May 06, 2016
Two weeks ago, we officially kicked off NBA Draft coverage with the first Sixers only mock draft. The goal is to get around seven of these things done by the time June 23rd rolls around, so here is the second (and last one) before the lottery in a couple of weeks.
Just like last time, for the purpose of this exercise, let’s say that the lottery order turns out exactly the way that that the odds would lead you to believe. That means the Sixers are on the clock, but no Lakers pick:
If you have been watching the Cavs rain threes on everyone in Cleveland during the postseason, perhaps you also saw Ben Simmons (signed with Rich Paul) checking out some games in the Jack Nicholson seats. Simmons can stick around Cleveland for a while if he wants, because he won’t attend the NBA Draft Combine next week in Chicago like the other player vying for No. 1 overall, Duke’s Brandon Ingram.
The case for Simmons boils down to him making advanced plays and reads that you simply can’t just teach. In the NBA, with more space and better teammates, the hope for Simmons is that his playmaking ability can control a game:
That is, if his jumper allows that to happen, but that is a subject for another time.
With Simmons as the top pick in this mock draft, the Sixers bet on shooting twice later in the round to complement their new point forward. The 19-year-old Beasley might not be ready right away to contribute in a major way to an NBA rotation, but he’s a plus athlete that shot 39 percent from deep and 81 percent from the line as a freshman in the ACC:
I’m still on the bandwagon that, if the Sixers keep both of these late first-round picks, one of them will be a draft-and-stash guy. Cordinier, currently playing in France’s second division, fits the prototype. From The Vertical’s Jonathan Givony in February:
Cordinier looked like a clear-cut first-round prospect in our evaluation in person and on film. He has a great framework to build off as a shooting guard and plenty of upside. From what we were told, it seems likely he will enter this year’s draft to see how he measures up against other players at his position, and he has the option to withdraw in June if he doesn’t like what he’s hearing. The flexibility of his situation will certainly help his stock because an NBA team can opt to pick Cordinier and “stash” him in Europe for another year or two, which could be a big selling point for a franchise that has multiple draft picks and limited roster spots:
Cordinier has made improvements on his three-point shot this season, which again could be especially enticing for a team with so many young big men like the Sixers.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
