Petr Cornelie (28.0 draft position – unlikely to be available) 6'11" 210 PF/C 20 years old NBA Comparison: James Augustine + Range (I see much more Ersan Ilyasova in him) What he does well: Awesome size/athleticism combo, good three-point shooter What he doesn’t do well: He’s weak, even for a 4, and he needs more seasoning. Question: Can he add the strength quickly enough to make a difference? Bottom Line: With strength, he could be a capable stretch four. Way too early stat thoughts: 4+ years, 17 MPG, 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds per game Do I want him? Yeah, very much so, honestly. Juan Hernangomez (29.0 draft position – somewhat unlikely to be available) 6'9" 225 PF 20 years old NBA Comparison: Victor Claver/Jonas Jerebko What he does well: He runs well, has a super high motor What he doesn’t do well: Play 1 on 1 defense, show awareness defensively, make the right decision Question: Can he develop the awareness necessary to stay on the floor in the NBA? Bottom Line: He’d be a nightmare on the floor for LA right now, but he could be a stretch 4 in the future Way too early stat thoughts: 5 years, 5.0 points, 3.2 rebounds Do I want him? Not really, as I think Nance is a better version of him.
Ben Bentil (30.0 draft position – somewhat unlikely to be available) 6'8" 229 PF 21 years old NBA Comparison: Sam Clancy / PF skills in Wilson Chandler body What he does well: Score in the post, stretch the floor okay, has intriguing physical tools What he doesn’t do well: Play an NBA Game, have an advanced post game Question: Can he overhaul his mindset to make him an effective NBA player? Bottom line: Could be an Al Jefferson-like scoring presence, but hasn’t really played anything like the role teams would want him to play in the NBA. Way too early stat thoughts: 4 seasons, 15 MPG, 6.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG Do I want him? He has interesting skills, but he's not a good fit here. Zhou Qi (31.0 draft position – somewhat likely to be available) 7'2" 218 PF/C 20 years old NBA Comparison: Loren Woods with an outside shot What he does well: He’s huge, moves well, and he can shoot. What he doesn’t do well: He’s weak, plays soft, particularly on defense, and he’s often watching the ball. Question: Can he gain the bulk needed to play the 4 or 5 consistently? Bottom line: He won’t be ready for a few seasons, but after adding nine pounds in the past six months, he’s on the right path. Massive upside, but tons of work to do. Way too early stat thoughts: 5 seasons, 5.7 points, 4.2 boards Do I want him? He'd be a project, but I'd welcome him.
I just do not think there is any way Philly passes on Simmons. While Ingram looks like a sure thing, a player who can run your offense with the skills, size and athleticism of Simmons is an absolute rarity. He looks like one of those collegiate players whose skill set translates better to the NBA. Philly can't pass on that. And at the end of the day, I am elated to have either player. And if Maker somehow slides to 32 and we steal him, I'm celebrating big time.
I think the Lakers have to work out Simmons at some point, you have to cover all bases. It's entirely possible the Sixers surprise people and take Ingram or someone else #1 and then we don't have Ingram at 2 or we have to choose between him and Simmons. The FO has to be prepared for that scenario and I'm sure they will be.
