Availability, something to prove
With the Sam Hinkie era still fresh in our minds, it’s tough not to think about grabbing players who are falling fast due to injuries. One of the biggest reasons Ulis is falling in so many draft boards is because of the murmurs about his hip problems. With teams certainly raising questions about how consistintely available he will be in even his first season, it’s easy to think that he could go in the late 20s.
This makes Ulis, a possible lottery talent, available for the Sixers at 24 and maybe even 26.
It reminds me a lot of in 2014, when Joel Embiid was selected. Embiid was supposed to go first overall, but an injury that occured shortly before the draft led to him dropping. The Sixers took him, despite the fact that he was injured, and are hoping that he will still play out to be a top-overall-pick talent.
The same strategy could hold true as far as drafting Ulis is concerned. If he’s avaible at 24, and definitely at 26, then the Sixers need to be considering drafting him if they haven’t traded away those picks yet.
With Ulis being drafted this late, much later than he or many others initially anticipated, he’s got something to prove in the NBA. Ulis is incredible when he has a chip on his shoulder.
Next: Skill set that helps bigs