Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Tre Mann
We all saw first hand what a lack of perimeter creation can do to a team in the playoffs, and that is where Mann thrives. An abundance of his points in his sophomore season came from self-created jumpers, where he saw an amazing improvement in his 3-point percentage as compared to his freshman season (27.5 percent on 2.8 attempts to 40.2 percent on 4.7 attempts). Regardless if you buy into such a drastic improvement or not, he’s much more than simply a shot creator.
Mann is incredibly crafty in ball screens, being able to either get downhill off the pick, or fake the drive and create an open 3 coming off the other side of the screen. He operated a decent bit off ball at Florida, something that is promising for whoever the Sixers draft, assuming Ben Simmons is still here. Being able to cut backdoor and stay strong through his finish is something we’ve been seen the likes of Matisse Thybulle do often in his time here, and is an aspect of Mann’s game I feel confident in, especially considering his ability to keep his head up and make the extra pass if needed.
There are a few concerns, one of which being his wingspan is actually smaller than his height (he stands 6-foot-4.25 in shoes with only a 6-foot-4 wingspan), which has affected him on the defensive end in college and would certainly do the same in the pros. He didn’t operate as too much of an initiator at Florida, something that once again isn’t too concerning if he’s going to be paired with Simmons or even Maxey while he’s on the floor, but having multiple high level passers is crucial and Mann has a ways to go before he’d reach that.
Overall, I believe the Sixers would be drafting him for his shot making ability, which we’ve seen is a desperate need, and while perhaps relying on a rookie to be (more or less) your sole creator off the dribble isn’t ideal, he’s the right kind of player to want on this team.