The NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone. Boston had their dream come true by securing the first pick, Magic Johnson and his Lakers were able to make it into the top-3 and hold onto both this year’s and their 2019 pick, and Sacramento holds two lottery picks for the first time in the modern to start their life without DeMarcus Cousins. However, amongst all these lottery teams and their stories, the Philadelphia 76ers have the brightest future next to the Celtics.
Philadelphia made their way into the top-3 after making a swap with Sacramento, which was only a two pick difference from No. 5 to No. 3. The ability to swap was their first win. Their next two wins are holding the Lakers and Kings’ unprotected first-rounder’s in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Their fourth win is being able to construct the next contender in the east behind the Celtics. Both historic franchises have taken different routes to relevancy, but they are both in a position to make a push for deep playoff runs entering the next decade.
Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris is aware of the possibilities his team will have going forward, which was relayed by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“By the way, we now are stacked for the future,” he said. “We have a young team already. So that leaves some slots for some vets to put around our young guys and teach them about what it’s like to be in the NBA.
“So it staggers it very nicely for us. And by the way, we are going to get a stud in this draft.”
The Sixers are in an interesting situation right now. They hold the No.3 pick in a guard heavy draft, but knowing who to draft is the big question mark. This is because last year’s No. 1 pick, Ben Simmons, hasn’t played a game yet after suffering a season-ending fractured right foot during training camp. His inability to suit up makes this situation for Philly a quandary. Simmons is a 6-foot-10 forward with guard-like skills displayed at the high school, college, and Summer League level.
It’s pretty much a given that those skills will translate to an actual NBA game, but how he’ll be used and what exactly can he do (such as shoot) is somewhat of a mystery. With that question mark looming, do the Philadelphia 76ers draft another forward or point guard with their selection? In a post-lottery mock draft by Def Pen’s own Austin Reed, he has Philly selecting Duke’s Jayson Tatum with their pick. This is akin to many other outlets who go back-and-forth with Tatum and Josh Jackson of Kansas.
While he may be a true top-three talent after Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz, he may not be the answer for the Philadelphia 76ers. With the way Philly is constructed, Kentucky guard Malik Monk might be the best option.
At 6-foot-4, Monk is easily one of the best shooters in the draft with a slash line of .450/.397/.822. Monk’s ability to shoot and score at a high rate has its value next to Simmons in a distributing role and Joel Embiid inside the post. With the league knowing what to expect from Embiid from the start of the season, a player like Monk will prove to be imperative on the perimeter. At the two-guard position, Monk is smaller in comparison to his adversaries with a 6-foot-3 wingspan followed by height and weight smaller than most players at that spot in the NBA.
Monk’s size issues could easily be fixed by just playing with another big guard, something that’s done occasionally by the Celtics with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart for match-up purposes. It’s a fix that can be resolved in an offseason.
What may end up being a tall task for the Sixers is deciding to trade down for Monk. Creed’s mock draft has Monk five spots lower which could allow the Philadelphia 76ers to get even more value out of their pick other than the selection itself.
It’s all a possibility for the Sixers, and from now until the draft, Bryan Colangelo will have tough decisions to make, especially if Monk is an ideal fit for the team.
