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The first two votes for the Liberty Ballers Community Big Board were as lopsided as you could imagine. Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram each captured over 85 percent of the vote on their way to locking down the top two spots, and neither result is much of a surprise.
Now we have real debate on our hands -- do you think Dragan Bender is worth the third slot, or do uncertainty and fit concerns force him further down the board?
Bender has played professional basketball for one of the most notable teams outside the U.S. the last two seasons, but his minute count (and foreign competition) makes it hard to compare his production on a one-to-one basis with his peers in the NCAA. That said, he's easily one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft thanks to a mix of athleticism and touch from the outside. A player with the potential to guard 3-5 and space the floor is hard to pass up.
The field gets a little muddier behind him depending on what you think the Sixers need after selecting No. 1, or who you think the best player available is. Simmons believers might turn to a combo guard like Jamal Murray to fit alongside the point-forward, while Ingram acolytes may prefer a player such as Providence's Kris Dunn, a more ball-dominant point who can initiate the offense. Even a target of scouting scorn like Buddy Hield has his advocates in our staff and the comment section.
Experts have pegged this draft as "weak", which is probably an oversimplification. There are plenty of players who can carve out long careers in this draft, but their outcomes are perhaps more volatile than a typical class. Knowing that, a case can probably be built for any number of guys after the top two depending on your reasoning.
With that in mind, we're adding a few names to the ballot box. Bender, Murray, Dunn and Brown are the incumbents, and we'll add Hield, Timothe Luwawu and staff favorite Wade Baldwin to the mix. Let chaos reign below.