With the 2019 NBA Draft completes, let’s take a look back at the 2016 NBA Draft and see what each first-round pick was expected to be and where they are now.
In 2016, the draft was headlined by two polarizing prospects, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. One was a once-in-a-generation talent that had been projected to be a great player since early in his high school career. The other was a late bloomer who had a wiry build and an offensive package well beyond his years.
However, as is the case in nearly every draft, they weren’t the only two players to have a big impact on their team since they were drafted. Numerous players from all other parts of the first round have grown and developed into critical pieces. Some for the original team that drafted them and others for teams that acquired them in trades during and after the draft.
Everyone rushes to judge drafts right after the picks are announced but in most cases, you can’t really judge a team’s decision until they have had a couple of NBA seasons under their belt to show what they could do on an actual court. You can read all the scouting reports you want and watch all of the breakdown videos but until you see a player perform in the league there’s no clear understanding of what these players will bring to these different teams.
Below we’ll be going back through the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft pick-by-pick for all 30 selections. You’ll see a recap of what the player was thought of as a prospect entering the 2016 NBA Draft as well as a quick recount of what each team was dealing with as a franchise going into the 2016-17 season. Finally there will be talk of what the players did as rookies and then a look at where they stand in their basketball careers as of this article being posted.
Get ready for some Back to the Future style fun and to kick things off we begin with the only player from the 2016 NBA Draft to make an All-Star team so far.