WT: 220POS: PG
Based on talent, Dunn should probably be another five or six spots higher on our board. He's a big, super-athletic point guard with a flair for the dramatic. But scouts are concerned about his age; he turns 22 in March. They also want to be assured that his jump shot has improved and hope to see him cut down on his turnovers before anointing him as a top-10 pick.


14Damian JonesCOLLEGE: VanderbiltHT: 7-0WT: 245POS: C
Jones showed significant progress this summer. He was stronger, more aggressive and showed that he can be more than just a force defensively. If he can put together the same sorts of dominating performances in the SEC this season, he'll be a lock for the lottery.


15Diamond StoneCOLLEGE: MarylandHT: 7-0WT: 250POS: C
Stone's ability to score in the paint is a key selling point. He has some Jahlil Okafor in his game. He's savvy with his back to the basket and has the size to carve out space, but his lack of elite athleticism and defense give scouts some pause in ranking him higher.


16Thomas BryantCOLLEGE: IndianaHT: 6-11WT: 241POS: C
Bryant's stock has risen this summer as more scouts are coming around to the idea that he could be this year's sleeper. With a 7-6 wingspan and a high motor on both ends of the floor, he has the potential to rise 10 spots on this board if he can consistently impact games at Indiana.


17Stephen ZimmermanCOLLEGE: UNLVHT: 7-0WT: 234POS: C
Zimmerman fits the mold of the skilled big man with athleticism and the ability to hurt you on the perimeter. His body could use some work, and scouts would like him to not rely on his jumper so much, but he should get lots of opportunities to shine at UNLV. He'll move up if he does most of his damage in the paint.


18Demetrius JacksonCOLLEGE: Notre DameHT: 6-1WT: 195POS: PG
Jackson played in Jerian Grant's shadow last season. Now, this is his team. Everyone already knows about his toughness, defense and shooting ability. Scouts have questions about his abilities as a passer and ball handler, but if he can show off his floor-general skills this season, he has the rest of the physical tools and skills to be a very good NBA player.


19Ivan RabbCOLLEGE: CaliforniaHT: 6-10WT: 215POS: PF
Rabb is a bit of a blank slate. The athleticism and rebounding ability already are there. His body reportedly is coming along. If he can add a low-post game to his arsenal along with a more consistent jump shot, he has top-10 talent. Most scouts, however, think it might be at least another year before he'll be able to put it all together.


20Sviatoslav MykhailiukCOLLEGE: KansasHT: 6-6WT: 210POS: SG
This is Mykhailiuk's sophomore season, but he's still younger than most of the freshmen on this list. Scouts believe his game should be much further along this year. He's gotten stronger and has been working on polishing that jumper. But it's also possible that, like Zimmerman and Rabb, it might take another season before he lives up to his potential.


21Zhou QiCOLLEGE: ChinaHT: 7-2WT: 209POS: PF
Qi already has the skill set that NBA teams covet in a big. He's huge, protects the paint and can stretch the floor offensively. He had a terrific season in China as an 18-year-old last season. The question now is, how can he add 30 pounds of muscle?


22Grayson AllenCOLLEGE: DukeHT: 6-5WT: 205POS: SG
Allen's explosive leaping and scoring ability get scouts excited. But can he impact the game on a nightly basis? Consistency will be the key for him. He's too low if he delivers regularly.


23Caris LeVertCOLLEGE: MichiganHT: 6-6WT: 205POS: SG
LeVert's broken foot suffered in January of last year hurt his draft stock, but there's still time to rebuild it. He's young for his class, is one of the best playmaking wings in the draft and, with a big year, can re-sell his potential to scouts who are inherently suspicious of upperclassmen.


24Nigel HayesCOLLEGE: WisconsinHT: 6-8WT: 237POS: PF
Hayes is still stuck between positions and might have benefited from playing third fiddle to Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker last year. Now that he's the main man at Wisconsin, can he handle the pressure?


25Isaiah BriscoeCOLLEGE: KentuckyHT: 6-3WT: 202POS: PG
Briscoe is trying to carve a place out for himself next to Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis in the Kentucky backcourt. He's focusing on defense right now, an effort John Calipari certainly welcomes, but Briscoe is more than just a defender. He can see the floor and score in a variety of ways. But will we really see it this year, with Murray and Ulis dominating the ball? He, too, could be a wait-until-next-year type of prospect.


26Domantas SabonisCOLLEGE: GonzagaHT: 6-10WT: 238POS: PF
Sabonis is already a terrific rebounder and has a fantastic basketball IQ. He's going to be an impact player this season, but his lack of shooting ability and athleticism lower his ceiling somewhat.


27Carlton BraggCOLLEGE: KansasHT: 6-9WT: 220POS: PF
Scouts are watching Bragg closely. Like Bryant, he might be a late-blooming prospect who outperforms players ranked 10 or 15 spots higher than him coming out of high school. His versatile offensive game, terrific size and athleticism are his selling points, but will he get enough minutes in an already crowded Jayhawks frontcourt?


28Timothe LuwawuCOLLEGE: FranceHT: 6-6WT: 205POS: SF
Luwawu is having a breakout season for Mega Vizura in the Adriatic League this season. He already projects as an elite defender. His offensive game is coming along, too.


29Wade Baldwin IVCOLLEGE: VanderbiltHT: 6-2WT: 195POS: PG
Baldwin didn't get a lot of hype coming out of high school, but a stellar freshman season has made him a favorite of the analytics crowd. He has great length and strength for his position, and he shot the ball well as a freshman. If he can continue to show an improved handle, he could be this season's Cameron Payne.

