Ranking All Seven Sixers Lottery Picks During The Process
On the week where the NBA Draft would have originally been held, we’ve seen many posts showing anniversaries of key players being drafted.
For most of the 2010s, the draft for Sixers fans felt like the Finals. Each year during The Process led up to this momentous day, with fans eager to see who Philly would pick in hopes of helping turn the team around. It was what we all craved.
Looking back on the draft picks, there were some highs and lows – from busts, to stars, to everything in between. It’s strange to think that only two of those lottery picks are still on the team today.
In honor of the NBA Draft, I decided to rank all seven lottery picks that the Sixers took in The Process years (or traded for. For example, Dario Saric is on this list instead of Elfrid Payton, even though we technically drafted Payton and soon after traded for Saric).
- Markelle Fultz
2017 Draft, 1st Pick
7.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.4 APG
Does this even need an explanation? We were duped. Fooled. Scammed. Whatever you want to call it, our biggest rival took Sacramento’s first round pick from us, while they ended up with a talented player and the Sixers got practically nothing.
Fultz has seemed to find his groove a bit more in Orlando, and I’m personally still rooting for him to continue that, along with hope he improves with any physical or mental issues he may have. Nonetheless, it still screwed over the Sixers.
- Jahlil Okafor
2015 Draft, 3rd Pick
14.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG (With Sixers)
Most fans were disappointed when the Sixers couldn’t take D’Angelo Russell, but still thought we got a great consolation prize in Okafor. Nope.
Jah didn’t necessarily play poorly with the Sixers, but certainly didn’t live up to the expectations of being a cornerstone piece to change the team. It hurts even more thinking Porzingis went the very next pick. Could you imagine Porzingis and Embiid playing with each other? Or even Myles Turner or Devin Booker who went a bit later.
- Nerlens Noel
2013 Draft, 6th Pick
10.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.6 BPG (With Sixers)
The start of The Process and going Winless For Wiggins. The trade shipping out Jrue Holiday, which allowed Sam Hinkie to let fans and the league know that the Sixers were all in on tanking.
Noel didn’t stick around to see the team make the playoffs. I’d still love to have him, he got along great with the players. I thought we didn’t get enough in his trade and still feel he’d make a nice, athletic backup center for Embiid.
- Michael Carter-Williams
2013 Draft, 11th Pick
16.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.7 SPG (With Sixers)
My favorite processor. That is still the best smile. I thought for sure he’d be the point guard of the future and revolutionize the position.
Beating the Goliath Miami Heat in the season opener is one of my all-time favorite Sixers games. In his NBA debut, MCW helped start off the game up 19-0, got the win and finished with 22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals and 7 rebounds. I’m sad he’s now turned into an NBA journeyman, but we’ll always have those memories from his Rookie of the Year season.
- Dario Saric
2014 Draft, 12th Pick
13.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.4 APG (With Sixers)
Remember when fans would always wonder when/if Saric would ever come over to play in the NBA? That feels like decades ago.
Saric not only brought Megalodon awareness to Philly, but also connected to the blue-collar city by playing the game right and giving his all every time he stepped on the court. He may not be here now, but he played a big role in helping the Sixers get over the hump and finally make the playoffs.
- Ben Simmons
2016 Draft, 1st Pick
16.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.7 SPG
It was nearly impossible to mess up this pick.
After having one of the worst regular seasons in NBA history going 10-72, Philly ended up with the first pick where they took the consensus number one pick, a type of player that doesn’t come around every year. Simmons gets critiqued often by haters, and he still needs improvement if he wants to become one of the best in the game, but he has a set of skills very few players have ever had. With his size, speed, playmaking, driving and defense, Simmons was a high draft pick that finally worked for the Sixers.
- Joel Embiid
2014 Draft, 3rd Pick
24.1 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.8 BPG
It’s pretty scary thinking about how badly this pick could’ve ended up. We need to appreciate more how the Sixers got the steal of this draft.
The whole purpose of tanking that previous season was to end up with Wiggins, or worst case Parker. Fans were disappointed to end up with the third pick, and frustration grew after Embiid missed his first two seasons. Some weren’t even sure if he’d ever play an NBA game.
Fast forward to today, Embiid is now the face of The Process, a superstar in the league and a fan favorite in Philly.
