Feb 1, 2014; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Dekker (15) looks to pass as Ohio State Buckeyes forward Sam Thompson (12) defends at the Kohl Center. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 59-58. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
4. Three-Point Shooting
Three-point shooting is something the Sixers desperately need as well. Philadelphia is shooting 29.1 percent as a team this season from deep, which would be the worst percentage for a team this century. Only Robert Covington (42 percent) is shooting respectably from deep, and making this worse is that the team is absolutely chucking from outside, bombing threes on 29.5 percent of their shots, the eighth highest mark in the league. The Sixers need guys who can hit from outside, and quickly.
Luckily, this is another NBA skill that’s easy to come by later in the draft. Winslow and Mudiay are really the only top prospects that are good three-point shooters, but there are a few guys down the draft that can supplement the Sixers’ woes. If we haven’t made a good enough case for Dekker, here he is again; 37.8 percent on 3.0 attempts per game this season. Dekker’s a great fit if he’s there with the Heat pick in the late teens.
Beyond Dekker though, there’s a few good choices in the 2nd round for three-point shooting. Wichita State junior forward Ron Baker is hitting at 38.6 percent from three this year. Andrew Harrison of Kentucky is a good choice. And if he comes out, or the Sixers want another Euro stash prospect, Cypriot wing Aleksandar Vezenkov has been absolutely filthy from outside, hitting 51.3 percent from deep for Aris in Turkey.
There are options all around for the 76ers to fill all of these needs with talented players. Even if they miss out on the top overall pick, they can still get a superstar; and they can certainly fill in the gaps with their other picks, improving team weaknesses as they add talent.