Philadelphia 76ers: Top 10 Prospects to Watch, 3rd Edition
With the end of the non-conference schedule nearing it’s end, it’s time reevaluate the top 10 lottery prospects the Philadelphia 76ers should be looking at.
It’s that time again. With non-conference play ending in the coming week, it’s time to analyze where the Philadelphia 76ers‘ draft stock should stand. In a loaded 2017 class, the NBA Draft figures to provide a real jolt of talent this upcoming season.
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With the potential for two lottery picks, Philadelphia finds themselves anxiously watching the Lakers’ record. Perhaps the majority of the attention, however, should be more focused towards the prospects themselves.
In the ever-shifting dynamics of the NBA Draft, placement doesn’t always hold the same meaning. The 7th pick last year was a relatively low end compensation. This year, the 7th pick could yield legitimate superstar potential.
In what is the best draft class since 2003 in some circles, this could be the year that caps off the Sixers’ historical accumulation of talent via “the Process.”
The criteria
Ranking draft prospects is never really an exact science. While stats and certain attributes certainly go a long way in analyzing them, the eye test always plays an integral role in the end results.
How upper level talent fairs against other upper level talent can be among the most telling notions as to how a player will exceed at the next level. Making the transition to the NBA is all about possessing skills that will translate against a heightened degree of competition — and thus, that’s the main component.
Upside, however, also plays a massive role. Even in strong years like this, the NBA Draft can be considered a game of proverbial darts. There are no overarching guarantees and thus gambling on a prospect who has the highest ceiling — rather than the highest floor — is a reasonable avenue to take.
Standings
While these standings are loosely tied to my most recent big board, the ever-changing landscape of college basketball — as well as some of the bigger games that have taken place — shifted those rankings.
These top 10 are based around where the prospects stand in my rankings as of right now, as well as their theorized fit with the Sixers’ rotation. Other opinions are drawn from 3 extracirricular sources, as I tapped the rankings from Jeremy Woo (SI.com), Jonathan Givony (DraftExpress.com), and Sam Vecenie (Yahoo/SportingNews.com), all experts in the NBA Draft field.
That should give you a relative understanding of where each prospect stands in the national media’s perspective. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 prospects for the Sixers: