Sixers draft profile: Oregon’s Tyler Dorsey a second-round option

The Sixers are looking for versatile gems in the second-round, and Tyler Dorsey could bring the scoring punch they need.

The story of Tyler Dorsey often is hidden. The Sixers are trying to strike gold with four second-round picks, and the often overlooked Oregon Duck can find a nice place in the NBA. Often second-fiddle to the very talented Dillon Brooks, Dorsey showed his ability to score in bunches as the school’s second-best scoring option.

The lengthy guard has shown his potential in both NCAA play and international ball, where he starred for a promising U19 Greek national team that finished fourth in the 2015 FIBA World Championship. After being cut by USA’s highly competitive U19 team, Dorsey used his grandfather’s heritage to find his way to Athens through dual-citizenship. You can read his story to international ball in this wonderful SI piece.

Dorsey went on to have a very good two seasons at Oregon, where he proved his scoring ability to both the NCAA and scouts alike. His sophomore season only bolstered his potential to reaching his NBA dreams. Brooks missed a portion of the season with injury, but the Ducks offense was backed by the hot shooting of Dorsey, and he went on to average 14.6 points per game with a 60.6% true shooting percentage.

More from Philadelphia 76ers

• 3 Reasons the 76ers Should Poach Blake Griffin From the Celtics
• 3 Most Overpaid 76ers Heading Into the 2023 Season
• Ranking Daryl Morey’s 3 Biggest Mistakes with 76ers
• 3 Teams Crazy Enough to Trade for James Harden
• James Harden Putting Career in Jeopardy With Holdout Threat

This ability to score has put him in the second-round of many mock drafts, and for good reason. The Sixers can benefit from Dorsey’s potential as a perimeter shooter, even if he’s more of a long-term project at age 21.

Offense

Shooting, shooting, and more shooting. If Dorsey is going to make an impact in the next level, his outside shooting will have to follow him. He shot 42.3% from the outside on 5.3 attempts per game. If you factor in better perimeter defending and a longer three-point shot, Dorsey could see himself hitting just above league average from three.

His length and smooth shot form allows him to shoot over most defenders, but his off-ball activity must improve. Oregon’s offense often relied on Brooks drive and kicks, which often left Dorsey stagnant. Sixers coach Brett Brown saw great success in developing wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in cuts to the basket last season, and it opened up the game for him immensely.

If Dorsey were to find his way to Philadelphia, the same treatment would be necessary. He’s not much of a ball-handler, as his one-on-one moves fail to get him past perimeter defenders. This often pins him as one dimensional, but when he does get to the rim he finds a way of making difficult passes. He doesn’t have the greatest vision, and isn’t the greatest finisher, but he finds the right play to make more often than not.

If Dorsey was just a half-step quicker, we could be talking about him being a no-doubt late-first round prospect. He has all the intangibles, and his physical tools are decent. With some NBA polishing, I could see him becoming an efficient scorer in the league.

If he ever finds his way into a lineup next to Ben Simmons, the open opportunities will suit him well. He’s a confident, emotional player that can become the Sixers’ second or third best perimeter threat, even if he suits up today.

Defense

Dorsey is far from a lockdown perimeter defender, and that goes back to being just a tad slower than most of his opponents. He’s smart, and willing, but often fails to stay in front of ball-handlers. Off-the ball, he rotates well, and his length gives him the potential to become at least serviceable.

But at the two-guard, especially if the Sixers go all-in on Simmons playing point guard, defensive presence will be key. He’s a very long 6’4, and his build is good enough that it gives promise that he’ll fill out and secure more boards than he did in college.

His role on the outside really prohibited his ability to battle for boards. I don’t see him becoming a good rebounder, but at least a decent one for his position.

Defensively, not a threat as of today.

Overall

In the second-round, the Sixers should be swinging for the fences. Dorsey’s lack of ability to become a secondary ball-handler is worrying. But as I’ve preached before, shooting will always find a home in the modern NBA. Especially when it’s coming from a player who’s build is almost NBA-ready.

He won’t be an impactful rookie, but growth in his game could make him quite a find in the second-round. I envision him having a similar rookie season to the aforementioned Luwawu-Cabarrot, splitting time in Delaware and Philadelphia to sharpen some of the quirks needed to be a consistent NBA player.

Tyler Dorsey is undoubtedly talented, and could prove to be a value pick if he falls to the Sixers in the second-round in one of their four slots. The term “fit” plays less of a role in the second-round. The Sixers need shooting. Dorsey can flat out put the ball in the net from the outside. The equation seems too good to pass up in the right time of the draft.

Next: How does McConnell affect draft strategy?

There are a variety of ways the Sixers can approach the last round of the draft. Bringing in four “lesser” prospects is a difficult task, but if the team decides to use at least one of those picks to fill a roster spot, Dorsey should be considered with some of the bigger names in the late round.