The Hink Tank: Doug McDermott, Final Chapter

I started this blog series with the intention of educating people about who the Sixers could potentially take with the #10 pick had all of my top 8 players been taken, with that being said, I hope all of my writing is for naught tonight. I hope one of the top 8 like Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Noah Vonleh or whoever fall to 10, that would be just swell. But as all must do in times like these, I must prepare for the worst while praying for the best and that's why I have to consider the possibility that if Nik Stauskas gets taken 9th and the Sixers really want a shooter/scorer, Doug McDermott may be their selection…

"3" ain't just a number on a jersey no mo'

DOUGIE MCBUCKETS. Everybody's favorite white boy stealing the college basketball scene the likes of which we haven't seen since Jimmer Fredette. One thing the two players have in common, they can shoot the lights out, at least in the college game. As we all should know by now, Fredette didn't exactly pan out in the NBA as his one real skill was shooting the ball into a hoop from a very long ways away, but the athletic standard increase from the NCAA to the NBA proved too much for the Mormon hero. McDermott has a little more staying power than Jimmer, though. McDermott's offensive skills set is much more polished. Here comes another Dirk Nowitzki comparison but McDermott's ability to shoot from long range combined with his post and fadeaway game, makes him similar to Dirk in many ways. Only problem for McDermott is that Dirk can get away with that stuff because he's 7 feet tall, McDermott is only 6'8". That translates into the man being a really slow small forward, or a very much undersized power forward in the NBA, not exactly ideal for any defensive situation. The true question for McDermott is how well he can make his offensive game work against the elite defenders in the NBA.

As previously mentioned, McDermott's biggest weakness is his inability to play defense well. His feet move too slow for him to guard NBA small forwards, he isn't long enough to contend with people playing similar position(s), he doesn't have the strength to contend with the typical NBA power forward, and his lack of a true position in the NBA may ultimately be his downfall. He's also not as much of a ball handler and distributor as one like Dario Saric projects to be. To me, McDermotts pans out to be a bench shooter and that's not exactly what I think the Sixers are looking for with the 10th pick. Another thing working against McDermott is his age. At 22 years old already, he is as old as they come in the NBA draft and that allows him even less time to develop than a project player who's only 18 or 19 would have. This does give McDermott the element of experience, but will that experience even matter when most players in the NBA have much more than he does anyway?

Still, someone will take a chance on the senior from Creighton. May God bless their soul. McDermott truly is a guy whose draft stock is greatly helped by the fact that he's the John Wooden award winner and has a name carrying a lot of weight. Unfortunately for him, if his skills don't translate over to the NBA like he hopes they will, all that name weight will disappear and he may just float away (literally) across the Atlantic to a Euro team. If there is one saving grace for McBuckets, it's that his ability to shoot (hopefully) isn't going to just go away. Teams will always need shooters and as long as he remains crafty enough to find a way to get his shot off, you can bet there's a good chance it's going to go in.

South Street Draft Rating: 3/10

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OH! And by the way, the NBA Draft is TONIGHT. Coverage starts at 7 pm on ESPN, expect the actual draft to begin at like 8-ish. Remember tonight is not about what could have been, but what will be. Trust Hinkie and the system and have fun. Enjoy tonight. There is bound to be times when you're confused as to how the Sixers got Jeremy Lin and a 1st round pick for absolutely nothing but don't be alarmed, all questions will be answered in time.

Previous Editions:

Nik Stauskas

Dario Saric

Zach LaVine

Gary Harris

The Hink Tank: Nik Stauskas

Tongue out like MJ, 3 balls like Ray Ray

For my 4th edition in my series leading up to the NBA draft where we are looking at some lesser known prospects that are outside of the top 8 who could potentially be the pick for the Sixers are #10, we will investigate the skills and ceiling of Nik Stauskas, probably the best wing player in the draft outside of Wiggins, Jabari and posssssiiiblyyyy… Aaron Gordon? If you're stretching the term that is. Anyway, he's a 6'7" SG out of Michigan with a 35.5" vertical, not bad for a Lithuanian-Canadian white guy, but his main skill is shooting, and boy, can he shoot. Here's some proof.

