Philadelphia 76ers: 3 second-round steals at pick 50

Neemias Queta presents a unique skill set at 50.

Every player can’t do everything at the NBA level.

As fans in the 215 know all too well, a player can earn an All-Star berth- or three – for their rebounding, passing, stealing, and defense while showing a borderline complete contempt for actually shooting the basketball.

While you never want to fill out a roster exclusively with one-way contributors, as the offense-for-defense approach at the end of games gets old quick, players like Matisse Thybulle, who are elite in a few very unique areas, can present unique challenges to opposing teams and thus are incredibly valuable.

If the Philadelphia 76ers could somehow find a player who is elite in just one or two areas with pick 50, it would be an ideal situation, potentially even better than selecting players like Filip Petrusev or Joel Ayayi.

Neemias Queta falls into that camp.

Built like a 7-foot-tall Brandon Graham, Queta recorded 293 rebounds and 97 blocks per game as Utah States’ starting center, which ranked fourth and first overall NCAA wide for the 2020-21 season.

In case you didn’t know, averaging 3.3 blocks per game is a pretty darn incredible feat that only one player, Myles Turner, surpassed at the NBA level.

Though Queta isn’t a particularly polished offensive player and largely scores most of his points off of two-handed slam dunks, he’s a decent enough athlete for his size who can surely lock down the paint when Joel Embiid is off the court, especially if the team has shooters at every other position 1-4.

Do you like how Dwight Howard was able to contribute to the Sixers in 2020-21 but disliked Doc Rivers’ desire to play him so much in the playoffs? Queta can fill a similar role at both ends of the court without the added pressure to get him into playoff games.

Heck, if Rivers’ track record is of any indication, he may simply not play Queta in the postseason at all, Paul Reed style, because of his affinity for veterans.

Even if Howard returns for the 2021-22 season, locking up a 22-year-old version of 35-year-old Howard is a pretty impressive utilization of the 50th overall pick, even if Queta may not be able to turn in Tony Bradley numbers right out of the gate.

Either way, for my money, Neemias Queta is the guy if you value elite traits over a marginally higher overall floor.

Who would you like to see the Philadelphia 76ers draft with the 50th overall pick? Do you like Filip Petrusev’s shooting? Or how about Joel Ayaji’s championship efforts? Neemias Queta, though far from a stretch five, presents some serious upside at both ends of the court and could be the second coming of Richaun Holmes on a value deal. Let us know!