The 2021 NBA Draft was held last Thursday as the league welcomed in a brand new generation of talent. To much of everyone’s surprise, the Sixers were relatively quiet on draft day, selecting and keeping all three of their draft picks. With their first-round pick, the Sixers selected Jaden Springer out of Tennessee. They would then take Serbia’s Filip Petrušev and Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey with their two second-round picks.
Although this draft is filled with potential, the amount of household names involved is lower than usual. The same goes for the three Sixers draft picks, as they each are exciting in their own rights, yet may not be known by the average NBA fan.
So with that, here’s a little summary on the three Sixers selections of the 2021 NBA Draft.
Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee
Height: 6’4” | Weight: 204lbs | Age: 18
With the 28th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Jaden Springer. Being one of the youngest players in this year’s draft, Springer possesses tantalizing potential as a two-way threat.
Coming out of high school (IMG Academy), Springer was a highly rated five-star prospect, ranking as high as 17 on ESPN’s Top 100 for the 2020 Class. Springer, a 2020 McDonald’s All-American, committed to the University of Tennessee over schools like Michigan, North Carolina, and Florida.
As a freshman, Springer started in 15 of his 25 appearances where he averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. His 43.5% from deep and 1.2 steals per game enamored scouts with his 3 and D potential. After the season, Springer would be named to the 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team.
Still insanely raw, Springer has the makeup and talent to be one of the steals in this year’s draft. Many mock drafts had Springer going late teens/ early twenties, so for the Sixers to get him where they did is very fortunate.
Fun Fact: Springer’s dad, Gary Springer, was actually drafted by the Sixers in the sixth round of the 1984 NBA draft.
Another Fun Fact: Springer is cousins with current NBA player and Saint Joe’s Alum Deandre’ Bembry.
Filip Petrušev, C, Mega Basket (Serbia)
Height: 6’11” | Weight: 235lbs | Age: 21
With the 50th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Philadelphia Sixers selected Filip (Pronounced Philip) Petrušev. Petrušev was one of the most intriguing prospects coming out of the draft. Born in Serbia, Petrušev played his high school ball at prep powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida, the same high school where Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid attended. He would lead Montverde to a national championship his senior season while also helping Serbia win their second straight title at the FIBA U18 European Championships that summer.
Petrušev would go on to play two collegiate seasons at the University of Gonzaga (2018-2020). During his sophomore season, Petrušev started all 33 games, leading the Zags in scoring at 17.8 ppg while shooting a league high 56.5% from the field. He would finish the year as a Wooden All-American, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award.
In July of 2020, Petrušev signed a contract overseas with KK Mega Basket of the Serbian Adriatic League due to the uncertainty of the upcoming NCAA season. There, he appeared in 21 games for the club, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He shot 57.9% from the field and 41.9% from three.
This impressive showing resulted in Petrušev winning the ABA League MVP, ABA League Top Prospect, and ABA League Top Scorer awards for the 2020-2021 season.
The selection of Petrušev has all the signs of a draft-and-stash situation considering he signed a two-year deal with KK Mega Basket last summer. The skilled big man combines a polished game with good mobility and a reliable jumper, all the makings you want in a stretch 4/5 in today’s game. Petrušev is listed on the Sixers’ summer league roster so for now, it’ll be interesting to see if we can get a quick glance at the youngin’s game before going back overseas.
Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky
Height: 6’11” | Weight: 235lbs | Age: 20
With the 53rd pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Charles Bassey. Bassey was selected with the second-round pick the Sixers traded for with the New Orleans Pelicans earlier in the day. Bassey provides front court depth and a rejuvenation of youth at the position after the signing of Andre Drummond and the departure of Dwight Howard.
Bassey was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he played soccer until the age of 12. He was discovered by a youth basketball coach in Nigeria who quickly introduced him to the sport. Standing at 6’10” by the age of 14, Bassey attended Giants of Africa basketball camp, a program established by Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri. There he won MVP of the camp and his name began to be known.
He would move to the United States to play high school ball where he played two seasons at St. Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio, TX before transferring to the Aspire Academy in Louisville, KY. Bassey was a consensus five-star recruit and reclassified to the 2018 class where he ranked as high as 18 on the ESPN Top 100. After being looked at by Kansas and Texas A&M, Bassey decided to commit to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
Bassey played three seasons for Western Kentucky where he started every game. As a freshman, he averaged 14.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, earning First team All-Conference USA, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. He recorded the most rebounds, blocks, and double-doubles by a freshman in program history.
After his sophomore year was cut short due to a tibial plateau fracture, Bassey came out strong for his junior season, averaging 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game (5th in the nation). His play was rewarded as he was named Conference USA Player of the Year and was again named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He also was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award along with being an AP Honorable Mention All-American.
Bassey is another prospect that was highly rated in mock drafts with some having him go early in the second round. ESPN’s Jay Bilas described Bassey as a “first round talent that went in the second round.”
In Bassey, the Sixers are getting a high motor guy who excels at shot blocking and has a nose for the ball.
Oh, and as a bonus, during his introductory interview, Bassey said the Sixers were surprised at his shooting ability and that he’s comfortable taking shots outside the arc. Sign me up.
