December 30, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) shoots a layup against Golden State Warriors forward Marreese Speights (5) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
1. Shot Creation
The biggest need for this team is someone who can create for themselves and for others. Right now the 76ers are operating with two lead guards, one who can create his own shot but struggles to get others involved (Tony Wroten), and one who can create for others but isn’t much of a scoring threat (Michael Carter-Williams). A player who can pass well and create off the dribble would be really beneficial to pair next to MCW.
Right now the 76ers are dead last in assists and field goal percentage. They need an offensive boost, and a player who can feed shooters open looks will help create spacing that the offense just doesn’t have this year. Also important is that they get a guy who can get them a bucket in a pinch, especially if he can do more than Tony Wroten’s “Fly into the paint and try to create contact” gameplan late in the shotclock.
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This screams one player in particular for the 2015 NBA Draft: Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay is an excellent shot creator, and he likely has a future in the NBA as a score-first guard that would be perfect next to Carter-Williams. Mudiay isn’t a great passer right now, but he’s serviceable and will get better, and the imposing thought of a 6’7″ MCW paired with the 6’5″ frame and 6’9″ wingspan of Mudiay will be solid defensively in theory. Many want Jalil Okafor or Karl Towns at the top of the draft for the 76ers, but Mudiay is a very natural fit to aid the offense.
Looking down the draft board, the 76ers could also get a few other guys who fit this mold. Sam Dekker of Wisconsin could be had with the Heat pick, and he’s a solid fit as a small forward who can pass and get his own shot if needed. And in the 2nd round, there’s Utah’s Delon Wright, a high-usage shooting guard who is lighting up the PAC-12 as Utah’s offensive fulcrum, or Macedonian forward Cedi Osman, who’s basically a bigger Wroten.