Philadelphia 76ers Have Top Overall Pick, What Now?

The Philadelphia 76ers have officially won the top overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. What’s next?

The Philadelphia 76ers waited a long time to get their top overall pick Some might say they waited three years for the pick, dating back to when Sam Hinkie took over the team. Others might say they had waited for the pick since Allen Iverson left the team. Some might even say Sixers fans have been waiting since 1996, the last time the team drafted first overall, taking Iverson himself.

Whatever you think, the waiting period is now over. With the results of Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Sixers finally have complete dictation over who they draft. They claimed the first overall pick with their 26 percent chance at getting the top overall pick as the entire NBA Draft Lottery fell completely to form.

The biggest question now: What comes next?

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Obviously, the drafting of the team’s next superstar! But who might that be? Last year around this time, the Minnesota Timberwolves were faced with the task of selecting first overall. Many thought Jahlil Okafor was the obvious selection. Okafor would fall after Karl-Anthony Towns at first and D’Angelo Russell at second overall. Popular opinions, as well as team opinions, can change drastically over time.

This year, I don’t see much changing like it did last year. This draft is largely a two-player draft. Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are the obvious two best players in the draft, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who disagrees with that.

Even there, though, the best player is up to interpretation.

Ingram offers great shooting that could someday turn into elite shooting. His defense is incredible and his ability to make plays all over the floor is fantastic.

Simmons is an elite rebounder that can score in anyway imaginable — as long as it’s within 5 feet of the hoop. Still, he looks to have the highest ceiling available in this year’s draft.

The Sixers must ask themselves over the next few weeks — what is next? Do we want to rest the future of our franchise on a player that is a limited shooter at the moment, but will be a great player years down the road (and an immediate scorer this season, just not with as much range right away), or do we want to build around a solid shooter who will also boost the defense right away?

The decision is one that will be talked about by many. Bryan Colangelo, Mark Eversley, and Ned Cohen will all have major says in who the team drafts. I suspect that head coach Brett Brown’s opinion will also be considered.

The decision is not an easy one. Even Sam Hinkie, had he made it this far leading the team, would have been a bit a bit stumped between these two. No doubt, he would have made a decision and stood by that decision, but he would have had to think on it for a while. Given that it’s no light decision — this is only the third time the Sixers will be drafting first overall in franchise history — the Sixers should think on it for a while. There should be no “solid plan” put in place by next week. The brainstorming should still be happening one week before the draft.

There is also a third scenario that’s possible that many Sixers fans are ignoring. Kris Dunn is a prospect that the Sixers seem to be in love with at the moment. He likes them a lot too. Dunn is not nearly as good as Ingram or Simmons, so it would be a travesty to see the Sixers select him first overall, but at the same time, with Colangelo, I wouldn’t be completely surprised. I suspect people like Cohen and Eversley would not let him make that decision. Let’s remember, though, Jahlil was once projected to go first overall, and he was selected third.

Next: Sixers Need Cohesion, Not Seniority

Over the next few months, fans, analysts, and general managers alike will be looking into players, their stats, and what they can offer to a winning team. The right decision needs to be made, and it needs to be thought on. Having the top pick is a weapon, but only if it’s used correctly.