2016 NBA Draft: Winners Of The Draft
Philadelphia 76ers
No. 1- Ben Simmons, LSU
No. 24- Timothe Luwawu, Serbia
No. 26- Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey
Having the top overall pick more times than not makes you an automatic winner in a draft for any professional sport. Philadelphia got their playmaker they so desperately needed in Ben Simmons and now the plan is to watch him bring this team back from the doldrums of the standings where they’ve been living for entirely too long.
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Simmons has drawn comparisons to LeBron James, which is unfair to a kid who just finished his freshman season months ago. In the same breath, his playmaking ability and versatility — to go with his 6’10” 240-pound frame — doesn’t make those comparisons sound too far off.
The 19-year-old Aussie will play the point forward role for the Sixers next season. To see how well he can mesh playing next to Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel will be a situation that is closely evaluated. Since Simmons struggles with his jump shot, ideally you’d want to surround him with big men that can stretch the floor so driving lanes would be readily available. Either way, Simmons has the ability to make it work with whoever he is on the floor with; it will just take time to perfect the chemistry.
Timothe Luwawu and Furkan Korkmaz were the other two selections made by the 76ers in the first round. Both have been considered solid prospects from their respective league in Europe, but only one is planned to come over to the United States.
In the end, have heard both Luwawu and Korkmaz have interest in coming over to NBA. I Expect Luwawu to this year. Korkmaz could be stashed.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) June 24, 2016
Lawawu is a 21-year-old 6’7″ wing with a 6’11” wingspan. His athleticism is the first thing that catches your eye, but over the past year, he has developed a decent outside shot that the 76ers could immediately use. During his time in the Adriatic League, he shot 37 percent from beyond the arc. There is still much work to be done on his defensive skill-set, but the more repetitions and experience he gets in the NBA, the quicker those weaknesses could disappear.
Korkmaz comes with a pure shooting stroke, but struggles in the athleticism category. There have been comparisons to Evan Fournier in terms of his fluidity on the court. He isn’t expected to come over just yet, but another year in Europe will bode well for him to help improve on his athleticism and defense before beginning his NBA career.
Next: A Huge Step In The Right Direction