Potential 2nd-round targets for Sixers in NBA draft: Small forwards/guards

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We've already taken a look at the big men the Sixers could target in the second round (see story).

Here are the small forwards and guards who could be in the mix for the team in Round 2. 

Josh Hart: Shooting guard, 6-6/204, Villanova
Who knows more about what they would be getting in the Villanova champion than the Sixers?

Hart grew by leaps and bounds as a player during his four seasons on the Main Line, but the one thing that remained the same: his energy level. Hart plays with a certain intensity on both ends of the floor that will definitely give him a boost at the next level.

He paired that focus with his evolving skills to put together a stellar senior season. The versatile wing averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Hart also shot 51.0 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point land during a 2016-17 campaign in which he was named consensus first-team All-American, Big East Player of the Year and received the Julius Erving award as the top small forward in the country.

What Hart lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with his high basketball IQ, fierce competitive nature and winning pedigree (see story). After the dog days of "The Process," the Sixers could definitely use a guy with such a history of winning on their roster.

Dillon Brooks: Small forward, 6-7/215, Oregon
Even with Joel Embiid finally in action, the Sixers' offensive numbers were still pretty ugly last season. They ranked 25th in scoring, 27th in field goal percentage and 25th in three-point percentage.

Brooks wouldn't solve those woes by himself, but he's and offensive weapon who would absolutely help.

Brooks continued his improved shooting in his junior season with marks of 48.8 percent on field goals and 40.1 percent on three-pointers. He led a deep Ducks team with 16.1 points per game as he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year.

The skill to drain shots from each level of the floor and come through in the game's biggest moments will be attractive to a lot of teams in the middle of the second round (see story). With the Sixers' wing-needy situation, they might give the fiery Brooks a long look.

Jaron Blossomgame: Small forward/power forward, 6-7/214, Clemson
Sometimes you just need that dog on the basketball court. A guy that you know is going to get after it on each and every possession.

From an NBA standpoint, think Tony Allen or Avery Bradley.

That's what the Sixers would be getting in a guy like Blossomgame, whom they worked out last year before he opted to return to Clemson and again earlier this month.

His offense is going to come and go (his point production dipped slightly as a senior and his three-point shooting fell off a cliff — 44.1 percent to 25.5 percent). However, Blossomgame will put on that defensive hat night after night and get the job done.

He's a bundle of energy, and at nearly 24 years old has a strong frame that's already built for the league (see story).

For a Sixers team that allowed 108.1 points per game (24th in the NBA), Blossomgame should at least be under consideration.

Frank Mason III: Point guard, 5-11/185, Kansas
Not too many prospects under the 6-foot mark get legitimate NBA consideration. However, when you are this good and decorated as a collegiate player, teams tend to make an exception.

Let's just take a look at what Mason accomplished in 2016-17 alone: named consensus national player of the year, named consensus first-team All-American, won the Bob Cousy award (nation's top point guard), named Big 12 Player of the Year and first-team All-Big 12.

While college achievements are far from a guarantee of NBA success, Mason's makeup suggests he will find a way to survive at the next level. 

First off, he's an absolute pit bull on the court. Despite, his short stature, Mason is stocky and aggressive on both ends. He's also a solid shooter, particularly from long range. The PG finished his four seasons with the Jayhawks with career shooting marks of 45.4 percent from the field and 42.0 percent from long range (see story).

The 23-year-old is also a natural leader. Mason is vocal and a true extension of the coach on the floor. Even playing with other prime-time players at a program like Kansas, he was still a major reason the Jayhawks won 116 games during his time on campus.

Tyler Dorsey: Shooting guard, 6-4/180, Oregon
When considering instant offense off the bench in a second-round pick, few players might provide that option better than Dorsey. 

Dorsey averaged 14.6 points per game on 46.7 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three-point range. Those numbers skyrocketed during the NCAA Tournament when the 21-year-old caught fire as he averaged 23.8 points in five games and shot 59.6 percent from the field and 60.6 percent from deep.

Dorsey does provide the option of playing either guard spot and noted he would be a good fit alongside Ben Simmons and the rest of the Sixers when the Pasadena, California native worked out for the team earlier this month (see story).

He doesn't offer much outside of the shooting department, but that's arguably the biggest issue for this young Sixers squad.

Others to keep an eye on: Duke SG Frank Jackson, Gonzaga PG Nigel Williams-Goss, Florida State SF Dwayne Bacon.

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