The 2015 NBA Draft is closing in on us. Let’s take a look at the point guard position for the Sixers…
Since the Michael Carter-Williams trade, fans have asserted that the Philadelphia Sixers need a point guard. They have argued that general manager Sam Hinkie should draft either Emmanuel Mudiay or D’Angelo Russell in the top five of the 2015 NBA Draft. Mudiay and Russell sound intriguing but would Sixers tank an entire season for a point guard? The least Philly needs is a pass-first point guard.
The Sixers, in fact, have point guard Tony Wroten who played well until suffering an ACL tear this past season. His ACL may be a long-term issue but led the team in points per game (16.9) and paced the way for a while without MCW in the lineup. Heck, fans debated the Sixers’ future point guard at one point in the season.
Wroten can certainly penetrate with a tremendous first step and dish to Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid for easy buckets. He makes the game look easy as Wroten still has time to develop his shot and become a future plug at PG. What worries me is his decision making.
Wroten can be wild sometimes as he averaged a season high 3.8 turnovers in 30 games played. Coach Brett Brown will rely heavily on Wroten to distribute the ball meticulously, even with Embiid in the middle. If Wroten forces up a ton of careless mistakes, then Hinkie can elect to sign a veteran PG like Jameer Nelson, Gary Neal, Andre Miller or Ish Smith in free agency.
Forget I mentioned Miller’s name. Two stints in Philly is enough for him at age 39.
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Hinkie could resign Smith as he became a vital part of the team down the stretch. He knew how to facilitate the ball, especially to Noel, when the flat top virtuoso mattered most. Noel will likely say, Smith deserves to suit up in a Philly uniform again, considering his comments a while back.
On the other hand, Gary Neal is very familiar with Brown from his days in San Antonio. Unlike Smith and Wroten, Neal can shoot from outside and benefit having a healthy Embiid, after struggling the past two seasons in different organizations. Neal would feel wanted and relieved in Philly’s system next year.
Jameer Nelson is my favorite. Despite the drop off in minutes (20.6), Nelson can still play past his prime and provide veteran leadership in the locker room. The St. Joes alum is a vocal leader and has championship experience playing next to Dwight Howard. He can certainly play to Embiid’s strengths and win games for his home state of Pennsylvania.
A veteran PG would be the Sixers’ best bet but Hinkie could also draft a point guard like Kris Dunn in the latter part of the lottery if Philly conveys Miami’s pick (protected 1-10). I would say Dunn is the best point guard in this year’s draft. A McDonalds All-American who bounced back from two shoulder injuries and became the Big East co-Player of the Year. He recorded the most assists (247) in the Big East this past year and improved his shot to 47 percent.
Dunn has the size and athleticism to compete at the next level as his body frame continues to develop. The biggest knock on Dunn is turnovers. Dunn must limit his turnovers as he recorded the most NCAA turnovers (138) and averaged 4.9 turnovers per 40 minutes. He is turnover prone but a Hinkie prototype, factoring his tremendous upside and room for development.
People say the NBA is a point guard league but there is a traditional sense that guards like Wroten or Dunn should pass first to key cogs. Mudiay and Russell sound intriguing but Hinkie could go many ways and draft Dunn or Kristaps Porzingis if the Sixers fall. Better yet, Hinkie could send a package of second-round picks or players for a first-round pick but enough with the guessing game. The draft lottery is May 19 so until then, it will be wait and see for Sixer fans.