Why Luka Dončić is the Only Option for the Sixers On Draft Day
There’s a less than ideal narrative surrounding the 76ers and the NBA lottery. We’ve seen our fair share of busts, injuries, and bad trades. That’s all process talk and it is time to change the narrative for good.
Now that collar boy is gone let’s get excited about a smart decision for this year’s draft. Brett Brown making decisions right now is calming actually but he needs to make his impression as interim GM a good one and even if someone new is in there by the 21st they’ll have to as well. What better way to do this than possibly the safest draft pick in recent years?
Before I get into what Dončić has proved himself to be, I want to talk about our latest lottery picks. I’ll simply list these names and let the name recognition alone make you want to vomit.
Michael Carter Williams, Joel Embiid, Jahlil Fucking Okafor, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz.
And let’s not forget Nerlens who we didn’t draft in ’13 but sure as shit traded Jrue Holiday for knowing he was already injured.
These names spent the first season or more hurt, stink on ice now, or are a nice combination of both.
No, we didn’t appreciate Hinkie in his time and, yes, the Process paid off. But the Sixers have been abysmal in the draft and I’m ready for a change.
The reason Dončić is the only choice in the draft this year (and is well worth a large package of picks) is threefold. First, the dude is a STUD. I’m going to copy and paste his Wikipedia career highlights and awards for you and I’ll see you in an hour when you get to the bottom of them:
- EuroLeague champion (2018)
- EuroLeague Final Four MVP (2018)
- EuroLeague MVP (2018)
- All-EuroLeague First Team (2018)
- 2× EuroLeague Rising Star (2017, 2018)
- EuroBasket All-Tournament Team (2017)
- 2× Liga ACB champion (2015, 2016)
- Liga ACB MVP (2018)
- All-Liga ACB First Team (2018)
- 2× ACB Best Young Player (2017, 2018)
- 3× ACB All-Young Players Team (2016–2018)
- 2× Spanish King’s Cup winner (2016, 2017)
- FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (2015)
- EB Next Generation Tournament champion (2015)
- EB Next Generation Tournament MVP (2015)
…the kid is 19. What were you doing before 20? It sure as hell wasn’t any of this.
This is also the second reason he’s the only pick. He’s young and already producing at a professional level. There are grown ass men over there in the EuroLeague that he’s making look like your fat cousin playing pick-up at the 4th of July barbeque. This also means he’s cheap so we can save up money for a big name free agent.
The last reason that the Sixers are going to trade up for Dončić is the biggest one.
He’s move-in ready.
Scouts are calling him the most league-ready player in years and this is what I’m trying to say is the key to a lottery win the Sixers need to change the narrative.
No one that’s going to be around at 10 will be worth drafting. I’m not saying they’ll all be busts but I am saying why risk it? If we’re not going to trade up to 2 or 3 on draft night if the Suns pass, and especially is the Kings pass, we have two package-able first round picks and a plethora of assets that we should trade for a young-ish proven talent (*cough* DeRozan *cough*) if we decide to pass on Dončić.
All those names I listed had extremely high ceilings and could have been (and will be in the case of Ben and Jojo and hopefully Markelle) phenomenal players but their floors were also extremely low and we saw them tumble on down to the unfinished basement.
Dončić has a floor higher than Tatum and Mitchell who I think we can safely say would’ve been welcomed picks had we not traded up for Markelle. So even if the scouts are wrong and he’s not some immediate all-star, he’ll still be a contributor on what will be a championship caliber Sixers lineup.
Where will he fit, you ask? Let’s assume, sadly, that we cannot afford for JJ to return. I love JJ and I’m not going to get into that right now. But let’s not forget about that little free agent the Sixers are the new favorites to sign.
Imagine this lineup ladies and gents:
- Ben Simmons
- Luka Dončić
- Dario Saric
- Lebron James
- Joel Embiid
Then you have a Markelle that can hopefully shoot running the second team with Roco, Bellinelli, Ersan, TJ, Holmes etc.
Give me the rings. Give me all the rings…
You’ll say I’m a know-nothing casual basketball fan from the suburbs and what the hell do I know about any of this and I’ll say you’re absolutely right but I’ll also say I’m a gambler.
And gambling on Dončić is the safest bet I would ever make in my entire life.
Put the MF’ing mortgage on Dončić.
And if they pass on him June 21st I think we’ll all be kicking ourselves come next Christmas when he’s killing it on the Kings, Hawks or whoever takes him.
So let’s roll the dice one last time.
Let’s finish this dark era we’ve all persevered through so long and move on to an era of banners, rings, and parades for the Sixers.