Fit with the Sixers
The Sixers do not need another 7-footer. But, do the Sixers need a slippery 7-foot ball-handling, 3-point shooting, playmaking wing-center with considerable two-way upside? Yes. Why not? Who doesn’t?
Philadelphia has the advantage of five second-round picks in this year’s draft. You can use them to trade up for a second, more immediately useful first-round pick, or you can simply stockpile second-round prospects who you believe will contribute more readily than Pokusevski in year one. If Poku is the best player available, the Sixers have every reason to swing for the fences.
With so many picks, Philadelphia could easily let Pokusevski spend a season or two more in Europe, where he can further develop his talents. Stash him for a season, try ardently to shed Al Horford, then reconvene when the need for Pokusevski increases and he’s more ready to contribute.
Worst case, he’s a much-needed floor spacer who could sneak his way into some bench minutes early on. Pokusevski has the versatility to share the court with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Plus, Embiid and Simmons can help negate some of the defensive concerns that come with a fleet-footed 7-footer who can’t yet assert himself.
This does, in the end, come down to talent. When a top-10 prospect is available at 21, you take him. The Sixers front office cannot bind itself single-mindedly to a pursuit of perimeter talent if the steal of the draft — someone with genuine two-way star potential — falls into their lap.
The Sixers have six picks and the opportunity to add depth around the margins in free agency. Pokusevski is a viable option, and should be sincerely considered at 21 by Elton Brand and the new-look front office, even if it leads to a mutiny from guard-starved fans who have not yet exposed themselves to the wonders of Aleksej Pokusevski.