NBA Draft 2021: Mock draft, big board, full Sixers guide

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Sixers, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Sixers draft picks: Team needs at 28 and 50

The Sixers are built to win a championship, but several flaws prevented them from scaling the mountaintop last season. A lot of it was coaching. Much of it was depth — the bench pieces fit on paper, but the players simply weren’t good enough. And, as everyone in Philadelphia will emphatically tell you, a lot of it was Ben Simmons.

Philadelphia’s team needs are not much different this season than last season, when the Tyrese Maxey pick was showered with praise. The Sixers’ core flaw is still shot creation in the backcourt. Maxey is the only guard on the roster who can consistently penetrate the defense and put pressure on the rim. Another slasher and playmaker would have tremendous benefits, especially if it comes in the form of a superstar, a la Damian Lillard. If it comes via the NBA Draft, however, that would still help the Sixers.

The Sixers would also benefit from a legitimate pull-up shooter and pick-and-roll playmaker in the backcourt. Philadelphia gets shades of that from Seth Curry, George Hill, and Tyrese Maxey, but none of them can fully thrive in that role. The Sixers have never maximized Embiid as a roll man because he has never worked with a decent pick-and-roll ball-handler, save for half a season of Jimmy Butler.

A lot of guards have been projected in the Sixers’ range of the first round. A lot of them can hit pull-up jumpers, create out of the pick-and-roll, and deliver the kind of halfcourt dynamism Philadelphia presently lacks.

We could also see the Sixers pursue size on the wing. Matisse Thybulle was the only player who could consistently guard bigger wings in Philadelphia’s second unit, and he typically drew guard assignments by necessity. Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz are both free agents, so a solid 3-and-D wing might fit the Sixers nicely.

Lastly, we could also see the Sixers target versatility in the frontcourt. Dwight Howard was too one-dimensional as Joel Embiid’s backup center, and it made him virtually unplayable in the postseason. Do not be shocked if Morey targets a stretch big — preferably one who doesn’t have cement in his shoes.