With the Philadelphia 76ers slotted favorably in this year’s lottery, here’s how some of the top prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft class fit alongside Ben Simmons.
He may not have played a game in the 2017 NBA season, but Ben Simmons has already given the Philadelphia 76ers something invaluable heading into the offseason.
Flexibility.
Swarm and Sting
Compared to Magic Johnson and LeBron James, Simmons is seen by most as a once in a generation positionless wonder – a lofty standard to uphold, but a brilliant characteristic to help Philadelphia build their team.
Although we don’t know exactly where the 76ers first round pick(s) will land, the team will already be well into their scouting for some of the top prospects in this years’ draft class.
With B.S., one of two main building blocks Philadelphia have to work with, let’s do some of our own scouting, and investigate what may be going through the mind of some of Philly’s scouting staff.
I assessed 10 of the top prospects in this years’ Draft, grading how good a fit they will be alongside the Sixers’ Australian wonderkid.
Josh Jackson
In a vacuum, Josh Jackson is, in my opinion, the top prospect in the upcoming Draft.
The Kansas star possess almost everything you’re after in an elite level wing talent – athleticism, size, defence, quickness, hustle, and a ceiling high enough to warrant going first to almost whoever winds up with the golden ticket.
Amongst that list of upsides, there is certainly plenty that’d endear him to the 76ers.
Having two long, athletic, transcendent talents either on the wing or in the backcourt, depending on how they want to line up, is a big tick in the versatility box. Not many teams in the league would be able to guard both concurrently.
But the big black mark on Jackson’s resume is his jump shot. He plays well inside his lane from the field, averaging 51.3 percent from two-point land, but from three-point, he is only 37.8 percent.
Given the concerns over Ben Simmons’ jump shot, it’d be a pretty hefty risk to take two guys cut from a similar cloth, neither of whom are effective shooters. Especially in the modern NBA.
Jump shot analysts note that, similar to Simmons, JJs’ jumper is far from broken and would only require some tweaking.
Both Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard (both of whom Jackson has been compared to) improved theirs out of sight after going professional.
But for this sin, JJ takes a big hit in his grading. He may just be too similar to Simmons to justify selecting him in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Grade: B
Markelle Fultz
Whilst 2017s’ player pool does not hold a traditional “consensus” number one prospect, most experts have Washingtons’ Markelle Fultz at the top of their tree.
Shooting at 47.6 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three, he keeps defenses honest when playing off the ball, unlike JJ, who at this point is only a threat with a backdoor cut to the basket.
Stacking more chips in Fultz’ favour is his ability to play either guard spot, which would give Philadelphia a combo guard, a point forward and an inside-outside big – is that not the perfect start to an NBA franchise?
The main knock on Fultz is his shooting, which is at time streaky. Scouts have also pointed to his lack of a mid range game, but one would argue that as a strength given the ineffectiveness of the mid-range shot.
Besides, for a player whose ability to get to the basket and score has been compared to James Hardens’, it becomes even less of a concern.
In short, Markelle Fultz was born to be on Broad, and this is my dream scenario for Philly. This pick simply makes too much sense to pass up on it if it presents itself.
Grade: A+
Lonzo Ball
If Philly is looking for flexibility with their draft pick, they’re not going to get it with Lonzo Ball. The UCLA superstar is a point guard, end of story.
This trickle down effect then of course locks Ben Simmons into the small forward position.
None of this is bad. It would certainly give the Sixers an identity and shape the team a little quicker than drafting either Jackson or Fultz. But versatility is king in todays’ NBA.
Ball is an incredible prospect. Out of the three guys already listed, the Los Angeles native is certainly the best box office draw.
His passing ability, his three point range, and his perhaps unexpected maturity and level-headedness despite the media circus that follows him around is all encouraging.
A wise man once told me that how you deal with failure is less important than how you deal with success. Given how crazy this year’s been for the eldest Ball, he has carried himself extraordinarily well.
However, unlike Fultz, Ball is not as adept at playing off the rock. It’s not that he can’t do it. His shooting (55.1 percent, 41.2 percent) more than keeps defences honest. It’s just not his game.
If Ball is the one bringing the pill up, Simmons’ role in the offence becomes a lot more predictable. He will likely be used as a post up player or a cutter. Similarly, if it’s BS bringing it up, Ball will be restricted to a spot up shooter.
But this is all nitpicking. It would certainly make the offence a little more difficult to figure out, but certainly not impossible.
Grade: A-
De’Aaron Fox
If Philadelphia is looking to build the best fast break in the league, they should look no further than De’Aaron Fox.
Not only is Fox one of the most polished point guards in the draft, he also has one of the highest ceilings for his position.
His position play is strong, he’s a crafty scorer and he’s a good defender, but again, he locks Simmons into small forward, and he’s not quite the shooter he needs to be to play off the ball.
Essentially, as good as point guard as Fox is, and as high a ceiling as he has, he presents the same problems as Ball, only he possesses fewer weapons.
Fox is not projected to go in the top three of the Draft. His range is being seen on draft boards anywhere from 4-10.
If Philly does indeed end up in the higher end of that range, it may be worthwhile to either trade the pick, or to go with one of the more flexible lottery options.
Grade: B-
Dennis Smith Jr.
Dennis Smith is an intriguing prospect in the same mould as Josh Jackson – he’s an incredibly explosive athlete, to a point where you’d almost be surprised to see him not succeed in the NBA.
The Association is well known to reward athleticism, especially at the point guard position.
But Smith is not just an athlete. He averaged 6 assists per game in his freshman season with North Carolina State and is known around the industry to have the kind of personality to be able to handle point guard at the NBA level.
But for every Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook that arrives in the League, there’s a Baron Davis and a Steve Francis. In fact, interestingly, three of those four have all struggled with injury brought on by their incredible physical tools.
Not that it’s an indicator for future problems, but Smith has already struggled with a torn ACL, which saw him miss his senior year of high school.
Again, his ability to be able to get the balance right with Simmons also comes into question. His shot is still streaky, and scouts have pointed to so-so form.
Ultimately, Smith is Robin to Lonzo Ball’s Batman in this draft.
Grade: C+
Jonathan Isaac
If Philly wanted to roll out a lineup of four 6-10-plus monsters, they could go with Ben Simmons, Robert Covington, Jonathan Isaac, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid.
That’s all this pick would be good for.
Not only is this a poor fit for what the 76ers need to address, it is as risky a pick as they come in the lottery.
The phrases “still learning the game”, and “great long term potential” when used together, are usually a poor sign. Scouts point to his body, his athleticism and his coordinator as upsides, but really, all they are all he has.
Next: Signing Kyle Lowry Would Be Distinctly Anti-Process
Don’t get me wrong; Isaac is certainly doesn’t have zero chance to succeed in the NBA. His upside has been compared to Rashard Lewis, who was highly valuable on good Seattle and Orlando teams.
But on a team featuring BS, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid and even Richaun Holmes, I don’t see a need for a Rashard Lewis.
That’s if he even makes it that far.