{"id":905106,"date":"2019-05-29T16:16:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T21:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/?p=905106"},"modified":"2019-05-29T16:16:23","modified_gmt":"2019-05-29T21:16:23","slug":"2019-nba-draft-why-mfiondu-kabengele-makes-sense-for-philadelphia-sixers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/2019-nba-draft-why-mfiondu-kabengele-makes-sense-for-philadelphia-sixers\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 NBA Draft: Why Mfiondu Kabengele makes sense for Sixers"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to this offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers, one position of need that they must address either in next month’s NBA draft or free agency is finding backup frontcourt help for two-time All-star center Joel Embiid.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embiid, who had an impressive first half of the regular season, missed numerous games in the second half due to left knee tendinitis.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the first 54 games of the regular season, the uber-talented center played 1,822 minutes (33.7 minutes per game). However, Embiid only played in 10 games after the All-star break (333 minutes played\/33.3 minutes per game).<\/span><\/p>\n

With that being known, the Sixers acquired Boban Marjanovic in the blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for Tobias Harris, added journeyman center Greg Monroe to the 15-man roster, and used Jonah Bolden and Amir Johnson sparingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, this rag-tag bunch of frontcourt options did not give the Sixers a noticeable boost this season. <\/span><\/p>\n

Marjanovic and Monroe both had their moments in the NBA playoffs but were quickly exposed for their defensive liabilities, while Bolden and Johnson only saw action in blowouts.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the Sixers want to make a deeper run in the playoffs and limit Embiid’s minutes in the regular season, they need to give him some help. <\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily for Philadelphia, this year’s draft class has a good amount of frontcourt prospects that can do a little bit of everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of those frontcourt prospects, who fits this mold and should be on the Sixers’ radar is Mfiondu Kabengele out of Florida State.<\/span><\/p>\n

This past season, the outstanding redshirt sophomore season averaged 13.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 21.6 minutes per game (37 games) off the bench.<\/span><\/p>\n

For his terrific efforts, Kabengele won the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year Award and earned All-ACC tournament honors.<\/span><\/p>\n