NBA Philadelphia 76ers

Emmanuel Mudiay Should Be On Philadelphia 76ers’ Christmas Wish List

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By @Greg_Sacidor

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A Christmas list usually consists of things that one wouldn’t get any other time of the year. For professional sports teams it’s the same; that’s why Emmanuel Mudiay should be on the Philadelphia 76ers’ list.

A 6-foot-5 native of the Congo, Mudiay is widely considered to be one of the most elite players in the entire world. One of the top recruits out of high school, Mudiay committed to play for legendary coach Larry Brown at SMU before backing out to sign a $1.2 million contract to play for one of the best teams in the Chinese Basketball Association. While over in China, Mudiay played in 10 games before suffering a sprained ankle. In these 10 games, he averaged just over 17 points per game to go along with his six rebounds and six assists per game. Despite it being just a small sample, many NBA scouts were reportedly extremely impressed with what they saw. So much so that they thought Mudiay actually improved his already soaring draft stock.

Alongside Duke center Jahlil Okafor, Mudiay is projected to be one of the top two picks in this summer’s upcoming 2015 NBA Draft. That means that Mudiay will likely be on the board when the 76ers make their selection. With a game that resembles modern day point guards such as John Wall, Mudiay will likely be able to make his presence felt as soon as he steps onto an NBA floor. Just like Wall, Mudiay also possesses the potential to be one of the best at his position in just a few short years. With potential like this, the 76ers would be crazy to want anything else.

Despite having a point guard already in place, Philadelphia’s general manager Sam Hinkie views each of his players as assets — assets that he can stockpile and then move at any time. Although Michael Carter-Williams is the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year and a fan favorite, it is not out of the question that Hinkie would part ways with him if he felt that he was getting a better “asset” in return. Hinkie already has a track record of this, as during his first draft with the 76ers he moved All-Star Jrue Holiday in exchange for Nerlens Noel and a future first-round pick (Dario Saric). Just this past summer, it was reported that Hinkie was shopping Carter-Williams to different teams around the league.

Wishing for Mudiay is something the 76ers must be doing as the NBA is turning into a league dominated by point guards — especially of the quick, athletic variety. In recent years, guys like Damian Lillard, Derrick Rose, Wall and Russell Westbrook have taken the league by storm. With the 76ers not looking to be contenders for at least the next few seasons, GM Hinkie will have an ample amount of time to find a suitor for Carter-Williams

No matter how good you are at one position, why not improve when you have the opportunity to? In Mudiay, the 76ers will have a guy they can not only build their franchise around, but a guy who can lead them back to the NBA’s mountain top. With Christmas just around the corner, the 76ers need to double and even triple check to make sure that this 18-year-old point guard from the Congo is atop their wish list.

Greg Sacidor is a Philadelphia 76ers and NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.

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