The NBA Draft will take place on November 18, 2020, and the pool of players who will be available has largely been determined. Unless trades occur, the draft order is pretty much set in stone. The draft combine and individual team workouts have yet to be held, but experts and analysts are already guessing which teams will take which players. The Sixers hold the 21^st pick, their only first round pick in the draft, acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder. They also hold four second round picks, the 34^th, 36^th, 49^th, and 58^th. After viewing many different mock drafts and listening to the experts’ opinions, these are my ideal picks for the 76ers.

Pick 21: Isaiah Stewart PF (Washington)

Stewart is a 6’9”, 250-pound power forward/center from Washington University. Stewart is a solid pick for the Sixers if they retain Al Horford, but if they trade away Horford, Stewart could step right into that backup forward role and wreak havoc. He is a physical beast, who outmuscles and outweighs just about everybody who defends him. He is a fantastic post player, with an arsenal mainly consisting of jump hooks, up and unders, and bullying the opposition. He is also a fantastic defender, with his 7’4 wingspan helping him average 2.1 blocks per game in his sole year in college. The Sixers desperately need defense off the bench (especially if they ship out Horford) and Stewart can provide that. However, despite all his physical gifts and great post touch, he lacks one thing the 76ers desperately need: shooting. While this may be an issue, a backup forward who can shoot is not necessarily a role the Sixers need filled. Mike Scott, Kyle O’Quinn, and even Mariol Shayok can fill the shooting role at the power forward when necessary. With help from Joel Embiid, Stewart could grow into a dominant player

Pick 34: Jahmi’us Ramsey SG (Texas Tech)

Ramsey is a 6’4”, 195-pound shooting guard from Texas Tech. While the Sixers have a bad track record with drafting shooting guards from Texas Tech (Zhaire Smith), I believe Ramsey would be a great fit for the Sixers. Ramsey is a 3PT shooter, which the 76ers desperately need, shooting 42.6% from three in college. He is also a solid defender, averaging 1.3 steals per game and an impressive 0.7 blocks per game as a 6’4” guard. His defensive rating (average amount of points allowed per 100 possessions when he is on the floor) is a 93.2, which is fantastic. While 3PT shooting and defense are his strengths, he also has some weaknesses that can’t be overlooked. He shoots poorly at the line, only shooting 64.1%. Ramsey also doesn’t get to the free throw line nearly enough, with only a .233 free throw attempt (free throw attempts per field attempts, FTA) rating. Such a low FTA rate makes it obvious that he isn’t aggressive driving to the rim, and instead tends to settle for outside and midrange shots. However, when he does get to the rim, he finishes well. Ramsey’s combination of shooting and defense make him a versatile threat.

Pick 36: Cassius Winston PG (Michigan St.)

Winston is a 6’1”, 185-pound point guard out of Michigan State. While he may not be the tallest or strongest, his fierce competitiveness, outstanding playmaking, and outstanding shooting always make him a threat. Winston once dropped 32 PTs and 9 REBs in a win over rival Michigan University (who was 12^th ranked nationally at the time). He possesses elite playmaking ability, as is shown from his 5.9 assists per game, which put him in the 24^th spot for assists per game through all of Division I college basketball in 2019-20, behind other big names such as Tre Jones and Ashton Hagan. He’s also a fantastic scorer, as his 18.6 points per game in college had him ranked at 58^th in the country out of the 4,500 Division I basketball players. His impressive shooting would also be a big help to a Sixers team desperately in need of floor spacing. He shot 43.2% from three and 85.2% from the free throw line, which are both well above average. Winston is also a solid defender averaging 1.2 steals per game. However, looking at his stats and his game, he has one negative continuity that cannot be overlooked: his turnovers. He averaged 3.2 turnovers per game, and on January 12^th, against Purdue, he had NINE turnovers. Winston would make a solid backup point guard to either Shake Milton or Ben Simmons, whichever way new head coach Doc Rivers decides to go, but I foresee him spending time in the G-League to start his career.

Pick 49: Immanuel Quickley SG (Kentucky)

Quickley is a 6’3”, 188-pound shooting guard out of Kentucky. Quickley lives up to his name with his blazing speed. He is a fantastic scorer, outstanding shooter, and all-around scoring beast. He shoots 42.8% from three and 92.3% from the free throw line, which is good for third in the NCAA for all of last year. He gets to the line often, averaging over five free throw attempts per game; he had one game where he went 14-14 from the line. While he is a gifted scorer, he does have some glaring weak spots. He has a reluctance to pass and tends to keep the ball to himself instead of moving it around to open teammates. He also struggles mightily on the defensive end, averaging only 0.9 steals per game and 0.1 blocks per game. He’s a bit on the older side of the draft at 21 years old, which causes worry among many fans and analysts. I’m not concerned because it means he has more experience, and the Sixers have a good track record drafting older players in the draft, such as Matisse Thybulle, Landry Shamet, and Mikal Bridges. He will be a solid shooting guard in the G-League until Doc Rivers decides to call him up onto the active roster.

Pick 58: Sam Merrill SG (Utah State)

Merrill is a 6’5”, 205-pound shooting guard out of Utah State. To put it simply, Merrill is an opponent’s nightmare. He is a great shooter, has tremendous ball security, is a great passer, and a solid defender. He literally does it all, and at a very high rate too, which leaves me wondering why he is projected to go so late. His great shooting is obvious with his 46.1% from the field, his 41% on threes, and his 89.3% from the line. In a word, efficient. His great ball security is exemplified by his lack of turnovers, with only 1.6 per game, his assist to turnover ratio, which is a 2.5. His solid defending is shown through his defensive rating which is a 96.3. He only has two downsides in the eyes of scouts, and I only view one of them as an actual downside. He is not a great rebounder, which is an issue, but not really a large issue at the SG position. He’s also one of the oldest prospects in the draft at 24 years old. This bothers many, but similar to Quickley, the Sixers have a good track record of drafting older prospects. He’ll be a great asset for the Blue Coats and could very well get legit minutes for the Sixers this season.