The Philadelphia 76ers season ended with a thud as they fell in Game 7 of the Eastern semifinals to the Atlanta Hawks at home. Now, their attention must turn to the offseason and the improvements the team can make in order to continue on their title quest.
The Sixers missed a guy who can break down a defense from the perimeter and create his own shot. Philadelphia has a guy like that now in Tyrese Maxey who showed off a lot of potential for a 20-year old kid, but the Sixers need more than just Maxey.
As they now know where they will select in the 2021 draft at 28 overall, it is time to begin looking at the draft closely. In a mock draft performed by ESPN, they have the Sixers selecting Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas:
Abmas would represent another step in adding more scoring options to the 76ers’ rotation. He ranked as the most efficient half-court scorer in college basketball, largely thanks to his ability to make difficult shots from beyond the arc operating out of pick-and-roll. His range, savvy and speed should also allow him to see time playing off the ball.
Abmas is coming off a sophomore season where he averaged 24.6 points and 3.8 assists. He also shot 43.3% from deep and he is not afraid of the big moments. He averaged 26.7 points and 40% from deep in three games in the NCAA Tournament so there is a lot to like about his game.
He can break opponents down which means he can create his own shot. That is a skill that the Sixers are really missing at the moment, especially when defenses tighten up in the playoffs. Philadelphia was able to hit on Maxey in 2020, maybe Abmas can be the next guy.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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