Why the Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Draft

By Christopher Kline | Jun 28, 2016

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo (M) and number twenty-fourth overall draft pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

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With three first round picks, and a long shopping list, the Philadelphia 76ers had lots of ground to cover in the 2016 NBA Draft. They truly optimized their options in the draft.

It was essentially a foregone conclusion that the Philadelphia 76ers were going to take Ben Simmons with the first overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft, but it’s what they did in combination with selecting the Louisiana State University’s stud point forward that really set their draft haul apart from the others.

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Along with opting to take the route many thought they would with the first pick, the Sixers selected two of the 2016 NBA Draft’s most valued but underrated prospects in the later stages of the first round, bringing in a pair of prospects who could make a sizable impact from day one.

Valued in that both appeared as lottery picks on many NBA boards, underrated because both tumbled unceremoniously out of the top 10, then top 20, and finally to the Philadelphia 76ers at picks 24 and 26 respectively.

This was a difficult enough challenge to do, but from the perspective that the 76er’s front office practically pledged to avoid using either late first round pick, and then to cash in both for prospects many anticipated would be taken as lottery pick, each player fit a glaring need of the team.

In simpler terms, the Philadelphia 76ers shot and killed three stampeding elephants with a BB gun.

Next: Ben Simmons