Philadelphia 76ers 2020 NBA Draft profile: Killian Tillie

An injury-plagued center from a reputable collegiate program? It’s Philadelphia 76ers heaven.

The Philadelphia 76ers will enter the 2020 NBA Draft with five second-round picks. Volume breeds variety, and while the Sixers will probably trade some of those picks away, the chance to address multiple needs on the same night is a positive.

Killian Tillie is a personal favorite of mine — maybe the year’s most underrated prospect. He’s top-25 on my big board, yet most mocks have him in the mid-to-late second round. There exists a sharp disconnect between public opinion and draft-night expectations.

The reason for that disconnect is simple: injuries.

Tillie has struggled to stay healthy in his four years at Gonzaga, and durability concerns are a one-way ticket to front office paranoia. We’ve seen Michael Porter Jr. — the consensus No. 1 prospect out of high school — almost drop out of the lottery. When teams are unsure of a player’s health, they’re quick to disregard talent.

Some would call Tillie a lottery talent. If he made in through college with a clean bill of health, he’d probably be in the top-10 discussion. He has the chance to genuinely impact winning on a competitive team. Gonzaga is a premier breeding ground for NBA prospects. The Sixers need depth behind Joel Embiid and Al Horford. Tillie, as a mid-second round pick, could do the trick.