National Basketball Association

Top 5 Back Court Targets Philadelphia 76ers 2017 NBA Draft

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:25 p.m. ET

Fansided, Bret Stuter/FanSided via The Sixer Sense

Top 5 Back Court Targets Philadelphia 76ers in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers are the wild card team of the 2017 NBA Draft. Not only are the needs of the team depending upon what moves the front office does or does not make, but also which picks the team will have.

Right now, the 76ers sit as the 24th ranked team of the NBA. As such, the Philadelphia 76ers hold a 15% chance of getting a top three pick on their own. But as you factor in the probability of a swap with the Sacramento Kings, and the chance of claiming the Los Angeles Lakers first round pick, things begin to brighten dramatically.

As the Lakers sit at the 28th ranked spot in the NBA, and the Sacramento Kings sit at the 21st spot, the Philadelphia 76ers have the following chances for picking in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft (keep in mind that as soon as games are played, odds go up or down conversely to success of team):

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PHILADELPHIA 76ers 2017 NBA DRAFT MATRIX (as of 29 January 2017)

As you can see by the matrix above, the Philadelphia 76ers can be picking anywhere in the top 10. Keep in mind that the Lakers pick is totally separate from pick one. The 76ers WILL PICK in round one. The odds in pick two is simply the chances of picking a second time in the round. Conceivably, the 76ers can use the Lakers pick before selecting with their own pick.

Now, how will the team spend the picks? Hopefully on two of these five prospects:

Point Guard

Jan 12, 2017; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears guard Charlie Moore (13) attempts to defend against Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) during the first half of the game at Haas Pavilion. California Golden Bears defeated the Washington Huskies 69-59. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Markelle Fultz

6-foot-4 195 pounds, Upper Marlboro, MD ★1★

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Guard Markelle Fultz is the real deal. Slotted as a point guard, his sweet shooting and off-ball movement invites teams to look at him as the solution for either backcourt role. He is a veteran among rookies, exhibiting a clear understanding of the basketball court at all times.

He gets it. He knows that the game of basketball is an means to an end, and not the ends of his life. He defends his choice of signing one with a struggling University of Washington Husky team that is playing sub-.500 right now. In fact, being a great player on a not-so-great team is only one characteristic he shares with Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons.

He will make an incredible player for some NBA team. With the Philadelphia 76ers set up to have multiple ways to land a top pick in the NBA draft, there will always be some level of chance that it could happen.

Regardless of the team’s fortune’s, I cannot see this young man losing the top spot in the 2017 NBA Draft. He’s incredibly talented and versatile. The qualities that make him the ideal pick for the 76ers backcourt will draw the attention of each NBA team.

Jan 19, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) passes the ball against Arizona State Sun Devils guard Kodi Justice (44) and guard Tra Holder (0) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Lonzo Ball

6-foot-5 175 pounds, Chino Hills, CA ★4★

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There will always a challenge when trying to assess the quality of the NBA draft picks, because their performance is relative to the competition and the team around him. But the characteristics of Lonzo Ball take most of the guesswork out of this.

Ball can score in the paint or from the perimeter, can dish out the ball. He can pull down the rebounds, and at 6-foot-5, he has the size to play with the ball or off-the-ball. The part I love most is this “simulation video” where the author places Lonzo Ball on the court with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Yes, its video simulation. But even in make believe, it’s worth watching.

The Philadelphia 76ers will have Embiid, Simmons, Saric, McConnell, Covington, Stauskas, TLC, and the players coming to them from the NBA Draft. That will be a rugged lineup. Ball will not be tasked with doing it all. In fact, the game will come to him on this roster.

And that’s perfectly suited for Lonzo Ball. He’s unique, as he is still working on a conventional shot. Unconventional for a right-handed player, the freshman point guard raises the ball above his head in a sidewinding style by way of the left side of his face. It works, but it drives scouts crazy.

Fortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers have worked with unique players, and also worked on their shots. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are two that come to mind. So far, the Philadelphia 76ers have been rather pleased with the results.

Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Smith Jr.

6-foot-2 180 pounds, Fayetteville, NC ★6★

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If you want flash, glitz, bells whistles and paparazzi, Dennis Smith Jr. is not your guy. But if you like a no-nonsense incredibly focused young man who is determined to deliver the goods on a daily basis, read on.

Smith is a guard who can score. He is great in transition, as he explodes with uncanny quickness. But he can manufacture his own shot as well, either in the lane off runners or hang-time layups. Smith has great burst, combing with good handles on the ball, allow his quick start/stop/pivot/ turn/ fake to break down defenses and create scoring chances.

It may be wrong to say so, but he is the closest resemblance to Allen Iverson in the 2017 NBA Draft.

He has a great deal of confidence. As we’ve see with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, that can lead to bad decisions. He will try to force the drive to the basket between defenders, rather than pass out to the open man.

With so much success driving to the basket, he has not developed that perimeter shot that is so important to the NBA, and to the Philadelphia 76ers. But rookies can learn those things.

Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting Guard

Malik Monk

6-foot-3 200 pounds, Lepanto, AZ ★5★

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The 2017 NBA Draft is deep. So deep that Malik Monk may not be drafted among the top 5 picks. Wow.

In fact, through no fault of his own, he is projected to come off the board at the seventh pick. You see, his offensive arsenal is best described in one word: explosive. Whereas Markelle Fultz is the versatile cerebral antagonist, Malik Monk would be more akin to a juggernaut. When he begins to kick it into high gear, there are few counters to thwart his offense. So what is his weakness?

He’s a scorer. As such, he has been a centerpiece of the Kentucky Wildcat offense. As such, he’s become an elite scorer, but much of that is based on volume and poor shot selection. He also is tasked as a point guard, but he truly has the mindset of a shooting guard.

That suits the Philadelphia 76ers just fine. In Philadelphia, he will be given the time and lattitude to learn to score at the NBA level. He has some instinctive moves that creates plenty of space for the open shot. He will be a great fit with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Jayson Tatum

6-foot-8 205 pounds, St. Louis, MO ★3★

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Most of the top prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft will be featuring their superior offense due to quicks, IQ, burst, athleticism, or a combination of all of these factors. That won’t be the case for Jayon Tatum. Defense is not lacking with this young man.

And so, he makes use of his defensive acumen to create problems on offense. Since he understands how to defend around the rim, he knows how to attack it. He uses his size to his advantage against smaller defenders and then uses his speed and agility to challenge bigger defenders. He has a strong nose for the ball, instinctively presenting where the ball will come off the backboard.

He has great footwork, and has a great sense of balance that works to his advantage whether playing offense or defense. In fact, he is a bona-fide solid defender. He boasts an ability to guard multiple positions. On top of that, he knows how to lead by example, a maturity far above his age. While he has some things he must work on to refine at the next level, he doesn’t have any major weaknesses to his game.

He is projected at either a shooting guard or a small forward. I have him as a shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, as the team has a tendency to slide players down their range in order to place the tallest lineup together on the court.

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Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Frank Ntilikina

6-foot-6 190 pounds, Ixelles, Belgium ★9★

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Frank Ntilikina has been involved in one of those stories which may have ended badly, but is actually exceeding expectations. In a recent article by Trevor Magnetti of The Step Back, the story of point guard Frank Ntilikina switching to a shooting guard role is laid out. As a result, the former-point-guard-turned-shooting-guard has been nailing three point shots at a 50 percent clip. And while he is refining his catch-and-shoot perimeters, he continues to boast some nasty good moves driving to the basket.

It’s that dual threat thread in his track that makes him especially enticing to this team. He is versatile, and we know that head coach Brett Brown loves players who can play multiple positions and can play both offensively and defensively.

Ntilikina is another high-energy defender who relies upon better-than-expected athleticism and motor. Ntilikina may need some experience and training at defense, but he already has great footwork, especially in the pick-and-roll. He can slip through screens and occasionally beat opposing big men to the spot before they set.