Hey guys, who would you take at 3 and 4 if you’re Philadelphia?

 Dennis Smith and Josh Jackson. 

I know Monk might be a better "fit" because he’s a better shooter. I think Jackson is the better player by a lot and his jumper isn’t broken. 

Love his ability to defend, rebound and he’s a creative passer. That’d give Philly a ton of guys that can pass the ball. Which I’d want. Don’t want to build a team around one guy always needing the ball. Give me a lineup full of guys who can make decisions and make everyone else better. 

Plus…wow athleticism for days. 

I think they will for sure grab Smith jr plus someone else. A reach for Monk as their blackout shooter? I can see it. They might think Jackson overlaps with Simmons a bit, although as we know Philly hasn’t had a problem stacking talent in similar positions the past years, granted there is new management. Perhaps they rehire Hinkie to draft for them (joke). I would be happy with either package and really hope they don’t F this up and draft 2 centers. In an ideal world they get 1 &2, but it isn’t an ideal world. And mutually exclusive from that, the NBA wouldn’t never let that happen.

I would try to trade up. If I couldn’t I would go with Jackson and one of Smith/Ntilikina.

Leaning towards Ntilikina with an eye towards leaving him in Euorpe for another year. Go with Bayless and TJ as the points next year. Think Simmons might be best as a 4 and Covington’s better suited for a reserve role.

 Imagine if the Lakers finish with the 3rd worst record and the 76ers finish with the 4th. Then Philly wins the lotto. ☺that would be fun.

 First off, you can’t get carried away with the players on your roster. Noel, Embiib, and Simmons have all had major injuries, and all have missed nearly a full season. You still take BPA no matter what. Luckily for PHI this draft is weak in that it has literally no big men prospects. 

If Ball/Fultz are gone, I think you have to take Josh Jackson #3 because he gives you a nice versatile 2/3 that can play well in a system, and guard players on the perimeter. He’s been shooting the ball a lot better as of late, and I think he has that tenacity to come in and play hard off the rip. 

Then with the 4th pick you have to go with a guard. Dennis Smith makes the most sense, not only because hes easily the BPA at the moment, but because he also has the ability to carve out a nice 6th man role if he can’t gell with Simmons off the rip. Monk is also a good pick here, as he brings much needed shooting the the 76’ers, and his tenacity would fit in nicely with Embiib and Saric. I can’t wait to see Simmons play in the NBA, and see how he plays with real professionals. Is he a player like LeBron and Giannis who make their teams better when running the offense, or will he be like Westbrook a few years, where we question whether or not the team is better with him calling the shots. We’ll see.

But I’m going to be honest, if I’m PHI and I get #3 and #4, I’m taking BPA #3 and trading #4 for a proven player. If I draft a PG #3 I trade for a SG, if I draft a SG/SF then I’m trading for a PG. I could easily see the Lakers trading Clarkson/Russle and something else to get their pick back, or maybe a team like the Nuggets would look to consolidate some of their players for a top 4 pick. Trade #4 for a package of Garry Harris and the Nuggets pick or someone like Chandler who wants out. 

I would also explore the option of trading #4 for someone like Dragic and MIA pick.

While they should def. try and keep the picks, see what they have, and then make the decision, you have to wonder which players out of Embiib, Noel, Saric, Simmons and #3 you want to keep around and pay big money. Because lets face it, in todays NBA all of those guys are getting max or near max deals. The Cap is something PHI is going to have to starting thinking about and soon. 

Do you keep Covington who has turned into a good role player? Because right now he’s making only $1 mil. Ebiib and Noel missed entire seasons because of injury. Noel is a FA this year, and Embiib, even though he’s only played like a 1/4 of the season, is a FA at the end of next year. You can’t pay all these guys, and you can’t play all of them. If you get #3 and #4 you’re running out a lineup next year of:

Embiib-Okafor

Saric-Noel

Simmons-Covington

Jackson- Henderson

Smith Jr- McConnel

that’s a good lineup and all, great skill and symetry, but you still have the same problems that he did this year in that you have no idea what in the heck to do with Noel/Okafor. 

 @scarecrow I’m sticking with Smith/Jackson in said scenario. 

Covington is playing well. He’s not stopping me from drafting Jackson though. I’d consider Isaac given his ability to assimilate with a team and make an impact but I’ll admit I haven’t seen enough Florida State while Kansas is practically on every damn week. 

