Some Clues On Who The Sixers Like In The Draft And A Sneak Peek At My Big Board

It feels weird as a Sixers fan for the draft to be following basketball action this closely, but just weeks after the 76ers departure from the playoffs, they will be on the clock in the lottery of the NBA draft. And while the offseason headlines have been shadowed by oversized collars and muddied by burner accounts, the NBA schedule goes on at a conveyor belt’s pace.

We got our first clues about the front office’s draft strategy, ironically enough, through the burner accounts of our former general manager.

Sure enough, the first player the Sixers have scheduled for an individual workout is none other than Mikal Bridges. Some more words from Brown, who is now heading the draft process, gave hints on the qualities he holds valuable.

So it seems that the Sixers are staying true to strategy, even without that gutless snake Colangelo in charge. There seem to be two schools of thought as to what the team needs:

• A wing who can shoot and defend. This was highlighted in the playoffs by the teams inability to switch against the Celtics. Players like Marco Belinelli and JJ Reddick gave up too much leeway defensively and weren’t able to justify it with their offense.
• A player who can create his own shot. Another problem that reared it’s head in the playoffs. The Sixers didn’t have someone who could take over the game. That type of player was supposed to be Fultz, and a fan’s perspective on him might inform how highly they prioritize this skill.

I fall in the former camp. While it is troubling that TJ McConnell was one of the few players on our team that could make something for himself, it is reasonable to assume that players like Simmons and Embiid will mature as offensive threats, that Fultz will gain some semblance of a game, and that we will add a mature veteran from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. If that last part of an increasingly-likely pipe dream comes true, there might not be enough balls to go around. Even if it doesn’t, adding players who can add to the offense economically while being plus defenders is a realistic proposition in today’s NBA.

Players who fit the former mold are players like Miles or Mikal Bridges or Zhaire Zmith. Players who fit the latter mold would be a Lonnie Walker or Trae Young type. Someone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls somewhere in between the two.

For my money the most attractive prospect of this bunch, with regards to the construction of the Sixers offense currently, is Mikal Bridges.

While those who bemoan his skill set claim he is a redundancy of Robert Covington (as if that’s a bad thing) it’s important to remember he is a two time champion who has grown into his body and game through his time at Villanova, while Covington toiled in the D-League after being an undrafted power forward out of Middle Tennesee State. Mikal’s shot is more pure, his defense is more refined at an earlier age and he is ready physically and mentally to contribute right now. I’m not claiming he is a Klay Thompson or a Kawhi Leonard, but those should certainly be games he emulates.

If you prefer Miles Bridges, he worked out with the Sixers too. They have said they prefer players who are ready to compete right away, so with Miles staying the extra year at Michigan State and the obvious physical profile, he too could fit that mold. At the end of this video he swats Lonnie Walker.

If Zhaire Smith is your preference, he doesn’t fit the age profile, but his predilection for defense and the way fitness has been hardwired into his DNA could make him a plausible fit. The more workouts the Sixers have, the more of an idea we’ll have about their desires.

If you couldn’t tell I love draft season. And for me it’s more interesting to read the tea leaves of what the teams want than to drum up my own projections of who is good and who isn’t. Nothing makes that more obvious than looking a year back and realizing how much I more I liked Markelle Fultz than Jayson Tatum.

At this time of year it also seems that draft boards seem to get more uniform as the hive mindedness starts to take over. It’s hard to not be swayed by the glut of information and sea of opinions, but I try maintain a shred of individuality. So with all that said, this is my how-I-feel-today, not-that-serious, based-on-the-Sixers-roster-compisition-and-needs draft board.

1. DeAndre Ayton
2. Mo Bamba
3. Luka Doncic
4. Mikal Bridges
5. Jaren Jackson Jr.
6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
7. Collin Sexton
8. Marvin Bagley
9. Trae Young
10. Michael Porter
11. Miles Bridges
12. Khyri Thomas
13. Lonnie Walker
14. Kevin Knox
15. Wendell Carter
16. Zhaire Smith
17. Troy Brown
18. Robert Williams
19. Donte DiVincenzo
20. Isaac Bonga
21. Chandler Hutchinson