NBA Draft: 5 reasons 76ers should draft Brandon Ingram No. 1

2. Defensive potential

Drafting someone with high defensive potential is important for any team. As trigger-happy as the league is today, defense is still just as vital as the offense, and the 76ers know that better than anyone after finishing another woeful season.

Jahlil Okafor was impressive in the post but terrible on defense, Robert Covington gobbles up steals (two per 36 minutes) but that can only do so much, and Nerlens Noel is a solid, agile interior defender (8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game) but he certainly can’t control the paint alone. Even with another athletic piece in Jerami Grant (2.2 blocks per 36 minutes as a small forward), the 76ers don’t have much organization or many reliable pieces on defense and it constantly let them down.

Ingram showed that he can be passive at times on defense, though, and the drive to be playing with high intensity at all times is something he needs to work on. Finding that consistency will be key, so once he’s able to combine that with his remarkable length, there’s no need to lay out exactly why his potential is so high.

Last season, he showed how he can switch around the perimeter, bother the inferior reach of almost every shooter, and get back to the basket well, averaging 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Going forward, as he gains strength and hopefully intensity, his defensive potential will gradually be unlocked.

Even during his development, though, the 76ers need a lot from him right away. They allowed opponents to shoot 35.9 percent from three this season (20th in the NBA, per ESPN) and 46.4 percent overall (25th), meaning Ingram’s lengthy presence at the perimeter and help defense inside to support Okafor will be appreciated from day one.

Ingram’s potential to defend positions from the two to four is so valuable as well, and with the size and speed he brings already, the 76ers have an exciting two-way weapon.

Next: 1. Versatility and playmaking