The BroadCast: 6/20/2018 ~ Draft Pod - The Day Before, with B/R's Jonathan Wasserman

scout and draft writer on staff there. We have gone to the well of Washerman multiple times the last couple of years as we get ready for the draft, and he'll run down his thoughts on what might happen in the top ten, what could go down with these seventy sixers, and some names that will be on the top of his mind on Thursday. Reminder that to subscribe to the podcast, you can go to iTunes, Google Play or a stitcher. Type in Sixers podcast Network and that will take you

to our feed. Please subscribe. We're also on SoundCloud at SoundCloud dot com backslash six ers. If you happen to be someone who holds the title of lead NBA scout and draft writer for any media outlet these days, os are you have probably one busy dude, no doubt. Jonathan Washerman of Bleacher Report, is John, how are you holding up? Man? Yeah, a lot of information out there and you're kind of sorting and filtering through to find out what's real and

what's not. You kind of hear conflicting things from different people, So you know, at this point you're sending out a lot of text messages trying to get a feel for, you know, who's favoring who and who they're looking at. Usually it's a couple guys for each team that they're kind of looking at, and you know, the closer we get, the more what they call misinformation seems to be out there, so at difficult time to really assess who's going where. When the draft is on the doorstep? Is it more

excitement for you when it comes around? Is it relief when it's over? Are there things in between? You know what? There is no relief. I mean, there's definitely excitement, and particularly this year when you know the same guy who could go too could also go nine, and it's just this year is going to be wild in particular, and you know, the draft ends and then all of a sudden you can't you can't help but look forward to the summer league. So there's there's no real relief in it.

This is, you know, such a fun process. I wouldn't be in this business if I was excited when it's over. But no, this is a really exciting time of year, and particularly this year, because I think it's going to be one of the most unpredictable drafts in recent memory. You had a tweet about that, and I was gonna

bring it up to you if you didn't just reference it. Um, what do you think are some of the foremost factors that you would attribute to the fact that this could be so volatile on Thursday night and you might not be able to predict how it plays out. Well, you got three guards and three bigs, and I don't think anybody there's no clear consensus of who's better than who in terms of Bagley Bomba and Jared Jackson, and then the three guards with Trey, Trey Young, Colin Sexton, Guild

Justs Alexander. Everyone has a different order, it seems. M And then you throw Michael Porter Junior into the mix, who came into the year as a number one overall candidate, and now there are questions about his back and whether they're legitimate questions, whether they're they're blown out of proportion, you know, how did he fit into the mix? And then Luca Donche, who could be the best prospect in

this entire draft. Um, and if the Suns passed on him, there are legit whispers out there that Sacramento, Atlanta they're not interested. So there's just so many factors into this uh, into this year's field, and and um, just a lot of parody among the top group of guys. Then there was the news on Monday and followed into Tuesday that Mo bomba Um out of the Philadelphia suburban school Westtown, said that he didn't want to release his medical records

from the Memphis Grizzlies. And I gotta think that's got a a wrench into the way that the top four could play out too. Yeah, I mean that's a big deal. If I'm the Memphis Grizzlies, that worries me. You also, you know, he may be the best player available, but it's very tough to take a guy who clearly doesn't

want to go play for you. There's also the question, particularly with bomba of I assume he wants to come in and be the centerpiece in the middle, and it's tough to picture him and Marcus all fitting together in one lineup, So I could see why Bomba does not want to go there. I could see why the Grizzlies have trouble seeing him as a fit. Even if they do predict him as the best player available, there are going to be other guys who are probably offer equal upside,

who fit the lineup better. So we've got this whole unpredictability thing going on with the top upper echelan slots in this year's draft. Does that necessarily mean that it is a statement or reflection on talent? I mean, there's everyone agrees that the top ten this year is a solid top ten. You could potentially get a star at number eight. Usually you don't say that, so and again, there's just it's very difficult to determine who's better than who.

You know, they all kind of offer different things with Bagley gives you the athleticism and Bomba gives you the rim protection in Jared Jackson is the perfect fit with his shooting and defense, and then Trey Young with his incredible stats and playmaking, but does he have the size and explosiveness to do it? And guilt as Alexander has got the size, but does he have the skill and athleticism and sex and can score, but could he pass?

