The right to select LSU's Ben Simmons is at stake at the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery. (Photo : Getty Images/Mike Stobe)
The Los Angeles Lakers are six games and two months away from getting their hands on a top-notch talent, as they are poised to draft first or second in the 2016 NBA draft.
Fortunately, the Lakers finished with the second worst record in the league. Should they end up with the fourth-worst, their pick could have gone to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the Steve Nash trade during the 2012 season.
The draft is said to be a two-man race between LSU's Ben Simmons and Duke's Brandon Ingram, LA Times reported. The Lakers will have a chance to land the first overall pick on May 17 NBA draft lottery. The 76ers will have the highest odds at 25 percent while the Lakers will have 19.9 percent chance on landing the first overall pick.
Looking at both prospects, they offer two widely different things on the table. Simmons is seen as more of a Lamar Odom/LeBron James type of player as he has terrific ball-handling and playmaking skills for a guy his size (6'10"). However, his shooting remains a question mark and his team's mediocre performance in the NCAA tournament hurt his stock a bit, according to the website.
Ingram, meanwhile, is seen as a Kevin Durant-type of player as he possesses above-average shooting skills while standing at 6'9". However, his weight remains an issue as he is less than 200 pounds.
Looking at the Lakers' current roster, their small forward position seems like the biggest position they need to address. Fortunately, both players play the same position and will be taking over the void future Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant will leave once the season ends.
Should the Lakers fall in the third spot, they might have a bit of a dilemma as the next best talent onboard is Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, as seen on NBA Draft.net latest mock draft. Although this might not turn out as a bad pick for the Lakers, considering Hield just won the College player of the year award, the team has Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell as their backcourt cornerstones. Here's an in-depth comparison between Simmons and Ingram.
