Ranking the 5 best #1 NBA draft picks in the past 5 years: Where are they now?

#3 Ben Simmons - 2016 NBA Draft

Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives.

Ben Simmons was the first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Even though he missed his entire rookie year with a foot injury, he eventually won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2017-18 NBA campaign after showing great basketball skills on various ends.

Now, Simmons is arguably at the lowest point of his NBA career after bad outings in the 2021 NBA Playoffs surely hindered the Philadelphia 76ers' chances of a deep run.

Mainly, Simmons struggled from the free-throw line and ran away from it, which can't happen to an All-NBA point guard. On the positives, Simmons is a true playmaker and a solid defensive player.

He has career averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists in the regular season while making 56% of his field goals. He is a three-time All-Star and has been named once to the All-NBA teams and a couple of times to the All-Defensive squads.

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#2 Deandre Ayton - 2018 NBA Draft

Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns.

Though it would be hard for Deandre Ayton to be the first pick of a hypothetical NBA Draft knowing what we know now about Luka Doncic and Trae Young, the Phoenix Suns' center has been solid in the paint.

Ayton was the first selection of the 2018 NBA Draft, coming from Arizona, and he has career averages of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game in his regular-season career so far.

Moreover, he already played a big role in the NBA Playoffs for the Phoenix Suns, being one of the three most important players for the team during their run to the 2021 NBA Finals.

Ayton's progression could be huge for the Phoenix Suns going forward as the experience of the 2021 NBA Finals at such a young stage could mean a lot to him for the future.

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#1 Zion Williamson - 2019 NBA Draft

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Though the sample size was small, Zion Williamson showed from his first few weeks as an NBA player that he is a special talent. The New Orleans Pelicans' All-Star was the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft and though a knee injury hindered his rookie season, he was ready to play once he was healthy.

Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game as a rookie in 24 appearances and made 58% of his field goals in that span. Then, Zion continued his dominant scoring in his sophomore campaign, averaging 27 points (on 61% field-goal efficiency) per night with seven rebounds per game. He also showed good playmaking ability, with 3.7 assists per game last year.

Zion made it to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game and he could be set to turn into an NBA superstar any time soon.

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