Yep, we’re back in the Philadelphia 76ers world. We got a break from it for a bit. Young teams were fighting in the playoffs, in some cases, giving hope for the future. Some older teams are hanging on, giving hope for the present. And there are a few teams at the very top of the class, waiting to face each other in later rounds. There’s hope the team you’ve watched, rooted for, and believed in all year are as good as you imagine them to be.f
But if you’re an NBA fan, there’s not a lot of hope in Philadelphia. Injuries, poor records, Daryl Morey… it’s all just a mess. I hate to belabor the point, but the high-end outcome for this season was a championship. I don’t think anyone predicted what the low end could be.
Ah, well. Can’t win ‘em, all right? Cheer up, king. Everything is going to be fine. As we know, when a lottery simulation and a mock draft happen, you better believe that thing is going to become reality.
Collin Murray-Boyles is going to be a 76er, baby!
Well, he could be. I want him to be. He would be such a lovely fit. Sure he’d be young, but who knows. Maybe he can develop as quickly as Maxey did. Maybe He can hit his early peak while Joel Embiid and Paul George gracefully decline from theirs. There is a vision.
I preface this by saying I know very little about the draft. With that disclaimer out of the way, CMB is my favorite player in the draft. Since Boris Diaw, I’ve loved bigs that can just do things. CMB does things.
He’s a two-year player, so he is a bit more of a finished product, possibly. His net rating, on a team that wasn’t so great, was astounding. The team was plus-1.9 with him on and minus-16.4 with the team off. Credit to Hoop Intellect for that stat.
He plays defense. From what I read, this is the skill most likely to translate to the NBA. He’s got great instincts with his hands. Plus, a big next to Embiid, who is as strong as CMB could be after a year or two of NBA training, could help absorb some of the brunt that otherwise be inflicted upon Embiid. He’s not a rim protector on an NBA level, but he wouldn’t have to be. His basketball IQ and help side presence will take him a long way.
Also, he grabs rebounds. He averaged over 8 per game on a team ranked 229 in the NCAA in rebounding. It’s true his larger frame aided him against smaller competition in college, and he won’t have that same advantage as a rookie in the NBA, but as he adds muscle, this skill should well translate.
And my favorite little attribute, he can be a hub. There is no disadvantage to having another playmaker on the roster, and having a high end big next to Embiid might unlock a different type of game for him. Not to say he should match late years Brook Lopez, but if Philly decides to keep Embiid out of the paint a bit on offense to let him work more from the outside, CMB’s presence in the paint or the dunker spot would give them all new angles to work from.
I still want to believe in Joel Embiid. I don’t know what I think about Paul George. I like Maxey. I like this team. I want them to get my favorite college player, turn it around, and come back next year like this season never happened.
This draft scenario would allow that. I’m going to hope for that.