In all likelihood, the Philadelphia 76ers will select a perimeter player in the 2017 NBA Draft, but Lauri Markkanen is, at the very least, worth a look.
The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t going to draft a big man this year. Their logjam at the five spot has already been a season-long rotational clog, and the change in general manager — as well as team vision moving forward — likely means that asset-driven stockpiling is over for the foreseeable future.
That, combined with the fact that the Sixers are almost guaranteed a top 5 pick via the recent departure of DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento, means that anybody that doesn’t play on the perimeter is likely off the table.
Swarm and Sting
With that said, though, things can always change. We haven’t reached the trade deadline yet, and offseason trades can always yield a surprise. Draft stocks continuously fluctuate during the offseason as well, which means someone who isn’t in the conversation now could very well be in it come draft night. So, with that said, there’s one big man the Sixers should be keeping an eye on. He’ll probably be playing elsewhere next season, but if there’s any 7-footer who fits the Sixers’ long term plans, it’s certainly him. His name is Lauri Markkanen.
Offensive fit alongside Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons
Markkanen, simply put, is the best shooting big man we’ve seen come out of the college ranks in recent memory — if not ever. He has a compact, fluid release that drops both off the bounce and off the catch, as he’s hitting at a tremendous 45.7 percent clip on 4.6 attempts per game from beyond the arc. He’s also among the most efficient halfcourt scorers in college basketball.
The Finnish big man takes the mantra of stretch four to an entirely new level, with a set of skills ready to contribute at the NBA level from day one, not a raw slate in need of mass development at the next stage. His defensive woes are concerning, and there’s always strength to be added, but Markkanen can shoot — and do a whole lot more to help an offense while he’s at it.
The long-known narrative with this Sixers squad is that they need shooters, and that’s only becoming more prevalent with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons emerging as core pieces moving forward. This team will only reach it’s peak in terms of success with sufficient floor spacing on the court, and Markkanen, on that basis alone, has to be in the conversation.
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We’ve seen Ersan Ilyasova step in and play a massive role this season, and Dario Saric figures to be an important cog moving forward. Both can shoot, and both have found relatively bountiful success to different degrees throughout the season. But Markkanen has the potential to provide an entirely new wrinkle to this Philadelphia team. Not only is Ilyasova hitting free agency this offseason, but his long term status with the team is as clouded as any. And, as skillful as Dario is, his skill set — especially alongside Ben Simmons — could top out as an incredibly adept sixth man in the NBA.
Markkanen, on the other end, has upside well beyond both offensively. He’s a knockdown shooter from day one, and has shown prowess in ball handling, passing, and all-around scoring that gives him an incredibly enticing arsenal to bank on moving forward.
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Embiid is among the league’s elite rim protectors, meaning his presence could effectively negate some of Markkanen’s largest weaknesses, while still retaining the utmost proficiency on the other end. Markkanen has been the ball handler in pick-and-roll scenarios this year, which could allow the team to stretch both interior defenders out to the perimeter, while yielding a pair of 7-footers who can both shoot the ball and finish at the rim in a position where the defense is then compromised. That type of a threat is an incredible rarity.
Markkanen’s shooting also opens up the floor in ways Saric doesn’t. He excels in dribble hand-offs, pick-and-pops, and as a spot-up shooter — all at levels Saric doesn’t operate at. He’s not necessarily fleet of foot, but possesses excellent body control and general feel for a player of his size. He can find his own shots in isolation and has the handling skills needed to work his way through the defense without overwhelming his opponent speed-wise.
There’s an unheralded lack of holes in Markkanen’s offensive skill set, and that alone should intrigue any team in the lottery conversation. He’d give the Sixers a truly special offensive talent to cultivate, and one that fits the picture far more than some might expect moving forward. He fills immediate needs, while opening up future opportunities. He’d compound the need for a frontcourt overhaul, but it might end up being worth it. He’s just that talented.
How the team goes about building around Embiid, Simmons, Markkanen
Drafting another big man would certainly shake up Philadelphia’s rebuild, but in a manner that would become more and more manageable given his presence on the roster. With more time to fill out his frame, Markkanen should be able to function at the five spot during stints in which Embiid isn’t on the floor. That allows the Sixers to be less reserved in attempting to clear out their frontcourt, and could provide the green light for offloading Jahlil Okafor — if he’s not gone by the deadline — and Nerlens Noel, leaving Richaun Holmes as the anchor of the second unit and freeing up some short term financial flexibility.
A frontcourt core of Embiid, Markkanen, Simmons, Saric, and Holmes covers just about every front, with ample versatility and defensive prowess to fall back on behind the offensive virtuosos that are included.
They can continue to round out the rotation by keeping guys like Robert Covington and Timothe Luwawu around, adding sufficient perimeter defense and additional spacing to the perimeter. Then free agency — and future drafts — can aid in filling out the backcourt. If the basketball gods favor the Sixers too, they may be able to draft a guard alongside Markkanen by way of the Lakers’ pick should that convey this offseason. Imagine adding both Dennis Smith Jr. and Markkanen to the rotation.
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While this may seem like an odd and somewhat ludicrous position to take, Markkanen provides a set of skills that is incredibly relevant given the current position of this Sixers rotation. Rosters are always shifting, year after year. Drafting another big man could seem outright crazy now, yet be viewed as downright prophetic a few years down the road. There’s always going to be change, and sometimes drafting for straight up fit doesn’t take that into consideration.
If the Sixers are hovering in that fifth through tenth range in the draft and guys like Malik Monk and Dennis Smith Jr. are off the table, Markkanen is certainly worth a look. Heck, in some capacity, he’s worth a look even if those two are on the table. Any time there are potentially-generational talents on the board, they should be thoroughly vetted as an option. This draft has a lot of superstar talent — but someone with Markkanen’s level of skill and degree of polish at 7-feet doesn’t come around all that often. That should factor into any decision.
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Of course the Sixers should be wary of taking another big man, and they’ll most certainly have to plan accordingly should they do so. But this guy is too good to overlook, and too good to not give a fair shot in the green room if the positioning is right. Don’t ignore his name, even if that power forward label seems like a turn-off at first glance — because it’s not.