For eager basketball fans around the country, June 23, 2016 is an extremely important date. On that day, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host the 2016 National Basketball Association draft, where teams will take turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players. This season marks the fourth consecutive year that the Brooklyn Nets home, The Barclays Center, has had the opportunity to house this important night in American basketball.
Brooklynites and visitors from afar can join in on the fun by purchasing a ticket to the event, starting at $20. Tickets go on sale May 24th at noon but if basketball lovers are unable to procure a ticket, they can enjoy the draft as it's televised around the country. While basketball fans can easily make a case for why their favorite team deserves a great pick, sports analysts have agreed that the Sixers, Lakers, Celtics and Nuggets have the picks needed to make this draft more interesting than previous ones.
It's important to note that for the first time in the history of the draft process, the top 3 picks went in likely order according to pre-lottery percentages. While basketball fans generally make predictions about which teams have the best odds of getting a good pick, the 2016 lottery enabled the teams with the highest need to finally take advantage of that position.
"We were preparing as if we wouldn't get the pick," Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said Friday. "It's hard, from a superstitious point of view, to sit down and plan when it basically comes down to a coin flip. My plan was to plan as if we wouldn't get the pick. But we also got the 32nd pick, and we have a lot of flexibility."
The Philadelphia 76ers, who are often labeled as the worst team in the league, walked away from the lottery with the #1 first round pick. In this position, the team will have the opportunity to choose which player can benefit their team the most this year as they set the pace for the new season. Under mock drafts, analysts have been able to make fully supported predictions into how the festivities will play out in June but until draft day comes, the future of basketball hangs in the balance.
