Can Philadelphia 76ers Find 25 All-Time NBA Draft 2nd Rounder?

Philadelphia Pick 50 Options

Finally, the Philadelphia 76ers should have selected the players for the positions needed. So this pick, moreso than any other, should be based exclusively on best player available. But BPA… with a twist.  If the team has not bolstered the roster enough as projected shortfall positions, this is the last call for NBA Draft help.

But a selection at 50 can be more than an analytics solution to a programmed equation. This can be the spot where the Philadelphia 76ers add a player from the 2017 NBA Draft who simply exudes desire over all others.   And that may be the key to optimizing a 50th selectee into a long-term NBA career.

With the 50th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select….

Maryland point guard Melo Trimble chose the long way home to the NBA.  Projected to emerge in the 2016 NBA Draft, Trimble returned to the University of Maryland and emerges in no better shape than a year ago. Timble has been on the radar for over a year now, when his 6-foot-3 height caught the eye of Golden State Warrior Steph Curry.  In fact, Curry unabashedly compared Trimble to himself.

Now, a year later, some suspect that Trimble will go undrafted, a fact not lost to Brian Doogan. But the Philadelphia 76ers can prevent that error at 50. Trimble  shoots a decent 43.6 percent from the floor, but only a 31.7 percent from three-point range.   Still, his per-36 of 18.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals is not chickenfeed.  He is a player who rises to the challenge of the moment.   In fact, his biggest performances come in the biggest games.