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Compiling a big board from our current roster of active staffers can prove to be a bit of a challenge, considering how many people there are. But considering the number of big boards here, even if a lack of knowledge is given, we have at the very least a comprehensive number of opinions. So either we've got a good read on the draft, or we've got a lot of opinions, and they all stink.
16 ballots were cast - 15 from Liberty Ballers characters, and another one counted from the Liberty Ballers community. Keep in mind this was a SIXERS-CENTERED board, not a general one for all teams. For the sake of the calculation, any person left off a voter's ballot entirely got a score of 21 to calculate to average score. 29 total players received votes: apologies to Christian Wood, Rashad Vaughn, J.P. Tokoto, and Terry Rozier for not making the Top 25 listed below. Perhaps next year. (Not next year)
25. Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
Average: 20.25
Ballots: 5/16
Dave Rueter (ranked Jones 20th): National Champion, Tyus Jones, played with two top-8 draft picks, yet at times looked like the best player on the court. He also seemingly hasn't missed a free throw (88%) since 11th grade, when Tyus was still reeling from the series finale of Dexter. One of the knocks against Jones is his slight frame, but he's not Muggsy Bogues either. Can he hold up as a starting point guard playing 30+ minutes in the NBA? And can he play enough defense to justify playing 30+ minutes?
24. Montrezl Harrell - PF/C, Louisville
Average: 20.06
Ballots: 5/16
Matt Carey (ranked Harrell 20th): What can I say about MONTREZL that I haven't already said about him in almost three years as the chief hypeman for Team MONTREZL. (You need the all-caps for effect.) MONTREZL is an explosive athlete. MONTREZL is a great offensive rebounder. MONTREZL is not the atrocious shooter he used to be. MONTREZL has a 7-4 wingspan. SEVEN FOOT FOUR. He's a classic NBA role player who will be on somebody's bench doing MONTREZL things for the next decade and you will wish he was doing them for your team. Thinking about trading back into the first round? Look no further than MONTREZL.
T-22. Delon Wright - PG, Utah
Average: 19.00
Ballots: 5/16
Wesley Share (ranked Wright 17th): His age has held him back, but Wright is, to me, the best point guard in the draft once Russell and Mudiay are off the board. He has great size at the position, a knack for crafty playmaking and could stick most NBA guards/wings tomorrow if he had to. He may come with less appeal than a more upside-y type prospect, but there are few outcomes that don't involve him at the very least being an incredibly useful rotation player. A team in the mid-late first would be more than lucky for that type of player to fall into their lap.
T-22. Justin Anderson - G/F, Virginia
Average: 19.00
Ballots: 7/16
Kyle Neubeck (ranked Anderson 19th): Versatile, plus-level defender who showed off improved range during his final season at Virginia. Not going to be a guy you're relying on to produce offense on his own, but he'll be an asset to whatever team ends up selecting him. After seeing his shooting form improve dramatically between his sophomore and junior season, I'm reasonably confident that he has the talent and drive to round out his game over time.
21. R.J. Hunter - SG, Georgia State
Average: 18.44
Ballots: 11/16
Roy Burton (ranked Hunter 20th): I'm a bit concerned about the sharp decline in Hunter's shooting percentages this past season, but I think much of that can be attributed to defenses keying on the 6'6" guard. Hunter should be able to get cleaner looks on the next level, and if he finds himself in an offense that caters to his strength as a spot-up shooter, he could be one of the steals of the first round. He may not be more than a guy who runs off of screens for a living, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in today's NBA, is it?
20. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson - SF, Arizona
Average: 17.38
Ballots: 11/16
Sean O'Connor (ranked Hollis-Jefferson 11th): The NBA finals MVP award went to a player who locked down LeBron James for enough possessions that his team could score enough on the other end of the court to win the series. Hollis-Jefferson does not have the same total package Andre Iguodala had entering the league, specifically related to his court-vision and shooting, but he's got the athleticism, motor, and wits to figure out how to be productive on offense with the potential upside of an All-NBA defender. I want that guy on my team. Even though I will need a season or two to rebuild his jumper.
