Patrick Causey, on Twitter @pcausey3
Last night was a defining moment for the Sixers franchise on a number of levels. Let's skip the long introduction and jump right into it. Here are five thoughts on how this draft impacts the Sixers, both in the near and long term:
1. This Draft Starts And Ends With Ben Simmons
Hey. Did you know that the Sixers drafted Ben Simmons?
I repeat: the Sixers drafted Ben Simmons.
This apparently needs to be emphasized for a large number of fans and media members still angry that the Sixers did not trade back into the lottery for a guard.
Simmons is potentially a franchise cornerstone that could compete for multiple MVPs. Do we understand how freaking hard that is to find? As I mentioned on Twitter, everything else that happened during the draft is secondary.
The NBA is becoming a positionless league. Versatility is king, and almost every player must be able to play and guard multiple positions. Simmons has the potential to push the envelope on versatility in a way we haven't seen before. He has the size (6'10, 240 lbs) and rebounding ability (11.8 rebounds/per) of a big man, but the vision and passing ability (27.4% assist percentage) of a point guard.
That versatility is going to pay dividends in the near and long term. In his prime, Simmons is going to be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Short term, Simmons versatility helps alleviate the logjam of big men on the Sixers roster. The Sixers did not need to draft a point guard last night. Simmons is the point guard.
In a league where small ball is the latest fad, who is going to be able to matchup against a lineup that consists of Embiid (7'2), Saric (6'10) and Simmons (6'10)? The Sixers would be damn near replicating the Monstars lineup.
The biggest concern with Simmons is that he needs to improve his jumper. But as I broke down before (read here), I am optimistic that it can be improved. If he doesn't? He maxes out as a more skilled version of the Greek Freak. But if he adds an 18 foot jumper that defenses must respect? Oh lawdy, lawdy. He's going to be good.
2. The Trade That Wasn't
Rumors were abound that the Sixers were desperate to move either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor to get back into the top 8 of the draft, presumably to draft either Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray.
That desperation created a palpable sense of anxiety among many Sixers fans, especially those firmly entrenched in the Pro-Hinkie camp. They had a legitimate concern that Colangelo would make short-sighted moves that sacrificed the long term potential of the team for the sake of achieving roster balance.
ESPN's Marc Stein lent credence to those fears when he reported that Colangelo was willing to hilariously overpay for the chance to draft a guard in the top 5:
Wow. Marc Stein said on ESPN Sixers offered Noel, RoCo, 24 and 26 for 3. Wow. #Sixers
— Patrick (@pcausey3) June 23, 2016
Countering reports emerged that the Sixers never made that offer, that a trade was never close to being effectuated, and that the root cause of that failure was other teams just looking to fleece the Sixers:
Re possible Sixer trades … Teams looking to fleece assets … Nothing was close #trusttheprocess
— Anthony Gargano (@AnthonyLGargano) June 24, 2016
It's been interesting to watch the fallout from this. Some believe Colangelo when he said that he never made such a terrible offer. Maybe that report was just bs; originating from Boston/Minnesota to try to manufacture leverage with the Bulls, since both teams were desparately trying to drive down the asking price for Jimmy Butler.
Others think Colangelo did make the offer, but was saved only by other teams' greed. Maybe he did. That would be an obvious cause for concern, a sure sign that Colangelo is living up to his reputation of wanting the rebuild to be over. Yesterday.
I fall somewhere in the middle. We just don't know what went down and I am hesitant to draw any definitive conclusion as a result. All I know is Colangelo reached the point where the juice wasn't worth the squeeze, and he didn't overpay for the sake of roster balance. That is a good thing. Even if he he was still willing to pay more than I would have liked.
3. The Sixers Can Still Acquire Guards Via Trade/Free Agency
#SixersTwitter reached peak freak out mode after the lottery came and went and the Sixers did not trade for a guard. It started out as an understandable reaction. Indeed, Colangelo was talking all week about wanting to get back into the top 8. When that doesn't happen, disappointment is to be expected.
But people actually let it distract from the fact that we drafted Simmons. Don't jump off the Walt Whitman yet, folks. The Sixers can still trade one of their bigs for a guard in the coming months. With free agency rapidly approaching, NBA teams will be looking to offload contracts so they can get into bidding wars with the best free agency has to offer.
I have no doubt Hinkie would have been chomping at the bits to fleece teams in this scenario. "You want to trade us Ricky Rubio and a top 10 protected first rounder if we take on Nikola Peković's contract and give up the rights to Furkan Aldemir? Sure, why not!"
I don't think Colangelo is normally the type to exploit overly aggressive teams looking to make bad trades for the potential to winrightnow. But he has publicly acknowledged the Sixers won't be able to attract top flight free agents given their current roster construction. He's going to need to get creative to fill those guard spots. Who knows? Maybe he pulls a Hinkie.
