How an ESPN draft expert predicts the Sixers’ selection, and why Jared McCain could be a fit
ESPN's Jeremy Woo chatted with The Inquirer about the prospects who could be available in the post-lottery range for the Sixers, along with his overall thoughts on this draft class.
It is mock draft season, when national outlets predict how this month’s NBA draft will shake out pick-by-pick.
That is always a tricky task, given that one surprise move can torpedo the whole endeavor. But it is particularly challenging to project the 76ers’ approach, according to ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo. Although the middle of the first round is where teams can find value, Woo said, the Sixers are about to enter an important offseason in which they could use the 16th overall pick as a trade asset to pursue a star or win-now complementary player.
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“It’s going to be interesting with them, with the cap-space dynamic,” Woo told The Inquirer this week. “I don’t really know what they’re going to do. I think it’s just an interesting situation to watch, and [the pick is] a good chip for them to have to try to improve the team.”
Woo chatted with The Inquirer about how he makes mock draft selections for a team like the Sixers, the prospects who could be available in that post-lottery range, and how he views this draft class overall.
(Note: This interview has been edited slightly for length and clarity.)
Q: This draft is considered to be weaker at the top. But how do you view the middle of the first round, where the Sixers are slated to pick?
A: Once you kind of get into the middle of the first round, and I think there are teams that sort of view it this way too, I think that’s where the value may end up coming from in this draft. Because it is sort of flat, so to speak, at the top. There’s probably a handful of guys who have separated themselves as top picks, but once you move past sort of that top group that’s sort of emerged, then it kind of becomes eye of the beholder.
You’re kind of projecting out, in some cases, “This 19-year-old, how much better can he get?” The Sixers’ pick is kind of right in the middle of that range, where either someone unexpected might fall, or you take a shot on someone who has similar upside to someone who has gone maybe five picks earlier. So I don’t think it’s a bad spot to be in, and I don’t think the draft is necessarily bad. It’s just a very challenging draft this year at the very top.
Q: How do you go about making mock selections for a team like the Sixers, who have two stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and are in win-now mode, but the rest of the roster is uncertain entering the offseason?
A: Some of the way we do it is intel-driven. You think about Philly, it’s interesting. It’s almost hard to mock for them, knowing that they might want to maximize their cap space and knowing [president of basketball operations Daryl Morey] has a history of trading away picks and not necessarily caring about draft capital. You wonder if there is a spot where they could trade. Do they want to save that cap hit to use on a free agent? Like you said, it’s a win-now situation. And I don’t know if they know what the answer is. Maybe if no one you like is there, they trade out. We’re considering that. Other teams have sort of speculated this to me, too.
Daryl typically, when he drafts, he’s going to take a big swing. If someone falls with good upside, you just take a shot, right? And it worked with Maxey. Obviously, I don’t think he should have fallen as far as he did [No. 21], but these things happen. So maybe there is a guy they like who falls, and they take a shot and it ends up panning out. But if not, maybe they look to explore other stuff. But I would say they’re a hard team to mock because you’re kind of guessing off habits. It’s also hard to know who’s going to be there.
Q: You have Duke guard Jared McCain projected to go to the Sixers in your latest mock draft. Can you expand on why you think he could be a good fit?
A: He may come off the board in the three or four picks ahead of them. But if he’s there, I think Jared’s an awesome player, in terms of he brings a lot to the table intangible-wise. He’s going to maximize his talent. He’s a very good shooter already. He’s a smart player. He can play off better players.
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I think that’s the type of young player that can actually help their situation, where there’s a degree of readiness and preparation for the NBA that will I think help with the adjustment. He has the skill with his shooting. And he can play off the ball, so he can fit with Maxey. He doesn’t have a ton of size, but I could see that being a fit if he does fall there.
Q: If you had slotted McCain a couple picks earlier, is there somebody who would have been your second or third choice at 16?
A: [USC point guard] Isaiah Collier, if he falls to 16, I think that’s interesting. I could see that being the type of guy that attracts the Sixers, purely just because of the upside. He’s a guy who was once ranked top five in the class, and maybe that’s an opportunity to get him while his value’s lower. I think that’s the type of move that can make sense for this part of the draft. Take a swing on someone on the talent more so than the fit.
Q: Some of the other national mock drafts have Pittsburgh guard Bub Carrington (The Ringer) and Colorado forward Tristan da Silva (CBS) as the Sixers’ pick. What can you share about both of them?
A: Carrington is kind of the similar idea. Younger guy. Definitely an upside swing. Might not be there [at 16]. If he’s there, maybe you think about investing in the development of a guy like that, who has a chance to be a pretty dynamic ballhander. He might be a little younger maybe for Philly, specifically, than they’d want in terms of big-game experience. But I think he brings interesting things to the table long-term, for sure.
And then da Silva is sort of the opposite route, where he’s older. But I think teams view him as he has a defined role in terms of being able to play both forward spots and shoot it and move the ball. He kind of checks a lot of different boxes without being truly elite in any one area. But if you have star talent in place, a guy like that who kind of helps to sort of fill in gaps in these lineups and maybe can deliver minutes as a rookie that are meaningful, I think that’s why he has a good amount of interest right now.
» READ MORE: Can the Sixers draft an impactful player at 16? History shows it’s a crapshoot.
Q: Who are some other players who could slip to just out of the lottery and be available at 16?
A: [Baylor guard] Ja’Kobe Walter is a guy who could maybe fall a little bit. A long shot, maybe [G League Ignite forward] Ron Holland gets into that range. [Kentucky guard] Rob Dillingham could be there. Beyond that, I think those are probably the ones who are “lottery level” who could fall a little bit.