19. Jerian Grant - G, Notre Dame
More NBA Draft
Average: 17.31
Ballots: 10/16
Jake Pavorsky (ranked Grant 13th): A really versatile guard who can play either position, Grant capped a great career at Notre Dame by thrusting himself to the forefront of college basketball this year. He's quick off the dribble, can facilitate an offense, and is solid on the defensive end as well. He has the tools to be a starter in the NBA for many years.
18. Devin Booker - SG, Kentucky
Average: 17.25
Ballots: 9/16
Sean O'Connor (did not rank Booker): Shooting is a skill that can be developed over time. Some players may never develop that skill. Booker doesn't have much to worry about there - he can already shoot. But surprisingly, shooting is a skill that is not necessarily translatable between college and the pros. Just last year, Nik Stauskas and Doug McDermott were lottery picks for their shooting prowess, and each provided nothing but a sub-league average three-point shooting percentage. If anything, you look for players with obvious talents in addition to elite shooting if you want that shooting to translate, because teams can snuff out good shooters. If Devin Booker has that second element to his game, I'd like to see it.
17. Sam Dekker - SF, Wisconsin
Average: 17.13
Ballots: 12/16
Dave Rueter (ranked Dekker 12th): Dekker's name has appeared all over mock drafts, from as high as 8 to as late as the low-20s. Do you believe in the uber-athletic Dekker who can defend and make enough jump shots to be dangerous? Or do you see Dekker as another name on a rapidly growing list of athletic wings whose jumper never passed through airport security. He is one of the more polarizing players in this draft.
16. Frank Kaminsky - PF/C, Wisconsin
Average: 16.88
Ballots: 10/16
Justin F. (ranked Kaminsky 10th): Projected to be a solid NBA role player, the 7-foot Wisconsin big man is as tall as he is awkward. His outside shooting is uncanny for a man his size, and being 22-years-old, he should be ready to contribute immediately in the NBA. Frank Kaminsky is the most B1G player ever.
15. Kevon Looney - PF, UCLA
Average: 16.59
Ballots: 13/16
Matt Carey (ranked Looney 16th): Looney is somebody who I don't like, but I can't quite figure out why I don't like him. A large part of it likely revolves around some of the early hype he received, which I never really bought, and that people kept pretending he was an athletic marvel, when that's really not who he is. He hung around in the lottery in my early big boards, but I never really committed to him. Where he's projected now, in the late teens, I like him a lot more. There's clearly some raw potential to work with there, and he'd make a nice stretch four along either of the Sixers centers.
14. Cameron Payne - PG, Murray State
Average: 16.50
Ballots: 11/16
Shamus Clancy (ranked Payne 11th): Payne's rise up big boards this draft cycle is part of what seems like the annual rise of mid-major point guards, following in the steps of Damian Lillard and Elfrid Payton into the lottery. Possessing nice court vision (AST% of 40.0%), the ability to finish in the lane (FG% of 62.8% at the rim) and that three-point stroke (38.0% from deep), Payne should be able to succeed in a variety of situations either as a lead ball-handler or a dual-point guard scheme at the NBA level.
13. Bobby Portis - PF/C, Arkansas
Average: 16.38
Ballots: 15/16
Michael Levin (ranked Portis 18th): Pavorsky made me play devil's advocate to his BoPo love for much of the season, but I really do like Portis quite a bit. He didn't kick much ass at the combine, but he did kick much ass over the course of the season. I look at him like he's everything you wanted Ed Davis to be, and he's already better at it. Kid performs in game, and he's still got room to develop. I think he's a starter and a winning role player in the right situation.
12. Trey Lyles - PF, Kentucky
Average: 14.31
Ballots: 15/16
Matt Carey (ranked Lyles 17th): Lyles is a guy that I haven't known what to make of all season. I think he's a good outside shooter, but I haven't seen it. I think he projects well as a defender, but he was bad at it at Kentucky, which was certainly aided by the fact that he was essentially playing small forward, a position he will likely never play in the NBA. He strikes me as somebody who we'll either be scratching our heads as to how he didn't get picked in the top 10, or scratching our heads as to why a team spent a lottery pick on Kentucky's 4th best player. That may seem like a cop-out answer, but I just can't figure out what I think about Trey Lyles.
