3. Theo Maledon
Theo Maledon has been on the radar of NBA teams for years now. Born in June 2001, Maledon is just 18 years old but is certainly no stranger to the big stage. So far Maledon has been a LNB Pro A (France’s top professional basketball league) Champion, named the Pro A best young player, won the French Cup, named the French Cup Final MVP, and a Pro A All-Star.
Maledon is a 6-foot-5 point guard who is a dominant athlete. He can shoot from anywhere and score off the dribble. Maledon is raw and will take some time to develop but the markings of excellence are there. He shoots the three well at 33 percent and converts from the line at a 77 percent clip.
Defensively he can lose focus sometimes but other times you can see the great potential he has. Maledon needs to hone his skills and become more selfish with the ball. He often finds himself looking for teammates when he has an open look or a mismatch. That is something rare nowadays — being too unselfish — but Maledon is gifted and needs to display his gifted shot making ability more.
Theo Maledon is someone the 76ers should consider taking if they end up with Oklahoma City’s pick. A versatile guard who can shoot, distribute, and lock down defensively if needed, would fill numerous holes for the 76ers. Raul Neto is not the answer for being Ben’s backup but Maledon could be.
With all international players predicting where they go is rare and Maledon is not an exception — he’s been projected anywhere between fifth overall to completely undrafted. But if he is there, the 76ers should take a serious look.