Again with the fit thing, I don’t want a team with two guys that make all the decisions for everyone. That’s not how I’d want to run my offense. Give me guys who can make plays and make decisions for themselves and for others. Relying on Simmons/Smith to do everything would be foolish because it becomes like OKC where you just have too much of the "Stars then role players" hierarchy. I like the San Antonio/GS model where everyone plays empowered. Maybe that’s too romantic but I’d model after the Spurs as much as possible. 

I also tend to think Jackson doesn’t "need" the ball in his hands. He does just fine at Kansas where he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. He can cut, he can score in transition and I think his jumper is fixable. He’s going to play good defense. As long as he isn’t a knucklhead off the court – not sure on that – then he’d be my guy. Hell you could play him in a super big lineup with Covington on the wings. 

A big part of this equation is that I don’t love Monk as a player. He’s been impressive this year at Kentucky but I think Jackson is the better overall player by a lot. Monk fits today. Don’t think he’d be the better long player though. 

Think about a core of Embiid-Simmons-Smith-Jackson going forward. Think about what that core-four could be in five years…Awfully effing exciting. 

 I take Isaac and Smith. Isaac is going to be better than Ingram and Smith will be a version of Kyle Lowry, hopefully with some defense.  

I’m not selecteing Monk because he is a volume shooter who isn’t projected to be a lock down defender.  Same reason I didn’t want Jamal Murray.  Not much of a distributor or defender. Roco takes the same amount of threes but plays defense.  I will take 3D over volume shooter.  

Next year my starting lineup is hopefully Embiid, Ilyosova, Covington, Holiday and Simmons. Obviously our bench will be a plus with this draft.  Saric, Noel(maybe), Henderson, Stauskas, TLC, Holmes, Okafor(hopefully not) and the rookies. 

Not sure TJ stays with the club in this scenaro as I have us acquiring Jrue Holiday and drafting Dennis Smith. 

 W/ Embiid & Jackson alone you have the best Defense in the NBA  – The talent level on Phila is insane. I like Saric – who at this point looks like the ROY since you guys are sitting Embiid & Simmons to tank again – as nice 6th man.

Watching Simmons in Summer League I was sick to my stomach b/c I instantly knew that for the 2nd year in a row my Lakers missed out on a star by 1 pick (KAT in 2015)

Monk is an elite 3pt shooter w/ a 42 inch vertical leap. Imagine this team in transition – Embiid runs the floor like a small 4ward & so does Simmons. You have 4 elite athletes who would fit seemlessly. Jackson & Monk can effect the game in so many ways w/o Ever dribbling the ball. 

Any talk of Okafor & Noel are irrelevant. Embiid is having the best Rookie Season since Wilt Chamberlain. He’s the center. We’re all just pissed b/c the Hinkie tank worked out better than anyone could have imagined. 

But hey look you’ll have to be happy w/ only one Lottery pick b.c we’re keeping our pick this year (fingers crossed) U guys in Phila will have make do w/ 3 under 23 y/o studs instead of 4 for now – I Hope lol.

 My first comment on this would be it all depends who goes at 1 and 2. But I’ll accept it’s Fultz and Ball as they’d be top of my mock at this moment.

I’d look for a swing man and a backcourter with those picks personally so I’d certainly take Josh Jackson as he could cover both SG and SF. I’d also consider Isaac as he could play SF with Jackson at SG and Simmons at Point. If we assume that one of Noel and Oak won’t be there next season and even if Ersan is extended then Isaac could see minutes around Saric, Ersan and even Simmons at SF or PF.

If it was one out of Jackson or Isaac then I’d take Jackson on his upside and giving more positional options in areas of need.

With the other pick I’d look at Dennis Smith as BPA, figure out who has the ball between him and Simmons or use Dennis as an impact bench guy. Malik Monk would be an SG option with Jackson as SF too.

My prefered option might be Ntilikina as he could play around the other guys and gives an option for a lockdown defender to put on the opposing PG even if Simmons plays point on offence but takes opposing SF say on defence.

 I’d go Jackson at 3 and Monk at 4. 

Jackson gives you a potential elite perimeter defender that you know will compete every time he steps on the court. I like his toughness and tenacity and think he’d fit well with Simmons as a high IQ wing player.

