76ers 2020 Mock Draft: 1.0
With the college basketball season declared overdue to COVID-19 and the NBA entering uncharted territory with its indefinite suspension, it’s time for NBA executives to take this time to consider the options they have in this summer’s draft.
Unless the 76ers defy the odds and make either the conference finals or NBA Finals, they are going to have to seriously improve this offseason, and for cheap.
The main ways to do so are free agents who outperform a small contract and making the right call on draft night.
We’ll be addressing the 2020 NBA draft prospects that make sense if the team wants to improve immediately.
I’ll also address how the team can use the Delaware Blue Coats to their advantage next season.
If the season ended today, the Sixers would have pick 22 (via OKC), 34, 36, and 49, and 59.
Pick 22: Devin Vassell // G/F – Florida State
Photo: —
The Sixers have to hit on this pick in a draft that scouts are saying isn’t as deep as usual. This player will likely get regular rotation minutes and has to be ready to be a contributor in his first season. Thus, the Sixers can’t draft a “project” with this pick.
Picking Florida State G/F Devin Vassell is a great way to add wing depth at low risk. Vassell excelled as a scorer at Florida State. His average of 12 PPG isn’t eye-popping, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s one of the most efficient prospects in the draft. He shot an incredible 47.5% from the field for his career and a more impressive 41.7% from 3. He can also jump out of the gym, and he regularly soars in for putback slams. He loves to run in transition and was regularly a part of high-flying alley-oops at Florida State. He mostly scored off the dribble in college, but he has catch-and-shoot potential. An added perk is his versatility at 6’6”. He’d be a big guard or smaller forward in the NBA with the ability to switch onto either on the defensive end considering his combination of height and athleticism.
Like all late first-rounders, Vassell has some serious drawbacks that the 76ers will need to work with if they choose to select him. He sometimes appears timid on the drive and often settles for a contested fadeaway. Part of this could be that he weighs just 180 pounds. In the NBA, this issue will become more glaring.
The strength and conditioning coaches will have to get him to the point where he can bang down low for rebounds and drive amongst bigger and stronger players. That being said, he’s ready to be a steady contributor on the offensive end and has a number of ways of scoring off the dribble.
Pick 34: Devon Dotson // PG – Kansas
Photo: —
This is probably the easiest choice for me to make. The 76ers have been without a clear backup point guard for the entirety of the season. Trey Burke was cut in February, and it’s unlikely Elton Brand decides to bring back Raul Neto next year. If he’s available, Devon Dotson is the guy.
Plain and simple, Dotson was a winner at Kansas during his two-year stint with the Jayhawks. He led the team to a 28-3 record this season and was poised to be part of a 1-seed and make a run at the national title. He’s been coached by college coaching legend Bill Self and has all the instincts to be a good point guard in the NBA. He loves to jump passing lanes and is adept at getting to the rim for a guy his size. He was a scoring machine in college, and an efficient one at that, dropping 18.1 PPG this season on 46.8% FG.
He isn’t what NBA scouts would want him to be as a 3-point shooter (33.2% career), but his stroke doesn’t look bad. At 6’1″, he’s limited to defending guards, but he has the footwork and quickness to be an elite defender at some point.
Pick 36: Jalen Smith // PF – Maryland
Photo: —
The 76ers don’t really have a true power forward on the roster. Al Horford has dabbled at the 4 throughout his career and is trying to do so with Joel Embiid at the 5, and Mike Scott has been a “stretch 4” this season off the bench.
Jalen Smith would be a good selection here for a number of reasons. For one, he’s hard to stop in the paint and on the glass at 6’10” and 225 lbs. He bullied his way through the Big 10, grabbing 10.5 rebounds and averaging 2.5 blocks per contest en route to a share of the Big 10 championship. This dominance down low would be hard to maintain against NBA forwards and centers, but he’s proven that the competition at the college level is no match for him.
He also shot above average for a big man from deep at 36.8% this season. He would have a role behind Al Horford and Joel Embiid and would set up some nice competition with Norvel Pelle.
Pick 49: Mamadi Diakite // PF – Virginia
Photo: —
At this point, the Sixers will probably just be taking the best guy available off the board. That being said, Mamadi Diakite is my recommendation if he’s on the board. Diakite is an interesting prospect, mostly because he really only found himself on NBA radars during his senior year at UVA. He’s 6’9” with an almost Giannis-like first step, a decent handle, and a smooth stroke from outside. He’d be ideal in an NBA pick-and-pop scenario where he has the choice to spot up from three or roll to the rim.
He doesn’t have much creativity with the basketball, but that’s expected from a late second-rounder. He’d be the ideal candidate to receive a two-way contract. He could benefit from a year in Delaware in the same way Marial Shayok did and come out a more polished player.
Pick 59: Myles Powell // G – Seton Hall
I have no idea why Myles Powell is projected to fall here. He’s been one of the most elite scorers in college basketball for years and has ducked out of the NBA draft several times for one last dance at Seton Hall. He’s averaged 22 PPG during his junior and senior seasons.
There isn’t much to speak of in terms of the rest of Powell’s game, but his creativity with the basketball and raw scoring ability is truly unique. He’s changed the culture of Seton Hall’s program forever. A year in Delaware could do wonders for him in terms of learning to defend and distribute at the next level.
Any NBA team can use a reliable scoring punch off of the bench, as long as he can be counted on to lock in on the other end.
Featured Image: Ed Zurga/Getty ImagesDiscover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Sixers Unique Columns