NBA Draft Rumors: 76ers leaning towards Ben Simmons with top pick

After landing the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly leaning towards selecting Ben Simmons at number one.

The debate of whether the Philadelphia 76ers should take Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram at number one will go on until the NBA draft, but the 76ers may have already made their minds up.

According to Bleacher Report NBA Senior Writer Kevin Ding, “The Philadelphia 76ers are leaning heavily toward taking Simmons, according to league sources, with the No. 1 overall pick they landed in the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night.”

After years of taking to grab that top spot, the Sixers finally won the draft lottery on Tuesday night. In a class with two clear talents above the rest, the 76ers will be able to choose between the two. Simmons has been the favorite to go number one in this draft for a long time now, and it is not a surprise that he is the more likely choice for the Sixers.

At 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, Simmons has nice size to go along with his incredible natural basketball instincts. He can put the ball in the hoop, but he is not a devastating scorer. Simmons is a fantastic passer who will consistently put his teammates in a position to succeed. He is an extremely solid player who has fantastic upside as a playmaker at the next level.

That being said, Simmons did not dominate college basketball like many expected him to do. Simmons was a force on both sides of the ball, finishing his only season in college with 19.2 points per game, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2 steals. Simmons was great as an individual, but he did not even lead his LSU team to the NCAA Tournament.

His only season in college left doubt about Simmons’ ability to lead a team, but there are no doubts about his well-rounded basketball skill-set. A great offensive playmaker, strong rebounder, and huge defensive upside give Simmons a great NBA future.

While he is clearly the favorite to go number one, Ding is careful not to say it is a done deal. Ingram is still on the table for Philly.

“The 76ers will further investigate Ingram,” Ding reports, “but they have great confidence in the upside of Simmons, whose ambidextrous athletic ability at 6’10” and 240 pounds comes with innate basketball instincts.”

This decision at number one overall will be important in shaping the future of the Sixers. Adding this player to the mix with all of the lottery selections they have already made may be enough to get this franchise back on the right track.

It certainly appears that the Sixers believe Simmons is that guy to lead them going forward.

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