The NBA Draft is over, and for Philadelphia 76ers fans, we finally got to see what things would be like under Bryan Colangelo.
The NBA Draft came and went, and we finally got a glimpse into the next chapter of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. We got to see the future of the team walk across the stage in a Sixers cap and shake the commissioner’s hand, and we also got to see some insight into what could be an interesting offseason.
The Sixers drafted Ben Simmons first overall, Timothe Luwawu at 24th overall, and Furkan Korkmaz at 26th overall. The two latter mentioned names were solid international pickups for Philly. Either of them could easily be brought over this season (Korkmaz has a large buyout of $2 million, but it can be paid in installments) or either of them could easily be stashed overseas to further develop.
The Sixers were reportedly in conversation with multiple teams all night about trading for a second lottery pick, but that did not end up occurring. Colangelo came out later in the night and said that many of the rumors were simply not true.
These moves made (and not made) were the first real things that Bryan Colangelo did as president of the team. And to process-trusters surprise, he did a very good job. There’s much more to be done, but overall, we can look at draft night as a positive. We learned several things about the future of this team, but here are a few top items.
Next: Waiting on trades
Waiting on trades
One of the biggest things about draft night that happened, was actually what didn’t happen. The Sixers were said to be a part of several trades, including nearly sealing deals with the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves for their respective picks at 3 and 5.
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None of the deals would go through, however, and the Sixers ended up simply drafting at 1, 24, and 26, just as originally planned. Colangelo said he would have liked to move in the lottery, but also said that he wanted to wait on trades and not do anything crazy just for a quick deal.
The Sixers were rumored to be talking with Boston since about 12 p.m. on Thursday, so the fact that a deal didn’t get done is pretty remarkable. The Sixers and Celtics had to go back a ton during that time, and it doesn’t seem as if it would have been impossible to get a deal done if Philly really wanted to.
But they waited out because there was not a solid deal in place. The Sixers were going to have to give up a lot. Reportedly — and take this with a grain of salt, Colangelo later said many of the rumors were incorrectly reported — the Sixers offered Nerlens Noel, Robert Covington, and the two late first-round picks for just No. 3.
Although that deal may have been fair for the Celtics, the Sixers were giving up a lot of their nucleus in that scenario. I’m not sure it was worth it, and clearly, the Sixers weren’t sure either.
It’s good to know that the team is waiting on trades and making sure that the deals they make are the right ones, not just the attractive ones.
Next: Nerlens is being shopped
Nerlens is being shopped
One thing that came increasingly apparent to me last night was that the Sixers are looking to trade a big man, but that big man may not be who the general crowd thinks it will be or wants it to be. Most of the Sixers franchise wants Okafor to be traded away, pointing to his less-than-great defense and his high trade value.
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What I think we’re seeing happen is the contradictory mindset that some Sixers fans carry themselves with. They want to trade Okafor because of his “high trade value,” but then at the same point will slam each and every one of his minor flaws. You can’t have it both ways, and teams around the league are choosing to see his flaws, not his high trade value.
Instead, Nerlens Noel is the more attractive trade option for other teams. With the importance of a rim protector on many of the teams competing for a championship this season, rim protecting centers are in season. And the Sixers, having one of the best ones in the league in Noel, are a great beneficiary of that fad.
Every single trade report we’ve seen that explicitly mentions players has been surrounding Noel. I have yet to see one trade report that singles out Okafor. I think we’re much more likely to see Noel moved than we are Okafor.
Next: Offseason has begun, position-less team coming?
Offseason has begun
Another thing that we learned as a result of the draft is that the offseason has begun. After failing to move up and get a second lottery pick last night, the Sixers have a few questions left to be answered. Although Ben Simmons looks like he could run the point guard position, it may be smart to find a veteran starting point guard too.
The Sixers had their eyes on Kris Dunn last night. Although he’s not a vet, he was undoubtedly the best guard in this year’s draft, and is an aged college athlete.
