It’s not playoff season in the NBA at the moment, but it is mock draft season! That tine of the year where everybody rolls out their mock drafts and everybody is obsessed with who goes whenever the NBA Draft rolls around.
This year’s draft is a bit different than others as the NBA world continues to deal with the effects of the novel coronavirus. The draft will no longer be held on June 25 and will be held at another time and the draft lottery has also been suspended as the league tries to figure it out.
The Sixers will keep all options open as they head into this 2020 draft, but they do need playmakers as much as they need shooters. In a mock draft done by Jonathan Wasserman over at Bleacher Report, he has the Sixers selecting Nico Mannion from Arizona.
Wasserman on Mannion:
A projected lottery pick early in the season, Mannion now looks like a possible value pick later in the first round. He lacks burst for blowing by or finishing, having totaled just 15 field goals at the basket in the half court. But there is enough skill tied to his shot-making versatility and passing for Mannion to serve as a useful second-unit guard.
Mannion averaged 14.0 points and 5.3 assists and he shot 39.2% from the floor. His 3-point percentage went up and down all season and it shows that he can potentially become a 3-point shooting playmaker in the NBA. The Sixers do have a need for a backup point guard in the draft so Mannion is a legitimate option. [lawrence-related id=30630,30622,30611]