The Philadelphia 76ers badly needed to reinforce the backup center spot behind Joel Embiid last summer, and that was precisely the justification for them selecting Johni Broome out of Auburn with the 35th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Having said that, going with the young big man was definitely something that garnered mixed reviews early on.
Adding Broome, however, quickly proved to be a reactionary move. After all, he has yet to sniff the hardwood for real minutes for the 76ers, having been stuck with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G-League. On the flip side, center Maxime Raynaud, whom the Kings drafted seven spots behind Broome, has swiftly emerged as one of the better big men in his draft class.
Having Adem Bona, Andre Drummond, and Dominick Barlow to compete with in the big man positions does not help Broome’s case for more playing time, compared to Raynaud who has gotten a lot of court time due to Domantas Sabonis being out for a long while. However, it is not like the rookie has shown a lot to warrant a second look from the coaching staff as a potential regular in the rotation.
Drafting Johni Broome was a mistake by the 76ers, who could have had Maxime Raynaud instead
Broome has been more than impressive in the G-League, but only from a scoring viewpoint. There are still major concerns in his game, such as his below-average defense. His rebounding could also be a lot better.
In addition, the rookie has not exactly been an efficiency savant in the G-League. He has converted on 46.9 percent of his shots, which is only an average figure for a back-to-the-basket big man. He has drained just 22.9 percent of his attempts from three-point territory, while his free-throw shooting rate is at a measly 56.5 percent.
Meanwhile, Raynaud has made a lot of impact already as a rookie. Playing for a struggling team like Sacramento will not do him much justice, but he has stepped up in Sabonis’ stead as their starting center in the interim, averaging 9.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in just under 23 minutes per game. He has also shown glimpses of his three-point prowess, which should naturally come along with more reps.
Had Broome managed to quell some of the pre-draft concerns in his game, he would have already made the 76ers coaching staff think twice about entrenching him in Delaware. Instead, he stands to stay there for quite a while, whereas his batchmate Raynaud is already making strides as an up-and-coming big.