NBA Draft Odds – Will Simmons Be Summoned 1st Overall?

We still don’t know who will be picking first in the 2016 NBA draft. The 76ers have a roughly 25-percent chance of nabbing the first-overall selection, while the Lakers (20-percent) and Nets (15-percent) round out the top-three. Regardless of who owns the first pick, we already know which college standouts will be hearing their names called early. Brandon Ingram (Duke), Ben Simmons (LSU), and Budd Hield (Oklahoma) will soon be saddled with the responsibility of re-energizing a floundering franchise.

Which one is going to have the additional pressure of the first-overall label? I set the odds, below.

Odds to be the no. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft

Brandon Ingram (Duke): 50/49

The number one issue with Brandon Ingram is his slight frame. He has great length at 6’8, but tips the scales at just 198 pounds.  However, Kevin Durant has already proven that the skinny guys can get it done in a big way at the next level.

Ingram is a solid shooter and he’s getting more comfortable in isolation situations. His ability to create his own shot in the tourney upped his draft stock to the point that he is now a slight favorite over Simmons, who was the odds-on fave to go first overall at the start of the year.

At just 18 years old, Ingram is still light-years from reaching his peak. But adding Ingram will give you a pure scorer, even at this nascent stage of his career.

Ben Simmons (LSU): 40/39

Simmons put up astounding numbers in his freshman year at LSU. He was the first player to average 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game since 1986. He is an absolute freak, athletically, possessing both elite body control and quickness. He glides coast-to-coast effortlessly and his size (6’10) makes him a force on the glass.

The knocks on Simmons are his range and his half-court game. His limited range, in particular, mean he’ll never develop into the next LeBron. But his strengths are enough to make a struggling team relevant in a heartbeat.

Buddy Hield (Oklahoma): 50/1

Buddy Hield upped his draft stock during March Madness, perhaps no more so than in his 37-point performance against Oregon. But General Managers know a transcendent NCAA tournament doesn’t necessary translate to a successful NBA career.

He doesn’t do anything at an elite level except score the ball. But this isn’t the deepest draft, and scoring is sort of the most important part of basketball. He’s a good bet to go third overall if the team that owns the pick needs a backcourt boost.

The Field:

• Dragan Bender (Croatia): 100/1
• Kris Dunn (Providence): 110/1
• Jaylen Brown (Cal): 110/1
• Jamal Murray (Kentucky): 130/1
• Jakob Poeltl (Utah): 150/1

(Photo Credit: TonyTheTiger [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo may appear cropped.)