Looking back, the 76ers decision to trade up in the 2017 NBA Draft to pick center Anzejs Pasecniks was so disastrous, it might have cost them a chance at the NBA finals and will haunt them for years.
With the Philadelphia 76ers likely at this point looking at an in-house selection to replace Bryan Colangelo as general manager, which would be just fine with coach/interim GM Brett Brown, there is a big black mark against anyone who was involved with the 2017 draft: Anzejs Pasecniks
It would not be that far-fetched to say that the decision by Colangelo to trade up and take the 7-foot-2 Pasecniks was so egregious it might have cost them a chance to reach the NBA finals this past spring, and its effects will be felt for a long time.
To refresh your memory, Colangelo traded away the top-20 protected 2020 pick they received from Oklahoma City for Jerami Grant, which most likely will be a first-rounder the way the Thunder are looking, and another 2020 second-round pick to Orlando for the No. 25 pick in the draft. They used it to take Pasecniks, a 21-year-old Latvian stringbean who showed potential playing in Europe.
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Colangelo freely admitted this was a typical ‘draft-and-stash’, as he did not expect Pasecniks to be on the Sixers roster that season.
At the time, no big deal. The Sixers were hip deep in centers at the time with Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Richaun Holmes returning and Amir Johnson signing as a free agent. Letting him play in Europe for another year made sense.
However, then recently came the news that Pasecniks is staying in Europe for another year, with the 76ers filing paperwork to retain his rights. This was not the original plan.
The change of plans were due to, well, Pasecniks just was not that good this past year for his club team, Gran Canaria. According to John Dimopoulos of Eurojohn, playing in the Spanish League, he averaged 6.6 points (2-for-13 from 3-point line) and 3.7 rebounds with 0.5 blocks.
Instead of Pasecniks, the 76ers opted to sign another 2017 draft-and-stash, Jonah Bolden to be a post player this upcoming season. Bolden was drafted with the No. 36 pick, Pasecniks they took 11 spots earlier.
So far, Pasecnicks has given the team no return on a low first-round pick and probably will cost the 76ers another low first-round pick in 2020, due to the trade.
But what might even more hurtful to the 76ers then wasting two first-round picks are the players by-passed by Colangelo (and the personnel staff advising him) to take Pasecniks.
First team All-Rookie selection Kyle Kuzma was available when the 25th pick came around. The Lakers took him and the 6-foot-9 forward merely averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds and showed a nice touch beyond the 3-point line.
Taken five spots after Pasecniks was swingman Josh Hart of Villanova. As the season went along, Hart carved out an even bigger role for himself with the Lakers until a hand injury sidelined him. He scored 30 points against the Clippers in his last NBA game and averaged 7.9 points on the season.
Did we mention Hart was named the 2018 NBA Summer League MVP?
It was not like these guys were unknown to the 76ers. Kuzma was at the Sixers last tryout camp before the draft and Hart played a lot of his college home games in the same place as the 76ers.
In the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston, a young, athletic big like Kuzma with a nice shooting touch certainly would have helped. Remember how Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum torched the Sixers wings not named Covington with their speed and athleticism? A scrappy defensive player like the 6-foot-6 Hart certainly would have given either problems.
If Brown had Kuzma or Hart on his roster, they undoubtedly would have seen playing time and contributed. Considering that four of the five games in the Boston series went down to the final minute, a small extra contribution from someone else could have been the difference.
With Boston taken care of, only the aging Cleveland Cavaliers would have stood between the 76ers and the NBA finals.
And if Hart or Kuzma are on the team, the 76ers whole strategy on draft night changes. You have a proven shooter in Kuzma so no need to draft Landry Shamet at No. 26. Maybe they take a flier (like Boston) on talented big Robert Williams.
Or, if Hart on team, no real need for Zhaire Smith, so maybe Brown takes a chance on Michael Porter Jr. (who will play as much as Smith probably will in his rookie season as it turns out).
Colangelo, gambling on Pasecniks, hurt the 76ers this past season and for years to come.
And do not forget, most of the talent evalulators Colangelo counted on in 2017 are still with the club. So while it is nice Brown and Harris think the world of them, they have shown they are not perfect.