I mean, there's just so many different questions. But at the same time, every guy with questions has a lot of things to love about them and a lot of upside before we dive into the seventy six ers. And hopefully this isn't putting you on the spot too much at this point in time as it currently stands, do you want to rattle off your top ten and maybe a quick bullet as to why you would make that choice where you would have a guy with him that well?

I think eight is seems setting stone at number one. Honestly, the draft again starts at number two right now. I'm gonna go with Bagley. I think he makes too much sense there. I do know that they like Porter, but I think at number two they would have to they want to Porter. They trade down Atlanta right now, Jared Jackson Jr. But I do know they like Trey Young and could look to trade down as well. Memphis, don Chich I can't imagine they passed there. Dallas five. Honestly,

you know, Bomba. I probably go with Bomba there and then the next three in a row. In some order. I'm still thinking Trey Young goes somewhere in there. Michael Porter, I do think Kevin Knox goes to the Knicks, and I think that at number ten, Philly is looking at Mikl Bridges. Do you think if if Porter, if the news about um the injury had not come out last week, would that have made it all that much more likely that Sacramento could have been even more line to potentially

go with him at number two? You know, I think the news last week was not a big deal. The medical reports, from what we hear, all seemed fine. Nothing new popped up. You know, you knew going in that he's got it. He had the back problem. It's a spasm that held him out from his pro day, from participating. You know, you're looking at the picture five years down the line. I don't think one little spasm here it's going to change your evaluation. So, you know, I don't

know what kind of information the Kings have. I don't know what they heard. The report was from ESPN that he couldn't get at of bed, and then they kind of went backtracked and said it was blown out of proportion.

So again, this is all part of the misinformation thing, and it's all to the eye of the beholder to decide how big a deal it is for the seventy six ers since they started working guys out, going back to last week, probably say the top talent guys that they had in were a Lonnie Walk of the fourth and this is in no particular order of just rattling them off as I think of them. Miles Bridges, Mikail Bridges,

and Kevin Knox twice. Do you think that gives an indication or an idea of what type of player they might be leaning towards at number ten should they stay there? Yeah, you could say that. You could also say that they're going to pick from one of those four guys. I think it's I think it's pretty clear that sure that they would love a wing like this, and particularly one who can kind of play off the ball, and those guys fit. They also fit the tier of talent for

somebody you take at number ten. You mentioned Knox, he's coming twice, but there are a lot of signs pointing that the Knicks do like him. At nine Walker, yeah, he's intriguing with upside, But I think a guy like Mikael Bridges, who obviously has ties to Philly and is the more proven player Philly is kind of looking to win. Now. To me, Michael Bridges is such an obvious fit and

target for Philly. If we now the focus to the three guys, both Bridges and Knocks, do you see the Sixers' fortunes being dramatically better one way or the other depending on which one of those three guys they end up with, or if you step back take a thirty thousand foot surface level view of this, are they within the same caliber type of player? You know, some guys I think are ready to go faster than others. I think you put Mical Bridges in there and next year he is

an immediate rotation player. I think Lonnie Walker is going to need some time, although I do think the NBA is better suited for his game. But he just, you know, last year, he just he came in mid season. It was an ideal. I think he needs some time, maybe I wouldn't say G League, but maybe some garbage time to get his confidence up. I don't know if he's

going to be a regular rotation player right away. It also depends on how they feel their free agent holes Miles Bridges again, also, I don't know how ready he is to come in and score. I guess he's a shotmaker, but he doesn't create much. I keep going back to Michael Bridges. I just think between his defense, his shooting, his efficient offense inside the arc sixty percent on twos,

he just knows how to play within his system. He would be able to play directly to his strengths around star caliber guys, kind of like he did at Villanova. I think Michael Bridges helps out right away. Maybe five years from now. Lonnie Walker has the most upside. He's a couple of years younger Bridges. Michael will turn twenty two in August. But I still think Michael is a guy who you know, like Victor Oladipo had two years in college as a role player, and then he was

