Sixers Draft Debate: De’Aaron Fox or Dennis Smith Jr.?
The Sixers have been linked to almost every top eight prospect imaginable. Two guards are seeing their stock rise to the point where they could land in Philadelphia.
The perception of who the Sixers would select with the third pick shifted from an absolute certainty to a cycle of top eight prospects being linked to the team. No longer is Josh Jackson the absolute right pick, as it seemed shortly after the lottery.
The team has been linked with several different names. Malik Monk, Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, and Dennis Smith Jr. The last two are seeming to get a big rise in draft stock. Smith was once looked at as a potential top pick before his freshman season at NC State, and after a solid season his name seemed to slide down the draft board a bit. His boost has come in the last few weeks.
It’s similar to the Fox situation. Fox was viewed on the outskirts of the top eight, but through team workouts and astounding interviews, he now has put himself in position as the second-best guard in the draft in the eyes of some teams. There’s no word yet on who the Sixers have near the top of their draft board, but both guards can become real options in the top three.
But who will be better suited for the Sixers?
When talking about “fit”, especially next to an anomaly like Ben Simmons, the talk is about what each prospect has shown us currently. It’s important to state that even slight adjustments could make any duo or triad of young players work. The truth is, from what we’ve seen from both Fox and Smith, neither is close to a perfect fit–or even a good one.
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But there’s hope for both if they end up on a Sixers jersey. Let’s start with Smith. I wrote before that he has superstar potential, but could find trouble maximizing his skill set next to Philadelphia. Smith is one of the better passers in this year’s NBA draft, a skill that has gone underrated when talking about the athletic point guard.
His ability to make the entry pass in the post will serve stud Joel Embiid well, but his off-ball activity is worrisome. His effort curling around screens is at times lackadaisical, which makes a pairing with the high usage of Ben Simmons questionable. But the feeling with Smith is that he can become the secondary ball-handler, and a relief in the scoring game.
Smith has the ability to become a consistent NBA shooter, and create his own shot. When Simmons is ineffective on offense, or Embiid needs more spacing, Smith can be that scorer to provide relief for the Sixers. With his ability to get to the rim and space the defense, it might not be the perfect fit, but he can serve as the offense’s failsafe.
With De’Aaron Fox, the quick and springy guard, his positives come on the defensive end. Fox can step in right away and become a very good perimeter defender alongside Simmons, creating a nice defensive unit with certain lineup rotations. Fox is the fastest guard in the class by a mile, and may even crack the top five fastest guards in the NBA as of today.
His athleticism and passing ability could play well next to Embiid, and he would also be able to play off Simmons in a way where they could give each other open passing lanes to the rim. Fox shot poorly in his one season at Kentucky, and while it’s cliche to say that his shot could improve, his mechanics are smooth enough to a point where there is at least a sliver of hope of the shot improving.
Fox is a high energy guard who could find a quick chemistry with Joel Embiid. Along with that, Fox’s ability to move in transition has the potential to turn Philadelphia’s offense into one of the most feared, fast-paced offenses in the game. It’s a schematic fit that, while would create spacing issues, could open up the game entirely for the rest of the roster.
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Neither prospect is truly a good fit. But if the Sixers are deciding on either prospect, I’d swing for the fences on a high potential star like De’Aaron Fox, despite Smith being a “safer” pick next to Simmons. Fox can be this offense’s wild card, while providing an intense defensive lockdown guard on the perimeter.