11. Myles Turner - PF/C, Texas
The Mock Draft Extravaganza
Average: 12.06
Ballots: 16/16
Marc Whittington (ranked Turner 14th): Turner is a player that I like more as a prospect than I do as a prospective Sixer. Embiid and Noel make him rather superfluous, as his ceiling isn't as high as either of theirs, and having three center prospects feels excessive. That said, he is a terrific prospect who is underrated vis-a-vis his peers in this draft. He has two elite skills as a shot blocker and a shooter, and both translate well to the modern NBA. His fit with this team may be dubious, but in the late lottery, he's value that's too good to pass up.
10. Kelly Oubre - SF, Kansas
Average: 11.69
Ballots: 16/16
Justin F. (ranked Oubre 13th): One of the draft's more raw prospects, the 6'7" forward out of Kansas presents interesting upside for teams drafting in the late lottery. While due to draft lottery circumstance not all that likely to be a realistic possibility when the Sixers pick, Oubre's rawness and defensive prowess tick off some boxes Sam Hinkie looks for in draft prospects.
9. Willie Cauley-Stein - C, Kentucky
Average: 9.25
Ballots: 16/16
Sean O'Connor (ranked Cauley-Stein 5th): Cauley-Stein does not make sense for a team looking for an offensive star to build around. But other than Nerlens Noel, there hasn't been a better defensive prospect to come around in years. In a league whether switching defenses have become more and more popular, WTCS may be among the two or three best switching centers in the NBA upon his being drafted. 4-on-3's won't happen often with this man on the floor, and simply taking away that option is maybe the best defensive move in the NBA right now. And he's improved his offense enough where he's not a liability.
8. Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
Average: 7.69
Ballots: 16/16
Marc Whittington (ranked Johnson 8th): Johnson has gotten a bad rap on LB of late, and I don't fully understand the lack of enthusiasm for him. He's the third youngest player in the draft, having only just turned 19 a month ago. He's got great size and length, and, unlike most 19 year olds, strength is anything but a concern. Moreover, it's not as if he had a poor year at Arizona— he put up a line of 19-9-2 per 40 minutes. "Safe" picks don't necessarily lack potential. Johnson is safe, and his upside certainly isn't on the level of Winslow or Hezonja, but he does have potential.
7. Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
Average: 6.06
Ballots: 16/16
Marc Whittington (ranked Winslow 3rd): Winslow is exactly the type of player the Sixers have targeted and want as contributors down the line. He is the best perimeter defender in the draft, and was one of the top two players on a championship team as a freshman. His offense has been criticized, but it is more advanced than he is usually given credit for. With the increased importance on perimeter defense and the paucity of quality wings in this league, Winslow would be an awesome addition to the Sixers.
6. Kristaps Porzingis - F/C, Sevilla (Spanish ACB)
Average: 5.56
Ballots: 16/16
Michael Baumann (ranked Porzingis 6th): This is the one Eastern European prospect I haven't fallen in love with. I've just got questions--is his being 7-foot-1 really that big a deal when about three feet of that is neck? Can he bulk up and rebound the way you'd want an NBA big to? If the Sixers take him, I'll talk myself into him, but I'd be a little less scared of a traditional big.
5. Emmanuel Mudiay - PG, Guangdong (CBA)
Even More Draft Stuff!
Even More Draft Stuff!
Average: 5.38
Ballots: 16/16
Kyle Neubeck (ranked Mudiay 4th): The guy I've often compared him to, Tyreke Evans, never had the same point guard instincts that Mudiay has. I think he has a lot of talent despite concerns with the jumper, and in the tier I'd have him grouped in, his "fatal flaw" scares me the least in a vacuum. I wouldn't love the fit in Philadelphia, but I think he should be in the mix.
4. Jahlil Okafor - C, Duke
Average: 4.56
Ballots: 16/16
Jake Fischer (ranked Okafor 5th): Jahlil Okafor is the most talented offensive player in this draft. However, all of his weaknesses — outside shooting, defensive mobility, rim protection, free throw shooting — are valued as strengths in today's NBA more than ever. If he can't eventually make an impact on the defensive end, I really worry about how valuable his post game will truly be come playoff time, when teams like the Warriors can go small and run him ragged in transition and pick-and-rolls.
