Redrafting the 2016 NBA Draft class

1. Philadelphia 76ers

Original Pick: Ben Simmons
New Pick: Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons was far and wide the best prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was even one of the most hyped prospects of the last 10 years with his 6’10” frame, point guard skills and freakish athleticism. The point-forward projection held up in his one year at LSU, as SportsCenter was full of highlights of the freshmen grabbing a rebound (11.9 per game) going coast-to-coast and finishing with an assists (4.8 per game). He wasn’t afraid to finish on his own though, every once in a while throwing down a monster jam using his nearly 42″ vertical.

Simmons, perhaps more than Joel Embiid, was THE player Sam Hinkie had in mind for the Philadelphia 76ers when “The Process” began: a true franchise-altering talented with one drop of a ping pong ball. The only debate about drafting Simmons or not came when thinking about positional need.

In college Simmons was a power forward, and did not show the ability to step outside and shoot or defend on the perimeter. With the likes of Embiid, Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel already on the roster, the team was loaded in the post. In light of this, some believed the 76ers should have taken Brandon Ingram of Duke to provide the team with a wing player, but Simmons is more than just a big man or a wing.

When he gets back on the court, Simmons will probably play point guard for the 76ers. The team will look in the draft and free agency, but more than likely this is how things will shake out. Simmons will have the ball in his hands on the perimeter for a long time in Philly, giving Embiid and Saric plenty of room in the post. Those three, plus a couple of 3-and-D players in between equals Process Achieved.