a late bloomer and he continued to get better. And Lescotts he talked to all rave about Michael bridges work ethic, and I think if there's an older guy who you can bet on to keep getting better, Michael is one of those candidates. From what you've been able to tell people you've spoken to, was there a defining juncture in Michael Bridges' career that convinced NBA scenell types that all right, this is what this kid is going to be, and he does have this much upside and he's put himself

in that lottery pick top ten category. I think it was just midway through the season when he was just the consistency held up. You know, he started off hot, but you got to be able to kind of keep it going for an entire season, and I think midway through you realized that he wasn't going to fall back, and he continued to shoot lights out. He finished at forty three and a half percent from downtown hit scoring point from nine points to seventeen points. Every other game.

He was hitting the twenties, and we started to see more flashes of shot creativity. I know, the first two years he's more of a cash and shoot mind drive type of guy, and he still is that guy, but every so often you saw a step back, you saw a fall away out of the post, you saw him handled the ball and picking roll situations, and you just get the impression that he's going to continue building on

the flashes that he showed this year. When you look at his three point shooting relative to some of the other guys that he's been the conversation with as far as who goes before who else. I mean someone like let's say a Miles Bridges one hundred and ninety five three point attempts. That's not an insignificant amount, even for someone like Kevin Knox one hundred and sixty seven, that's not a small amount. But for McCall, I mean two hundred and thirty nine and you make one hundred four

hitting that quates out to round forty four percent. That's no small sample size. That seems like it's it's pretty legit, and especially given where he was even going back to his second playing season. Yeah, any good free throw shooter too. I love looking at the free throw numbers and also the eye test. I mean again, every scout evaluates differently. I put stock into the eye test and I look at Bridges take a jump shot. He gets great elevation,

that high release, kind of flick of the wrist. I just you could just really see his jumper translating maybe more so than Miles Bridges. Miles Bridges, you know, he shot poorly from the free throw line his first year, much better his second year. But I just buy into Michael's mechanics, and really nothing against Knox Is either. I think he's got a pretty good stroke too. Who, in your views since the college season ended, helped himself the most?

Who have you seen, perhaps take a few steps back, The guys who helped himself the most have been Kevin Herder from Maryland and Dante DiVincenzo from Villanova. They both stood out at the NBA Combine and then everybody saw it. It It was kind of obvious. Josh Akogi as well from Georgia Tech. They just look like NBA players, and sometimes you got to put him in a setting with other NBA players or potential first and second rounders to really convince yourself that they are legit. So I really

think those guys are top twenty picks. And and and Jerome Robinson as a guy who's kind of heating up Boston College, sat out the combine, but everybody likes him, and then you go back and look at the film and you realize, how the hell did I miss this guy iverage twenty four points during acc play. Honestly, it's tough to really fall down the rankings during this pre draft process. It's really tough to screw up, you know, you're playing one

on zero most of the time. Interviews Mitchell Robinson has raised a lot of questions as a guy who's kind of sat out a lot, and he's somebody who had to prove himself since he skipped a season and then skipped the combine. Not the greatest interviewer Anthony Simons, who comes straight out of high school. I think people are kind of questioning who is he? Is he a point guard? Is he a score? Because if he's a score, he's

really skinny, it doesn't have much bulk on him. Clearly needs to go to the G League, and you know, you never know what you're gonna get with the kid coming out of high school being nineteen. So those are two guys I think Simons and Mitchell Robinson who are wild cards, hey or miss guys. But with so many other people rising, naturally two guys have to fall, and I think those two might be them, and as well as Robert Williams from Texas Say and M and I

stand out. Has the tools, has the athleticism, but two years he showed no improvement as a score, and obviously he can't really show that during workouts, so I wouldn't be surprised if Robert Williams tips slides a few spots in this year's first round. In addition to Kevin Knox, the six was also brought back Sire Smith for a

second time. And we don't get to see all the workouts, but from what we saw on Tuesday, it seems like they tried to put him in situations where he could show his range and his ball handling a little bit more. He had a really impressive athletic dunk and obviously he made a name for himself defensively in his lone year at Texas Tech. What have you been hearing about Sire Smith and why he's been able to peak the interest

of teams. I mean, he's just a crazy athlete and he just turned nineteen years old this month and he made eighteen to forty three's. I know it's not a big sample size, but he can make outside shots, and again we saw flashes of ball handling, flashes of passing, and giving his age and the window he has to improve, there's just a lot to like here. And he's also one of those self made guys, wasn't highly recruited. If you talk to him, listen to him, he's very humble,

not some he who expected to be here. So he's really worked for everything he's gotten, and not one of those guys who just thinks he's got starred him coming for him, Like the way you listen to DeAndre Ayton speak. I mean, he's called himself Shack and Devin Booker as the next Kobe. This is the complete opposite type of mentality.

