Vince Rozman, the Philadelphia 76ers Vice President of Scouting, met with the media this morning to answer some questions regarding the upcoming NBA draft. He obviously didn’t reveal too much information, but he did provide a glimpse into how the Sixers are preparing for the much-anticipated draft on Wednesday.
Here are my five biggest takeaways from the Zoom call:
The Sixers feel very good about the draft.
Rozman mentioned it in response to multiple questions, but the Sixers overall appear to be feeling rock-solid in their draft process at the moment. Some of that might be due to Daryl Morey coming in and overhauling the ordeal, and some of that might be due to the extended period to scout and interview prospects.
Rozman mentioned that him and some of the other front office members have been going back and forth for months, contesting each other over certain players and position fits. The virtual nature of the process was definitely a challenge, but Rozman gave off the vibe that the Sixers were able to properly overcome the weirdness of it all.
Overall, Rozman and the Sixers should be well prepared come Wednesday.
This is Daryl Morey’s show.
When asked about who was leading the Sixers draft process this year, Daryl Morey was the first name out of Rozman’s mouth.
Rozman did emphasize that the current Sixers scouting department spent some time working with Money to “get him up to speed”, but ultimately this draft will be a Morey-led endeavor.
That’s good news.
No specific position in mind (yet).
When asked about how the Sixers targeted a “wing defender” during last year’s draft, Rozman was quick to rebuke that idea. He claimed that the Sixers weren’t specifically targeting someone of Matisse Thybulle’s skillset the entire draft process.
Tying that into this year’s draft, Rozman also emphasized that they didn’t exactly have one type of player in mind at the moment. Obviously, a lot of mocks have them taking a perimeter shooter, but things can always change depending on how the first 20 picks shake out above them.
Draft night trades could very well be in play.
Daryl Morey has a history of shuffling around draft picks in order to get what he wants, so obviously that was a point of emphasis during today’s Zoom call. When asked about the potential of trading picks (either for other picks or actual players), Rozman definitely didn’t rule it out.
Barring a trade over the next two days, the Sixers well enter the draft will five total picks. Just understanding how Morey operates, I would expect at least one of these picks to be moved in some sort of fashion.
Future draft process.
Due to COVID-19, the Sixers (and the rest of the NBA) had to undergo a very strange draft process this season. In-person workouts and meetings were scarce, March Madness wasn’t a thing, and virtual Zoom meetings became the new norm. When asked about the uniqueness of all this, Rozman seemed to feel that some of these tactics could actually carry over into future draft processes.
The idea of meeting with prospects over Zoom allows scouts an from office personnel to establish connections without physically traveling cross country every weekend. This is something that could totally stick in future drafts.
The 2020 NBA Draft is set to take place on Wednesday, and for a lot of people, the Sixers are at the center of attention. They have a ton of roster holes to fill, multiple picks to play with, and a new President of Basketball Operations who’s eager to make a good first impression. Based on what Vince Rozman told us today, the Sixers should be expected to live up to the hype this week.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