Stauskas is such a good shooter that he's sort of being labeled as a one trick pony in this draft. Comparisons to J.J. Redick are prominent and that's exactly the label Stauskas is trying to shake. The question legitimately is, whether or not Stauskas can develop into more than a spot up shooter. Obviously shooting is an important skill in the NBA, but is it really worth a top 10 pick in a loaded draft class just to get a one-dimensional player? I would be hesitant to think Hinkie would answer "yes" to that question. It took years before it was discovered that Redick was a useful player beyond shooting in this league, if Stauskas is drafted to the Sixers it won't take nearly as long to figure out his usefulness.

That's mostly due to the fact that the Sixers would throw him into the fire right away. And that could be a good and a bad thing for Stauskas who, certainly has NBA range on his shot, but is not as NBA ready in other aspects of his game. Ball handling and quickness are Stauskas two biggest improvement areas. Still, Stauskas has the size to see over most NBA 2-guards and his length would mesh well with the 6'6" MCW. Plus a SG that can start next to MCW and shoot the lights out would be a welcome sight in Philadelphia.

That's mostly the only argument that needs to be made for having the Sixers draft Stauskas. The Sixers need shooting, desperately, and Stauskas is the best player in the draft to provide that. At Michigan, he shot over 44% from 3-point range and made over 2.5 threes per game. Just what the doctor ordered for a team with a bunch of broken jump shots. The Sixers drafting of Stauskas though, relies heavily on what the team does with the #3 pick. If they take Exum, Wiggins or Parker, the need for another wing isn't as pressing (but the need for shooting still remains). If the team roles the dice and takes Embiid, than a shooter/wing will definitely be needed.

So far, I've looked at 4 prospects and have said that pretty much all of them would be good fits in Philly and that's mostly true in a vacuum. The Sixers need talent everywhere and all of these prospects are talented in their own way, but in order for the Sixers to bring the most out of these prospects, they have to draft in a way that gives them the best chance to succeed. For example, drafting Joel Embiid and Dario Saric could be a catastrophe because you probably can't start Embiid, Noel and Saric together unless you want to have a freakishly tall and slow defensive front court. Which is probably not going to work in today's NBA where quick guards rule the court. Likewise, if you draft Exum with the #3 pick, it doesn't really make sense to take Gary Harris or Stauskas because then you won't have a true SF to start; just two PG's and a SG. I think the best route for the Sixers to go is to link together a wing and forward, what combination of players they'll choose to draft and create that link however, is anybody's guess. Hinkie will have his "stone face" on for the rest of the draft.

South Street Draft Rating: 5/10

Next up: Doug McDermott

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ONLY 5 MORE DAYS!!!

Previous Editions:

Dario Saric

Zach LaVine

Gary Harris

The Hink Tank: Dario Saric

Not an accent I can get behind… 

After taking looks at two players who played basketball in the United States last season, Zach LaVine and Gary Harris, today I'll take a look at the draft's biggest mystery prospect after Dante Exum, Dario Saric. Like Exum, Saric is a lottery talent from overseas and not much is actually known about him since he has never played basketball in the States. With that being said, based on what we do know from the 6'10" power forward out of Croatia, he has the potential to be the next international superstar in the NBA if someone is willing to take the risk on him. Saric could be the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki, if Dirk could actually um… run… and pass… and handle the ball… at all.

Let's start off with a quick highlight video (ignore the musical choice) of the 20 year old...

DraftExpress.com's breakdown of Saric offensively versatility.

From watching him play you can already tell that he was born to play in transition, which if the Sixers offense continues in the same way as last year, would be perfect for the big man. One thing that stands out to me is the way he handles the ball like he's a guard, a stereotypical point-forward in the making. Only problem is that the Sixers don't really need a point-forward with MCW at the helm. Still, versatility in any way, shape or form is exactly what Hinkie craves and exactly what Saric provides, especially offensively. Based on his scouting video from Draft Express, Saric likes to spot up more than anything, which shows that he knows how to shoot the ball (or at least he thinks he does), a skill that would be especially valuable when paired with Nerlens Noel. However, after spot ups, the rest of his offensive repertoire is pretty evenly spread out and his highest points per possession come from transition and cutting to the basket so he's clearly the most efficient when playing that style.

