The NBA combine wrapped up this past weekend and teams are working hard to gather intel on this year’s draft class. Although this class appears to lack star power at the top of the board, it offers quality rotational pieces who can positively impact NBA rosters. Finding those quality players is the key to navigating a draft class that lacks a consensus big board. There is no better evidence of this than viewing a mock draft.
If you examine ten different mock drafts, you’ll likely find ten different selections for Philadelphia’s 16th pick. The 2013 draft class was the last class to carry this much uncertainty. Evidence of this unpredictability is apparent when you examine the Win Shares of that class. According to Basketball Reference, picks 10-19 accumulated 319.3 Win Shares compared to the 213.15 picks 0-9 generated. That doesn’t include these four value picks selected in the 20s: Mason Plumlee, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, and Rudy Gobert.
The 76ers should seize the opportunity to draft a key contributor this year
Needless to say, the 76ers have an opportunity to add a quality contributor with their first round selection. After another disappointing playoff exit, a lot of roster changes are expected to ignite a title run. Daryl Morey, has not been shy about his intentions this offseason. Whatever the team’s front office decides, time does not appear to be the same luxury the team once had as Embiid is entering his age 30 season while recovering from another lower body injury.
Let’s examine seven different draft prospects being mocked to the 76ers from different sites such as ESPN, CBS, Bleacher Report, and NBADraftNet. After a breakdown of each prospect, we’ll determine who’s the best fit entering this season.