June 10, 2016
If the Sixers are going to draft Ben Simmons No. 1 overall, as has been widely reported, they’re at least going to do their due diligence. The Vertical’s Shams Charania is reporting that the draft’s other top prospect, Duke’s Brandon Ingram, will be working out with the Sixers on Monday:
Vertical Sources: Duke's Brandon Ingram has scheduled private workout and meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 10, 2016
Two weeks ago, the team took in a workout in New York City that included Ingram, Jamal Murray, and Thon Maker. Just yesterday, Ingram worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers, who hold the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. If Simmons goes first, the West Coast is likely where Ingram will end up.
The Sixers also interviewed Ingram at the NBA Combine in Chicago last month.
Ingram, who averaged 17.3 points (55.2 TS%) and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman, helped lead Duke to the Sweet 16. This is part of the reason that some sites (including a biggie in Draft Express) have him ranked over LSU’s Simmons in their draft rankings.
Simmons’ individual numbers were better than Ingram’s almost across the board, except for one key area: three-point shooting. And the gap in that category was wider than the Pacific Ocean. Standing at 6’9”, Ingram sniped 41 percent of his threes in front of the Cameron Crazies:
Ingram’s length is a major positive (as his age; he’s more than a year younger than Simmons), but there are also questions about how his skinny frame will hold up in the NBA. Ingram entered Duke at less than 170 pounds, and while he has “bulked up” to around 195, his body is still a question mark. Regardless of how Ingram pans out, expect him to be thrown around like a rag doll at times as a rookie.
For Brett Brown, who said that the New York workout involved “nothing competitive,” maybe the private workout will provide a better look at Ingram. He still might not be playing against anyone else, but the 18-year-old small forward is trying to become the draft’s top overall pick.
Check out the updated pre-draft tracker.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
