4 Draft Names to Watch for the Sixers
Written by: Jesse Larch
On Wednesday night NBA teams will look to brighten their respective futures by adding new prospects into the fold that, hopefully, take their squad to the next level.
This is always an exciting time of year for Sixers fans especially, who seem to enter every draft with an abundance of rumors surrounding their team.
There are four names that have been consistently mocked or linked to the Sixers with the 21st overall selection of the 2020 NBA draft.
Cole Anthony, PG // North Carolina
6’3″ 198 lbs
18.5 PTS 5.7 REB 4.0 AST
Cole Anthony was clearly the best player for the North Carolina Tar Heels this past season, and he had to be on what Roy Williams himself labeled the least talented collection of players he has coached during his tenure on Tobacco Road.
North Carolina’s success in 2019-20 often lived and died with the success of Anthony. He averaged an impressive 18.5 points per contest, but did so on a very poor 38% field goal percentage. His huge workload this season at North Carolina led to him feeling the responsibility of carrying his team. This led to ill-advised shots and cases of simply trying to do too much. His shooting form is very good and his ability with the ball in his hands is undeniable, but he falls into the trap of believing in himself too much and forcing the action by taking poor shots, and taking the game into his own hands at times to try to be a one-man offense.
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This has led to some speculation about where Anthony will be selected in October’s draft. His ranking on most expert big boards lead you to believe that he will have a chance to be a lottery pick, but Matt Babcock of CBS Sports and Babcock Hoops feels that Anthony is a strong candidate for a draft day slide.
Babcock says that there is some belief among people in the NBA that Cole Anthony is a me-first player and not a team player, which could cause teams to pass over his scoring ability in favor of someone who is a better culture fit. In the event that Anthony does slide, he could fall into the Sixers’ lap at 21st overall.
Babcock’s intel might be correct – that Anthony is a self-serving player and that will scare away suitors. The other view of this is that this year’s North Carolina team is so poor that their only chance was for Cole Anthony to try to put the team on his back. Perhaps with a better supporting cast Cole Anthony can settle into a more defined role in an NBA offense.
Tyrell Terry, PG // Stanford
6’3″ 170 lbs
14.6 PTS 4.5 REB 3.2 AST
Tyrell Terry has been a popular name on Draft Twitter, especially among fans of the Sixers. The smooth shooting guard has been the most consistently mocked player to the Sixers over the draft process, so the experts certainly believe the Stanford one-and-done is a fit for the City of Brotherly Love at 21st overall.
At the beginning of the draft process there was skepticism over Terry’s ability to translate to the NBA in year one due to his skinny frame and raw game, but with an improved physique during the NBA combine, he has seemingly guaranteed himself to be a first round selection on Wednesday, the question now is how high will he be selected?
Shooting is perhaps the most valued trait in today’s NBA, and Terry has it in spades. The question will not be can he make shots, it will be can his body hold up to the physicality and strength of NBA defenses.
The success of similar prospects such as Stephen Curry and Trae Young will ease the minds of some front offices. Terry feels like a safe projection for the 20-range of this draft, but he could be a shock lottery pick for a team who believes he will play like his comparable players.
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Desmond Bane, SG // TCU
6’6″ 215 lbs
16.6 PTS 6.3 REB 3.9 AST
The first thing you will notice about Desmond Bane is his imposing frame. Like the Batman villain that he shares a name with, Bane has a hulking physique that will have plenty of teams falling in love with him.
If his physical condition does not sell teams his play on the floor will – and by all accounts it already has. Bane started this draft process has a fringe 1st rounder. Now he, like Terry, is a lock for the first round. Bane has been arguably the biggest riser in this draft class.
Why is that? He is a phenomenal shooter from distance. Bane made his threes at a 44.2% clip last season, and 43.3% on those shots throughout his four-year career at TCU.
He lacks the explosiveness that some teams covet, but he can slot in right away and space the floor while also not being physically dominated by older NBA veterans. He doesn’t have the wide wingspan that you like on the perimeter, but he makes up for it with a high IQ game and a commitment to team basketball.
Isaiah Joe, SG // Arkansas
6’5″ 180 lbs
16.9 PTS 4.1 REB 1.7 AST
Isaiah Joe is an interesting prospect, but was projected to be a second-round pick.
The reason he appears in this article is because of a report emerging from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report that the Sixers have made a promise to Joe to select him on Wednesday night.
The report does not specify which selection the Sixers plan to take him with, but Wasserman says it will be at either 21st overall of with the Sixers first pick of round two at 34th overall.
So what makes Joe so enticing? Simply put, and like every other prospect mentioned, Joe can shoot the rock.
While he had a down year last season in terms of percentage, he shot 41.4% from beyond in his freshman season. Of all of the prospects that I’ve watched, Joe might have the most fluid shot and the quickest release. He looks the part of a reliable catch-and-shoot wing, frequently shooting from NBA range in college.
The rest of what Joe brings to the table is questionable. He will need to develop his other skills to avoid becoming a one-dimensional player, but the dimension that he provides looks like it will certainly translate to the NBA game and allow him to have a long career as a floor spacer.
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Categorized:News