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First-round pick Labaron Philon brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers Philon, a two-year standout at Alabama, has a crafty handle and can finish at the rim.
His ball-handling will be especially helpful for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt.
Philon, a two-year standout at Alabama, has a crafty handle and can finish at the rim.
His ball-handling will be especially helpful for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt.
NEW YORK The 76ers entered the 2026 NBA draft fresh off a playoff series that exposed their roster shortcomings.
That decisive second-round sweep against the New York Knicks showed the franchise needed to double down on what it received from cornerstonesThe Sixers first attempt at improving came with the selection of Alabama guard Labaron Philon at No.
22 overall in this years draft, christening theLets take a closer look at Philons career at Alabama, how he fits with the Sixers, and other areas of the Sixers roster that can still be addressed.Philon arrived at Alabama as a homegrown talent who proved himself as a big time scorer, earning Alabamas Mr.
Basketball high school honors.
Before leaving town for Link Academy in Missouri for his senior season, Philon played three seasons at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala.
, and averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a junior.That scoring ability didnt immediately translate to college in his freshman season at Alabama, when he produced 10.6 points, 3.3.
rebounds and 3.8 assists in 37 games.
Philon realized that he didnt put together a strong enough campaign to enter the NBA.
Yet he went through the process and returned to school for another year, where his tape was more undeniable.
As a sophomore, Philon scored 22 points, snatched 3.5 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists per game.That was good enough to get buzz as a lottery pick before dropping to the Sixers at No.
22.
Philons skill set features a crafty handle, ability to finish at the rim, shooting range from deep.
He can function in the screen-and-roll and is creative in open space.He made 57.4% of his two-pointers and 39.9% of his three-pointers last season, and those numbers are made more impressive by the fact that Philon was often the center of attention for Alabama and created a large share of his own shots.
Most important, Philons numbers werent empty calories.His production contributed to winning in both seasons for the Crimson Tide, as he helped direct a team that made the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 this past season.
Each time his team met a No.
1 seed, losing to Cooper Flaggs Duke team in 2024-25 and eventual champion Michigan in 2025-26.
The Sixers have too many holes to fill in one draft.
They entered Tuesday with voids in the backcourt and frontcourt.The franchise hit on Maxey and Edgecombe in recent drafts, but those stellar guards were near the top of the league in minutes played.and Embiid played inspired basketball at times when available, but they were not healthy nearly enough.
George played only 37 games because of injury and suspension and Embiid called his 38 games played a successful season after he managed 19 games the season before.From AJ Dybantsas Paris-made suit to monochromatic looks, here were the best outfits from the NBA draft There were several players on the board who could have helped the Sixers when the 22nd pick rolled arrived.
And several of them were names that slipped down the board as Arizonas Koa Peat, Houstons Chris Cenac Jr., and, of course, Philon, were available.The Sixers appeared to take the best player available, as president of basketball operations Mike Gansey intimated that they would.with the Oklahoma City, made a poignant statement.
He said every team can use more shooters and ballhandlers.
Thats what Philon will bring to Philly, another player who can create and score when Maxey goes to the bench.Hes adept at getting downhill and making buckets in the midrange and over bigger bodies, which will be needed on a Sixers team that received the lions share of its scoring from four players.
That he is a strong three-point shooter will be a bigger boon for the Sixers after trading McCain at the deadline in February and struggling to make shots from deep in the postseason.The Sixers also trotted Edgecombe out as a secondary ballhandler often in his rookie season.
But that typically amounted to him creating offense for himself or initiating and getting out of the way.
There wasnt much in between as he continues to improve his ball-handling.Philon can take some of that pressure off Edgecombe and do more to find Embiid and George, who have grown more dependent on their teammates to get them the ball at this time of their careers.
Rebounding was a major issue for the Sixers last season.
As was on-ball defense and communication.
As were turnovers.Those things wont all be addressed in the draft or free agency.
The Sixers can add reinforcements at forward to lower the usage of a smaller lineup around Embiid.
They can also retain Kelly Oubre Jr., or Quentin Grimes to keep depth and talent on the wings.
But because of their contract obligations, there are some things that can only be fixed from within.Maxey, George, and Embiid are all on max contracts, so the Sixers are limited in who they can add to the roster.
That means those players will have to do more.
Its hard to ask Maxey to be better than he was during the regular season, when he carried the franchise to the playoffs and earned All-Star and third-team All-NBA honors.
That leaves George and Embiid, whose availability will remain the biggest factor in this teams success.I serve as a senior editor on the Sports staff, covering the 76ers and NBA at large.
I edit, write, and film everything Philly basketball.
Before joining The Inquirer, I made stops at the Chicago Tribune and Sports Illustrated.