NBA Draft: 5 best destinations for Ben Simmons
By John Buhler
Here are the five best situations for Ben Simmons to land in the 2016 NBA Draft.
The LSU Tigers’ phenomenal freshman Australian native Ben Simmons has decided to forgo his final three years of eligibility playing for the Tigers in the SEC to enter the 2016 NBA Draft. This comes as no surprise, as Simmons has been considered a candidate for going No. 1 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft before he even set foot on Baton Rouge’s campus earlier this fall.
Simmons has unbelievable athleticism, length, and ball handling skills that few players over 6’10” have. He still has to learn how to become an effective jump shooter and play better defensively, but the foundation of a potentially transcendent basketball player is there with one-and-done from LSU.
Until recently, Simmons had been the sure-fire, guaranteed No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. As the 2015-16 NCAA season went along, another true freshman phenom in Duke Blue Devils’ forward Brandon Ingram could go No. 1 instead of Simmons.
Regardless, it seems that both Ingram and Simmons are going to be the first two players off the board in the 2016 NBA Draft unless something drastically changes NBA general managers’ minds in the next few weeks.
Since Simmons is going in the top end of the NBA Draft Lottery at either No. 1 or No. 2, only teams that have a shot at winning the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery will end up landing him this summer. Here are the five best situations for Simmons to land in the NBA Draft Lottery. These five teams will give him the best opportunity to succeed early.
Next: 5. Denver Nuggets