2016 NBA Draft Prospects Thread

[CameronCrazy06]

Ingram's momentum is really growing to be #1. Yesterday he didn't even play well and still made up ground based on Simmons just apparently not even wanting to be on the court. This is similar to Towns and Okafor last year.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I think I'd take him #1. If a team drafts Simmons it will be for his potential. Ben has a lot of deficiencies in his game that hurts his team. I'm not all that enamored with him anymore.

 

[elcheato]

Ingram's momentum is really growing to be #1. Yesterday he didn't even play well and still made up ground based on Simmons just apparently not even wanting to be on the court. This is similar to Towns and Okafor last year.

Having not watched either Simmons or Ingram play this year, I'll go ahead and say that explanation is nothing like the Towns/Okafor argument last year. It became quite obvious that Towns had significantly more potential and was basically already a better player. 

 

[Hurricane Season]

If anything, I feel like Ingram has a higher ceiling than Simmons.
 
Simmons feels like a safer bet to me, though.  His floor is probably Lamar Odom-esque. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

The problem with Simmons is most of his skills are overrated. His ball handling for example, he is great in the open floor, but when an offense slows down to the half court his ball handling is very shaky. He really only has one dribble move, and that is an INCREDIBLY basic crossover. I'd go ahead and say his offense in the half court is pretty nonexistent. He has no jump shot, which really hurts not only him but his team because it makes everything bunched up in the paint (where he likes to operate), he lacks a post game, and even when he faces up and tries to use his athleticism I haven't seen him be able to consistently go around his defender at the college level. Another thing, his rebounding, he's not really fundamentally sound. His rebounding is 100% to do with his athleticism (he outjumps his opponent for the rebound, rarely does he box out) and that athleticism won't be as noticeable in the NBA where 99.9% of the players are athletic.

My biggest problem with him? His motor. It's awful, he's effectively quit on this LSU team but the entire season you've seen it run hot and cold, especially on the defensive end. His hustle on that end is really bad, and couple that with the fact that he's undersized (I know he's 6'10, but he's not the prototypical size for an NBA PF) makes him a very bad defender.

I think he'll fit better in the NBA game, but his same deficiencies will continue to exist. The thing that I wonder about is if he doesn't play hard in college (and like I said, this is something that has happened all year) then what's he going to be like when he signs that contract? Maybe he's just coasting through the college season and he's going to take the NBA by storm and I'm 100% wrong on all counts, but he hasn't really impressed me all that much in college.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Having not watched either Simmons or Ingram play this year, I'll go ahead and say that explanation is nothing like the Towns/Okafor argument last year. It became quite obvious that Towns had significantly more potential and was basically already a better player.

Revisionist History 101

 

[elcheato]

I was leading the charge against Okafor. I created a movement. Nola was an early adapter as well, my co-pilot. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I still don't like him lol

 

[CameronCrazy06]

He'll fight you

 

[Pugz]

He'll fight you

ill drop him with the quickness

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I'm also on the Jamal Murray bandwagon, not a huge fan of him defensively but think some of it is fundamental issues that can be fixed. Love him offensively.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

He's improved defensively a lot since the beginning of the season

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I'm kind of thinking he's going to climb up the draft boards.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Could see him going as high as 3 honestly, but that's mainly because there's a big drop off after 1-2

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Ford moved him up to 4

 

[bosoxlover12]

Who does he have at 3? Bender?
 
 
I like Murray a lot, but its really hard to say how he'll do defensively. Cal has him gamble for steals often (similar to what Rondo did in 2011 for Boston, where he went only for steals and was pretty bad defensively otherwise) so its kinda hard to evaluate his overall defense. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

He's gotten a lot better defensively as the season has gone on but he doesn't ever guard the opposing team's best player

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I'm loving Murray right now.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I think I just saw Ben Simmons hustle on the defensive end for the first time all season.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

1. Simmons lack of competitiveness in some crucial games has raised questions about his character as a basketball player.

2. Simmons box scores have grown increasingly hollow.

3. The report on defending Simmons in the half-court is well known and has been utilized effectively in recent weeks.

4. The concerns about Simmons character didnt magically appear the moment he arrived on campus in Baton Rouge. Those who know him best say he needs things to revolve around him on and off the court and that he's often been close-minded to coaching or instruction.


Although he's not the generational talent he's been sold as by some, he's a unique prospect who could emerge as an incredible asset to a team down the road if he's willing to address his flaws.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-ben-simmons-isn-t-the-top-prospect-in-the-2016-nba-draft-190023711.html