Speaking of Saric's skills when paired with Noel, one of the reasons the Sixers could actually take a chance on the Croatian is because of Nerlens' skill set. Nerlens, as a defensive minded center, allows for there to be room in the front court for an offensive-minded player. Also, since Saric likes to space the floor so much, the lane won't be clogged up and then Nerlens can run rampant and reign over the rim with his shot blocking while also having plenty of room to develop his post up skills. All of these skills and more give Saric a pretty damn high ceiling, but based on the history of most European prospects, it's unlikely he ever reaches it.

Sure, Saric could become the next Nowitzki, but plenty of other European prospects have come into the league under the same pretense. While Saric does handle the ball like a guard and shoot pretty well for a big man, those aren't necessarily skills that instantly convert over to the NBA. He still has plenty to be desired when it comes to getting stronger and putting on weight if he is to guard anybody of size and stature in the NBA. He also can be seen running circles around players in the Adriatic League (Croatia, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Slovenia, etc.), but you can be pretty damn certain that players in the best league in the world are going to be much quicker. In order for Saric to be truly successful, he's going to have to learn to bang with the big boys and keep up with the little ones. There's no way for him to get out in transition, where he's most effective, if everyone on the court can run right by him.

Another problem involving Saric is whether or not he is personally ready to play in the NBA. There are reports out there that Saric would only be willing to make the transition next year if he gets drafted to the Lakers or Celtics. Which raises the question if he would actually ever play for the Sixers and if so, how long would it take for him to come over to the States? Is Saric worth the risk at #10 when he could just become the next European bust and/or not even come overseas for a couple years? I, for one, would be pretty disappointed if one, or both of the Sixers 1st round picks this year didn't play a single minute for the team next year (looking at you, Embiid) and I would assume the rest of the Sixers fan base would become pretty disgruntled too. Obviously, I still believe in Hinkie's plan but I think we're all getting anxious to see what this team can become, especially after all the hype there's been leading up to this draft.

At the end of the day, Saric could become a very good fit in Philadelphia and be the steal of the draft if he develops into the next Dirk. At the same time it would be a "calculated risk" drafting him, but there's no one I trust more than to make a calculated risk than Sam Hinkie. Be on the lookout for whoever drafts Dario Saric next Thursday, a very high risk, high reward type of pick.

South Street Draft Rating: 7/10

Next up: Nik Stauskas

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Previous Editions:
Zach LaVine
Gary Harris

The Hink Tank: Zach LaVine

Two days ago, I began my series that will be taking an in-depth look at who the Sixers options will most likely be at pick #10 and who they should take. My first installment focused on a SG out of Michigan State named Gary Harris. This second installment will look at another wing player who this time is from the University of California Los Angeles, Zach LaVine.

The name of the game with LaVine is upside, as a 19 year old freshman who can jump 46 (!!!) inches in the air, the ceiling may only be an obstacle on his way to the moon. LaVine has the most pure athleticism in the draft outside of the top 5 guys and may even rival Wiggins for most athletic in the draft, so that should put him into perspective for you. Also, LaVine is seen as a more than capable shooter from outside, that talent can be seen in the following video. Be sure to note how easily the flashy dunks look for him towards the end of the video. Still, even with all the shooting talent and athleticism, LaVine is one of the highest risk players in the draft.


Considered to be a raw talent, there's a lot that has to come to fruition for LaVine to be the player he's actually capable of being. At 6'6", the length and quickness is there to become a shutdown defender in the league, but whether or not that pipe dream is ever realized is another question. Another question mark of LaVine is how well he can handle an advanced scoring load at the next level. As the season wore on at UCLA, LaVine'e stats slowly took a turn for the worse as he took on more of the scoring responsibility for his team. For the season, LaVine didn't even manage to average double digit points per game. Part of LaVine's struggles were due to his inability to read into what a defense was throwing at him; he's also only an average ball handler, which doesn't bode well for the kid who hopes to become an NBA point guard. The good news for LaVine is that all of those problems are coachable, so long as he is willing to work hard.

So how does LaVine ultimately fit in with the Sixers? He's clearly a much more risky choice than a Gary Harris would be, but does that mean he's the wrong choice? Based on how the Sixers played this year, (1st in the league in PACE) LaVine could find a real nice niche in Philadelphia. First and foremost, he fits the need of a pure backcourt shooter that the Sixers desperately need to pair with MCW. Also LaVine thrives on the fast break so he would have no problem keeping up with the Sixers offense. Obviously I don't want the Sixers to "waste" a draft pick on the most high risk player in the draft if he turns out to be a bust, but the Sixers have one of, if not the best developmental staff in the entire NBA and if anyone can fix LaVine's problems, it's them.

