Philadelphia 76ers: 5 shooting guards to watch in 2021 NBA Draft

5 shooting guards to watch in 2021 NBA Draft: Joel Ayayi

Technically Joel Ayayi is a combo guard, but considering he shared a backcourt with projected lottery pick point guard Jalen Suggs at Gonzaga, Ayayi will be a shooting guard for the sake of this article. The 21-year-old shooting guard should be on the Philadelphia 76ers’ radar.

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Surprisingly enough, Kline doesn’t have Ayayi in his mock draft, but Tankathon has him going to the Phoneix Suns with the 29th pick. He’s totally in the range of the Sixers and should be high on the 76ers big board.

Last season, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals. He shot 57.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from the 3-point line. He has some playmaking skills which includes an ability to run the pick-and-roll, being a really good finisher around the rim, can post up opposing guards, and is a good team defender.

He could end up being like a Malcolm Brogdon type of guard on the NBA level, if his potential gets fully realized. Especially if he doesn’t have to share the backcourt with Suggs, then Ayayi could be a steal for Philly if he’s there when they pick.