2020 NBA mock draft roundup 3.0: Sizing up a few possibilities for Sixers

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The NBA’s draft lottery, combine and early entry withdrawal deadline have all been indefinitely postponed since our last mock draft roundup. We’ve also done a first-round mock draft of our own, giving the Sixers Tyrell Terry from Stanford.

Here’s a look at who analysts have the Sixers taking with the 22nd pick in some recent mock drafts:

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic 

Jahmi’us Ramsey (Texas Tech) 

Vecenie: “I’m a bit less enthused about Ramsey than some seem to be. Does he do enough other stuff outside of scoring on jumpers? And realistically, I have a few questions about his ability to do that at a high level. About 68 percent of his points last season came either out on the break or off jump shots. He’s not particularly adept as a shooter off the dribble, having made those at just a 33.3 effective field goal percentage. On top of that, he only made 64 percent of his foul shots.”

It’s unusual to see a 40-plus percent three-point shooter with a free throw percentage near Ramsey’s range. Foul shooting tends to be an excellent indicator of three-point success in the NBA, so that, along with the off the dribble inefficiency Vecenie highlighted, is concerning. The positives with Ramsey are that he’s a decent athlete, built well and has an obvious pathway toward helping an NBA team if his outside shooting pans out (see draft profile). 

Jeff Goodman, Stadium

Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama) 

Goodman: “The Sixers could use a backup point guard, and Lewis is a guy who can come in and play with a speed similar to Ben Simmons. Lewis has another gear, and is also an above-average perimeter shooter.” 

Lewis’ speed is the thing you notice right away, closely followed by his thin frame, but he has plenty of other attractive qualities. The 6-foot-3, 165-pound guard was strong across the board as a sophomore, averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Putting fit aside, it seems there’s a good chance he’d be the best player available if he’s still around at No. 22. 

Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report 

Nico Mannion (Arizona) 

Wasserman: “A projected lottery pick early in the season, Mannion now looks like a possible value pick later in the first round. He lacks burst for blowing by or finishing, having totaled just 15 field goals at the basket in the half court. But there is enough skill tied to his shot-making versatility and passing for Mannion to serve as a useful second-unit guard.”

The lack of explosiveness Wasserman describes is one factor that could dissuade the Sixers with Mannion, since the team could really use a player that can attack the rim with little to no assistance from his teammates. Mannion constantly look to push the ball ahead, runs the pick-and-roll well and can also play off the ball (see draft profile). 

Danny Cunningham, Complex 

RJ Hampton (New Zealand Breakers) 

Cunningham: “As far as Hampton goes, this is admittedly a pretty far slide for him down the first round. He went and played professionally in the NBL and played less than 20 minutes per game. It feels tough to gauge just how good he is based on that. But it can be said that he has a high upside athletically and that his jumper needs work, which is nothing new for a Sixers guard."

If Hampton is still on the board at No. 22, the Sixers would have an interesting decision to make. He shot just 29.4 percent from three-point range this season and struggled defensively, but it might be tempting to bank on his potential. The team owns four second-round picks (Nos. 34, 36, 49 and 59) and could still target a player or players who fit the “immediate contributor” label later in the draft. 

Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes, NBC Sports Washington 

Devin Vassell (Florida State) 

Byrum and Hughes: “Vassell made a big leap during his sophomore season for the 'Noles. He's one of the best outside shooters in this class (41 percent last year) and can also get to the rim. He's got a thin, rangy frame and may have to bulk up a bit to be effective finishing at the basket once he reaches the pros.”

We’d be surprised to see Vassell fall this far. In the event he does, the 6-foot-7 wing is a classic 3-and-D prospect who’d likely be worth taking for the Sixers (see draft profile). 

A. Sherrod Blakely, NBC Sports Boston 

Tre Jones (Duke) 

Blakely: “Jones is not going to wow you with his shooting, passing or athleticism. But he’s talented enough in all those areas to help any team. And being available this late in the draft makes him a high-reward, low-risk pick. Jones has tremendous leadership skills which enable him to run a team and — maybe most important at the next level — he has momentum-swinging ability.”

Jones is a dependable, winning player. Though he doesn’t appear to have an incredibly high ceiling, he did make a significant jump as a sophomore. He went from a 26.2 percent three-point shooter as a freshman to hitting 36.1 percent from long range this past season. 

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