nba 2k17 players mock draft 1.0: sixers could boost offense with ingram

the first nba three mock draft after the full 2016 draft order was set after tuesday's 2016 nba draft lottery.

1. philadelphia 76ers

brandon ingram | duke | sf | 6-9 | 200

philadelphia's need for scoring gives ingram the edge over ben simmons in what many teams consider a close call for who goes no. 1. ingram was smooth as a freshman, with enough ball-handling skills to create his own shot on the perimeter or play above the rim when he moves inside. even with rough patches in his transition to college, the nba finds it easy to envision a small forward with great size who will need to get stronger as he gets older. ingram does not turn 19 until september, just before training camp. "you can not expect anything out of him next year," a gm said. "he's so weak it's crazy."

2. los angeles lakers

ben simmons | lsu | pf | 6-10 | 245

while julius randle just averaged 10.2 rebounds in his first full season, simmons' versatile offensive game allows him to fit almost anywhere. and if the 76ers pick simmons, ingram is a great fit for los angeles. the increased public visibility once simmons reached college, as opposed to simply being tracked by the nba from his native australia to high school in florida, was followed by the inevitable backlash. but simmons was the consensus no. 1 at the start of the season and held the spot as his lsu one-and -done ended with the tigers missing the ncaa tournament and saying they would not accept an invitation to one of the smaller postseason events. there are concerns about an attitude that comes across as, in the words of one gm, prima donna.

3. boston celtics

dragan bender | israel | pf | 7-1 | 220

for all the talk about the possibility of the 76ers and / or lakers making deals, the celtics are probably the best candidate of all as a team pushing to get in position for a long playoff run now. the obvious need of adding outside shooting, especially behind the arc, puts buddy hield in the mix for the top three. but some teams think bender has a chance to be great and one gm said he could easily see the croatian becoming the best player in the draft in time. bender is not kristaps porzingis no matter how many people want to make the comparison - bender is a better distributor, porzingis has better range - but the offense is very intriguing.