This season has proven that there are still holes in the Philadelphia 76ers roster and this upcoming draft should be used to fix the biggest hole.
With the NBA season on pause (according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN), due to the coronavirus outbreak, there aren’t too many subjects to address during the postponed period of play. However, even if the season never stopped, one area that we at The Sixers Sense would still be covering NBA draft content in how it pertains to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The draft has been a positive tool for the Sixers to use in recent years. They’ve got stars like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid when they had top picks. They were still able to get talented players in the late first and second round of the draft once they became a contender. Those players include Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, and Shake Milton, all of whom are currently on the roster.
With that in mind, there are two glaring areas of weaknesses on the roster. The backup point guard position and the center depth chart. Both are significant issues for the club, but the backup point guard position the bigger issue.
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While the center depth chart doesn’t look good after Embiid and Al Horford, the 76ers still have both bigs. Unless Horford gets traded this offseason, the center depth isn’t as big as an issue as the point guard depth chart.
It’s hard to fathom, but the departure of T.J. McConnell this past summer left a bigger hole at the backup point guard spot than expected. Raul Neto and Trey Burke (before he was waived) weren’t able to man the position with any sort of consistency.
Milton has proven to be a capable playmaker and underrated scorer, but he’s best used as a secondary playmaker. There’s a good chance he starts moving forward too so finding another playable point guard off the bench would help head coach Brett Brown or if he let go this offseason, whoever replaces him.
It’s also important to get a point guard in case Simmons’ back injury ends up being a bigger deal than it already is. If it isn’t, then it’s still a good idea as Simmons has proven he can play well alongside another point guard.
Luckily for Philly, this draft has some good point guards in it. It should also be noted that based on the standings right now, the Sixers would get the Oklahoma City Thunders’ first-round pick, which is projected to be the 21st or 22nd pick based on current standings. The 76ers have a few early second-round picks in this draft as well (per RealGM).
With a pick in the first round of the draft as well as two early in the second round, the Sixers could have a few options at the point guard position. A few names to keep an eye on are Tre Jones, Kira Lewis Jr., and Cassius Winston. The Sixers are in a good place to land any of those three or a good portion of playmakers in the draft in either the late-first or early-second round.
It should be noted that Tankathon’s mock draft was used when evaluated potential prospects at the point guard position.
Improving the backup point guard position is a must for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. The 2020 NBA Draft is a way for the Sixers to find a quality playmaker on a cheap deal.
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