Philadelphia 76ers Johnson’s Weekly Mailbag 2

It is this week’s edition of Philadelphia 76ers Johnson’s Weekly Mailbag. Fans can ask me questions directly and I will give the best possible answers.

Welcome all to Johnson’s Weekly Mailbag. This forum is for fans to pose questions regarding the Philadelphia 76ers. Had great feedback last week and this week we have some great questions.

“Do you take a shooter to play in the backcourt with Ben? Let’s say we get the Lakers pick this year, without knowing who’s left, but having two top-5 picks, what positions do you shoot for? Also, the nagging question: Okafor. What do you do?”- David Bowlin

Yes! Yes to the hundredth power. If you look at the Philadelphia 76ers you see that the team has a lot of defenders and slashers but no real shooters. The best 3-point shooter is a tie at 40 percent between Jerryd Bayless who was injured basically all season and Chasson Randle who is no longer with the team.

More from The Sixer Sense

To your second question, David, perimeter players are a must for the Sixers. I would say point guard, yes Ben Simmons is the point forward, but I still believe you need to have players at the traditional point guard and shooting guard positions. With shooting guard being mentioned, that would be the other position I would look at. However, if Jayson Tatum is still on the board then with the second of those two picks, I say you’ve got to take him. He is just too talented to not take.

For your final nagging question — and don’t worry it nags anyone who is involved with Sixers — I am in the camp that they should trade him before or during the draft. I actually wrote several articles before about Okafor. Who Will Be Back 2017-2018 Season and Four Possible Teams That Could Trade For Jahlil Okafor In The 2017 Draft are the two main pieces I want to direct you to.

“(1) Does Markelle Fultz’s knee concern you? (2) Do you want top 3 pick or getting Lakers pick? (3) Do 76ers trade picks?” – 76ers Scribe NBA

Good to hear from you again. As someone who just had to get an MRI on his own knee the other day, yes, knee issues do worry me. Andrew Bynum, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, and Jahlil Okafor, all have knee problems. Granted, smaller players have easier times recovering from knee problems, but still I worry. It would be better not to have a player drafted be predisposed to injury. If he is available at pick 4 or 5, then the Sixers still need to consider him.

I think it would be better for the Sixers if the Lakers pick did not convey this year. The Sixers are going to be loads better next season regardless if they get one or two lottery picks. If the pick waits to convey next year, the Sixers would most likely get one high and one low lottery pick, which will help with salary cap issue down the road. To answer your question, I’d rather have a top three pick instead of the Laker pick.

The Sixers do not have to trade picks, they could draft and stash in the second round. I do think they may do that with one or two picks, but it is hard to imagine them not trading any picks.

“You would offer a max FA deal only to KCP? What about Gordon Hayward or Otto Porter?” – OB_Resident

You have a very valid question. Let me address each player individually.

Hayward is a very good player, no doubt. I think he is worth max contract, but there is one main reason why I do not think he gets one from the Philadelphia 76ers. I think he is too loyal to the Utah Jazz, and I think they sign or agree upon a contract before any teams get a shot at him. I could be wrong, and hopefully the Sixers can offer him a max contract.

Otto Porter Jr. is a different story. The Sixers have a good rotation of forwards going into next season. They will have Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and point forward Ben Simmons. The Sixers will most likely draft a stretch four in the second round of this draft. They could have Covington come off the bench, but I do not see Porter having the same type of impact that Hayward or KCP have. With that in mind, I can’t justify giving him a max contract.

“Everyone is betting on Embiid’s potential, but does his injury history worry you? If no what do you expect a season out of him as GP? If yes, how long do you keep betting on him? First year he played and only played 30+ games, and it’s being his third year that’s the worry.” –Leonard Saldana

Injuries always worry me. Embiid is not an exception, however, at the same time, his most recent injury is nothing to have long-term concerns about.

In regards to games played, I am hoping that and thinking that if he gets around 60 games next season, it will be very good for the Philadelphia 76ers and their fans. I have already accepted that he will never be a 82 game player. If he is, then great, but with his size and how he moves it will not surprise me if he isn’t an 82 game per season player. Around 60 games is good for a player slowly coming back from major foot injury and meniscus repair.

I will continue to bet on him unless he plays less then 45 games next season. Then the Sixers may look at a Brandon Roy type of situation. If that ends up being the case, then they might want to package him for a high draft pick. Yet, that is a long way away, and fans should not even worry about that or have that mind set.

“Let’s say the Sixers get 3&4. Fultz and Jackson are off the table, who’re you grabbing?” – Christopher Kline

That is a tough one Chris, but I will not take Lonzo Ball. Minus the drama with his outrageous father, his game is too similar to Ben Simmons, and personally I think they would get into each other’s way.

With that in mind, I think Jayson Tatum is too good of a talent to pass up on the third pick. He has the potential to be a 20-plus point scorer per night. With the third pick, you have to take the best player available, and I believe that is Tatum.

The third pick is easy for me, however, the fourth pick is beyond difficult for me. The fourth pick I think general manager Bryan Colangelo should go with best fit.

De’Aaron Fox is probably the best point on the board, but he has no outside shot at this point and the Sixers need a shooter more than anything else. That leaves me with Malik Monk and Dennis Smith. Both are shooters at positions the Philadelphia 76ers need. If you are among the group that Ben Simmons is a pure point guard, then Monk can much more easily play off the guard and has the potential to be a combo guard. However, if you are like me and believe Simmons is more of a point forward, then Dennis Smith might be a better option. My only knock against him is that was not consistent in his play this past season.

At the end of the day, I still think Monk would be better suited for the Sixers to select at the fourth spot and then the sign a veteran point guard in free agency. So, to answer your question simply, Jayson Tatum with the third and Malik Monk with the first.

Next: How Are Former Philadelphia 76ers Performing In This Year’s Playoffs

This ends this week’s mailbag. I had a great time answering questions and stay tuned for next week’s Johnson’s Weekly Mailbag!