We anticipated a potential draft day fall for Alabama guard Labaron Philon. There had been some red flags in recent mock drafts that opened up the possibility. Once considered a near lock for the lottery, a deep class of guards saw Philon slip.
In recent mock drafts, Philon had been projected anywhere from No. 19 all the way to No. 26. He ultimately landed somewhere in the middle.
Sometimes a fall can lead to a blessing, and Philon will immediately get the opportunity to play for a playoff team in the NBA's weaker conference out east.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Philon with the No. 22 pick on Tuesday night. Draft day always produces surprises, and Philly was not a team that was connected to Philon much throughout the pre-draft process. In fact, I'm not sure I saw a single mock draft that had Philon going to the city of Brotherly Love.
But it's certainly a fun fit, with the Alabama star joining a young and talented backcourt with the possibility of carving out a significant role off the bench.
Labaron Philon adds to a loaded Philadelphia 76ers backcourt
The 76ers would seemingly have their starting backcourt of the future already solidified with 25-year-old Tyrese Maxey and 20-year-old VJ Edgecombe. Maxey averaged 28 points per game last season and appears to be the face of the franchise in Philly with Joel Embiid's uncertain future.
Edgecombe was drafted by the 76ers with the No. 3 overall pick in last year's draft, putting together an All-NBA Rookie 1st Team performance by averaging 16 points per game.
Philon will provide some immediate relief, however, as Maxey and Edgecombe carried a significant workload for the team last year with little quality depth behind them. He'll bring some energy off the bench and is capable of playing on or off-the-ball thanks to his shooting ability.
Philon made tremendous strides as a sophomore at Alabama. NBA teams wanted to see him improve as a playmaker and as an outside shooter after he went through the process a year ago. He did just that, upping his three-point percentage all the way up to 39.9%, and averaged 22 points and five assists per game.
Philon is the 20th first-round pick in Alabama history. He's the first since Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney both went in the first round back in the 2023 draft. He's the first draft pick of any kind for the Crimson Tide since the 2023 draft.
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