As of Sunday morning, the Sixers are tied with Minnesota for the fifth-worst record in the NBA, giving them the fifth-best odds at winning the draft lottery. Better yet, the Lakers have the third-worst record, giving the Sixers a solid chance at receiving the Lakers pick, which is only top three protected.
With that in mind, let's take a peek at the top prospects for this June's draft.
Josh Jackson, guard/forward, Kansas (6-8/203)
There were plenty of impressive performances this week, some even coming in the tensest of rivalries, but Josh Jackson takes the cake with his game at Texas Tech. That was following a solid 18-point night at Kansas State, when he overcame foul trouble to still have himself a strong evening.
On Saturday, Jackson played all 40 minutes and made the game-winning free throw in Kansas' 80-79 win vs. the Red Raiders. If hitting a game-winning free throw on the road doesn't impress you, how about this line? He scored a career-high 31 points, was 12 for 15 from the field, made 2 of 4 from three, reeled in 11 rebounds and even dished out four assists.
Jackson's main improvement has come from the three-point line. The guard/forward started the year barely over 25 percent from three but has made 15 of his last 28 from deep, a 53.5 percent mark. He came into college with a strong reputation attached to his jump shot and now it's starting to show.
Jonathan Isaac, forward, Florida St. (6-11/205)
Jonathan Isaac had a decidedly mixed bag of results this week, ending with a mere six-point effort against a strong Notre Dame squad on Saturday. However, one look at his performance on Wednesday against NC State and there's no doubt he's a top 10, maybe even top five prospect.
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How about we just talk about the first two minutes of that NC State massacre? Isaac starts it out with a three. For a 6-foot-11 forward, he can absolutely drain threes. He scored inside on the next possession. Perhaps most impressive was a couple possessions later, when he started out as simply a screener, an effective one, I might add. The screen opened up a three for a teammate, who missed the three. But Isaac came roaring off the screen and towards the basket in what seemed like a half-second for a put-back dunk. He'd finish with 21 points, eight of which came at the free throw line (did I mention he draws a lot of fouls?).
There is no reason to overlook Isaac's talent, even if NC State was way overmatched by Florida St. overall size. As with any skinny 19-year-old, he's going to be a bit of a project, especially if a team wants to see if he can hit the three at the next level. One question is if he can handle a heavy workload because he has only played 30 minutes or more twice this year.
Dennis Smith Jr., guard, North Carolina St. (6-3/195)
While Isaac dominated the first half on Wednesday, Dennis Smith Jr. struggled to find his bearings in the one-sided affair. NC State would lose, 95-71, and Smith didn't score a single point in the first half. He stumbled into eight points, although the ACC's leader in assists still had six dimes to his credit.
He got back to his game against Wake Forest on Saturday, albeit in a 30-point defeat. It's not his fault: He still scored 17 points on 7 for 13 shooting, made a three on two tries and dished out three assists. The highlight of his game was this slam. He's really fun when he's allowed to unleash his seemingly limitless athleticism.
Jayson Tatum, forward, Duke (6-8/204)
It was a tale of two halves for the Blue Devils freshman Jayson Tatum on Thursday night. Tatum has had plenty of ups and downs this season, but that was no more apparent than in a classic rivalry game with North Carolina. In the first half, he missed all three of his shots and was held scoreless while grabbing two rebounds and dishing out four assists. Sure, he made himself useful with his passing, but he's known for his scoring ability and the Tar Heels held him in check, to say the least.
And then the second half came and the dominant version of Tatum was unleashed. Clutch threes. Ambitious drives to the basket and pure mid-range jumpers. You name it. It was all there along with seven more rebounds and another assist. He showed the full package en route to 19 points and a win.
Just like Smith, he had himself a highlight dunk, but this one was even more special, particularly considering the opponent. Shortly after the break, he pumped faked his defender at the three-point line, drove towards the hoop and posterized a UNC defender. Take a look for yourself. It's beautiful.
Lonzo Ball, guard, UCLA (6-6/190)
Right after Tatum's heroics against North Carolina, Lonzo Ball got himself some much-needed revenge against Oregon at Pauley Pavillion. A month ago, Ball had himself an impressive second half that seemed to be enough to beat top-10 Oregon on the road before Dillon Brooks drained a jumper with Ball's hand in his face to upset UCLA.
The Ducks seemed like they would steamroll the Bruins in Los Angeles as they jumped out to a 19-point advantage. But Ball slowly led his team back with a 15-point, 11-rebound game that was just enough to pull off the comeback. Up two with just over 30 seconds to go, it was all up to Ball to seal the game and he stepped up with a three-pointer that came from the parking lot. Alright, that's exaggerating, but it was a really deep three that I suggest watching on repeat. This kid can absolutely, well, ball. Oh, and his brother can too.
Quick Hits
Washington guard Markelle Fultz, presumed by many to be the No. 1 prospect, sat out both of the Huskies' games this week with a knee injury. It's something worth keeping an eye on, but Fultz is an elite talent even with the injury bug.
It was an off-week for Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen. He's scored just 14 points over two games this week and made just three of his last 13 shots from thrree in the midst of a shooting slump.
Michigan State guard Miles Bridges has flown under the radar after a slow start and the Spartans' season-long struggle. However, it's time to pay attention as the freshman had 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and four blocks in a win over Iowa on Saturday.
