The 76ers had just 10 wins during the regular season, but they picked up their biggest win Tuesday night by earning the No. 1 overall draft pick.
The last time the Sixers had the No. 1 overall pick, the team selected Allen Iverson.
“My immediate thought goes to the city of Philadelphia,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said. “The city has been amazing for allowing us to go through this process. We’ve taken our hits over the last three years, but we’re excited.”
Rounding out the top three were the Lakers at No. 2 and Celtics at No. 3, a pick they received from the Nets, highlighting a steep decline for the NBA’s three all-time winningest teams. The trio, which combined for 198 losses in 2016, totaled nine titles and accounted for eight league MVPs during the 1980s.
But perhaps, these three franchises now can see the same type of success in the near future after roster purges have set them up to grab some of the premier college basketball players in the upcoming draft.
The next question facing the Sixers: Whom do they take with the No. 1 pick?
For months, the discussion has revolved around two different one-and-done players, Duke’s Brandon Ingram and LSU’s Ben Simmons.
The 6-foot-10 Simmons hails from Australia, and averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the 19-14 Tigers. Ingram averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds for a Blue Devils team that reached the Sweet 16 for the 23rd time.
At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Ingram has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant after shooting 41 percent from 3-point range.
Yet, Simmons has drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson for his ability to fill up the stat sheet, but has proven to have a wildly inconsistent jump shot, finishing most of his attempts at the rim.
But there are other prospects for teams later in the lottery who also could provide an impact.
Providence’s Kris Dunn won back-to-back Big East Player of the Year awards and is the type of playmaking point guard teams crave. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield made a name for himself in the NCAA Tournament after leading the nation in points and 3-pointers made. The 7-foot-1 Dragan Bender from Croatia is a stretch four who is considered Europe’s top prospect.
Over the past two years, with a pair of No. 3 overall picks, the Sixers drafted Joel Embiid — who has yet to play a game in two seasons — and Jahlil Okafor (17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds as a rookie).
