It feels much different talking about the draft this time around as compared to the last four years when the team had at least a top three pick every time. In the early stages of The Process, the Sixers were looking for a foundational talent to build around by accumulating as many assets as possible. The Sixers actually made it out fairly well with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Markelle Fultz was taken first last summer but the purpose of that pick was finding a great prospect to compliment two of the main guys as opposed to searching for the main guy.

This time around...well.. the Sixers are still drafting in the lottery with the 10th pick. But things are different. COMPLETELY different. 

The Sixers won 52 games, Embiid and Simmons established themselves as two of the youngest stars in the NBA and the organization is looking to add a big-time free agent. Drafting in the lottery as a 50 win team is a luxury --courtesy of the Lakers-- and with that comes a lot of avenues you can explore, with the pick itself or what type of player you want at that pick.

With the news of a certain MVP Candidate wanting to be traded out of San Antonio, I know that any trade the Sixers look for will certainly involve the 10th pick. For now, Let's focus on the draft prospects the Sixers could be looking at on Thursday. For this draft, in particular, you want to of course draft for talent, but at the stage this team is at, they can afford to also factor in need and fit into the equation. I would start to address two things that became very clear in the Celtics series.

Need more shot creation from the perimeter

First, the Sixers needed more shot creation on the floor.  Simmons was limited when it was just him running the show dominating the ball. The Celtics built a wall in transition with 3 or sometimes four defenders already back in position, and they sagged far back off of Simmons while hugging up on the Sixers shooters. It's why JJ Redick, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, et. al struggled shooting the ball for most of the series, and when they had the ball they were forced to create something from the perimeter, something they weren't equipped to do. The team was most effective in that series when Ben Simmons and TJ McConnell shared the court together. You had another ball handler who could penetrate and collapse the defense --somewhat-- and Simmons could work off the ball where he was by far the most effective in the series. 

Lack of athletic two-way guards and wings

The second thing that was glaring in that series was the team's lack of athletic wings and guards on the defensive end. Mix that in with their two best perimeter defenders --Simmons and Covington-- struggling to stay in front of anyone, the defense was constantly under stress.

Again, TJ McConnell was the most effective player defending Celtics' guard Rozier, as he is like-size at 6'2, can maneuver around screens easier and can cause more havoc at the point of attack. Simmons and Covington's value is switching 1 through 4, it's why the defense finished 4th this year, and while they can check guards, having to guard them possession after possession was the one thing that gave them trouble all year. The Sixers could've used Washington Markelle Fultz or other guards in the 6'2 to 6'5 range to stay with the "waterbugs" as Coach Brett Brown likes to say.

The Celtics also made it a point to use Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to hunt down Saric, Redick, and Belinelli in pick and rolls, switches and post-ups because they were weak links defensively. Since the Sixers lacked complete two-way players it left the coaching staff in a bind. Do they sacrifice shooting and spacing for defense? Or keep the integrity of the offense but just live with the guards getting hunted down and roasted?

Luckily there are some two-way wing prospects in the draft as well as athletic guards that can create off the dribble that should be right in the 10 range for the Sixers.

Lonnie Walker

I'm really high on Lonnie Walker. The 6'4 combo guard has a 6'10.5 wingspan and has flashed elite burst and athleticism especially off the dribble. His measurables project him to be able to defend both guard spots and maybe even some wings as he fills out his body. 

What's intriguing about Walker is his ability to shoot off the dribble, and off the catch. He only shot 35% from three but he has a clean and repeatable stroke. It's also important to note that Walker entered the season recovering from a torn meniscus in his knee, which contributed to the slow start to the year. Miami also had a lot of guards which forced Walker to find a role on the fly. 

When he was inserted into the starting lineup full time in January his numbers shot up and so did his percentages. In his first 14 games off the bench, he averaged 8.3ppg/2.7rpg/1.3apg on 42/31/68 shooting but in his last 18 games when he started he jumped to 14/2.5/2.4 on 42/36/77.5 shooting splits, showing vast improvement as the year went along and as he was recovering from injury.

Walker needs to work on his handle, it's basic and he does get in trouble sometimes taking that one extra dribble to get at the rim. His handle has caused him to take off too early on layups, but he is the type of combo guard with upside that the Sixers need. 

In today's NBA having wings and multiple ball handlers on the court is at a premium, and Walker could absolutely fit next to Markelle Fultz --if his jumper comes back-- and Ben Simmons. He can even run pick and roll with Joel Embiid which would be a deadly combination when you throw in Walker's athleticism. 

