Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery was an event packed with anticipation as the future of numerous franchises hung in the balance, their fate ultimately determined by the potential favorable bounce of a few ping pong balls. Ultimately, though, the event was a bit anticlimactic with the lottery order falling exactly as expected. The Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Boston Celtics will hold the first three picks in June’s NBA draft.
The Sixers will face the night’s first true choice: whether to select LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke’s Brandon Ingram with the number one overall pick. Simmons is, in my opinion, the more talented of the two. He is a potentially game-changing playmaker at the power forward position who has an incredibly unique set of skills for a player his size. Ingram, on the other hand, is the slightly younger of the two prospects and is tailor-made to play the wing in an NBA that values length and shooting at that position. The path that Philadelphia chooses will shape the fate of the Lakers who are in the midst of a serious rebuilding project, but have a core of talented young players to build around. How will the draft shake out? Let’s take a look.
This mock draft is brought to you by Upside & Motor, part of the Hardwood Paroxysm Basketball Network. You can find more in-depth analysis of the prospects mentioned within, including scouting reports and performance breakdowns, over at Upside & Motor.
Next: 1. Philadelphia 76ers