The Sixers' 'big' issue

A PAIR of near 7-footers are widely predicted to be the first two picks in Thursday's NBA draft, but Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke's Jahlil Okafor couldn't be more different when it comes to their style of play.

Towns (6-11, 250), who didn't get to showcase all his talents this past season for Kentucky while sharing time with other talented players, could step into the NBA and immediately be impactful defensively. He has great timing when it comes to blocking shots and has such coordination for a big man that he rarely finds himself out of position on the defensive end. He's not a finished product offensively, but can step away from the basket and make 15- to 18-foot jump shots with ease. He made 127 three-pointers in his final three high school seasons at St. Joseph Metuchen (N.J).

The biggest question surrounding Okafor (6-11, 270), who became the first freshman to win ACC Player of the Year honors, is his defense. He appears to be slow-footed and sometimes lazy at that end of the floor.

But offensively, there is no one in this draft who is as ready as Okafor to step into the league and make an impact. He has a variety of low-post moves to go along with a powerful body.

Towns is widely expected to be plucked by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first pick, while Okafor could go to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2 or perhaps fall to the 76ers at No. 3. And the way general manager Sam Hinkie likes to maneuver on draft night, perhaps Towns may somehow come into play.

Articulate and engaging, Towns is as polished off the court as he is on it. Should something strange happen and he winds up here, he won't be disappointed.

"Nerlens [Noel] and Joel [Embiid] are really good friends of mine, especially Nerlens because of the Kentucky connection," Towns said. "Me and Joel played together in the Nike Hoop Summit and have been friends since then. It's a great thing [the Sixers] have, but they are even better people.

"My overall thought [of playing for the Sixers] would be extreme joy. Being able to play for an organization like that and also to have a chance to live my childhood dream and play in the NBA, I just want to have the chance to play. It's one of the greatest things to know that the people that you've read about in the magazines, you're going to have a chance to do what they did and a chance to make your dreams come true."

While it appears to be a long shot that Towns will land here, Okafor's chances seem to be getting better. The stock of guard D'Angelo Russell and forward Kristaps Porzingis have risen. And while many may believe adding another low-post player to Noel and Embiid would be overkill, the Sixers have said they will get the best player available, no matter of position.

"Okafor has unbelievable skills," said Temple coach Fran Dunphy, whose Owls faced Duke last season. "His footwork, passing and finishing skill are really impressive. He is a weak foul shooter and I hear everyone talk about that, but that can be easily fixed as he doesn't have a problem at all with his form. He has very good form. He just has terrific knowledge of the game. I really like his demeanor, his attitude and what a good teammate he appears to be. He played for a national championship team at Duke and was perhaps the biggest piece of that team. That right there says a lot about him.

"I've heard the knocks against his defense but I think that is also really easy to fix. He may not be the fastest getting to a spot on the floor, but his knowledge of the game is so good that he can overcome that by anticipating where he's supposed to be. He's smart enough to overcome any type of foot speed that he is lacking. He'll figure it out.

"He brings something to the game that isn't there much anymore, and that is a player who can catch the ball down low and consistently score there. And his passing skills out of the post are really good. I think he is going to be a good, solid professional player. He is one of the best low-post players coming out of college that I've seen."

Should either wind up with the Sixers, where would they fit? Noel played both center and power forward last season, and it was believed that when Embiid is ready to play, he would be at center. With his defensive deficiencies, it would be hard to imagine Okafor stepping away from the basket much defensively, so he's an NBA center. Towns probably will be able to play both big-men spots in the NBA. It would seem to create a logjam down low for the Sixers, but with their scaled-down roster, selecting the best player has to be a priority, no matter the position. And should they take a big, it doesn't necessarily mean Embiid's still-healing foot injury is worse than we know.

The Sixers' biggest need is probably point guard, and that void may be filled at No. 3 on Thursday. But if either Towns or Okafor is available, as coach Brett Brown has often said, "Get me the best player, regardless of position, and we'll make it work."

"You can't go wrong with either guy," said an NBA scout. "And if you're the Sixers, you certainly couldn't go wrong with either of those guys. That team pretty much needs everything. They can't go for need, they have to go for best player."

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