The Sixer Sense
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It’s impossible for the Sixers to screw up this draft

By Joe DiProsperos

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 23: The Philadelphia 76ers host a post draft press conference announcing new players Anzejs Pasecniks, Markelle Fultz, Jonah Bolden and Mathias Lessort at the Sixers Training Complex on June 23, 2017 in Camden, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 23: The Philadelphia 76ers host a post draft press conference announcing new players Anzejs Pasecniks, Markelle Fultz, Jonah Bolden and Mathias Lessort at the Sixers Training Complex on June 23, 2017 in Camden, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Given the Philadelphia 76ers’ current situation, they would have to tank harder than they did during the Process days to mess up on draft night this year.

The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us. It’s a night a few (well more than a few) teams tanked so graciously the past year for. It’s all in the hope that on this night, they can find one, possibly even two if they’re lucky, young NBA talents that can give them and their fan bases something

Surprisingly, one of those such teams does not reside in South Philadelphia. While it obviously feels much much better to actually not have to constantly stress about the future and therefore view the draft through a new scope for once, it kinda sucks at the same time.

Draft night during the Process days came with a certain allure to it. You knew that the draft was the only way the Philadelphia76ers could build something that might potentially be a contender in the near future.

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There obviously were some missteps (Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and, depending on who you talk to, Michael Carter-Williams), but overall it made all the losing so worth it. It’s given us Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, and Markelle Fultz. We’ve been living and dying by the draft and it has paid off.

But this year is different.

The point of utilizing the draft to the extent the Sixers did was to build for tomorrow. I think it’s safe to say that tomorrow has arrived. The young core is in place, they’ve proven they can win in the regular season, and, most importantly, they’ve shown they can do damage come playoff time.

Therefore the draft doesn’t have the same significance as it’s had in the past for this team. We’re well past the rebuilding days of the Process, so there isn’t a real need to pick up more foundational pieces in the draft, per se.

Now this is not to say that the Sixers can now just pick a random name out of a hat. You still have to continue to add guys who seemingly fit the scheme and demonstrate the ability to contribute on a consistent basis.

Rather, what I’m trying to say is that the stakes are not nearly as high in this time around as they have been in past years. Whoever the Sixers decide to take, specifically at No. 10, doesn’t necessarily need to come in, carry a majority of the load, and take the league by storm.

It’s not as if the future leans on the success of that pick, unlike in the case of an Embiid or Simmons or even a Fultz. Any positive production that comes on behalf of that selection can only elevate this squad to another level.

And if for some reason whoever the Sixers decide to take doesn’t exactly pan out, there’s no legitimate reason to panic. For one, there are enough guys on this squad who are more than capable of stepping up and filling a void.

Plus, and chief among them, Philly is now an enticing place to play in. Guys, for the first time in a while, actually want to take the court in a Sixers uniform. And some of them are pretty decent at basketball *cough* LeBron James. So it’s much easier these days for the Sixers to replace guys who may not be living up to expectations with probably more talented players.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft Big Board 7.0

So when I say it’s impossible for the Sixers to screw up this draft, I’m saying that the selections made Thursday night shouldn’t be evaluated under as big a microscope as they were a few years ago. The potential implications of draft night are not nearly as significant as they used to be. It honestly makes me miss the anxiety-filled drafts of yester-year even more.