Aussie Simmons taken first in entry draft
PHILADELPHIA selected Ben Simmons with the No1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft, making the Australian forward the first 76ers top pick since Allen Iverson 20 years ago.
“It feels amazing, honestly,” Sim- mons said. “I can’t even – my legs were shaking when I was on stage. Anything you want to do, you can do. I’ve been wanting to do that since I was 5, 6, 7 and I’ve finally accomplished that.”
The 19-yea r-old play maker f rom Melbourne is a lso t he t hird Austra lia n-bor n player ta ken f i rst overa l l, joining Kyrie Irving (2011) and Andrew Bogut (2005).
The Los Angeles Lakers chose small forward Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick and the Boston Celtics made forward Jaylen Brown the third pick at the Barclays Center arena.
Simmons averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists playing US college basketball last season at Louisiana State.
He has been on NBA scouts’ radars since moving to the United States in 2013 to attend Florida’s Montverde Academy.
Simmons conducted his only workout for the 76ers last Tuesday. He has skill at passing and ball handling as well as the size and strength to succeed as a big man scoring and grabbing rebounds.
He goes to a team that seems to be constantly rebuilding, one that has compiled a dismal 47-199 win-loss record since 2013.
The 76ers are coached by Brett Brown, an American who guided the Aussie squad to the 2012 London Olympics quarter-finals and took Australian league coach of the year honours in 1994 as he guided the North Melbourne Giants to a title.
Simmons turns 20 on July 20 shortly after he concludes his first pro games in the NBA Summer League.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Duke University forward Ingram with the second pick. He averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in his lone season with the Blue Devils.
It was the Lakers’ first pick in the post-Kobe Bryant era.
The Celtics had obtained the pick from Brooklyn in the 2013 Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade. Brown averaged 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in his only season with California.
With the fourth pick, the Suns selected Bosnian forward Dragan Bender, who averaged 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds in 25 games for Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv. Bender is the highest player ever picked from his homeland, overtaking Mario Hezonja, who was chosen fifth in 2015.
Minnesota had the fifth pick and used it on Providence guard Kris Dunn. He was a two-time Big East player of the year and defensive player of the year.
A couple of big trades on Thursday involved NBA veterans. Forward Serge I ba k a a nd g ua rd V ic tor Olad ipo were the biggest names moved.
The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Oladipo, forward Ersan Ilyasova and the rights to the No11 overall pick, forward Domantas Sabonis.