NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 18: Jayson Tatum to Orlando

The Philadelphia 76ers have a chance to hit a home run on draft lottery night if the ping pong balls fall the right way, but here the franchise just ends up with one top 10 pick, a selection they can use to shore up the point guard spot with North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr.

Due to his elite athleticism, Smith is one of the highest upside guards in the class should he fulfill his potential. That explosiveness gives him the ability to play above the rim and deliver the type of highlight reel slams that frequent Sportscenter nightly. He struggled to find his place with the Wolfpack, but on a bad team with a coach who was fired midseason, that’s understandable. Smith still managed to average an impressive 20.8 points, 7.1 assists and and 5.2 rebounds per 40 minutes. He still has plenty of upside as a scorer and facilitator on offense.

Defensively, there are some red flags mostly related to his effort level and size. At 6-foot-3, Smith won’t be a very versatile defender, which means that he needs to commit to guarding the point of attack. With mental lapses, that becomes more difficult. Luckily, in Philadelphia, he will hopefully have Joel Embiid behind him to clean up his mistakes.

Learn more about Dennis Smith Jr. at The Step Back.