The Philadelphia 76ers are in need of a long term answer at backup center and the solution should come from the 2019 NBA Draft.
As the season has progressed, its become abundantly clear to Philadelphia 76ers fans that Amir Johnson isn’t capable of being Joel Embiid‘s backup anymore. Due to Johnson’s poor play, the Sixers have turned to Mike Muscala as its default backup center. While Muscala has filled the role admirably, it’s clear that if the 76ers are to obtain a NBA champion, he can’t be the primary backup center.
Within Philadelphia’s defensive scheme, Muscala is put at a disadvantage as the backup center. This isn’t to say Muscala is a poor defender, but he simply is no where close to being able to produce the same impact Embiid can. That’s due to the fact he just isn’t physically equipped to deal with apposing big men in the paint.
Justin Patton might fix the team’s problem’s for now, but he will be a free agent at the end of the season and that’s only after he returns from his foot injury. Even when he returns, there’s no guarantee that he will be ready to contribute to a team trying to win a championship.
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Another option would be trading Johnson for a slightly better option for this season. That might fix the team’s problems this season, but general manager (GM) Elton Brand needs to find a long term solution to help ease the burden of playing time on Embiid.
Brand should focus on finding the solution for the backup center position through the 2019 NBA Draft. Currently, the Sixers are slated to get the 25th pick and the 33rd pick based on the current standings in the NBA on Dec. 17, 2018. Having a late first round pick and early second round pick gives Philadelphia options in the draft.
While I certainly think that Sagaba Konate is a first round talent, the Sixers could probably nab the big man from West Virginia University with either one of their first two picks. NBADraft.net has Konate going to the 76ers in the first round, although the website’s draft order isn’t up to date. Regardless, Konate is a perfect fit into the blue collar culture of Philly’s locker room.
Konate comes from a defensive minded program led by gritty college coach Bob Huggins. Konate busted onto the scene last season as one of the up and coming defensive stars in his sophomore season. This season, he came back with a 3-point shot in his game, something he never had before. His rise in college is impressive and his stats backup his ability to defend.
| Season | School | G | GS | MP | FG% | 2P% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | West Virginia | 37 | 2 | 10.9 | .564 | .564 | .636 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 4.1 | |
| 2017-18 | West Virginia | 36 | 36 | 25.4 | .510 | .510 | .790 | 7.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 10.8 | |
| 2018-19 | West Virginia | 8 | 7 | 24.1 | .435 | .452 | .391 | .813 | 8.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 13.6 |
| Career | West Virginia | 81 | 45 | 18.7 | .509 | .515 | .391 | .756 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 8.0 |
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 12/17/2018.
The only knocks against Konate is his weakness as a perimeter defender and his height at 6-foot-8. While undersized, he has a nice hops and 7-foot wing span that helps in the height department. He would be a nice small-ball center option for the Sixers off the bench, crashing the boards, blocking shots and stretching the floor on offense with the occasional 3-point shot.
If Brand and the rest of the Philadelphia 76ers front office fall in love with the energy and defensive skills that Konate could bring to the squad’s second unit, then they should scout him closely moving forward in hopes of drafting the big man. There’s a chance that could still be on the board in the second round of the draft, but the Sixers shouldn’t risk loosing out on drafting him and should take him with their first round pick.