2. Desmond Bane, TCU
Another accomplished upperclassman, Desmond Bane has seen his name steadily rise up draft boards throughout the pre-draft process. Rumblings of a potential Sixers promise have percolated the internet, and it’s not hard to envision Bane being the recipient of such a guarantee.
Bane is — surprise — one of the best shooters in the draft. He shot 38 percent from deep as a freshman, then never shot below 42.5 percent over the following three years. Bane has deep range, smooth mechanics, and a nice batch of complementary skills that Philadelphia should appreciate.
He’s not a point guard, but Bane is comfortable creating out of the pick-and-roll and locating open teammates. He’s a smart, instinctual player, and he makes up for limited explosiveness with a tremendous sense of pace. He understands how to maneuver defenses to generate the best shot possible.
The Sixers can use Bane in a variety of ways. As a spot-up shooter, as a companion to Embiid in two-man actions, as a secondary ball-handler. He’s a malleable talent, and above all else, a knockdown shooter. There’s a reason so many experts have tied him to Philadelphia.