3. Mario Hezonja - SG/SF, Barcelona (Spanish ACB)
Average: 3.88
Ballots: 16/16
Michael Baumann (ranked Hezonja 2nd): You can't teach that size on the wing, or that athleticism, or his Kobe-sized ego. Despite still being a child, he's played against top competition in La Liga and for the Croatian national team and held his own. He's still young enough that you can teach him some inside moves, and if he doesn't, he'll still score bucketloads for a team that likes to get up and down the floor quickly. This is my guy.
2. D'Angelo Russell - G, Ohio State
Average: 2.31
Ballots: 16/16
Jake Pavorsky (ranked Russell 2nd): Far and away the best backcourt player in this draft, Russell is one of very few guys in this draft who can be a legitimate superstar in this league. He's a knockdown shooter, both on ball or when coming off screens, he can pass, and he can rebound. His biggest problems are minor in the grand scheme of things, making him super hard for any team to pass up.
1. Karl Towns - PF/C, Kentucky
Average: 1.00
Ballots: 16/16
Wesley Share (ranked Towns 1st): KAT is the consensus top dog and for good reason. Two-way athletic behemoths don't grow on trees, and they sure as hell don't come along too often with his combo of rim protection, defensive versatility and a deep offensive arsenal. He's good enough to warrant a concerted effort from a team with two centers taken in the top-6 to trade up for his services. He's the complete package.
Full Big Board can be found below:
| Rank | O'CONNOR | PAVORSKY | LEVIN |
RUETER | CLANCY | GOWTON | BAUMANN | F. |
STEIDEL | SHARE | FISCHER | WHITTINGTON | BURTON | NEUBECK | CAREY | LB COMMUNITY |
| 1 | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns | Karl Towns |
| 2 | Jahlil Okafor | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell |
D'Angelo Russell | Mario Hezonja | D'Angelo Russell | Mario Hezonja | Jahlil Okafor | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell | Mario Hezonja | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell |
| 3 | D'Angelo Russell | Jahlil Okafor | Mario Hezonja | Mario Hezonja | D'Angelo Russell | Mario Hezonja | D'Angelo Russell | D'Angelo Russell | Justise Winslow | Mario Hezonja | D'Angelo Russell | Justise Winslow | Jahlil Okafor | Jahlil Okafor | Kristaps Porzingis | Jahlil Okafor |
| 4 | Mario Hezonja | Emmanuel Mudiay | Justise Winslow |
Emmanuel Mudiay | Kristaps Porzingis | Justise Winslow | Emmanuel Mudiay | Mario Hezonja | Emmanuel Mudiay | Kristaps Porzingis | Stanley Johnson | Mario Hezonja | Emmanuel Mudiay | Emmanuel Mudiay | Jahlil Okafor | Mario Hezonja |
| 5 | Willie Cauley-Stein | Stanley Johnson | Kristaps Porzingis | Jahlil Okafor | Jahlil Okafor | Kristaps Porzingis | Jahlil Okafor | Kristaps Porzingis | Mario Hezonja | Emmanuel Mudiay | Jahlil Okafor | Jahlil Okafor | Kristaps Porzingis | Kristaps Porzingis | Mario Hezonja | Emmanuel Mudiay |
| 6 | Kristaps Porzingis | Mario Hezonja | Stanley Johnson | Kristaps Porzingis | Justise Winslow | Jahlil Okafor | Kristaps Porzingis | Emmanuel Mudiay | Kristaps Porzingis | Justise Winslow | Emmanuel Mudiay | Emmanuel Mudiay | Mario Hezonja | Mario Hezonja | Emmanuel Mudiay | Justise Winslow |
| 7 | Emmanuel Mudiay | Kristaps Porzingis | Emmanuel Mudiay |
Justise Winslow | Emmanuel Mudiay | Emmanuel Mudiay | Justise Winslow | Justise Winslow | Jahlil Okafor | Jahlil Okafor | Justise Winslow | Kristaps Porzingis | Justise Winslow | Justise Winslow | Justise Winslow | Kristaps Porzingis |
| 8 | Justise Winslow | Justise Winslow | Jahlil Okafor |
