Sixers Draft Roundup

The Non-Trades

Unsurprisingly, rumors of possible trades surrounding the Sixers ran rampant. Most rumors were centered around the idea of the Sixers trading Nerlens Noel and more for the right to select Kris Dunn. I am personally happy that the Sixers that they didn’t take a great player like Noel for an older point guard with injury concerns and major holes in his game. That just wouldn’t make much sense to me. Still, the Sixers have not yet moved a big man and I am of the opinion that they need to do that before the season. You just can’t go into the season with that kind of logjam in the frontcourt. It’s just not plausible in terms of getting players the necessary minutes to develop effectively. NBA trades usually happen at the draft or the trade deadline so I’m not sure when the Sixers will deal Oak or Noel and what they could expect in terms of a return. I think they certainly wont get the value they want but at some point they will have to bite the bullet and trade at least one of these guys.

The Picks

1.Ben Simmons (PF, LSU) Full Scouting Report

Simmons is the best player in this draft. I’ve written about it so many times. He’s good a great body, good athleticism and amazing skills. He’s one of the best passers I have ever seen. He can make the flashy passes and the simple ones. He can create offense for others with that passing ability as well as his ability off the dribble. Simmons could be Philadelphia’s first true superstar since Allen Iverson. The possible combination of him and Joel Embiid is absolutely tantalizing. The Sixers are building a possible championship core. Philadelphia should be incredibly thrilled with this result.

24. Timothe Luwawu (SG, Mega Leks) Full Scouting Report

This might be the best value pick in the draft. I think Luwawu is a top 4 player in this draft and the Sixers got him at 24. He fell because of his reluctance to be stashed in Europe for a season so the Sixers took advantage of that. In terms of his game, Luwawu is a big-bodied, long wing with great athleticism. He’s 6’7” with a wingspan that’s over 7 feet. I think he can realistically guard 1 through 4 in the NBA. He’s also an improving three point shooter with some really nice ball skills. I essentially think he’s a more skilled version of Jaylen Brown. Brown went 3^rd. Luwawu went 24^th. That is all you need to know about this pick. Luwawu probably becomes the best shooting guard on the Sixers immediately. Sixers fans should be super happy.

26. Furkan Korkmaz (SG, Anadolu Efes)

I like Korkmaz. Not as much as Luwawu, but I still like him. I think he’s a top 15 player in this draft. Korkmaz is as pure of a shooter as you will find in this draft. He’s also an incredibly explosive athlete with some real ball skills and raw passing ability. He has good size at 6’6” but has middling wingspan and a desperate need to add strength. Without that strength, he won’t survive in the NBA. Korkmaz will get the chance to develop in Europe because the Sixers have reportedly have decided to stash the talented shooting guard. There are some real concerns on defense but I think Korkmaz will provide the Sixers with necessary shooting in the future.

Overall Thoughts

I really liked what the Sixers did tonight. They made three really great picks. Simmons and Luwawu were perfect picks for the team at those spots. I would have preferred Patrick McCaw or maybe even Demetrius Jackson to Korkmaz but that’s just splitting hairs. All three guys are incredibly talented with good physical tools and legitimate NBA tools. That is hard to pull off. I was also happy the Sixers did not trade Noel for pennies on the dollar. I think they need to trade one of he and Okafor (I would prefer Jahlil goes) but there didn’t appear to be good enough offers to justify a move. I think it’s good the Sixers didn’t force their first priority. They showed flexibility and patience. That’s a great sign for Colangelo.

My biggest question now comes in the form of what the Sixers will do at point guard. They could trade one of Noel or Okafor still but that seems less likely after tonight. Maybe they make a move for Ricky Rubio, who is reportedly on the trade block. Maybe they sign Jeremy Lin to a short term overpay in free agency. I’m not sure but I know they believe they need a point guard. I would be fine with Simmons playing the point guard offensively while playing the power forward spot on defense but I don’t think the Sixers want to put that kind of pressure on the young guy. We will see where they go from here but the point guards situation is certainly an interesting question going forwrad.