Sterling Brown makes sense as a mid-to-late second rounder

While much emphasis will be placed on Markelle Fultz at number one, the Philadelphia 76ers still have the chance to add much needed depth via the second round. Sterling Brown is a name worth watching.

The Philadelphia 76ers have already established the direction of this team moving forward. With Markelle Fultz set to join the squad on June 22, Brett Brown will have one of the most gifted young cores in the league. Assuming Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are healthy throughout next season, there’s a legitimate chance that this Sixers team doesn’t just get better — but makes the playoffs.

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A Royal Pain

And, while the goal is wholly attainable, the Sixers do have some holes left in their rotation. After years of process-driven rebuild, both the long term stability and the short term production from their supporting cast remains somewhat lackluster. They were able to hit on a few free agents last season, but Sergio Rodriguez and potentially Gerald Henderson could walk this offseason. Jerryd Bayless has only played in three games with the team.

Depth is an issue that will continue to persist until Philadelphia is able to add on talent that not only fits, but produces up to par. And while it’s always difficult to find pieces of that ilk in the latter portions of the draft, this year’s second round — a round in which the Sixers boast four picks — has a handful of prospects who mesh well with the makeup of Brett Brown’s current rotation. With two two-way contracts in their arsenal as well, the Sixers could take an even greater gamble without being required to keep a player on the original 15-man roster.

Sterling Brown is a name worth watching.

The 22-year-old senior had his best season to date in 2017, averaging 13.4 points per game while drilling 44.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Sharing the backcourt with another NBA-caliber talent in Shake Milton, Brown was utilized more as a tertiary option within the Mustangs’ system, often being used off the ball rather than as a go-to option. That’s precisely where his game fits into the NBA.

Brown doesn’t project as anything overly special at the next level. He’s a solid athlete, but lacks the explosiveness and quick twitch approach of some of his more elite counterparts in this year’s draft class. He’s not going to spend much time in isolation either, while his game is almost solely indicative of a role player who fills a very specific niche on the floor. Those are the types of pieces, though, that teams are after in the second round.

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The Sixers wouldn’t need Brown to be a go-to scoring option. He’d project as a solid 3-and-D plug-in on the wing, taking minutes at shooting guard while working into his spots off of the likes of Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz offensively. His smooth 3-point stroke should yield immediate production in that regard, while his length (6-6 with a 6-10 wingspan) should allow him to mesh nicely within a Sixers rotation that could be one of the longest in the NBA.

The majority of Brown’s shooting comes in spot-up situations, where he does a nice job of pushing around screens and getting into his motions quickly off the catch. He does, however, show some promise off the dribble, occasionally using a couple of bounces to size up his defender and pull-up from deep.

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While his isolation threat is relatively limited — mostly by rudimentary handles and a lack of burst — he can attack some in a straight line. He’ll get by closeouts well, where his length gives him an advantage in both the mid-range game and when finishing around the hoop. He doesn’t do much side-to-side, but has plenty to offer when operating downhill.

That kind of niche scorer fits well alongside the playmaking duet of Simmons and Fultz. With Nik Stauskas struggling to establish himself as a long term option and both Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Justin Anderson still working on their outside shots, Philadelphia doesn’t have much sustainability in a facet of their game that must improve with players like Simmons and Fultz on the court.

Next: Markelle Fultz's defensive potential is promising

In order maximize the productivity of their stars, Philadelphia needs to provide them with the requisite space to work with. Brown, while doing so in somewhat unexciting fashion, gives them somebody capable of filling that important role.