The Chronicle's 2016 NBA Mock Draft

With the 2016 NBA draft set for Thursday night at 7 p.m., five of The Chronicle's current and former editors in the sports department give their final predictions for Brandon Ingram's landing spot, the rest of the lottery selections, next year's Rookie of the Year and the draft's biggest potential busts and steals.

Amrith Ramkumar

V.112 Sports Editor and V.110 Blue Zone Editor

Duke Picks:

Brandon Ingram: 2nd, Los Angeles Lakers. Preliminary reports from multiple sources reporting that Philadelphia has promised LSU's Ben Simmons the No. 1 pick makes this pretty easy, as does a report that the Lakers would have taken Ingram even if they had gotten the top overall pick. The former Duke swingman said last week he has put on weight since leaving Durham, and his 7-foot-3 wingspan and perimeter shooting make it unlikely he slips past this spot,

The Lakers could definitely use a versatile wing, so unless something changes between now and Thursday night, I would be shocked if Ingram falls past this point.

Lottery Order:

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, LSU
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram, Duke
3. Boston Celtics: Jamal Murray, Kentucky
4. Phoenix Suns: Dragan Bender, Maccabi Tel Aviv
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Kris Dunn, Providence
7. Denver Nuggets: Marquese Chriss, Washington
8. Sacramento Kings: Jaylen Brown, California
9. Toronto Raptors: Henry Ellenson, Marquette
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Jakob Poeltl, Utah
11. Orlando Magic: Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
12. Atlanta Hawks (from Utah): Wade Baldwin, Vanderbilt
13. Phoenix Suns: Deyonta Davis, Michigan State
14. Chicago Bulls: Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga

Sameer Pandhare

V.112 Sports Managing Co-Editor and V.111 Blue Zone Editor

Duke Picks:

Brandon Ingram: 2nd, Los Angeles Lakers. With Ben Simmons a virtual lock to be the top pick in the draft, the lanky forward is locked into the No. 2 spot and an opportunity to play for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. Although Ingram took a little longer than expected to make his mark on the college level, the Kinston, N.C., native displayed an impressive perimeter stroke and the ability to score off the bounce. Outside of a few high-turnover outings, Ingram never seemed rushed on the court, and one of the former Blue Devils’ best skills is his ability to look over the defense and find open teammates. Ingram’s ability to grow into his body and adjust to the physicality of the next level could be the only things holding him back from being a multi-time All-Star in the NBA.

Lottery Order:

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, LSU
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram, Duke
3. Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown, California
4. Phoenix Suns: Marquese Chriss, Washington
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kris Dunn, Providence
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Jamal Murray, Kentucky
7. Denver Nuggets: Dragan Bender, Maccabi Tel Aviv
8. Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
9. Toronto Raptors: Jakob Poeltl, Utah
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Henry Ellenson, Marquette
11. Orlando Magic: Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
12. Atlanta Hawks (from Utah): Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
13. Phoenix Suns: Wade Baldwin, Vanderbilt
14. Chicago Bulls: Deyonta Davis, Michigan State

Biggest bust potential: Jaylen Brown—Outside of the top two, this year’s draft features numerous fringe prospects who likely have a ceiling as rotation players rather than All-Stars. At 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, the bulky California product definitely has the ability to play in the backcourt or at the forward position. But Brown remains one of the more raw prospects on the board and was frankly underwhelming for me in his single college season. It may take two to three years for Brown to develop a steady jumper, and he just doesn’t appear to have the strongest feel for the game. If Brown’s play in the Pac-12 and NCAA tournament are any indication, he has a long way to go before reaching his full potential as an NBA player.

Biggest steal: Skal Labissiere—Once again, there don’t seem to be many standouts after Ingram and Simmons. Labissierre started his college season in the discussion with the top two picks as one of the best freshmen in the country, but quickly tailed off after he struggled to adjust to the physicality of the game at Kentucky. But the 6-foot-11 forward showed signs of improvement as the year progressed and still possesses the sought-after ability to hit mid-range jumpers as a big man. With the right coaching staff and players around him, Labissierre could prove to be a valuable pick within a year’s time and make good on the potential many felt he had coming out of high school.

Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons—The top overall pick’s rookie season may not include much winning, but with the 76ers lacking a primary ball-handler or a go-to scorer, expect Simmons to have plenty of opportunities to get shots up in his first year in the league. Although his jumper may be shaky right now, the LSU product has the strength and the skillset to score against opposing forwards at the next level. The hype surrounding Simmons as the next big thing and his ability to produce highlight-reel plays should give the forward just enough of a boost to be touted as the best rookie in the league.

Hank Tucker

V.112 Blue Zone Editor

Duke Picks:

Brandon Ingram: 2nd, Los Angeles Lakers. The beginning of the draft Thursday night will be merely a formality, as Simmons and Ingram are virtually set in stone as the top two picks in that order. Ingram will team up with a young nucleus that includes Russell, Clarkson and Julius Randle, and he will also join former Blue Devil forward Ryan Kelly in Los Angeles. I expect Ingram to start right away for a Laker team that is beginning to rebuild after Kobe Bryant’s retirement.

Lottery Order:

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, LSU
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram, Duke
3. Boston Celtics: Marquese Chriss, Washington
4. Phoenix Suns: Dragan Bender, Maccabi Tel Aviv
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kris Dunn, Providence
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Jamal Murray, Kentucky
7. Denver Nuggets: Jaylen Brown, California
8. Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
9. Toronto Raptors: Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Jakob Poeltl, Utah
11. Orlando Magic: Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
12. Atlanta Hawks (from Utah): Deyonta Davis, Michigan State
13. Phoenix Suns: Henry Ellenson, Marquette
14. Chicago Bulls: Wade Baldwin, Vanderbilt

Biggest bust potential: Jakob Poeltl—The 7-foot center was a very good college player, as he showed with his dominance against Marshall Plumlee when Utah beat Duke last December, but I don’t think he is versatile or athletic enough to make much of an impact in the NBA. Typical post-up centers are becoming less and less useful for the pro game, which now values shooting ability and the ability to defend multiple positions above all else. Poeltl does not have much of a midrange game and may be a step too slow on defense to succeed.

Biggest steal: Malachi Richardson—The dynamic 6-foot-6 guard shot up draft boards with his impressive performance during Syracuse’s surprise run to the Final Four last year, and I think his late-season rise can translate into sustained NBA success. Richardson averaged 15.0 points per game in the NCAA tournament and displayed NBA range on his jump shot, and he was arguably the Orange’s best on-ball defender. He still has plenty of time to develop at age 20 after just one year in college, and a team in the second half of the first round—where Richardson is projected to be drafted—may luck into a potential All-Star.

Rookie of the Year: Brandon Ingram—Unless the Lakers make a major splash for a star forward like Kevin Durant or even Lebron James this offseason—which is possible for a franchise that has deep pockets—Ingram will start and be the team’s go-to scorer from day one. He is the most complete player right now in the draft and can score from anywhere on the floor. Defenses will be able to sag off Simmons—the presumptive No. 1 pick—until he proves he can shoot from anywhere outside the paint, and the 76ers will be wondering if they made a mistake while Ingram racks up big numbers on the West Coast.

Brian Pollack

V.111 Sports Managing Editor

Duke Picks:

Brandon Ingram: 2nd, Los Angeles Lakers. For the second year in a row, the Lakers have the second pick and are heavily considering a former Blue Devil—but reports surfaced this week that Los Angeles will take Ingram, after the 76ers announced they will take Ben Simmons with the first overall pick. This one is pretty much a done deal.

