The NBA draft is a week away and a new batch of mocks dropped following the conclusion of the Finals. Parsing through the different projections for the Sixers at pick 22 reveals new names compared to mock drafts after the combine.
With new president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey, in position to command the war room for the Sixers, the 22nd pick will be the first revelation as to his team-building strategy moving forward.
“With Cleveland I’ve always been pretty good with the draft, I think we’ve
drafted well,” Gansey said last week on 97.5 The Fanatic. “We’ve been able to hit on some guys, you know, through the G-League, two-ways, you know Dean Wade, Sam Merrill. Those guys who helped us win playoff games this year we basically got for free.”
Confidence in his drafting ability is a major plus, however the limited time he has had between getting the role of president of basketball operations and the draft has presented a new challenge.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, “the 76ers are still relatively early in their decision-making process and will begin bringing in players for workouts this week.”
Better late than never, but the condensed timeline has drawn more uncertainty over the Sixers mindset heading into draft night. Below is who national draft experts have Gansey picking with just a week until the draft.
Dailyn Swain, SG/SF, Texas
The 6’7” Swain put up a strong season at Texas, averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He showcased his athleticism through savvy finishing at the rim, coast-to-coast decision making in transition, and opportunistic defense. He has a knack for picking off lazy passes and is a determinded rebounder on both ends.
The mark on Swain’s resume revolves around his three-point shooting. In two seasons with Xavier, Swain shot 20% on 54 attempts from deep. His improvement at Texas, 34% on 93 attempts, is a good sign, but the jumper will need to be sped up a few notches when facing NBA-level defense. Both Woo and SBNation’s Ricky O’Donnell have the Sixers picking Swain at 22 in their most recent mocks.
Woo said of Swain:
“There are still questions around his shooting, but teams view his ability to get downhill and solid defensive upside as worth the long-term investment.”
Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State
USA Today’s Bryan Kalbrosky has the Sixers taking Iowa State senior Joshua Jefferson with the 22nd pick. The 6’9” forward put up 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 35 outings for the Cyclones. He used his larger frame to consistently create positioning in the post for easy finishes or passes to open teammates.
He showed a confidence to pull-up from three-point range and his shooting form appears sound and quick enough to transfer to the NBA level. His decision-making and passing prowess made him an offensive initiator for Iowa State, and saw the ball in his hands often to make the right play or take the open catch-and-shoot jumper with no hesitation. He shot 35% on 110 attempts from three last season.
Jefferson’s athleticism yields more towards power as opposed to speed, but he has room to grow displaying such on the defensive end and as a screener.
Kalbrosky on Jefferson:
“The All-Big 12 standout was an impactful dribble-pass-shoot forward who got hurt during March Madness and otherwise could have come into the pre-draft process with even more hype and momentum due to his unique skill set.”
Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C, Houston
Houston freshman Chris Cenac Jr. has become a popular choice for mock draft curators projecting the Sixers pick. The popularity stems from Cenac’s measurables as compared to his statistical output last season. He is 6’11” in shoes, has a 7’5” wingspan and 240-pound frame.
He averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game. Cenac showed confidence with his jump shot even if it did not bear fruit, shooting 30% on 90 attempts. He shot 62% from the free throw line on 58 attempts, and registered only 1.3 “stocks” per game (steals plus blocks). He played intelligent off-ball offense on a team with a strong ball-handler in Kingston Flemings, utilizing backdoor cuts and crashing the offensive glass for easy opportunities with the defense out of position.
Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor and Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman have the Sixers taking the chance on Cenac at pick 22.
O’Connor provided well-rounded context on Cenac:
“Houston handed him a starting role with national title aspirations and trusted him with heavy minutes. But the Cougars fell short again, in part because Cenac struggled to stay out of foul trouble, couldn’t score efficiently, and was overeager to play on the perimeter despite having the body of a bruiser. He arrived in college with lottery expectations, and he still could become that player in the future. But the NBA team drafting him is taking a project.”
With this new slate of projections to work off of, let us know which prospect you would take at pick 22 for the Sixers in the comments.
