Why the Sixers Should Draft the Best Player Available, Regardless of Fit

It may not seem like it, but this upcoming draft is a huge one for Philadelphia 76ers. While it seemed like there was a lot more anticipation for last year’s draft, as we were all stalking Andrew Wiggins every move, this draft is as equally, if not more important.

Sixers fans seem calmed about the possibility of the Sixers not landing a top two or three pick.  I think a lot of that has to do with a misconception that the Sixers won’t/shouldn’t/can’t draft Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor, as they already have Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel in the fold.

The Sixers shouldn’t be thinking this way when their first pick is on the clock and the main reason is:

The Sixers still do not have a franchise superstar to build around.

This isn’t a “Robert Covington is a patsy” type of hot take, not at all. Let’s take a realistic look at the Sixers current situation.

Joel Embiid was

good at Kansas last year and, had he not gotten hurt, he was more than likely going to be the No. 1 pick in 2014 (and Andrew Wiggins would have been a Sixer *insert broken heart*). Now, the plan is for Embiid to be the Sixers’s franchise centerpiece. But, Embiid hasn’t played an NBA game yet because of a broken navicular bone, which is historically bad news for seven-footers. That’s why you can’t pencil him in as their superstar. There is no guarantee.

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The Sixers are still acquiring assets. Once they have a superstar they can move forward with and build around, they can worry about fit. While Joel and Noel project to be a dominating defensive duo in the front court, they should not be used as an excuse for not drafting players like Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor.

Just because the Sixers have Embiid and Noel does not mean they have to target a point guard or a wing with their first pick, either. Without a superstar in the fold, the Sixers are in no position to draft a player in terms of fit to their current roster. With that being said, the Sixers should take the best player available on their board regardless of fit when they are on the clock on June 25.

While Nerlens Noel has been setting the entire league on fire with his dominating play, Sixers fans have fallen for him like an elementary school crush (as evidenced by the first half of this sentence). At first glance, the thought of drafting another big, with the talent level of Towns or Okafor, would seem to leave Noel as the odd man odd (a.k.a. the least offensively talented of the three).

But if the Sixers draft Towns or Okafor, that does not mean that Nerlens Noel would be traded. If the Sixers were offered fair value for Noel I’m sure they would entertain it, but the drafting of another big would not automatically end Noel’s tenure in Philadelphia.

Mar 21, 2015; Louisville, KY, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Shaquille Thomas (3) has his shot blocked by Kentucky Wildcats forward Karl-Anthony Towns (12) and Kentucky Wildcats forward Trey Lyles (41) during the second half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KFC Yum! Center. Kentucky wins 64-51. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a combined 96 minutes per game to go around to the power forward and center position, meaning Embiid, Noel, and Towns/Okafor could still, hypothetically, each play 32 minutes a game.

The Bulls have four really good bigs in Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, and Nikola Mirotic. On the season they are each averaging 34.6, 30.7, 27.4, and 19.8 minutes per game, respectively. Sam Hinkie has talked about how he wants to build a strong defensive team that is dominant and imposing at the rim. A trio of Embiid, Noel, and Towns would certainly be classified as dominant (and so much fun).

Karl-Anthony Towns would be a much better fit with Embiid and Noel than Okafor would be. Towns can play in the post, stretch the floor with a mid-range jumper, and has shown his ability to be a force at the rim. He can also guard multiple positions on the floor. Okafor is more of a polished low post player — that would be hard to match with Embiid — while he has had his inconsistencies on the defensive end, there is no denying he is a very talented prospect.

If the Sixers pick is not in the top two then this will not matter, because Towns or Okafor should be gone by the third pick. If the opportunity does arise for the Sixers to draft one of these players they should not be thinking who is the best fit with their current roster, but rather who has the best chance at becoming a superstar.

Next: NBA Draft: Karl-Anthony Towns and Others Impress in Elite Eight