The Philadelphia 76ers are slowly taking care of business to end their season, losing nine of their last ten. Despite that, the Sixers remain in a tenuous position regarding their first-round draft pick, as the pick will be sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder should it fall outside of the top six selections. Thanks to their continuous loss, the Sixers are currently tied for the fifth-worst record in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets and are surely hoping desperately to retain their first-round selection.
Tonight, the first Sweet 16 games of March Madness will be played, setting the stage for players to separate themselves from the pack. With powerhouses set to take the stage, there are a few key players that the Sixers should keep their eyes on, just in case the basketball gods decide to let the Sixers keep their valuable pick. For this list, I decided only to select one player per team. Otherwise, this article would have only been about Duke basketball’s outstanding soon-to-be lottery picks Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach.
Khaman Maluach – Duke – C
Khaman Maluach isn’t the flashiest player at Duke. Nor is he the best player at Duke (that says more about Cooper Flagg than Maluach). That doesn’t mean that Maluach isn’t going to be a great player at the next level.
The 7’2″ Maluach is an intimidating presence in the paint with the footwork and speed to close out on perimeter threats or play effective drop coverage. His 1.2 blocks and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils both rank second on the team as well, putting him just behind Flagg in both categories.
While his defense is his best quality as a prospect, the 18-year-old center is also no slouch on the offensive side either. His counting stats don’t necessarily scream offensive superstar, but scoring 8.4 points a night while shooting 70.7% from the field is nothing to scoff at.
Maluach has not yet missed a shot in the tournament, going 8-8 in 38 minutes of play so far. He is primarily seen as a lob threat but has solid mechanics and has shot a promising 75.4% free-throw percentage; Maluach may eventually develop into a player who could stretch the floor at least to the midrange.
While he may not be the most polished player in the draft, the freshman big man is my number-one-ranked center in the class. Coming to the Sixers, Maluach could join a center room mentored by Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid.
Learning behind a legendary center like Embiid, who similarly didn’t start playing basketball until his teen years, would give Maluach a great base to succeed in Philadelphia. Another similarity between Maluach and Embiid is that they have both worked closely with NBA Academy Africa Assistant Technical Director Joe Touomou while growing up in Africa.
The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils take on the fourth-seeded Arizona Wildcats tonight at 9:39 p.m. ET.
Current Mock Draft Positions:
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Round 1, Pick 11: Chicago Bulls
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Round 1, Pick 10: Chicago Bulls
Draft Digest Staff, Sports Illustrated: Round 1, Pick 6: Brooklyn Nets
Derik Queen – Maryland – PF/C
Derik Queen has enshrined himself in the March Madness history books with his buzzer-beating jumper against Colorado State to lift Maryland into the Sweet 16. In that game, Queen ended up with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks, stuffing the stat sheet to the fullest in the hard-fought 72-71 victory. He even hit two three-pointers in the game, something he has only done two other times this season.
At 20 years old, Queen is a little older than the two other prospects on this list but is easily the highest rated when it comes to current mock draft positioning, and it’s easy to see why. He is a very polished interior scorer who can back down anyone in the post. Queen is also someone who can find ways to score, often creating his own shot.
Standing 6’10” at 245 pounds, his strength, speed, and footwork allow him to score and rebound in a way that seems like it will translate to the NBA. Queen currently leads the Terrapins in points with 16.2 a game and is also tied for first in rebounds per night with 9.1.
The main concern with Queen is his defense. While he is a high-energy player, he is an offensively focused talent who wants to score the ball inside the paint. While he may be able to hide on defense alongside a legitimate rim protector, he isn’t the kind of player who will be able to slow down another sizeable offensively talented big like Anthony Davis or Victor Wembanyama, not unless he can make massive strides defensively.
Queen would benefit from some time in a backup role, playing as the sixth or seventh man behind Joel Embiid. In that role, he could be a key driving force for the offense while matching up with backup centers on the defensive end. Then, after a year or two of development, he may be able to elevate to a starting role at either the four or the five.
The fourth-seeded Maryland Terrapins take on the first-seeded Florida Gators at 7:39 p.m. ET.
Current Mock Draft Positions:
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Round 1, Pick 5: Philadelphia 76ers
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Round 1, Pick 5: Brooklyn Nets
Draft Digest Staff, Sports Illustrated: Round 1, Pick 10: San Antonio Spurs
Egor Demin
Egor Demin may not go as early as pick six in the draft, but he may start shooting up boards by the time the draft rolls around. At 6’9″, the 19-year-old BYU point guard had a solid first year with the Cougars, helping lead BYU to a postseason appearance as a sixth-seed. With wins over both VCU and Wisconsin, Demin could continue rising up draft boards. After all, what’s not to love about a tall, international point guard who played only one year in college?
Before that last sentence fully sinks in, allow me to state that Demin is also a willing three-point shooter, ranking third on the team in three-pointers attempted per game with 4.6. While he didn’t have the year he wanted from beyond the arc, shooting only 28.1%, the guard has a solid shooting motion and mechanics. With the proper refinement and coaching, Demin could become a solid three-point shooter at the next level.
While Demin was asked to score his fair share of points for BYU, he is at his best when he can set the table for his team. He averaged a team-leading 5.4 assists per night, running the offense. Demin also knows how to use his size and length to play stingy defense at the point of attack. With a 7-foot wingspan, Demin is tied for first on the team with 1.1 steals a night.
While the Sixers have a plethora of talented guards right now, with Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes leading the way, Demin may be worth considering early in the draft if he starts rising up teams’ draft boards. His physical tools and stable play at the point guard position could have teams looking to add the Russian guard earlier in the draft than some expect.
The sixth-seeded BYU Cougars play second-seeded Alabama at 7:09 p.m. ET.
Current Mock Draft Positions:
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Round 1, Pick 14: Houston Rockets
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Round 1, Pick 18: Utah Jazz
Draft Digest Staff, Sports Illustrated: Round 1, Pick 13: Houston Rockets
Sixers outlook
While the Sixers may not have a first-round draft pick by the time May rolls around, as of right now, they can still hope to make a game-changing selection at the NBA Draft in June. While the obvious hope is that somehow the Sixers leap all the other bottom feeders for Cooper Flagg, that is extremely unlikely. Each of the players above could provide a solid return next season, as well as upside for the future as a future running mate for Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey.
