You’re not too far off if you think 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo inherited a mess when he took over for Sam Hinkie last month. The Sixers’ record over the past three seasons (47-199) and their talent-poor roster tell you how far they are from just being a respectable NBA team.
But this is one of those beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder deals. You might see a dreadful team with precious few players and one supposed future star, Joel Embiid, who has yet to play in a game after being selected third overall in the 2014 draft. But Colangelo sees a “blank canvas” where he’ll be able to craft what he hopes is a masterpiece — or at the very least the franchise’s first championship contender since the days of Allen Iverson.
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“What we’re not going to try for is the big hit and then race to the middle and get stuck there,” Colangelo said after the Sixers won the draft lottery. “We’re going to take this at a deliberate pace, in incremental steps.”
Colangelo’s first step involves making the right decision when it comes to selecting the No. 1 overall pick on June 23. It’ll either be LSU’s Ben Simmons or Duke’s Brandon Ingram. One wrong stroke of Colangelo’s brush and it could wind up costing the franchise for years to come.
To help Colangelo, here are the top plusses and minuses for each player, according to NBA scouts, executives and coaches.
Why the 76ers should draft Ben Simmons
He fits the pace: Simmons is an excellent passer with a high basketball IQ and is brilliant running the break. Former Nets coach and current Alabama coach Avery Johnson faced Simmons twice in SEC contests and calls him “a triple-double threat.” The Sixers have been anemic the last few seasons and want to play with increased tempo. Colangelo once hired Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix and the Suns started to revolutionize the game with their speed-ball attack. D’Antoni is currently on the Sixers bench as Brett Brown’s top aide — and even if he leaves for another job, such as the Rockets’, the Sixers want more pace. The lefty Australian is the perfect point forward to handle the duties.
He has the size: Simmons has been listed at anywhere from 6-8 to 6-10 and from 225 pounds to 239 pounds. The Sixers will get his real measures, but they already know that he’ll walk into the NBA with a pro body. There were times at LSU when he looked like LeBron James driving to the basket and shedding opponents in his wake. In addition to his great size, he has shown tremendous quickness, body control and the ability to play at different speeds. He can do something few other players can do: get a defensive rebound and ignite a fast break all by himself.
MORE: The full story for why Simmons went to LSU, of all places
He can improve his shooting: His well-chronicled problem shooting could be solved as time goes on. First off, there were many games when it was so easy for Simmons to get to the basket, so there was no need for him to work on his mid-range game. D’Angelo Russell, the Laker point guard and for two years a high school teammate of Simmons at Montverde Academy near Orlando, says, “Once he gets to this point, he'll work on it because he'll see everybody's good,” Russell said. Also, remember that LeBron James entered the league with a poor shot, making only 41.7 percent as a rookie. By his second season, he was up to 47.2 percent.
Why the 76ers should draft Brandon Ingram
He can shoot: After finishing the season with only 10 wins, the Sixers are in desperate need for talented players who can shoot. Ingram already has NBA 3-point range and that would instantly help a team that finished 24th in 3-point accuracy (33.9), next to last in overall shooting (43.1) and 29th in scoring (97.4 ppg). “The great thing about Ingram is that he can get his own shot,” one scout said. “He’s a very good shooter with a lot of skills. That’s what really separates him from Simmons.”
Defense and versatility could be assets: He’s a legitimate 6-9, with a reported 7-4 wingspan. So he will be able to play either forward spot. There’s a chance that in the future he could be a shooting guard. To go along with his skills, he’s got a great work ethic and has both feet planted firmly on the ground. After having off-court issues with Jahlil Okafor this past season, and with questions about Simmons’ lack of maturity, the Sixers might ultimately go with Ingram because of his high character. “I always look at talent, high character, versatility and someone who can not only play basketball, but also represent your organization and your city the right way,” Colangelo said. “At the top of this draft, you’ll have all of this covered.”
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He’s tough: In his one season at Duke, Ingram showed Mike Krzyzewski how he’s already wired for the pro game. Coach K saw a “toughness” in the Kinston, N.C. product, especially when things were not working out for him at the offensive end. Ingram wouldn’t sulk when his shot wasn’t falling, but he would get involved in other ways — on the boards, blocking shots and stepping up his defense — to help Duke win.
Why the 76ers should avoid Ben Simmons
He hurts floor spacing: One Eastern Conference scout who watched the Australia native play in person summed it up in one sentence: “He can’t shoot and he doesn’t want to shoot.” Who shoots a set-shot nowadays, anyway? Simmons got off only three three-pointers in 33 games for the 19-14 Tigers. “These days, most teams want to have five shooters on the floor,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “Without studying him but hearing what people are saying about his shot, he’ll need to improve that part of his game if he wants to reach his potential and become a star.”
Work ethic may be an issue: When scouts see a big forward with guard skills hit teammates on the run with pin-point passes for dunks, they automatically think of Magic Johnson. But when Simmons has gone through stretches of games where he doesn’t play hard and seems disengaged, scouts wonder about his passion and intensity. The Sixers have heard those stories and wonder if LSU might have made the NCAA Tournament field with more focus from Simmons. As one GM said, “When he’s in for his workout, you have to see if he pushes himself or if he needs to be pushed. It’s all part of trying to figure him out psychologically.”
MORE: Debunking those ridiculous Simmons-to-LeBron comparisons
Ego might be, too: Numerous red flags went up around the NBA when word got out early that Simmons was having a camera crew following him around in Baton Rouge throughout his freshman season. “Who does he think he is, Kobe Bryant?” one scout asked. He did, in fact, walk around with a sense of entitlement, especially as the season progressed. Coaches privately complained they couldn't get him to focus, even at practices, and traced that to his attitude that he was doing them a favor by being there. Well, maybe not Kobe but he doesn’t lack for confidence. Asked to identify the best college player he said, “Myself.” His detractors say he suffers from a big ego and lacks maturity. But others say he’s only 19 years old and is merely showing the bravado that he’ll back up with his play on the court.
Why the 76ers should avoid Brandon Ingram
His frame is a concern: His body is razor thin. One NBA executive who ran into him at the draft lottery said, “Don’t they feed those kids at Duke? He’s going to have strength problems right away.” Actually, Ingram has put on 10 pounds with his postseason weightlifting program. “People have to understand that at Duke, it was the first time in his life that he ever really lifted weights and was in that kind of a program,” former Duke star Jay Williams said. “There’s no doubt he knows what he has to do to get his body ready for the next level. He has that commitment.”
He’s not Kevin Durant: As one scout noted, “Ingram just doesn’t have that first step where he can beat guys off the dribble with the explosion you see all the time from Durant.” Until Ingram shows he can use his dribble to get openings, he’ll be more easily solved by defenses. He’s also doesn’t have a defined position in the NBA. Sometimes that can work against a player, with the Pelicans’ Tyreke Evans being a good recent example. The Kings let Evans, the 2010 Rookie of the Year, go to New Orleans as a free agent after only four seasons in Sacramento because they couldn’t justify paying a huge contract to a player who is neither a playmaker nor a shooting guard.
MORE: What about Grayson Allen, who is returning to Duke for Year Three?
He may not be enough: Ingram can be a future star, but doesn’t have Simmons’ high ceiling. Simmons has a chance to be a game-changer and franchise star because he can run an offense and do more with the ball in his hands. In the Sixers’ case, to create the masterpiece Colangelo is looking for, he might be their future Picasso to help deliver the team’s first title since 1983.
