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

PG Frank Ntilikina, Strasbourg, Int’l

Frank Ntilikina has been the most highly touted international prospect coming into the 2017 class, as the impressive amount of skill has shown thus far in his early development (he’s not quite 18 yet) is certainly a promising sign. Standing at 6’5” with a 7′ wingspan, Ntilikina’s physical prospects are exceptional for the one spot, and his multifaceted play has only cemented himself as a likely top 10 pick.

While he may not be the ideal fit moving forward with Ben Simmons, from a pure draft prospect analysis standpoint, it’s tough to ignore the Frenchman’s upside. He understands how to operate at multiple different speeds on the offensive end and is the most advanced passer in this draft class at the moment, which is a rarity for someone as youthful and inexperienced as he is. He can see over the defense given his height and handles the ball at a level few can draw parallels with, especially in this draft class. He utilizes a plethora of dribble moves to work his way into the defense and is a highly unselfish player. He’s willing to pass up solid scoring opportunities to get a teammates an even better one, and that’s always a good sign when analyzing a rookie’s tendencies. He’s an improving shooter from outside as well, although still a little rough in that regard, and doesn’t possess the most aggressive mentality when searching for his offense in the lane.

Defensively, he has everything necessitated to cover both guard spots and be an elite switch defender. He’s committed to executing on both sides of the basketball and reads the opposition’s sets extremely well. He needs to fill out his frame before he’s ready to bash physically with the stronger two-guards at the NBA level, but he his build is one that should easily fill out over time.

Ntilikina isn’t going to score the ball all that much, sometimes to a fault, but he’s by far the most effective facilitator in this year’s draft class. He’s far more developed from a basketball I.Q. standpoint than the majority of players his age, and his aptness in creating offense for others is something that should intrigue any team, including the Sixers, even if it’s not a seamless fit on paper.

"“French point guard Frank Ntilikina proved to be one of the top prospects in attendance at last summer’s U18 European Championship (playing up a year) and has done nothing to diminish that while earning some real minutes at the Euroleague and French league level despite being only 17 years old. The tall, long and fluid playmaker is highly unselfish and has terrific upside defensively. NBA scouts watching him for the first time are bound to be impressed with his maturity.” -Jonathan Givony, DraftExpress"

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