With the Sixers unable to get a draft pick, I think there’s reason to believe they instead go after the rookies that were drafted rather than the picks themselves. They may open conversations with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kris Dunn, and maybe leverage poor drafting by the Boston Celtics to get a steal of a trade for Jaylen Brown.
On top of all that, we’re seeing that perhaps having a full roster and a full starting lineup of 5 guys and 5 distinct positions doesn’t matter. The roster may be more position-less moving forward, and guys like Timothe Luwawu will help make that happen. We saw a lot of players drafted that were more versatile than good at just one thing. This can be a solid strategy.
Next: Hinkie picks are smart picks
Hinkie picks are smart picks
Although the Sixers seemed to try to get rid of their late first-round (24th overall and 26th overall) picks, they couldn’t find any good deals for them, and ended up having to keep them and use them themselves.
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There were many prospects on the board that had fallen quite far. One of the ones I wanted to see selected was Malachi Richardson, who was taken right out from under Philadelphia at 22 overall. Tyler Ulis was another option, but he has some injury issues that are scaring teams.
When the Sixers selected Timothe Luwawu at 24 and Furkan Korkmaz at 26, it was as if Sam Hinkie himself made those picks. It’s not like the players were hard ones to choose, or really “sleeper picks” but it was apparent that Colangelo knew what the team needed and went after them.
What we’re starting to see is that although Hinkie was highly criticized for his drafting by outside fans over the last several years, he did a good job. I was a longtime believer in his moves, and I also think that him and Bryan Colangelo are not that different. In fact, the last time Colangelo had a top overall pick, I think he did exactly what Sam Hinkie would have done.
Next: The team might be catering to Embiid, and that's okay
The team might be catering to Embiid
If there was any player on the team that the Sixers would be catering to, you would think it would be Ben Simmons. And moving forward, it very well could be, but the actual player that’s getting the most catered to is Joel Embiid.
Daily Knicks
Embiid sat out of his entire first two seasons due to injury, but has finally been cleared for light 5-on-5 activity, and is expected to finally play this season.
All throughout this season, his second straight in strictly injury rehabilitation, the Sixers did a lot to help his injury. They invested a ton of time, resources and effort into him, and it’s unknown at this point if it paid off or not.
The Sixers put a lot of emphasis on making sure he feels at home. Embiid didn’t get into basketball until he was a teen. Far away from his home in Cameroon, Philly certainly does not feel the same for Embiid. But the Sixers try to make it feel that way. When looking for somewhere to send Embiid to help rehab his foot, they sent him to Qatar, to a clinic called Aspetar. Much of the staff there speaks French, Embiid’s first language.
Aspetar is also a world-class athletic training facility, but I think the French-Speaking staff had to be taken into account when the Sixers were considering sending Embiid on double-digit hour flights to rehab his foot.
Fast forward to draft night, with the anticipation of next season — which should be Embiid’s debut season — in the front of everyone’s minds, and the Sixers on the clock at 24. They could select a number of high-class traditional American University players still left on the board including Skal Labissiere (Skal is from Haiti, but played at Kentucky).
Instead, the Sixers selected French player Timothe Luwawu. Luwawu was one of the best players available, so it made sense, but one has to wonder if the French language had at least something to do with it.
Related Story: Sixers Should Go After Fournier
Additionally, the Sixers could go after Evan Fournier this summer. Fournier, a French native himself, fits the mold that I’m speaking of here, and really is a solid player. He was previously very excited about the Orlando Magic future, but now, there is reason to believe that Fournier may want to leave.
The Magic traded away some of their biggest pieces — Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova — for Serge Ibake on draft night. Forget whether or not this was a good deal or not, let’s realize that this is not the team that Fournier was exited to get back with a few months ago.
Next: Thank You Letter: Sam Hinkie
I think it would be irrational to conclude that the Sixers are going to start selecting players based on the language they speak, but I also think it would be foolish to assume that the only thing the Sixers think about when looking at potential players is what happens on the court. Player chemistry is important, and offering French-speaking coaches and team members can be comforting for Joel Embiid.