A Look At How Possible Sixers Targets Performed In The Big Dance
By Ray Boyd
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Many of you watched the NCAA Tournament to root on your favorite team. Others tuned in to monitor their bracket as it burst into flames and some just tuned in because the rest of the world did.
Then, there were the ones watching with an eye on the NBA Draft. Sixers faithful understand the possibility that their team could wind up with four first round selections in the upcoming draft and have a number of second round picks as well.
Did you picture some of the heroes of the NCAA Tournament with the word "Sixers," across their chest?
The Sixers' own selection appears to be poised to settle somewhere in the top 3 barring the results of the lottery. That would put the Sixers in play for a number of the top names including Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay.
We'll sit Mudiay aside because he of course did not play in the NCAA Tournament as he opted to play professionally in China.
As of now, whichever team winds up with the first pick in the draft will more than likely be choosing between the two best big men available in Towns and Okafor.
Okafor spent most of the season as the consensus No. 1 pick, but Towns' play has remained steady and a lot of mock drafts now have the Kentucky product going first overall.
Duke wound up winning the National Championship and Okafor averaged 15 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks.
Okafor had impressive showings in the first two games out, but produced single-digit totals in the next two games and only scored 10 points in the National Championship game where he was hampered by foul trouble and had to deal with Wisconsin's Frank Kamisky all night.
Towns' tournament run was characterized by a devastating loss to Kaminsky and Wisconsin in the semifinals. The loss may be the only one of Town's college career as he is now widely regarded as the draft's best prospect.
Towns averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in the tournament.
He had two rough games against Cincinnati and West Virginia where he posted eight and one points respectively. In both games he was in foul trouble, but Kentucky pulled out convincing wins without him playing his best basketball.
Towns also scored 25 points against Notre Dame in the Elite Eight when his team was pushed to the brink by the Fighting Irish.
One parallel between the two was that they both faced off against Kaminsky. Towns scored 16 points and had nine rebounds in his head-to-head match up with Kaminsky and shot 7-11 from the field on the night.
Okafor scored 10 points and had three rebounds against Kaminsky while shooting 5-9.
While Okafor appeared to be the better scorer throughout the season than Towns, it is clear that both possess an NBA-ready skill set for the post. The Sixers may not need another accomplished PF/C to add to the roster, but if they get the first pick, these two will be hard to pass up.
Let's say that the Sixers wind up with the third pick and Towns and Okafor are gone. Then, they will have to take a good long look at D'Angelo Russell.
Russell is the smooth and skilled point guard that you envision when someone asks you what the Sixers are missing.
His ability to excel at either guard spot makes him even more valuable. He's an accomplished shooter who can space the floor, find open teammates and score as an end of game option. The Sixers need all of that.
The Ohio State freshman averaged 19.3 points during the regular season to go along with 5.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per night. He also shot 41 percent from downtown.
The big stage did not prove too big for Russell either. Even though Ohio State did not have the same level of expectations as a Duke or Kentucky, Russell helped to lead them to a second round win over #7 seed VCU in overtime.
Russell scored 28 points in that game and shot 4-7 from long distance.
Ohio State went on to lose to #2 seed Arizona in the next round. Russell stuffed the stat sheet that game with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists.
At 6'5, 180, Russell is a very intriguing guard prospect because he has the natural abilities of a pure point guard, but also has a knack for scoring like an accomplished shooting guard.
After their own selection is a few picks that are currently up in the air. The Sixers could wind up acquiring picks from the Lakers, Heat and Thunder. Those picks are all protected and may not convey this year.
Despite that, let's assume the Sixers wind up with those picks in their best possible position and see how some projected prospects in that range looked in the tournament.
Per Game Averages For Possible Sixers Targets In The NCAA Tournament:
Lakers Pick 6th Overall:
SF Justise Winslow (Duke): 6 games, 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.7 blocks
SF Stanley Johnson (Arizona): 4 games, 11 points, 5.75 rebounds, 1.5 steals
Heat Pick 11th Overall:
SF Sam Dekker (Wisconsin): 6 games, 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds
SG/SF Kelly Oubre (Kansas): 2 games, 8.5 points, 4 rebounds
Thunder Pick 19th Overall:
SG Devin Booker (Kentucky): 5 games, 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds
PF Montrezl Harrell (Louisville): 4 games, 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1 block
PG Tyus Jones (Duke): 6 games, 13 points, 4.5 assists, 1.7 steals
PF Trey Lyles (Kentucky): 5 games, 10.6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block