LaVine is a really good look for the Sixers for 3 reasons:

1. He'll almost definitely be there at 10, there's a very low chance anyone inside the top 9 takes a chance on him.

2. He brings the most talent and upside to the team out of anybody outside of the top 8 and after the season the Sixers had, they need as much of that as they can get.

3. Sixers may be the best fit for LaVine in the league outside of like, the Spurs, because everybody's a good fit with the Spurs. LaVine combined with the Sixers coaching staff and offense may be the perfect storm for the freak of nature that is Zach LaVine. I think the worst LaVine becomes under the Sixers coaching staff is a future 6th man of the year, and I'll take that.

Zach LaVine will be the most "hindsight is 20/20" prospect in the draft, but I think his future success, more than anyone else, hinges on what team actually takes him. If the Sixers don't take a chance on him, I don't blame them but it could spell bad news for LaVine's career. Hinkie loves to take chances on players but that's usually when the stakes are a little lower than a top 10 pick in a loaded draft class. If Zach LaVine's name gets called to the Sixers on draft night, fans should know that the Sixers landed themselves a real wild card who could turn into a MCW-esque steal, or a Hasheem Thabeet type bust. Only difference is that LaVine won't be the Sixers only pick in this year's draft and will by no means be a franchise defining pick, so there's some extra motivation for buying into the risk. And seriously though, how could you be upset on draft night with getting a guy who jumps like this…?

South Street Draft Rating: 8/10

Next up: Dario Saric

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Previous Editions:
Gary Harris

The Hink Tank: Gary Harris

We are officially 17 days from the long anticipated NBA Draft and so I have decided to start a series that takes a look at who the Sixers could take with the 10th overall pick assuming all of my top 8 players have already been selected. For me, the top 8 players (in no particular order) consist of: Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Noah Vonleh, Julius Randle, Dante Exum, Marcus Smart, Aaron Gordon. If the Sixers can get any of those 8 with the 10th pick than I will be absolutely thrilled, but when it comes to Philadelphia sports, it's safe to say we've grown to be pessimists. So without further ado, let The Hink(ie) Tank begin!

The first prospect that I want to take a look at is the 6'4" sophomore guard out of Michigan State, Gary Harris. Gary Harris is one of the best shooters in the draft, even if you don't hear his name thrown around with the Doug McDermott's or Nik Stauskas's, of the draft. If you need proof other than my word, watch the video below:

Obviously when no one's guarding him and it's his video he can edit it any way he wants to in order to make him seem better than he really is, still, his shooting mechanics are pretty much perfect and it leads to a smooth, easy stroke. Also in this case, those are uncut shots of him making jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper… and there's much more to Harris as a player than just shooting. Harris mentions in the video that he personally thinks that one of his strengths is defense and most scouts tend to agree. While Harris has no where near the potential ceiling of some of the freak prospects in this draft, his ability to shoot and play defense has his floor higher than most prospects as well.

Best case scenario probably has Harris' career coming out to be a "super" role player on a winning team, something like Manu Ginobili is right now at his current point in his career and that might even be a little too high for him. But worst case scenario for Harris only has him as a bench player/borderline starter who can come in and provide shooting without being a liability on defense. That makes him a player who can be very valuable to teams at the right price.

Is Gary Harris the flashiest pick the Sixers can make at number 10? Absolutely not. In my personal opinion, I think this Sixers team needs to acquire as much potential talent as possible, even if that means not hitting on every prospect. Therefore, if the Sixers do end up taking Gary Harris with the 10th pick after my top 8 are off the board, than I can honestly say I will be a little underwhelmed. He's just such an "eh, okay" pick to me, which is basically the opposite of my reaction to everything Hinkie has done thus far as GM. Still, he's a good fit for the Sixers and could end up being a smart pick depending on how whoever they pick at #3 pans out. Fans should just make sure they monitor their expectations slightly for the 10th pick if the Sixers do end up calling Harris' name on June 26th because his upside is certainly not as tremendous as people may be expecting after all the hype surrounding this draft.

South Street Draft Rating: 6/10

Next up: Zach LaVine

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