The Sixer Sense
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Prospects the Philadelphia 76ers Should Watch for in the 2017 Draft Class

By Christopher Kline

Mar 30, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonald's All-American West guard Lonzo Ball (2) celebrates the victory with forward Josh Jackson (11) during the McDonald's High School All-American Game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonald's All-American West guard Lonzo Ball (2) celebrates the victory with forward Josh Jackson (11) during the McDonald's High School All-American Game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

SG Grayson Allen, Duke, JR 

Grayson Allen gained a lot of buzz as a potential late lottery, mid-first round pick this season before opting to return to Duke once again for his Junior season with the team. The explosive comboguard was the Blue Devils’ most effective offensive piece for the vast majority of last season, on the same team as Brandon Ingram, and could provide the Sixers with excellent value on the wing in the later stages of the 2017 draft.

Allen’s ability to attack the defense off the dribble is among the most prominent in college basketball. He’s a crafty ball handler for the two spot and gets into the teeth of the defense with apparent ease, while knocking down tough shots and finishing through contact in impressive fashion seem to be the cornerstones of his game at times. He’s a smooth outside shooter spotting up and can create offense off the dribble at a high rate. Allen can get sloppy handling the basketball and gets into jams when he forces the issue at times, but is an all-around skilled creator on the offensive end, even though he’s undersized to an extent at the two-spot.

Defensively, Allen shows solid instincts but can be overmatched by elite talents at times. He struggled to guard upper echelon talents such as Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe in the team’s matchup with Kentucky last season, and was overpowered by stronger guards despite already possessing a somewhat sturdy build Allen can force turnovers and get into the opposition’s grill at times, but he doesn’t project overly well as a defender at the next level right away.

Allen’s ceiling doesn’t reach superstar heights by any means, but he projects extremely well as an offensive spark plug at the next level, especially in a sixth man role potentially. He can score the ball in bunches at any given moment and is the type of skillful off-guard that could work well off of Ben Simmons when willing.

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