Lottery Order:

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, LSU
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram, Duke
3. Boston Celtics: Jamal Murray, Kentucky
4. Phoenix Suns: Dragan Bender, Maccabi Tel Aviv
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaylen Brown, California
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Kris Dunn, Providence
7. Denver Nuggets: Marquese Chriss, Washington
8. Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
9. Toronto Raptors: Jakob Poeltl, Utah
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Henry Ellenson, Marquette
11. Orlando Magic: Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
12. Atlanta Hawks (from Utah): Wade Baldwin, Vanderbilt
13. Phoenix Suns: Timothe Luwawu, Mega Leks (Serbia)
14. Chicago Bulls: Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame

Biggest bust potential: Skal Labissiere—For a player as highly-touted as Labissiere, the results really do not match the hype. Labissiere was one of the top-rated centers in his class but averaged just 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in his only season at Kentucky and really failed to establish himself as any kind of force in the paint. He has the height at 6-foot-11, but his slender frame weighs just 225 pounds. Physicality was an issue in college, and I would expect that weakness to be even more of an issue in the NBA.

Biggest steal: Tyler Ulis—Although Kris Dunn held the unofficial title of “top college point guard in the nation” for most of the season—and deservedly so—Ulis calmly guided Kentucky to a win in the SEC tournament title game. The fact that he stands just 5-foot-9 has scared some teams away from his pro potential, but two years running the offense for the Wildcats and playing with a slew of NBA-ready talent gave Ulis more than enough experience to be able to provide value outside of the lottery.

Rookie of the Year: Brandon Ingram—As Simmons tries to incorporate a jump shot into his game on a 76ers roster that lacks veteran leadership, Ingram will be surrounded by enough talent in Los Angeles to allow him to have success in the early going. In terms of skills left to develop at the professional level, Ingram’s game is almost fully formed—his size is the main knock on him, but he is talented enough to score consistently in year one.

Sam Turken

V.112 Sports Managing Co-Editor

Duke Picks:

Brandon Ingram: 2nd, Los Angeles Lakers. The only way that Ingram is not chosen second is if the Lakers make a blockbuster trade, which at this point seems unlikely. Going to Los Angeles is better for Ingram than Philadelphia, as the Lakers’ young group of guards including Russell and Clarkson will take the scoring load off him.

Lottery Order:

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons, LSU
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Ingram, Duke
3. Boston Celtics: Kris Dunn, Providence
4. Phoenix Suns: Marquese Chriss, Washington
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Dragan Bender, Maccabi Tel Aviv
6. New Orleans Pelicans: Jamal Murray, Kentucky
7. Denver Nuggets: Jaylen Brown, California
8. Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
9. Toronto Raptors: Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Jakob Poeltl, Utah
11. Orlando Magic: Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
12. Atlanta Hawks (from Utah): Deyonta Davis, Michigan State
13. Phoenix Suns: Timothe Luwawu, Mega Leks (Serbia)
14. Chicago Bulls: Wade Baldwin, Vanderbilt

Biggest bust potential: Skal Labissiere—The 6-foot-11 forward and former five-star recruit was a disappointment during his only year at Kentucky, averaging just 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. His lack of physicality was apparent on defense, where he struggled to hold his ground in the paint. His weaknesses as a rebounder and defender may become bigger concerns once he reaches the NBA.

Biggest steal: Dejounte Murray—Murray will be a project and may in fact turn out to be a role player at best. He was often inefficient during his freshman year at Washington last season, shooting just 42 percent and averaging 3.2 assists per game. But at 6-foot-5, Murray has tremendous upside. The 19-year-old is explosive and can put pressure on opposing defenses with his ability to drive to the rim and absorb contact. Although he struggles to shoot from the outside, he has a decent stroke and will improve once he learns to take better shots. 

Rookie of the Year: Brandon Ingram—This will come down to Ingram, Ben Simmons and Kris Dunn. Ingram is the most versatile scorer in this rookie draft. He will benefit from having guards around him that can spread the floor and should progress quickly as he adjusts to the speed and physicality of the NBA. Simmons may struggle early on as opposing defenses collapse on him in the lane, knowing that he cannot shoot from the outside. Dunn has the potential to be a star, but will need time to develop as a scorer.

Amrith Ramkumar will be in Brooklyn to cover the NBA Draft tonight. Stay tuned @dukebasketball for updates