The Sixers can also target some free agents themselves — novel concept, I know – to plug the holes in the starting lineup. This class isn't overly impressive, and as I mentioned, the Sixers aren't exactly a marque destination for top flight talent. But there are suitable stop gaps that the Sixers cans sign until they find their long term solution in the draft — think Ty Lawson, Jeremy Lin, Dion Waiters, the oft-injured Eric Gordon, and Raymond Felton.
Bottom line: the Sixers are at least two years away from competing. They have plenty of time to fill out the roster, and have some decent options in the short term to get guards that can actually play basketball. No need to panic.
4. The Sixers Also Have A Great Opportunity To Land Guards In The 2017 NBA Draft
The 2017 Draft is projected to be loaded with elite guard prospects. So even if the Sixers have to settle on stop gap replacements this summer, they will have a great shot to get their long term guard(s) of the future in next's years draft.
They still have that opportunity even if they improve next season. Remember, the Sixers acquired the Lakers first round pick after trading Michael Carter-Williams to the Bucks (who was unceremoniously benched last year, mind you). That pick is, yet again, top 3 protected for next season. But even with Ingram in the fold, the Lakers are a young team not ready to compete for a playoff spot in the loaded west. So the Sixers have a good chance of finally getting that Lakers pick. If the pick does not convey, it will be unprotected in 2018.
And we got that just for giving up a below average point guard. High five, Hinkie.
The Sixers also have the rights to swap picks with the Sacramento Kings next year, whose best player tweeted this during the draft following their first round selection:
Lord give me the strength
— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) June 24, 2016
The Kings haven't made the playoffs in 10 seasons, which is the second longest streak in the NBA. So it's safe to assume they will be a dumpster fire again next season. Even if the Sixers do improve next year, they could still challenge for a top pick thanks to the pick swap.
(Oh, and not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but the Sixers also own the Kings unprotected first rounder in 2019).
Bottom line, Hinkie provided the Sixers the rare opportunity to improve and tank by extension at the same time.
5. The Sixers Got Tremendous Value at the End of the First
Back to the draft. Colangelo deserves a lot of credit for exercising patience and getting tremendous value at the end of the first, grabbing French swingman Timonthe Luwawu and Turkish swingman, Furkam Korkmaz. Both prospects are young: Luwawu is 20, Korkmaz 18, both have good size, length and athletic profiles, and both project as great 3&D options in the future.
The picks were met with universal praise by other draft experts:
- Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated gave the Luwawu pick an A and the Korkmaz pick a B+.
- USAToday gave the picks a B+ and A-.
- Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com called the Sixers draft a "home run" for Colangelo, giving out the highest grade of A+.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com also gave the Sixers an A+.
The reason for optimism is simple: Korkmaz and Luwawu were considered lottery talents that apparently fell in the draft because teams thought they would have to wait a few years before coming over to play. Maybe they thought they would
Their loss is the Sixers gain.
Luwawu really excites me and should become a fan favorite pretty quickly. He is an explosive athlete capable of making highlight reel type plays:
That athleticism and length also pays immediate dividends on the defensive side of the ball, where Luwawu has the ability to guard multiple positions at the next level. He has the length to guard small forwards, but the lateral quickness and foot speed to stay with guards. Watch the Golden State Warriors on defense. Their small ball lineup switches on almost every ball screen, suffocating any attempts to create space for players. It's an incredibly valuable skill to have in today's space and pace game, and Luwawu has that ability in spades.
Luwawu has also flashed the ability to be an effective three point shooter, shooting 37% from 3 in the Adriatic League last season.
Luwawu showed significant improvement from deep last year, averaging 5.3 attempts per game, up from shooting 29% on 2.2 attempts the year before. If Luwawu continues that upward trajectory, he has starter potential as an ideal 3&D guy.
Korkmaz was Chad Ford's #13 rated prospect for the 2016 NBA Draft. Ford had this to say on the Korkmaz pick:
"He is a prototypical NBA wing who can shoot and handle the ball. He's a very good athlete. The main issue is that he needs to get a lot stronger. But I think the Sixers essentially got a lottery pick at No. 26. That's a home run."
Korkmaz is only 18 years old, so he is going to need some time before he can contribute in the NBA. But his skill set is enticing.
He's not as bouncy of an athlete as Luwawu, but he is more advanced in other areas. For starters, he shot 42.3 percent from three for Anadolu Efes in the Turkish League last year.
He is also an exceptional playmaker, with great passing ability and a craftiness about him that he uses to attack the rim
Plus, the dude won a dunk contest dress as Darth freaking Vader. I mean come on. How can you not love this guy?
The odds suggest that one of either Korkmaz or Luwawu won't pan out. That's just the nature of the NBA, where the tail end of the first round is completely hit or miss. But both have exciting profiles and have a better chance that your typical late first round selections of being valuable contributors in the NBA. Good work, Colangelo.
Conclusion
Even if Luwawu and Korkmaz fail to live up to their potential, the 2016 Draft still has the potential to be a franchise defining moment. If Ben Simmons maxes out on his talent, he has the ability to be a generational talent, the likes of which Philadelphia has not seen in a long time. So be happy, Negadelphians. The tanking was all worth it in the end.
