June 02, 2017
There are three weeks left until the Sixers are on the clock with the third-overall pick, and that means we need something to kill time during the weeks leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between now and the draft, Rich Hofmann and I will examine a different potential scenario for the Sixers. Some days, there will be trades. Other days, the Sixers may remain at three, but the players left on the board could be different due to another trade or a surprise pick. And since there are only two teams ahead of them, we should be able to get through a good amount of the most likely possibilities before June 22.
After we've outlined the scenario and offered our thoughts on the likelihood it actually happens and whether or not it should happen, we'll ask you for your thoughts on it. We also encourage you to elaborate in the comments section. When it gets closer to the draft, we'll put the results together in a single post to show you which outcome fans are most hopeful to see play out.
Here's a look back at the scenarios we've already covered:
Third pick and more for Klay Thompson | What if Lakers pass on Ball?
Shipping Dario to Boston for top pick? | An initial offer to move up to No. 1
Selling 3rd pick back to Kings ... with interest
Let's get right into it:
The prevailing NBA wisdom says that Washington's Markelle Fultz will go No. 1 overall to the Celtics, followed by UCLA's Lonzo Ball to the Lakers.
After that, there's been some debate about what the Sixers will do should the first two picks fall as anticipated. But the one name that keeps coming up is Kansas swingman Josh Jackson. And while most believe he'd be the best available player for the Sixers, he's hardly the consensus pick at No. 3, and that may be for a number of reasons – his shot needs work, he's not the best fit for the Sixers, he has some off-court baggage, etc.
Whatever the case may be, let's assume (for the sake of this scenario) that the Sixers have their sites set elsewhere.
1. CELTICS: Markelle Fultz
2. LAKERS: Lonzo Ball
3. SIXERS: [Anyone but Josh Jackson]
That brings us to our question of the day: Assuming the Sixers don't want to draft Josh Jackson, who should they take with the No. 3 pick?
Let's discuss.
I touched on this scenario the other day in my Sixers only mock draft, writing that, “crossing Jackson off with probably leave two main options if I had to stick at No. 3, one prospect with a higher ceiling and another with a higher floor.”
To me, that higher ceiling player is Dennis Smith Jr. But right now, my pick is Florida State wing Jonathan Isaac, who I am pretty confident would be a souped-up 3-and-D player that should fit in perfectly with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
This isn’t just about “drafting for fit,” either as if that has to be mutually exclusive from taking the best player available. The NBA needs lower-usage versatile defenders who can make catch-and-shoot jumpers. Watching Golden State and Cleveland last night, it’s not difficult to imagine a 6-foot-11 dude who can move his feet and guard 1-4 playing in the version of that high-level game five or six years from now.
Isaac’s defense is going to be really good, and that’s enough for me even if he’s probably not going to be a high-usage guy. Stick him with Simmons and Embiid and there’s a scenario where there isn’t “violence at the rim,” simply because it’s hard to see opposing offenses getting there in the first place.
This is a really interesting scenario because I've been of the belief that the Sixers should draft Jackson with the third pick – and I haven't really taken the time to consider the options beyond that (with the exception of our lone Sixers' trade-back scenario with the Kings).
I like Rich's idea of adding Jonathan Isaac, a versatile, 6-11 freak of an athlete that would fit well in Brett Brown's system. But I'd go the other way, opting for a point guard with tremendous upside and the ability to score in a number of ways.
I was lucky enough to watch Dennis Smith in person when he played in Coral Gables this season. The 'Canes won, of course, but I left campus that day incredibly impressed with Smith, who put up a game-high 21 points (16 in the second half) and was really the only reason his team was in the game at all.
And guess what? The Sixers need a point guard – and, yes, that remains the case even if they plan on having Ben Simmons bring the ball up the floor. I just think the upside on Smith is too high to pass up. And the things they'd be able to do offensively with him, Simmons and Embiid on the floor would greatly outweigh what Rich's trio of Isaac, Simmons and Embiid could do on the defensive end.
As for the other guys who would be available to the Sixers with the third pick, I'd go with Isaac, Malik Monk, De'Aaron Fox and then Jayson Tatum (in that order). But Smith would be my pick here.
And don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments section below.
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