Well, the Sixers certainly covered both ends of the athleticism spectrum in the draft.
Philadelphia swung for experience in the second round, drafting Johni Broome with the 35th overall pick. Broome, a 6-foot-9 forward, spent five years in college — his first two at Morehead State before transferring to Auburn. Over his college career he averaged 16.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Those numbers jumped to 18.6, 10.8, and 2.9 respectively in his senior year. He won the SEC Player of
the Year award as the leading scorer on a team that went all the way into the Final Four.
As someone who played past his senior year in college, Broome’s profile wasn’t exactly screaming NBA prospect. It didn’t help that his standing vertical was largely made fun of when it went viral at the draft combine.
He did look a bit slower at times in his first crack at a higher level of competition in summer league. He even got dinged for that in Liberty Ballers’ summer grades, however much that is worth. Though his fatigue from going straight from the Final Four to the draft process to summer league was evident. Despite that, he was productive and showed flashes of a skillset that makes him unique.
Broome averaged 11.6 points along with 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals over the summer. The biggest development though was how well he shot the ball. That was hardly ever a part of his game in college. His first three seasons he took less than one three per game. He only shot better than 30% in one season and was only a 60% free throw shooter over his college career.
Not only did he shoot pretty well from deep in the summer, but he did so on pretty high volume. With a clear emphasis on getting them up, he took 5.1 threes a game and made 38.9%.
It’s important to remember how small that sample size is, and that he still only shot 60% from the line in those games as well.
Still, his outlook is a lot better having made those than not.
His ability to carry that shooting over will likely decide how much of a role he has on this Sixers team as a rookie. After Paul George, the forwards are rather thin, and George himself has obviously had trouble consistently suiting up. In terms of fours on the roster with NBA experience, it’s basically just Trendon Watford. Earlier in our previews, we covered how Jabari Walker could be primed for a big bulk of minutes despite currently being on a two-way contract.
If Broome is hitting shots at any consistent clip, it very well could earn him rotation minutes. Like Walker, his rebounding is also a skill that might buy him more minutes. Thanks to a high basketball IQ, that’s always been something he’s done at a high level despite a lack of athleticism. He led his conference in rebounding both at Morehead State and Auburn.
It’s possible that he spends most of the year trying to develop with the Delaware Blue Coats. Something to consider there though is Broome just turned 23. If he’s not able to contribute somewhat soon, especially as a big, that’s a worrying sign.
He adjusted well though to his first NBA level assignment. He plays a position and possesses certain skills that are of need to the team at present. That alone could get him in the conversation for some minutes.
