Should Philadelphia 76ers Consider Center In 2017 NBA Draft?

By Bret Stuter | Dec 27, 2016

Dec 14, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Nerlens Noel (M) and forward Ben Simmons (R) during a timeout in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. The Toronto Raptors won 123.114. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

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Sep 11, 2015; Springfield, MA, USA; Dikembe Mutombo speaks during the 2015 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

A Tall History

If you study the history of the Philadelphia 76ers, two things jump out. The center position is an awfully difficult position to fill when you need an NBA top center. If/when the Philadelphia 76ers find a top center, the team does remarkably well.

The Philadelphia 76ers traded for Moses Malone, and then proceeded to dominate the NBA on their way to the 1983 championship.

So too did the team finally pair up a worthy center for star guard Allen Iverson. That center was none other than Dikembe Mutombo. While the Lakers eventually won the series, this was the closest Allen Iverson came to donning a championship ring

In the end, the greatest NBA teams had a great big man in the mix.