Philadelphia 76ers: 2020 NBA Draft Preview

It’s not often that a team with so much talent and promise brings in a new head coach and president but that’s exactly with the Philadelphia 76ers, who were left scrambling for answers after the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

The Sixers, like the rest of the world, have been disconcerted by their ability to amass as much talent as any team in the league but experience only moderate playoff success. Now Philadelphia is wondering whether or not their franchise cornerstones fit well together and what to do if not.

With five picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, the 76ers will have plenty of opportunities to find players that blend in smoothly with their star duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Related: Full Philadelphia 76ers 2020 Salary Cap Preview

2020 NBA Draft Picks

No. 21 overallNo. 34 overallNo. 36 overallNo. 49 overallNo. 58 overall

Sixers Draft Needs

There’s no way that a team with Simmons, Embiid, Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson should finish the season ranked 20th in the league in points per game but that’s what happened in 2019-20. Many believe that the Sixers need a new point guard and it’s hard to argue that point with Simmons preferring to emulate Magic Johnson in a league that has most of their point guards trying to mirror the playstyle of Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard.

The best way to put it: Philly just needs to re-tool and re-arrange their roster.

Moving Simmons to power forward, where he could excel because of his size, ball-handling and athleticism, should be the 76ers’ first order of business. However, that doesn’t mean that he won’t act as the team’s de facto point guard; Simmons will and should be the Philadelphia’s primary facilitator.

As a result, whatever point guard they may select in the first-round — whether they stay still at 21 or try to move up in the draft — can be a scoring-minded player.

Adding scorers to the bench is also a necessity, as the Sixers’ bench ranked 26th in the league in points per game (32.0).

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

No. 21 overallNo. 34 & 36 overallNo. 49 overallNo. 58 overall
PG Tyrell Terry, StanfordPG Tre Jones, DukePG Immanuel Quickley, KentuckyPG Markus Howard, Marquette
PG Kira Lewis Jr., AlabamaG-F Elijah Hughes, SyracuseG Grant Riller, CharlestonPG Yam Madar, Hapoel Tel Aviv
PG Theo Maledon, ASVELG-F Robert Woodard II, Mississippi St.G Sam Merrill, Utah StateSF Kenyon Martin Jr., IMG Academy
PG Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas TechSG Desmond Bane, Texas ChristianG Skylar Mays, LSUC Nick Richards, Kentucky
PG Malachi Flynn, San Diego St.C Udoka Azubuike, KansasPG Payton Pritchard, OregonC Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State

What The Mocks Are Saying

The RingerJosh Green (No. 21)
The AthleticDesmond Bane (No. 21), Cassius Winston (No. 34), Isaiah Joe (No. 36), Vernon Carey Jr. (No. 49), Josh Hall (No. 58)
USA TODAY SportsTyrell Terry (No. 21)
CBS SportsGrant Riller (No. 21)
The ScoreDesmond Bane (No. 21)

Projected Roster

PGBen Simmons
SGJosh Richardson
SGMatisse Thybulle
SGShake Milton
SGZhaire Smith
SGMarial Shayok*
G-FFurkan Korkmaz
FTobias Harris
PFMike Scott
F-CAl Horford
CJoel Embiid
CNorvel Pelle
*Two-Way Contract

Team-by-Team NBA Draft Guides

AtlanticCentralSoutheast
BostonChicagoAtlanta
BrooklynClevelandCharlotte
New YorkDetroitMiami
PhiladelphiaIndianaOrlando
TorontoMilwaukeeWashington
NorthwestPacificSouthwest
DenverGolden StateDallas
MinnesotaLA ClippersMemphis
Oklahoma LA LakersNew Orleans
PortlandPhoenixHouston
UtahSacramentoSan Antonio

More: SLAM’s 2020 NBA Draft Preview