The top of the 76ers’ draft board could have solidified a bit today with the announcement by Australian phenom Dante Exum that he would forgo college and enter the 2014 NBA draft. This move by Exum is contrary to the news swirling around other top prospects that have rumored players such as Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid might stay another year.
Exum may be unfamiliar to the causal basketball fan, but he is no stranger to Coach Brett Brown. Brown has been heavily involved with Australian basketball for years by coaching a professional team there at one point and also by being the head coach of the 2012 Olympic team. Exum splashed onto the NBA scene by impressing scouts with his superb performance for the Australian national team in the FIBA U-19 tournament
This familiarity between Brown and Exum is what could have Exum atop the 76ers’ draft board come June. Unfortunately for the 76ers, many other teams will have Exum near or at the top of their draft boards too. At first look to many 76ers fans, the idea to draft Exum could be seen as a mistake due to Exum being a point guard. But the 76ers could follow the Suns strategy of starting a two point guard lineup. The Suns were able to do it due to the size and athleticism that they had in Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. The 76ers could be in an even better position to do it as both Michael Carter Williams and Dante Exum are bigger and even more athletic than the Suns guards. It is believe that both Carter Williams and Exum would have no problem guarding an NBA two guard given their heights of 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-5 respectively.
There is still four plus months before the draft, which means draft boards will likely look dramatically different from what they are now. But there is no doubt that the Exum announcement came as good news for the 76ers’ front office and perhaps all front offices across the league.
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