30Justin JacksonCOLLEGE: North CarolinaHT: 6-8WT: 215POS: SF
Jackson's ability to shoot it from midrange, where he really excels, and from deep are the most attractive qualities he possesses. He's not a great athlete, but his size and length make up for his lack of explosion.

[PhoSita]

Simmons, Brown, Ellenson, and Damion Jones seem like guys Ainge would like.

I have a feeling if that Nets pick falls in the 4-6 range, Jaylen Brown could very well be the pick.

[Eddie20]

Simmons, Brown, Ellenson, and Damion Jones seem like guys Ainge would like.

I have a feeling if that Nets pick falls in the 4-6 range, Jaylen Brown could very well be the pick.

How about Bryant at #16? The measurables are great!

[MikeJelly]

Give me one of Simmons, Skal, Brown or Ingram with the Nets pick and one of Newman, Murray or Poeltl with the Mavs or Wolves picks are I am just too happy.

The dream for me is to get Simmons and Poeltl (Or have one of my Top 4 fall to the Mavs/Wolves pick).

Give me a line up of:

Smart/IT
AB/RJ
Simmons/Crowder
Sully/Olynyk
Poeltl/Johnson

[Evantime34]

Seems like a pretty deep draft at the 5 and the 3 which are our biggest positions of need.

I expect a couple of the bigs in the teens to rise much higher as the season goes along.

[CFAN38]

Ford's mock give us alot to be excited about. The top 5 all seem on the surface like great building block type picks. The quantity of big man prospects with legit size also gives me hope that DA could be able to land a project center for the future with one of our other 1sts.

I agree with the previous poster that Simmons and Poetlt would be an ideal haul from this draft.

[knuckleballer]

TP for posting this.  We'll probably have an early pick, a late lottery, and a mid 1 st round pick.  It's actually possible we could have a top pick and then three picks in the late lottery to mid first.  College ball is going to a lot of fun to watch this year.

The college season kicks off tonight!  Duke and Ingram are on ESPNU at 7PM and LSU with Simmons are on at ESPNU at 9.  Gonzaga (with Sabonis) vs. Pitt is on ESPN at 7 and Texas vs. Wash at 10.

Between those games and the Celts, I will be flipping channels a lot.

[The One]

Ford's mock give us alot to be excited about. The top 5 all seem on the surface like great building block type picks. The quantity of big man prospects with legit size also gives me hope that DA could be able to land a project center for the future with one of our other 1sts.

I agree with the previous poster that Simmons and Poetlt would be an ideal haul from this draft.

Yup...let's get an athletic big man...time to compete with Drummond and DeAndre!!

[Tr1boy]

I want Simmons or Brown.

But not Ingram subject with a top 5 type pick (to move up)

Rather pick Jackson later on

[mef730]

This draft has some real Tommy potential. That is, names that TH won't possibly be able to pronounce.

I'm particularly excited about mid-late lottery, with Cheick Diallo, Furkan Korkmaz and Poeltl. And I know we don't need another guard, but if Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is still around with our last draft pick, we have to take him. Second round doesn't look quite as promising, with the standouts being Andzejs Pasecniks and Guerschon Yabusele toward the end of the draft.

I would also be okay with Diamond Stone. A guy with talent who needs some experience? We could be taking over/under bets on the number of "Diamond in the rough" jokes.

Mike

[Eddie20]

I want Simmons or Brown.

But not Ingram subject with a top 5 type pick (to move up)

Rather pick Jackson later on

What do you mean by "subject"?

Why don't you like Ingram?

[alewilliam789]

Really like this draft a lot. I would be fine with Dragan Bender at 3-4 with Brooklyn's pick and then trading up to grab Damian Jones around 12-14. Go grab Parsons at the trade deadline from the Mavs.
PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Chandler Parsons
PF: Dragan Bender
C: Damian Jones

Definitely playoff team and we can continue building our promising young squad through FA or the draft.

[tarheelsxxiii]

I want Simmons or Brown.

But not Ingram subject with a top 5 type pick (to move up)

Rather pick Jackson later on

What do you mean by "subject"?

Why don't you like Ingram?

Ingram may have the thinnest legs ever documented at this level of basketball. His frame is still very small too. No doubt he's an elite prospect though, and it says a lot about him that he's at Duke (in a positive way-- ignore my username for a sec) and bodes well for his development. Just something to consider, I suppose.

It'd be interesting to know how physicians/trainers would compare the sturdiness of an Ingram leg to a twice-broken Malik Pope leg. That may be an episode of Sport Science in itself.

[PhoSita]

I want Simmons or Brown.

But not Ingram subject with a top 5 type pick (to move up)

Rather pick Jackson later on

What do you mean by "subject"?

Why don't you like Ingram?

Ingram may have the thinnest legs ever documented at this level of basketball. His frame is still very small too. No doubt he's an elite prospect though, and it says a lot about him that he's at Duke (in a positive way-- ignore my username for a sec) and bodes well for his development. Just something to consider, I suppose.

It'd be interesting to know how physicians/trainers would compare the sturdiness of an Ingram leg to a two-broken Malik Pope leg. That may be an episode of Sport Science in itself.

A prospect who has the measurables of Ingram is always exciting, but his stick-like figure makes me uneasy, for the reasons you point out.

[nickagneta]

Given the way this draft could conceivably end up for the C's(top 3, top 10 and top20) and given the quality of this draft, would it make more sense to trade the Dallas, Boston and bunch of 2nds in 2016 and the Nets 2018 pick for a top 5 pick this year and get two 2016 top 5 picks. Is this draft that good 1-5???