NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 23: Ben Simmons poses with Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 23, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

The 2016 NBA Draft is officially in the books. Daps were given. Players were traded. Funky suits were worn and tweets were sent.

So who were the winners and losers out of Thursday night’s festivities? Glad you asked.

Best Pick: Ben Simmons to the Sixers

Let’s start with the basketball portion of the evening, and with the first player to hear his name called. Simmons is a stud. He’s built like LeBron, and handles the ball like him, too. He’s a marvelous passer and excellent finisher. Sure, his shot is kind of crooked, but that can be fixed in the NBA. And ignore all noise about his lack of effort at LSU and attitude issues. Some LSU teammates, such as senior Keith Hornsby, say they have no issue with how Simmons handled himself last year.

“Some people couldn’t handle that Ben was always the one getting credit,” Hornsby said to me earlier this year. “It wasn’t Ben’s fault; it was just hard with all the media attention.”

Simmons is the best player in this draft and the type of stud the Sixers have spent years hunting for. Speaking of which…

Saddest Draft Day Observer: Sam Hinkie

RIP The Process. Poor Hinkie. Dude spent four years tanking, just so he could get his hands on a player like Ben Simmons… only to get fired right before things start looking up.

Of course, Hinkie deserved to get canned. Tanking is one thing; alienating every agent and executive in the league and ignoring player development is another. But you do have to feel for him just a bit.

Most Disappointed City: Boston

This was supposed to be THE NIGHT for the Celtics. They spent the past few years collecting talent and assets, and building a winner with the hopes of eventually flipping a bunch of them for a stud. Then this year, thanks to that fleecing of the Nets, Boston stumbled into the No. 3 pick in the draft. Finally, GM Danny Ainge was going to pull the trigger. Maybe there’d be a package for DeMarcus Cousins. Or Jimmy Butler. Or Jabari Parker.

But no one bit and the Celtics were instead stuck drafting Jaylen Brown, a talented but raw forward out of California. Brown has a bright future, but is not ready to be a major contributor on a playoff team, which the Celtics are. Boston might have more assets today than they did yesterday. But it’s hard to see how they got any better.

Best Shoutout: Kris Dunn to JCPenney.

Your mother’s favorite department store has never been so in vogue.

https://vine.co/v/5B9j71HBwwM

Also, while we’re talking about Kris Dunn…

Best Moment: Kris Dunn Overcome With Emotion

For those not aware of his backstory, I urge you to check out this interview he did with ESPN on Thursday. The Cliffs Notes: Dunn grew up in a broken home. His mother was in and our of jail. At one Dunn and his brother lived alone in an apartment. He was nine years old at the time.

There’s a lot that goes down on draft night which is easy to poke fun at. But for some guys, being drafted and getting the multi-million dollar contract that comes with hearing your name called, well, let’s just say it can be a special night.

Also, from a basketball perspective, man, you have to love Dunn going to Minnesota. You already had Tom Thibodeau along with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Ricky Rubio. Now they add another defensive stud. The Timberwolves should have a top-10 defense next year, if not better.

Best Tweet

About Yaron Weitzman

Yaron Weitzman is a freelance writer based in New York whose work frequently appears on The Comeback, SB Nation and in SLAM Magazine. He's also been published on SB Nation Longform, The Cauldron, Tablet Magazine and in the Journal News. Yaron can be followed on Twitter @YaronWeitzman

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