2016 NBA Draft Big Board 4.0
Now that the college basketball season is over, it is time to set our sights on the NBA Draft. Here is what has changed since our last Big Board:
- The NCAA Tournament has become a proving ground for a number of past NBA prospects. March Madness gives future NBA players a massive stage to shine on and boost their draft stock. This season was no different as a number of players bolstered their draft positions with strong performances. Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis’ 27-point performance against Indiana showed scouts that he can control a game despite his size and North Carolina’s Brice Johnson has put together improved defensive performances to go with his consistent double-double production. But no player improved his stock as much as Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield. Hield entered the tournament as a likely top-10 pick, but has forced his way into the top-5 conversation with impressive shot-making despite a rough outing against Villanova in the Final Four.
- The new NBA Draft rules are already having an interesting effect as more and more borderline players are declaring for the draft with a number of them even committing to signing representation. One of the more interesting cases is Kansas guard Brannen Greene. Greene hasn’t appeared on our big board all season, but at 6-7 he has the size to play the wing in the NBA and is a knock-down outside shooter — his true shooting percentage is 10 points higher than Hield’s. However, the most likely scenario for Greene and others like him is that they will go undrafted and be tasked with practicing their craft in the D-League or overseas in hopes of finding a way into the NBA down the road.
- There are several new faces to the Big Board, none more interesting than Thon Maker. Maker was originally considered a college senior but has decided to test the NBA Draft waters and apply for his eligibility this season. Maker is a seven footer who has flashed a ton of different skills and shown consistency in none of them. He is the weirdest player to slot in this board. He could go anywhere from the lottery to second round. He will really have to impress scouts with his upside and work ethic in order to justify a team taking him with a high first round pick.
- There will be more intel each week coming in on players deciding to declare for the draft and test the waters. The new rules that the NCAA adopted for when players can declare for the draft and how long they can keep their name in has given every kid a reason to enter. There a few that have decided to stay in school for another year, though. Syracuse’s Tyler Lydon was slotted to be in this version after his strong play in the NCAA Tournament until he announced that he will be coming back to school. Dwayne Bacon of Florida State and Arizona’s Allonzo Trier were both in previous versions and have decided to stay in school. All of those players were discussed as part of this new Big Board.
BIG BOARD
- Ben Simmons — 6-10, PF, LSU
- Brandon Ingram — 6-9, SF, Duke
- Dragan Bender — 7-1, PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Kris Dunn — 6-4, PG, Providence
- Jamal Murray — 6-5, SG, Kentucky
- Jakob Poeltl — 7-1, C, Utah
- Jaylen Brown — 6-7, SF, California
- Buddy Hield — 6-4, SG, Oklahoma
- Henry Ellenson — 6-10, PF, Marquette
- Ivan Rabb — 6-10, PF, California
- Furkan Korkmaz — 6-7, SG, Anadolu Efes
- Timothe Luwawu — 6-7, SG, Mega Leks
- Skal Labissiere — 7-0, PF, Kentucky
- Demetrius Jackson — 6-1, PG, Notre Dame
- Marquese Chriss — 6-9, PF, Washington
- Deyonta Davis — 6-10, PF, Michigan State
- Diamond Stone — 7-0, C, Maryland
- Denzel Valentine — 6-6, SF, Michigan State
- Tyler Ulis — 5-9, PG, Kentucky
- Domantas Sabonis — 6-10, PF, Gonzaga
- Jonathan Jeanne — 7-2, PF, Le Mans
- Wade Baldwin IV — 6-3, PG, Vanderbilt
- Thon Maker – 7-0, C, Athlete Institute of Canada
- Taurean Prince — 6-7, SF, Baylor
- Stephen Zimmerman — 7-0, C, UNLV
- Malik Beasley — 6-4, SG, Florida State
- Grayson Allen — 6-4, SG, Duke
- Paul Zipser — 6-8, SF, Bayern Munich
- Damian Jones — 6-10, C, Vanderbilt
- Isaiah Cordinier — 6-5, SG, Denain
- Ivica Zubac — 7-1, C, Mega Leks
- Ante Zizic — 6-11, C, Cibona Zagreb
- Gary Payton II — 6-3, PG, Oregon State
- Melo Trimble — 6-3, PG, Maryland
- Petr Cornelie — 6-11, PF, Le Mans
- Juan Hernangomez — 6-9, SF, Estudiantes
- Brice Johnson — 6-9, PF, North Carolina
- Dejounte Murray – 6-5, SG, Washington
- Cheick Diallo — 6-9, PF, Kansas
- DeAndre Bembry — 6-6, SF, St. Joe’s
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk — 6-8, SG, Kansas
- Zhou Qi — 7-2, C, Xinjiang
- Thomas Bryant — 6-9, C, Indiana
- Monte Morris — 6-3, PG, Iowa State
- Malcolm Brogdon — 6-5, SG, Virginia
- Caris LeVert — 6-7, SG, Michigan
- AJ Hammons — 7-0, C, Purdue
- Wayne Selden — 6-6, SG, Kansas
- Pascal Siakam — 6-9, PF, New Mexico State
- Malik Newman — 6-4, SG, Mississippi State
- Ben Bentil – 6-9, PF, Providence
- Nigel Hayes — 6-8, PF, Wisconsin
- Pat McCaw — 6-7, SG, UNLV
- Justin Jackson — 6-8, SF, North Carolina
- Jake Layman — 6-9, SF, Maryland
- Isaiah Whitehead – 6-4, SG, Seton Hall
- Dillon Brooks – 6-6, SF, Oregon
- Yogi Ferrell – 6-0, PG, Indiana
- Chris Boucher – 6-10, PF, Oregon
- Isaiah Briscoe — 6-3, PG, Kentucky
STOCK UP
Jamal Murray (+2), Buddy Hield (+2), Ivan Rabb (+3), Demetrius Jackson (+2), Marquese Chriss (+3), Deyonta Davis (+4), Tyler Ulis (+28), Domantas Sabonis (+1), Malik Beasley (+4), Isaiah Cordinier (+1), Ivica Zubac (+9), Gary Payton II (+1), DeAndre Bembry (+12), Thomas Bryant (+1), Monte Morris (+1), Malcolm Brogdon (+1), AJ Hammons (+10), Wayne Selden (+10)
STOCK DOWN
Jakob Poeltl (-1), Jaylen Brown (-1), Henry Ellenson (-1), Furkan Korkmaz (-2), Skal Labissiere (-2), Diamond Stone (-3) Denzel Valentine (-3), Jonathan Jeanne (-2), Wade Baldwin IV (-5), Taurean Prince (-2), Grayson Allen (-3), Damian Jones (-3), Melo Trimble (-11), Cheick Diallo (-9), Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (-3), Zhou Qi (-9), Caris LeVert (-4), Malik Newman (-9), Nigel Hayes (-25), Justin Jackson (-16), Jake Layman (-5), Isaiah Briscoe (-13)
NEWCOMERS
Thon Maker (23), Dejounte Murray (37), Ben Bentil (50), Tyler Lydon (53), Isaiah Whitehead (56), Dillon Brooks (57), Yogi Ferrell (58), Chris Boucher (59)
PREVIOUSLY RANKED
Dwayne Bacon (43), Kay Felder (50), Tim Quarterman (54), Anthony Barber (55), Jarrod Uthoff (56), Dorian Finney-Smith (59), Aleksandar Vezenkov (60)