2015 Sixers Big Board 5.0
By Derek Bodner
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2015 06:45 PM
This is v5.0 of my 76ers-focused 2015 NBA draft big board. Note, this is how I would rank them if I were running the Sixers. That is not necessarily the same as how I would rank them as prospects overall, or a prediction on how I think the Sixers rank them within their front office.
Last updated: April 27th, 2015
| Pick | Player | Position | College | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karl Towns (last: 1) | C | Kentucky | Freshman |
| This draft isn’t “Towns or bust”, but he’s far and away the best option for the Sixers (and most teams) in this draft. So much potential to dominate on both ends of the court, and having 3 big men who can dominate games defensively isn’t a problem. | ||||
| 2 | Jahlil Okafor (last: 2) | C | Duke | Freshman |
| Jahlil Okafor is, quite simply, the best offensive big men that I’ve scouted, especially as a freshman. He also has some of the worst defensive instincts that I’ve seen. That combination of bad defense and bad fit with Embiid makes me consider dropping him further, but he’s too good offensively (and has too much potential as a passer) to move any further, although I could be tempted into making a draft night trade to a team willing to give up a few assets and have the Sixers move down a few spots in the draft. | ||||
| — End tier 1 — | ||||
| 3 | Mario Hezonja (last: 3) | SG | Barcelona | |
| Go big or go home. There’s no perimeter player with more potential than Hezonja, who has the ability to be an impact player on both ends of the court. His combination of size, incredible athleticism, already defined perimeter shot, and defensive potential is easily worth taking a gamble on whether you can turn his feistiness into a positive attribute rather than a hindrance, as some would argue that it currently is. That line between “competitive” and “pain in the ass” is sometimes hard to distinguish, but I take my chances here. Other areas of concern: free throw rate, rebounding. | ||||
| 4 | D’Angelo Russell (last: 4) | PG/SG | Ohio State | Freshman |
| Are Russell’s struggles against good defenses the result of him not getting as good of looks as he did against Ohio State’s horrid non-conference schedule, or because he had little to no offensive help on an otherwise “meh” Ohio State offense? That’s the million (or multi-million) dollar question with Russell. But with incredible talent at a position (and skill set) of need, he can’t fall any further. | ||||
| — End tier 2 — | ||||
| 5 | Kristaps Porzingis (last: 5) | PF | Sevilla | |
| Porzingis’ stock is all over the place, with some in love with him and some questioning his toughness. I fall into both camps. This ranking could definitely look silly in a couple of years if he’s not able to develop physically to withstand the physicality of the NBA, but he could also end up being a stud. That jump shot at 7’1″, with his ability to get it off under all circumstances and such a high release point, combined with his potential pick and roll defense and shot blocking, is one heck of a package. Porzingis is lower on my team-agnostic mock draft, as his fit with Embiid makes me more willing to take a gamble on his upside. | ||||
| 6 | Emmanuel Mudiay (last: 6) | PG | Guangdong | |
| This Mudiay ranking might seem like I hate Mudiay, but I don’t. I do question whether or not his jump shot will drastically improve, and that might hold him back from greatness (and hold him back from being a great fit with Embiid), but I think he’s a relatively safe pick who has a very high chance of being good. His pick and roll play, and overall point guard instincts, are underrated by some. | ||||
| 7 | Justise Winslow (last: 8) | SF | Duke | Freshman |
| Despite the lack of change at #5 and #6 in the last 2 big boards, 5-7 in this draft is fairly fluid right now for me. I can make a case for Winslow, Mudiay, and Porzingis to be at #5. Winslow’s dribble-drive game should be able to make a jump in the NBA, and his ability to dominate a game in all facets is a huge plus. Again, he’s most definitely a safer pick than Porzingis, and with similar (albeit very different) upside. | ||||
| 8 | Stanley Johnson (last: 7) | SF | Arizona | Freshman |
| I love Stanley Johnson, and think he’s going to make some team very happy down the line. As long as your expectations are set, and you’re okay with a #3 option (with max potential as a #2 option), with great, versatile defense, a surprisingly good perimeter shot, and good passing instincts, you’re going to be very happy with Johnson. For a team like the Sixers in desperate need of a top perimeter scorer (and scoring in general), they may be less risk averse, and thus go in a different direction. But if the Sixers get a 2nd top-10 pick? I’d have a heck of a lot of interest in Stanley Johnson. | ||||
| — End tier 3 — | ||||
| 9 | Kelly Oubre (last: 9) | SF | Kansas | Freshman |
| This is where the draft starts to lose a little bit (re: lot) of its luster for me. For whatever reason, Oubre just doesn’t excite me as much as a guy with his physical talent should. It’s probably because of how his handles slow him down so much and make him so wildly inconsistent. | ||||
| 10 | Kevon Looney (last: 11) | PF | UCLA | Freshman |
| I’m moving Looney up a spot here just because of potential. I don’t see him as an option with the Sixers first pick (even in a “worst case scenario” of falling to #6), but if Hinkie gets back into the lottery, he could be worth a gamble. Not a great with the two big men the Sixers already have in place until he develops a more reliable jumper. | ||||
| 11 | Myles Turner (last: 10) | C | Texas | Freshman |
| Really struggled down the stretch, when his jumper (which he’s overly reliant on) failed him. He both fits with Noel/Embiid (because he can hit shots from the perimeter) and also doesn’t fit (struggle to see him defending pick and roll/perimeter 4’s). That being said, a decent amount of talent here in the draft, and I do value great rebounding and shot blocking big men highly. I recently wrote about him for DraftExpress. | ||||
| — End tier 4 — | ||||
| 12 | Willie Cauley-Stein (last: 13) | C | Kentucky | Junior |
| He doesn’t fit for the Sixers. At all. He’s also not going to last until 12, but I’m moving him up a spot just because you can’t turn down that value this late in the draft. | ||||
| 13 | Devin Booker (last: 12) | SG | Kentucky | Freshman |
| Struggled down the stretch, but still like his potential as a wing shooter that can play solid (to above average) defense. | ||||
| 14 | Jerian Grant (last: nr) | PG | Notre Dame | Senior |
| His perimeter shot is an obvious concern, but his defense, decision making, and size make me willing to overlook that. | ||||
| 15 | Cameron Payne (last: nr) | PG | Murray State | Sophomore |
| Definitely a little bit of a risk, as how much of Payne’s game can translate with his slender build and average’ish explosiveness is uncertain, but he’s a very good scorer off the pick and roll who’s probably a better shooter than his percentages indicate, and could be a good value pick, especially playing in an Embiid-centered offense. | ||||
Just missed: Trey Lyles, Bobby Portis, Sam Dekker, Jarell Martin, Frank Kaminsky.
You can view previous versions of my big board here.
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