The Philadelphia 76ers made out like bandits in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Daryl Morey’s first night in the driver’s seat was a resounding success. The Philadelphia 76ers reshaped the starting five and put together a strong performance in the 2020 NBA Draft, adding three prospects who have real potential to contribute down the road.
When looking at draft night specifically, not many teams had a better evening than Philadelphia. Tyrese Maxey — the 15th-ranked prospect on our big board — fell to the Sixers at 21. Then, late in the second round, the Sixers delivered on a rumored promise to Isaiah Joe — the 26th-ranked prospect on our board. To end the night, Morey selected Paul Reed, aptly from DePaul, who ranked 41st on our board.
The Sixers are aiming to contend, and while rookies often struggle for minutes on contending teams, Philadelphia drafted multiple prospects who have a compelling case for minutes in the near future.
Admittedly, there’s not much to complain out. But here are some grades.
(58) PAUL REED JR. >>> B+
The Sixers got strong value here. There were a couple interesting prospects still on the board — namely Killian Tillie, who is the steal of undrafted free agency for Memphis — but Reed should have gone earlier than he did. The Sixers take a bit of a home-run swing, and that’s always warranted at the end of the second round.
Reed was a dominant two-way presence over his career at DePaul. He’s a long, springy athlete at 6-foot-9, accumulating his fair share of deflections and blocks on the defensive end. Paul has a long way to go offensively, but he’s comfortable running the floor and making himself available at the rim.
The Sixers currently have no backup to Joel Embiid. Daryl Morey hinted at Ben Simmons getting minutes at the five, but in the end, Philadelphia does need depth. Reed can fit into a small-ball five role, even if he’s more naturally a four.
(49) Isaiah Joe >>> A+
The Sixers regrettably came up one pick short of Nico Mannion, who went 48th overall to Golden State. Beyond that, there wasn’t anyone worth taking over Joe. So, after a week of panic over the Sixers’ blatantly public intention to select Joe, he delivered immense value late in the second round.
Joe is arguably the best shooter in the draft. For that reason alone, his fall to 49 is a mild surprise. The NBA values shooters now more than ever. The Sixers got lucky, and Joe figures to make the 15-man roster this upcoming season — with the aforementioned Reed taking over Marial Shayok’s vacated two-way slot.
Last season, Joe shot only 34.2 percent from deep, but he did so on a whopping 10.6 attempts per game. As a freshman the year prior, he shot 41.2 percent on 8.0 attempts per game. Even with a shakier performance last season, as well as some lingering concerns about his frailty, there’s no overlook Joe’s prolificness from 3-point range.
Joe also has real moments of promise on defense. He’s a potentially versatile wing at 6-foot-7, with a strong nose for the ball and no shortage of hustle. He needs to bulk up — his frame is worrisome at 180 pounds — but the upside to be both an elite shooter and a passable defender is there.
Other teams dropped the ball. Joe shouldn’t have made it to 49.
(21) Tyrese Maxey >>> A
Maxey shouldn’t have dropped to where he did, and Daryl Morey said as much in his press conference late Wednesday night. Teams too often focus on a player’s weakness, rather than all the things he does well. Maxey shot only 29.2 percent from deep as a freshman, but he was — in the front office’s mind — too talented to pass up.
The recent track record of Kentucky guards selected in the first round is strong. Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Tyler Herro are some of many success stories. Maxey plays a different brand of basketball, but he comes from a program long-established as a breeding ground for NBA talent.
At 6-foot-3, Maxey is one of the best guard defenders in this draft. He has a strong frame and a 6-foot-6 wingspan, and he does an excellent job fighting over screens to keep in front of ball-handlers. The Sixers are littered with defensive versatility, and Maxey will add a valuable on-ball presence in lieu of Josh Richardson.
Maxey is also a better shooter than his 3-point percentage suggests. The mechanics are tight and he’s plenty confident, as evidenced by his game-sealing bucket in Kentucky’s first game of the season. He has been working tirelessly to improve it over the hiatus, and his 83.3 percent success rate from the charity stripe should inspire confidence in long-term growth.
Beyond his shooting, the Sixers will use Maxey to vill a void in the backcourt. He’s not a point guard, but he is a shot creator — someone who can create his own offense and, on occasion, set up teammates. Maxey finishes strong inside, he’s a nasty mid-range scorer, and he’s comfortable dribbling out of the pick-and-roll. He’s someone Doc Rivers should get a lot out of.
The Sixers passed on a handful of interesting prospects — most notably Tyrell Terry, who ranked a few spots ahead of Maxey on our board — but in the end, Maxey presents tremendous upside at 21. He should contribute right away.