Monk is a guy whom I’m still concerned about as a prospect despite his athleticism and talent, but I think he can work here.  If the Sixers take Jackson, Jackson can cover the opposing team’s best player and allow Monk to float on defense (which he does anyway).  Monk would also benefit by not having duties as the primary ball handler. In his few stints at PG with UK, he hasn’t looked good as a primary ball handler. He’s much better as a wing player.  Another one of my concerns with Monk is that he likes to play hero ball and take tough contested shots, many of which he makes, but it will be more difficult in the NBA.  He’s a player that shoots with a lot of confidence and that’s what playmakers like Simmons and Jackson want to have when they kick out on drives, so maybe he can work in Philly.  I wouldn’t start Monk until he learns how to play defense and contribute without scoring, but I think he’ll be fine in a few years, just young. 

 Agree, Jackson and Monk.. if one pick iends up lower I’d look at Tatum 

Elephant in the room though – what’s ha ppening with Fultz and Ball going 1 & 2 if they are going to Boston & Phoenix? IT, & Bledsoe are top 10 PGs, Smart, Rozier, Knight, Ulis can all play. People will be packing bags for sure. 

If the Suns get a top 2 pick I’m calling the send Bledsoe to the Kings for pick/s just based on the Bledsoe/Cousins man crush that’s out there. 

If the Celtics get a top 2 pick then a few teams including Philly should be on the phone about Rozier and Bradley straight way. They could probably flip the pick immediately either straight up or in some kind of package for:

Jimmy Butler, Gordon Hayward or DeAndre Jordan. Jabari Parker’s ACL just kept him off this list. 

 I would go for best fit at this point and pick Smith and Monk. I would also take a good look at Nkilitina. Jackson is a great prospect but I just don’t see him as a good pairing with Simmons.

 They need to fill positions at this point.  I understand best player available is how everyone drafts but they have gone best player available since trading Holiday and it’s still holding them back. Also Smith and Monk are no slouches by any means.

Keep in mind Philadelphia also has Korkmaz that can play SG/SF so they don’t necessarily need a wing. Korkmaz is developing well.

 Jackson and Isaac.  Two athletic wings who can score with both guys being decent/good shooters.

You have a YUGE five man lineup of Simmons, Jackson, Isaac, Saric, and Embiid.

I think once we see Simmons play it will greatly change this discussion

From what I saw in preseason, he is absolutely 100% going to be running the offense. With that in mind, Smith and Simmons are going to get them a ridiculous number of open threes. So I think a slight reach for Monk 4 is warranted 

Think about it, at BEST Jackson is Wiggins. Monk imo compares to Brad Beal or Devin Booker. While Wiggins is better than both (slightly if at all) who’d you rather have around a super talented team? I’d argue Beal and Booker 

Smith, Monk, Simmons, Ilyasova, Embid

That’s a team that’s both talented AND minus any ‘how are they gonna fit ‘ questions 

 Jackson and Monk

 That’s the kind of question why we need to see Simmons play.

Brown announced he was going to be PG.

Depending on how it goes and what seems to be the best lineup with him at "PG" (especially if pseudo big ball lineups Simmons-Cov-Saric-Embiid +anybody is), you could see Isaac as combo forward option replacing either Saric or Covington going forward could be the guy you want. If the best lineups are with Simmons and McConnell and another small guard (Stauskas, Henderson, Randle), logic would be drafting 2 smaller guys.

Monk and Ntilikina both have profiles that seems to fit anyway, so I would probably pick one of them, even if that seems high right now. I could see Ntilikina climb ladders all the way up to #2 though. He is very young and could have a breakout end of season in ProA or just impressive workouts. With Monk the question is more "can Brett Brown turn him into a good enough defender?", recent work with Stauskas and McConnell made me optimistic (not that Stauskas defends well, but he clearly is improving and not lost anymore recently, Monk athleticism could make him better and overcome this weakness if he also make the efforts).

Smith and Jackson might be the BPAs, I am probably not taking both anyway.

S/n from a fan perspective hoping for the best possible team of the future, id love to see philly luck out on the #1 or 2 pick and take Fultz, then with the laker pick say # 5 take Monk 

Fultz-pg/SG, Monk, Simmons-sf/pg, Ilaysova, Embid 

Shooting and passing, depth and size that’s a better future than Minny 

 I’m 100 percent taking Monk. He’s a perfect fit. The other guy, I really have no idea. I definitely want to get 1 and 4 so it’s real easy. Fultz and Monk.

I’m not sure if it was 3 and 4. I’m not crazy about Ball or Issac. Don’t like Dennis Smith. Tatum has bust written all over him. Markkenen is probably No. 3 for me.