10. Philadelphia 76ers
Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State
Mar 30, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Gary Harris (14) shoots the ball over Connecticut Huskies forward DeAndre Daniels (2) during the first half in the finals of the east regional of the 2014 NCAA Mens Basketball Championship tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
If the Sixers can land Jabari Parker and Gary Harris in the first round, then you have to consider them the winners of the draft. Harris might not be the flashiest player in this draft, but he brings a great set of talent to the table. He is great with the basketball, shooting it and above all is probably the best defender of all the first round projected guards in this class.
There is a lot to like about him and he would compliment Jabari Parker and Michael Carter-Williams really well. If Nerlens Noel starts his career off like people believe he can, this is a very young yet very close to complete team. From our scouting report on Harris earlier this month:
"What makes him so special though is his shooting touch, defensive prowess and ability to rip through screens on both sides of the floor. His intangibles and instincts on the court are what put him ahead of many other shooting guards in the upcoming draft. One thing you need to be able to do when playing in the Michigan State system is to be able to read screens and rip through them. Harris generates a lot of his production off screens. Whether it is digging through it to grab a steal in the lane or following it through for an open jumper. He is a battler and doesn’t get lost on the floor very often."
I think Harris has the upside of a Bradley Beal and could be as good of a defensive player at guard as Bruce Bowen once was. You have to love the pick here for Philly, as they try to get right back into the thick of things after a handful of dismal seasons.