The Sixers are going into this month's NBA Draft with a definite need at the center position. Luckily for them, this year's draft class offers many solid prospects to choose from at this position. With the strong possibility of very promising center prospects like Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, and Alex Len all being taken within the top 10 picks, I decided to assess some sleeper prospects at the center position that the Sixers could go with at pick 11. One prospect that looks very promising to me is the 7'2" center from France, Rudy Gobert.
Gobert has spent the past three years playing overseas professionally in the French League, but his production this past year led to the quick rise of his NBA Draft stock. Many draft experts believe that Gobert is the top international prospect in this year’s draft, as he produced career highs in nearly each major statistical category such as points (8.4), rebounds (5.4), and blocks (1.9). Although these stats may not seem impressive to the naked eye, if you put on the game tape, you can see that this guy makes an impact on the game in many different ways. First of all, as I mentioned earlier, the guy is a tower at 7'2", with a wingspan measured at a whopping 7'8". These measurements alone will allow Gobert to be a presence to be dealt with on the defensive end. However, with the lack of bulk in his upper body, he may have a hard time adjusting to the physicality of NBA basketball.
Gobert has shown his worth on the defensive end of the basketball court, impressing many NBA scouts at the 2012 adidas Eurocamp, and also averaging just under two blocks per game this season for the professional French team that he played for. With that being said, his offensive development will be a project. He is very coordinated; he runs the court very well, he has great rebounding instincts, and he catches just about any ball thrown to him. However, he lacks a mid-range jump shot and he struggles playing offense with his back to the basket. These skills may very well take a while to develop, but if he successfully improves his offensive game, he will be a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the basketball court.
I will be posting about more potential center prospects that the Sixers could choose with pick number 11 in the near future so stay tuned Sixerdelphia!
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