The Philadelphia 76ers have a swell opportunity to add shooting to the rotation.
The 2020 NBA Draft is roughly one week away, and many expect the Philadelphia 76ers to target shooting in the first round. While this year’s draft is weak at the top, there’s no shortage of depth. The Sixers should have plenty of appealing options when on the clock at 21.
Naturally, while the Sixers have other weaknesses to address — a real ball-handler, anyone? — shooting does stand out as a top priority. When building around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, a spaced floor is essential. With Morey in charge, Philadelphia is sure to better understand that.
Here are five shooters to monitor as draft day approaches.
5. Malachi Flynn, San Diego State
Much more than a shooter, Malachi Flynn has seen his draft stock skyrocket in recent weeks. He is a legitimate possibility at 21, and fills a number of holes in Philadelphia’s current rotation. As a senior, he shot 37.3 percent on 6.4 attempts per game from beyond the arc. With both volume and deep range, he could help the Sixers immensely.
Flynn is a sly 6-foot-1 point guard who thrives in the pick-and-roll. Doc Rivers has built entire offenses around pick-and-rolls in the past, and the Sixers desperately need a guard who can make life easier for its star players. Flynn is an unselfish lead ball-handler and a dynamic floor-spacer. He makes tons of sense on paper.
While the defense is a concern — Flynn is neither long, nor a great athlete — he checks too many boxes offensively to ignore. He’s a polished upperclassman, a competitive soul, and a hand-in-glove fit. If not the pick at 21, Philadelphia should hope he falls to 34. Morey could even consider trading up for a second first-round pick.
4. Isaiah Joe, Arkansas
Isaiah Joe is probably more of a second-round target than a first-round target. In fact, don’t be surprised if he ends up in Philadelphia as the 34th or 36th pick. If the Sixers feel too anxious about letting him slide, however, there are worse ways to use the 21st pick.
Simply put, Joe is one of the best shooters in the draft. He has a real claim to that title. Injuries loomed large over him last season, but as a sophomore, Joe attempted 10.2 long-balls per game. His only converted at a 34.2 percent clip, but as a freshman, Joe swished 41.4 percent of his eight 3-point attempts per game. The man can shoot.
Getting healthy and staying on the court is priority number one for Joe, but if he can show Philadelphia a clean bill of health, he has to be in the conversation. The Sixers need quick triggers — players who do not hesitate when delivered a clean look from deep. Joe provides exactly that.
Philadelphia is an ideal landing spot for Joe. Doc Rivers can plug him into countless two-man actions with Embiid, or have him run the floor with Simmons. Even if he lacks impact elsewhere on the floor, Joe’s shooting alone should earn his keep in the NBA.
3. Cassius Winston, Michigan State
The Sixers should have immediate interest in one of college basketball’s most accomplished stars. Cassius Winston was a cornerstone at Michigan State for four years, emerging as not only a great point guard, but a great leader. He’s someone who knows how to win, and he is widely respected by both teammates and coaches.
It’s difficult to see Winston failing at the next level. Sure, his upside is limited — as is the case for most 6-foot-1 point guards — but he has all the intangibles. He’s smart, unselfish, competitive, and has a personality that will improve any locker room. The Sixers need guys who are hardwired to win and who can buy into a culture. Few check those boxes more resoundingly than Winston.
On the floor, Winston was one of college basketball’s top point guards as both a junior and senior. Last season, he averaged 18.8 points and 5.9 assists per game, spearheading Michigan State’s offense and scorching the nets at a 43.2 percent rate from downtown.
Winston spent four years in East Lansing, and he never shot below 38 percent from 3-point range. Both in terms of volume and versatility, Winston is one of the most underrated shooters in this draft. He can drop bombs as well as anyone, and he has a track record of clutch shot-making to bolster his resume.
The Sixers should like him a lot.
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.
1. Tyrell Terry, Stanford
Tyrell Terry will end up a top-10 prospect on my board. Whether NBA teams see it the same way is unknown, but it feels less and less likely that Terry will fall to Philadelphia a week from now. That said, some mocks still have him in the second round. There is enough clear variance from plugged-in sources to keep hope alive.
The Sixers should covet Terry. He is the briefcase from Pulp Fiction. A shimmering manifestation of everything Philadelphia needs from a prospect. Is he perfect? No. But as far as 21st picks go, Terry would fall comfortably in the category of home-run.
As a shooter, Terry is impressively dynamic. He can shoot on the move, on the catch, pulling up — it doesn’t matter. Give him a sliver of space, and he’s comfortable letting it fly from any angle. He shot 40.8 percent from deep as a freshman, and he did so while manning point guard duties for Stanford.
Terry is comfortable facilitating or shooting out of the pick-and-roll. He fits the comboguard mold Philadelphia should covet. The easy comparison is Landry Shamet. He can thrive off-ball, dragging his defender around screens and keeping one less body out of the paint, but he’s also capable with the ball in hand, relieving pressure from the Sixers’ limited group of ball-handlers.
Defense and physicality are concerns for Terry, but they are concerns Philadelphia can mask. If he’s available at 21, there’s not much of an argument against him.