I think he's one of those guys where if you put him in the right situation, he's gonna look like a steel However, if you put him in a bad situation because he has still limited skill wise, you know, you put him on a team like Sacramento. I worry about his development. I think he needs to go to a place that already has star players. He can play with strengths early as a cutter, as a defensive player, as an energy guy, and then let his confidence and

skill build over time. Actually, I think Philly would be a perfect fit for Smith. Number ten does seem high, particularly given who else will be on the board. But yeah, he's definitely somebody worth looking at if you're Philly. He just seems real workman, like, you know, very much business in his approach, no nonsense, has he been comped to anyone? Ah, He's one of those guys who I think is expect Oh he has he had any comparisons? You know, none come off. None come off the top of my head.

Trying to think really fast now, I can't think of anybody. I could just think it the type he is, the type of player. He's just one of those guys who can who can make an impact without having his number called once. You know, just go out there and make players off the ball, you know, don't take too many dribbles. And there's a niche out there for players like that, particularly if you can land on a team that has other players, other playmakers and scores around you. You're right,

the eye test passed for something. In the two appearances he had with the Sixers the last two weeks, certainly looked like he was doing some good things. Who were some players that you feel could be around at number

twenty six? Should the Sixers hold onto that second slot that they own in the second round, I beg your part in the first round, Yeah, Kyrie Thomas from Crayton, I think would make sense, particularly if the Sixers think they're gonna lose JJ and Bell Nelly Kyra Thomas, as you're a prototypical three D off guard over thirty nine percent from three and three straight years, two time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Doesn't need touches to

be effective. It doesn't need dribbles, I should say, to be effective. Jacob Evans from Cincinnati another similar versatile guy who's not really a score but a very good passer, a very good or at least I should say, a very competent shooter and a guy who can guard a couple of positions. So I think he falls under that same umbrella. You know, Mitchell Robinson's going to be there. He's an upside pick. You know, Philly has two picks.

Sometimes with the second pick, he might be willing to gamble on upside, and he certainly has plenty of it, so he'd be an intriguing option. And how about Grace Nowen. Grace Nowen's hit over eighty threes and three straight seasons. He's a big time athlete. I think he's showing an interviews, at least from what I've heard, that he's kind of passed the immaturity and he's kind of learned from him his miss stakes. He had a setback for a year off the floor. This season, everyone seems to like him

outside of you know, the Duke crowds. But I think that he's gonna I think he's gonna be a surprise player, particularly again if he lands in the right situation where he could play it with strengths as a shotmaker in a transition weapon Kevin Hurder, Do you think his injury news will effect or he goes much? No, not at all. I mean, it's a hand injury. It's not gonna linger.

I think we all know that he can really shoot lights out, and I think as teams kind of saw that he stood at it the combine, they'll go back and look at the tape and realize, Man, this guy average three and a half assists. He can put the ball on the floor and make things happen. He can create shots for himself. He's pretty confident with the step back and the pull up from deep high IQ player, high IQ defender. Obviously, his arms, you know, are not

very impressive physically. He needs to get the weight room. But he's still very young. I think he's still nineteen years old, and as the NBA size, and again, that shooting stroke which every team likes, and I think he's going to fit anywhere he goes. As we're going to wrap this up, we talked a bit about mcal Bridges and how high he might be able to go, potentially to the seventy six ers. What about two other names from Villanova, We referenced Dante DiVincenzo, there's also Jalen Brunson.

