The general consensus among draft experts is Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor will be the first two picks in the 2015 NBA Draft, leaving the Philadelphia 76ers free to fill their point guard void by taking D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay. However, DraftExpress has the Sixers taking Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis in their latest mock draft, saying that Philadelphia is "extremely high" on the talented youngster.
76ers reportedly ‘extremely high’ on Kristaps Porzingis
Many experts believe the 76ers will take a point guard in the 2015 NBA Draft, but Philly is reportedly high on the talented Latvian big man.
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Porzingis is a relative unknown, but he has drawn some high praise from scouts and NBA executives. When he declared for the draft in April, one general manager told ESPN's Chad Ford that Porzingis reminded him of a young Pau Gasol, only more athletic. That same GM wondered if Porzingis was possibly the best prospect in the draft, and an international scout told Ford the big man is his favorite player in the draft.
Porzingis is clearly talented with plenty of upside, but would the Sixers really take the gamble on him at No. 3 if they had the chance to take a player like Russell or Mudiay? Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie has traveled overseas to see Porzingis play, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reported in March that Philadelphia tried to get the big man to stay in the draft last year before he ultimately withdrew, so maybe there’s something to this.
Why the Sixers taking Porzingis makes sense
Philadelphia may already have Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid in the fold with Dario Saric set to come over at some point in the next few years, but if Hinkie and Co. truly think Porzingis is the best player available at No. 3, then they should take him and figure things out from there. Hinkie could always look to deal one or more of these players for other assets, and he'd likely get a nice haul.
Kristaps Porzingis
Taking Porzingis and keeping all of these young big men wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world either. Noel has already proven to be a defensive difference-maker and Embiid could be similar with a bit more skill, but Porzingis would bring a different element into the fold with his offensive versatility as a 7-footer. The 19-year-old can shoot the three and also put the ball on the floor, and he could be a “playmaking 4” for the Sixers, a highly coveted type of player Grantland’s Zach Lowe recently wrote about.
It’s also worth noting that Noel, Embiid and Saric all come with their own set of question marks, so taking Porzingis could act as insurance, even if he’s no sure thing himself. Noel tore his ACL two years ago and is still a work in progress offensively. Embiid hasn’t played an NBA game and has major red flags when it comes to his health. The Sixers are trying to get Saric over for next season, but it could also be a few more years until he joins the team, and there’s always the chance he doesn’t work out.
If the Sixers take Porzingis and these players pan out, they could have one of the best frontcourts in the league. And at the very least, Hinkie would have plenty of trade chips to play with.
Why the Sixers taking Porzingis doesn’t make sense
While Noel, Embiid and Saric all have their question marks, would it really make sense to add another raw big man when two stud point-guard prospects are staring at you in the face? With Michael Carter-Williams gone, the Sixers need a legitimate starting point guard, and Russell or Mudiay fit the bill.
Most believe Russell is the better fit in Philadelphia because of his ability to space the floor. The Sixers embrace analytics and love to shoot the three, but that doesn’t mean much when you only shoot 32 percent from long range. Russell shot 41 percent from deep in his lone season at Ohio State, and with Noel and Embiid clogging up the paint, it would be helpful to have a point guard who can consistently knock down outside shots and not need to drive into that clogged paint to get most of his points.
Mudiay wouldn’t be a bad pick either, as he’s an explosive player who would fit in with all of the other long athletes the Sixers like to trot out. The concern with Mudiay is that he’s not the shooter Russell is, and it could prove difficult to consistently score in the paint with Noel and Embiid always hanging around down there.
Porzingis may have a lot of potential, but there will be some work for him to do to become an effective NBA player. He needs to add quite a bit of strength and get tougher. He could also stand to improve his post skills. With talented prospects already in place in the frontcourt, it would be a gamble to pass on those point guards in order to take another big man who’s no sure thing.
Likelihood of Sixers taking Porzingis
I have little doubt the Sixers are high on Porzingis, because there’s plenty to like about him and he fits the profile of a “modern” power forward. But I’m still skeptical they’d actually take him, and the DraftExpress mock draft admits it would be a surprise pick. It shouldn’t be ruled out, but I’m going to give this only a 3/10 chance of happening.
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