Philadelphia 76ers Final Mock Draft
The Philadelphia 76ers are closing into their most important draft in recent history, and do so picking number one overall.
The month of Junes brings joy to the Philadelphia 76ers. This is their “Finals”, their way of reaching the top. The Philadelphia 76ers, barring any trades, currently sit with three first-round picks. June 23rd is the day the team starts to form together, and with the right drafting they could see an immediate jump.
The first pick, 24th pick, and 26th pick all give the Philadelphia 76ers the opportunity to select an impact player or make a big move via trade. We’ve talked about Ben Simmons vs. Brandon Ingram, proposed trades involving the late first-round picks, and even trading for another pick in the draft, but what can the team do with what they currently have?
This Section 215 mock draft solely focuses on who the Philadelphia 76ers should draft with the picks they currently have.
Ben Simmons is the best player in this draft. Positional versatility is the name of the game and the LSU forward brings that and more offensively. Simmons stands at 6’10, yet has the ability that most guards would yearn for. His vision and ability to get to the basket allows him to impact the offense even without a jump shot.
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It’s no secret that the 3-point shot is reigning supreme in today’s NBA, but that doesn’t mean that every star has to be an outside shooter. The way Simmons can fit into today’s NBA is by being the main facilitator to complement the shooters around him. Much like Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, Simmons will be able to excel because of his size and speed, combining it with his finishing ability and creating offense for teammates.
A lot of Philadelphia 76ers followers like to say that Brandon Ingram would be a better “fit”, which is true. The question is whether the team is even the position to talk about fit, or whether they should take another shot at a potential star. His defense is worrying, which also nixes him from being on the court with Jahlil Okafor at the same time. Even with that, Simmons can become the one to lead a team to something special.
Being the worst team in the league does not usually coincide with talking about “fit”, rather trying to find a player to to build around and Ben Simmons is that guy.
DeAndre Bembry is a versatile scorer right under the nose of the Philadelphia 76ers. A lesser version of Ben Simmons, Bembry also can lead the team in transition and create offense for others. Not much of a shooter, drafting Bembry after drafting Simmons would create spacing issues if both were in the same lineup but that shouldn’t be an issue considering he’d be backing up Robert Covington. Bembry is also a questionable defender, but he does hold some promise with his length.
Bembry would gel well together with incoming forward Dario Saric, however. Both forwards excel in transition, and Bembry’s passing will set up Saric well without an outside shot. Bembry is also a forward who has seen time running the offense as a point guard. Bembry can develop into an impactful role player, and could end up turning out a steal in the late run.
Bembry gives the Philadelphia 76ers yet another versatile forward, and some more offensive options.
Zhou Qi doesn’t bring an immediate impact or fills a need for the Philadelphia 76ers, which is exactly what they want. The 7’2″ center from China would hopefully be a draft and stash guy to allow some more breathing room for roster building, while also giving the team a nice trade ship.
Qi is a mobile giant that would bring a great defensive anchor to the team off the bench, and allows for the team to find a diamond in the rough late in the draft. Qi could be a very sought after prospect because of his sheer size.
Next: Ten Potential Free Agents For Sixers
The Philadelphia 76ers could look to trade a majority of their picks, or use late round picks more for fit and draft a guard like Dejounte Murray. They could still make a move for another top 5 pick and draft their guard there as well. Intrigue leading up towards draft night will continue, but the Philadelphia 76ers could make an impact with their current assets.