Willie Cauley-Stein | Myles Turner | Stanley Johnson | Willie Cauley-Stein | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson | Kristaps Porzingis | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson |
| 9 | Stanley Johnson | Willie Cauley-Stein | Willie Cauley-Stein | Stanley Johnson | Stanley Johnson | Willie Cauley-Stein | Stanley Johnson | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Willie Cauley-Stein | Myles Turner | Willie Cauley-Stein | Delon Wright | Willie Cauley-Stein | Willie Cauley-Stein | Willie Cauley-Stein | Willie Cauley-Stein |
| 10 | Myles Turner | Bobby Portis | Kelly Oubre | Kelly Oubre | Willie Cauley-Stein | Devin Booker | Frank Kaminsky | Frank Kaminsky |
Kelly Oubre | Willie Cauley-Stein | Trey Lyles | Christian Wood | Kelly Oubre | Trey Lyles | Myles Turner | Kelly Oubre |
| 11 | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Trey Lyles | Myles Turner | Myles Turner | Cameron Payne | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Trey Lyles | Willie Cauley-Stein | Jerian Grant | Bobby Portis | Cameron Payne | Kevon Looney | Myles Turner | Delon Wright | Kelly Oubre | Myles Turner |
| 12 | Trey Lyles | Kelly Oubre | Jerian Grant |
Sam Dekker | Kelly Oubre | Kelly Oubre | Kelly Oubre | Myles Turner | Cameron Payne | Trey Lyles | Kelly Oubre | Frank Kaminsky | Devin Booker | Myles Turner | Devin Booker | Frank Kaminsky |
| 13 | Kelly Oubre | Jerian Grant | R.J. Hunter | Jerian Grant | Kevon Looney | Trey Lyles | Sam Dekker | Kelly Oubre |
Myles Turner | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | R.J. Hunter | Kelly Oubre | Bobby Portis | Kelly Oubre | Cameron Payne | Cameron Payne |
| 14 | Frank Kaminsky | Myles Turner | Justin Anderson |
Cameron Payne | R.J. Hunter | Myles Turner | Myles Turner | Kevon Looney |
Justin Anderson | Kelly Oubre | Devin Booker | Myles Turner | Montrezl Harrell | Frank Kaminsky | Sam Dekker | Kevon Looney |
| 15 | Sam Dekker | Kevon Looney | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Devin Booker | Sam Dekker | Jerian Grant | Devin Booker | Trey Lyles |
Devin Booker | Kevon Looney | Sam Dekker | Willie Cauley-Stein | Trey Lyles | Jerian Grant | Frank Kaminsky | Trey Lyles |
| 16 | Bobby Portis | Justin Anderson | Sam Dekker |
Kevon Looney | Trey Lyles | Cameron Payne | Bobby Portis | Cameron Payne |
Bobby Portis | Justin Anderson | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Trey Lyles | Cameron Payne | Kevon Looney | Kevon Looney | Devin Booker |
| 17 | Jerian Grant | Sam Dekker | Delon Wright | Bobby Portis | Bobby Portis | Bobby Portis | Kevon Looney | Bobby Portis | Trey Lyles | Delon Wright | Justin Anderson | Tyus Jones | Sam Dekker | R.J. Hunter | Trey Lyles | Bobby Portis |
| 18 | Cameron Payne | Tyus Jones | Bobby Portis | Trey Lyles | Jerian Grant | Kevon Looney | R.J. Hunter | Tyus Jones |
Sam Dekker | Montrezl Harrell | Bobby Portis | R.J. Hunter | Frank Kaminsky | Bobby Portis | R.J. Hunter | Jerian Grant |
| 19 | Kevon Looney | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | J.P. Tokoto |
Frank Kaminsky | Justin Anderson | Montrezl Harrell | Montrezl Harrell | Delon Wright | R.J. Hunter | Sam Dekker | Myles Turner | Cameron Payne | Jerian Grant | Justin Anderson | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Sam Dekker |
| 20 | Rashad Vaughn | Devin Booker | Terry Rozier |
Tyus Jones | Tyus Jones | Frank Kaminsky | Rashad Vaughn | R.J. Hunter | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | R.J. Hunter | Kevon Looney | Bobby Portis | R.J. Hunter | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Montrezl Harrell | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson |