The Sixer Sense
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Mathias Lessort: A Prospect The 76ers Should Avoid

By James Niescier

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the start of the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the start of the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mathias Lessort may seem like an intriguing prospect for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he has no role in the NBA.

Mathias Lessort is a 21-year-old French prospect who currently plays in the Pro A division in France for Nanterre. Standing 6-9 with a 7-1 wingspan, Lessort plays as a bouncy, undersized center. Against quality European competition, Lessort is averaging 23 minutes per game with 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds on the third best team in France Pro-A. Compared to his league, Lessort finished 2nd in offensive rebounds and 6th in total blocks for the 2016-2017 season. These two stats accurately represent his explosive playing style.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

Lessort is a great athlete with a never ending supply of energy. He has a developing back to the basket game with a variety of moves. Lessort uses the pump fake well but has struggled to get a shot off against taller, longer defenders. When attacking the rim, Lessort can use a spin move to get around slower defenders but still occasionally gets blocked due to his lack of size. Where Lessort thrives is in the pick and roll. Weighing around 250 pounds, he can create separation with the pick allowing him to dive to the basket where he can show off his tremendous vertical ability.

Playing as a center, his rebounding is important and he works well to box out opponents and grab loose boards. Lessort is constantly looking for put back opportunities and can use his athleticism to get around defenders and secure the offensive board. This is verified with his 3.2 offensive rebounds per game. Defensively, Lessort has proven to be a quality rim protector while using his athleticism to get into passing lanes and secure steals. When switching onto smaller defenders, Lessort has had no issues staying with quicker opponents and contesting their shots.

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Unfortunately for Lessort, his size is too big of a concern to overlook. Standing at 6-9, Lessort will have trouble defending larger centers in the post and getting shots off offensively. When playing against taller players, Lessort will often use a variety of fakes and will try to finish off balance resulting in a poor attempt. Lessort lacks a jumper and his mechanics need some work. Often standing too wide, the power behind his jumper varies. His decision making is very poor and he will often pass the ball to where he thinks a teammate should be resulting in random passes to empty parts of the court. Lessort chases highlights and jumps on the majority of pump fakes resulting in a defensive scramble for his teammates. He favors highlight dunks over opponents, often to his demise due to lack of size.

With the inability to stretch the floor, you lose the benefit of playing a small ball center but still have the defensive liability of a true rim protector. Lessort would have to play a similar role to Blake Griffin or Aaron Gordon. A large athletic power forward that can not shoot. Although they can create highlight plays, their only offensive threat is attacking in an isolation situation or out of the pick and roll which requires the opposing center to be out of the paint.

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Playing Lessort would require a specific team with four other shooters. This is a lot of accommodation for one player who lacks an offensive NBA skill and is the reason the Sixers should not draft Mathias Lessort.