Kevin Knox

The 6'9 swingman from Kentucky boasts a 6'11 wingspan, along with scoring ability and flashes of creating off the bounce, which fits the profile of the Modern NBA wing. Players being pigeonholed into roles that may not showcase a prospects entire game has been a running thing every year whenever Kentucky reshapes it's team with a lot of one and done players, and this year's team was no different.

Knox averaged 15.4 points per game on shot 34% from three but like Walker, Knox has a clean stroke and a lot of circumstances factored into his percentage. He had to take a lot of tough threes because had three players in the starting lineup that shot under 33% from three including one who shot 22% and one who didn't take any threes at all, which meant no spacing. That also led to a steady diet of contested two-point attempts.

He also had to shift roles as full control of the team went to fellow one and done prospect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who assumed the starting point guard spot in January. So we have not seen what Knox is fully capable of, especially if he has a defined role along with NBA coaching and more importantly NBA SPACING.

The Sixers worked out Knox on Friday and he said that Brett Brown wants him shooting threes and handling the ball, and he has the potential to be the scoring wing the Sixers need. He also has the measurables and athleticism to play defense and switch 1 through 4 when he is engaged.

What I've come to figure out over the years is that sometimes lack of defense from a college player can be overstated for a lot of reasons. We saw how unexpectedly good last year's 2017 draft class was on that end of the floor, and I have reason to believe that Knox will change his feelings towards playing defense if he is coached by Brown.

Knox is also one of the youngest prospects in this draft class. He won't turn 19 until August which gives him more years to develop his game. 

Mikal Bridges

I was all in on getting Mikal Bridges throughout the season but in the recent months, I've begun to soften my stance a little bit. First, let's go over his value as a player. The junior is 6'7 with a 7'2 wingspan and every year he has improved his three-point shooting to the point where he is a knockdown three-point shooter. He shot 43.5% from three this past season at Villanova and really made his mark shooting off the catch and coming off of screens. He is also a very athletic transition player that would be a perfect fit running next to Simmons and Embiid.

He does need to work on his handle quite a bit, and his frame is slight at the moment, but if he adds on 15 pounds at the next level, he projects to be a wing that can switch 3 positions and in some cases 4's. He's seasoned at 22 years old, so while the upside "might" be limited, he is a plug and play player from day one. He also has a great work ethic so who knows. Maybe he does improve more than what scouts expect. He improved vastly every season he was in college.

He does have trouble staying in front of quicker guards, much like Simmons and Covington. Bridges has average lateral foot speed, so while his immense value on defense should come in the form of switching, if you have him defend a quicker guard possession after possession you could get burned. 

Conclusion/Verdict

I left out Miles Bridges because I am completely out on him as a player, and I left out Michael Porter Jr. because while some mocks have him dropping to the 10th pick or out of the lottery, there is absolutely no way that happens. If Porter does drop there, I don't mind the Sixers taking a swing on a player who was considered the number 1 draft pick before the season started when he was healthy, though the back concerns do scare me.

If I had a mini-Mock draft of the players projected to be available at 10 I would go:

1. Kevin Knox

2. Lonnie Walker

3. Mikal Bridges

If the Knicks don't take Knox here, then I think he should be the guy for the Sixers. I think if you look at Knox's upside at age 18 going on 19, it's really enticing, and with a defined role I think he can contribute right away. He won't force bad shots because Embiid, Simmons, Fultz, and --insert free agent here-- will command a lion share of the touches. Knox can grow in terms of shot selection, versatility on defense, and provides a much-needed jolt of athleticism on the perimeter. I think Knox checks off both boxes in terms of shot creation from the wing position and upside in a young prospect.

If we are comparing Mikal Bridges and Knox as prospects, I'll take the younger player who has more upside. I have no doubt Bridges will be a good pro for a long time, but Knox at this stage as a player was better than Bridges was by a long mile. If Knox and Walker are gone, Mikal would be a good player to pick at 10 anyway because of his floor so it wouldn't be a bad pick at all. It would definitely help the team. 

Lonnie Walker is also a good choice here because he provides athleticism, defensive potential, and the ability to shoot off the dribble at the guard spot that was lacking for the Sixers all year. Walker could also play in multi-guard/multi-ball handler with Fultz and Simmons. Walker is also really young and has the upside to grow. I think when we look back at this draft, it wouldn't shock me if Walker was one of the best players in the draft.

Part of the reason this offseason is the most important in franchise history is that the 52-win Sixers have a good opportunity to pick a really good player in the lottery that would add on to the team's young core. Even though two of the three players on my mini-mock board are one and done freshmen, I think all three have the skillsets to contribute right away.