I am not going to do a mock draft, because I would probably end up having things go in the way that I'd want so the Sixers would get guys I am hoping for. Instead, I am going to put a few hopefuls and possible draft picks at each pick they have this year. Now it is highly doubtful the Sixers keep all of the picks that they have in this upcoming draft, but I am going to act like they are and put a few guys I would want them to get at these positions. I am going to be going off of what the 'experts' say and my own knowledge for thinking about guys being drafted in certain positions. Here we go!
With the 3rd pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
Jabari Parker (Duke)/Joel Embid (Kansas)/Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)
This is going to be the only pick I do like this because these are the obvious choices. I could add in a guy like Julius Randle here as well because I feel like he is are more ready to play in the NBA right now, but the Sixers have to be looking towards their future. The possible star power with all three of these guys easily surpass that of anyone else in this draft. They all have glaring holes right now, but in 2-3 years anyone of these guys could be a star.
Jabari Parker - The comparisons to Melo hold true. He can score from anywhere and seems like he knows how to utilize his strengths against a defenders weakness. He also has a knack for being at the right place at the right time both on the offensive and defensive boards. In this NBA I think he'd be a better stretch 4 right now because I don't think he'd be able to defend most 3's, and at least with other 4's he could use his strength. That's where his weaknesses lie. He is not in the best of shape and right now I don't know who he'd be able to play defense on out in the perimeter.
Joel Embid - The fact that this kid has only been playing basketball for a couple of years is scary. He knows how to use his athleticism and he already has more tools to his offense than one might think with his inexperience. His midrange jumper is already solid and he does have great length. The glaring weakness with him is that he relies so much on the athleticism. All of the blocks and rebounds he was able to come up with and college was purely off of athleticism, and not much off of timing or basketball IQ.
PS - I cringe whenever I read a comparison of Embid with Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan never had much athleticism, even in college. He was all about fundamentals and basketball IQ. Whoever came up with that comparison should be fired. That is all.
Andrew Wiggins - Like Embid, his athleticism is crazy. He can dunk over anyone and his athleticism and length always him to guard most players on the perimeter. His jumper was nothing to talk about at the beginning of the college season, but by the end of the season you could tell he really worked on it and it was a lot better. With that being said, he has two glaring weaknesses. One, again like Embid, he relies so much on his athleticism over basketball IQ. The second weakness is that this kid cannot dribble the ball right now. In the tournament whenever he dealt with a bit of pressure and he had to put it on the floor, he would boot it. That is going to be the main thing for him because NBA scouts will realize that and make defenders him pressure the ball with some help on the weak side.
With the 10th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
Aaron Gordon (Arizona)
- This 10th pick is our most crucial pick for our future. Getting a guy here that could possible be a star ,over a flop, to go along with our 3rd pick will be important for the organization. That is why I am hoping we can go with Aaron Gordon, and that he will fall to this spot obviously. In my opinion I think he is the 2nd most ready Freshman in this draft, behind Julius Randle, and that he has much more room for growth. He is a beast on the boards, both offensively and defensively, and he is an extremely hard worker. He was able to put the ball on the floor at times and even saw an ability to make some jump shots to go with finishing around the rim. I see him as being a 4 that can defend anywhere from the 3 to the 5, only being able to defend some 5's if he bulks up. Now he showed strength in college but he is going to have to put on some weight to deal with the big guys in the NBA. He is going to have to get more consistent with his jumper and get MUCH better from the free throw line.
With the 32nd pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
Mitch McGary (Michigan)
- There will be some guys that fall into the second round of this years draft that are going to be good players in the NBA, and I can see McGary falling and being one of those guys. I can also see a team drafting him around 20-25 so we will just have to see. I think teams will shy away because of the injuries that he has dealt with, but when this kid is healthy he is a complete workhorse. This is that type of player who will set all the hard screens, dive on the floor, and get bloodied up for his team. Along with that he does have some skills offensively with nice touch from around the rim and midrange. He is going to need to get in better shape and know how to take care of himself in the NBA but he could be a guy that falls and sees good minutes early in his career.
With the 39th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
Nick Johnson (Arizona)
- This is another player that I believe could fall to the second round but could be a player who could help a team out right away. He proved that his game got better at Arizona as he became a legitimate scoring threat and not just an athlete. He is undersized to be a 2 but he makes up for that with his speed and athletic ability. He may have to learn to play more of a combo guard role in the NBA which this year he didn't have to do much of that in college. Getting consistent with his jumper will also be important for his success down the line.
Other Option for 32nd or 39th picks..
KJ McDaniel (Clemson)
- If you didn't get a chance to see KJ play at Clemson you really missed out. He is a pure athlete who can D up with the best of them. He became known for his defense, but he also became a good scorer in college this year. He could be another good find in the second round because of his defensive intensity. Still needs more consistency in his shooting, as well as setting up his feet on his shots.
With the 47th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
CJ Fair (Syracuse)
- His pure scoring ability is what makes him interesting this late in the draft. Was shown to be the go to guy for a Syracuse offense that looked very good at times this past year. Was able to shoot with good percentages in college but lacked consistency with shooting behind the arc, which he will need to work on at the next level.
With the 52nd pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
DeAndre Kane (Iowa State)
- He is a lot older than a lot of the prospects but I think that helps with his maturity and leadership abilities. Especially for a team like the Sixers, they are going to need guys who are mature that can help out the other young guys on the team. It does help that he is an intriguing combo guard that can play a little as well.
With the 54th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select..
Isaiah Austin (Baylor)
- This is intriguing because he has the height and length of a Center, but has a great touch and loves playing on the outside. Could be a good player a few years down the line after he gains some strength and spends some time playing in the D-League.
So there you have it! These are guys I would like to see drafted by the Sixers at each position. Now I know that is NOT possible because we have so many picks and Hinkie will more than likely try to trade up in the draft, trade some out of the draft for more picks next year, or draft European players that he can stash away for a few years. Leave some comments and let me know what you think!
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