How high do you think they could go in an ideal situation in the first round. I think Devencenso goes top twenty. Got an invite to the green room, and history says if you get an invite to the end green room, you're going to go in the range of the guys invited there, and there are twenty guys invited. I think he goes top twenty, and then Jalen Brunson share he can go late first round. There's no reason why. I mean, there are teams who certainly view him as

a potential backup point guard. I think sixers could look at him at twenty six, they could look at him at thirty eight and thirty nine if he's still there. So I'd say Brunson goes anywhere in that twenty four to thirty nine range. Yeah, I think both of them are are legit NBA players generally speaking, Is there anything that distinguishes the quality of talent available in the second round of the seventy six ers have four picks compared to previous years. I mean there's listen, there's just a

lot of good players this year. And I think that there are guys and I've said this before, there there there could be a guy who's number forty on one team's board and he's number twenty one another. It'll be interesting to see how any of these second round picks that Philly keeps, particularly obviously fifty six in number sixty, or if they look to package together thirty eight, thirty nine and twenty six and move up. But if they sit tight, they're going to come away with a lot

of guys. And I'd imagine that at thirty eight thirty nine, they're going to be getting a lot of calls to see if anybody can move up and take one of their second round picks, kind of like Golden State did last year with Chicago getting Jordan bell Man. You just look down the list of second round names and there are a lot who could be on first round boards. Just gonna throw a couple names that you're real quick of guys who have been in with the sixers that

might find themselves available in the second round. Javon Carter, the man of a defensive player out of West Virginia. Yeah, I'm a fan. It's one of those funny evaluations because I have trouble putting in my first round. I also have a ninety percent confidence level he's going to stick in the NBA for ten years. Just you know, undervalued because of his age, because of his lack of athleticism.

But you put him on a second unit and ask him to run the offense, make the easy passes, and then just pressure full court and give the opposing ball handler hell. I think he clearly has an NBA career. Shake Milton, where do you see him? I think Milton's more of a mid second round guy. I question as a ball handler his ability to create shots for teammates at himself. Having said that he's six six, he's been a very consistent three point shooter throughout his career. He's

got the potential to get low and defend. I put him in the mid second round because I think as a ball handler, you want to be able to blow by guys and create, and I'm not sure he does that particularly well. He had a really tough showing at the NBA combine as well, didn't make a field goal in the two games, but a very solid career, do SMU. I think he's worth a shot in the mid second round. You're almost done. Two more names. I feel like this

guy this time last year was very intriguing. Ultimately decided to return to college this year, sticking in the draft. Homadudiallo out of Kentucky. Yeah, d'allo. You know, a high risk, high reward guy. Obviously one of the best athletes in the draft. The question is what does he do well offensively? He doesn't shoot well, he doesn't create well, and he wasn't very convincing defender. Having said that, put him in an NBA team with NBA coaching, let him spend time

in the G League. He's still nineteen years old, I believe, so the window is not closed on him, and you can't teach the natural talent, which his first round caliber that he has. So I think he's a very good by low pick in the second round, but I have about reaching for him in the first last, but not least someone that fans in these parts have been asking him about out of Roman Catholic High School and at Penn State University, Tony Car Do you think he gets

his name called on draft night? I do. I think I think maybe in five to sixty range. He had two CADI of a season. He had another guy who had a really tough showing at the NBA Combine who was guarded by Javon Carger. That didn't help him. But six to five makes over two threes a game, average

twenty points, five assists. He's not a great athlete. He struggles inside the arc under forty percent, which is usually a red flag, but he can't nitpick in the late second round, I think between his size his combo guard potential is shooting, he's worth a pick that late. Jonathan Wasserman, lead NBA scouts and raft writer for Blizer Report. Awesome stuff as always, and thanks so much Man for making the time at this busy stage of your calendar. Thanks Brian,

appreciated always. It's always always good to hear from John Washerman, especially so close to the draft, someone who is steeped in all things draft related year round, and the knowledge shows. Thanks to John for taking the time to do the interview. Thank you for listening. Be sure to check out the various Sixers social channels over the next day to find out how you can stay connected with all things draft related that we're covering leading up to the picks as

they begin to come down on a Thursday night. Talk to you on Thursday with one final draft preview that we got in the works so