Labaron Philon's wait on draft night went on longer than he hoped. Once thought to be a lottery lock, Philon slipped down the board to pick No. 22. The Philadelphia 76ers ended his draft night fall there.
Despite having a standout sophomore season for Alabama, Philon got caught in a logjam of talented guards and was the odd man out. Still, he finds himself in a quality situation on a team that made the 2nd Round of the NBA Playoffs this past season. Sometimes slipping a little can be for the best.
His slide doesn't change the type of player he is, either. The talent is still undeniable. So is the willingness to work.
Philon came to Alabama with no expectations of carving out immediate playing time. He ultimately became one of the Tide's most important players on an Elite Eight team as a freshman, before stepping into a starring role as a sophomore. Philon averaged 22 points and 5 assists per game while leading Alabama to the Sweet 16.
CBS Sports' Matt Norlander is still high on Philon's NBA potential. After the Sixers picked the Tide's star, Norlander was willing to speak in bold terms.
CBS' Matt Norlander believes Labaron Philon will be one of the best from this draft class
"I'm of the opinion that if Philon puts it all together, I do think he's going to be one of the 10-12 best players in this draft class when we check in five years from now, Norlander said. ..."It's a really good value pick, and the upside is tremendous."
Philon will head to Philadelphia with little pressure to carry a significant workload. The 76ers already have star power in their backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, meaning Philon can bring a punch off the bench while working his way toward a bigger role down the line.
For Philon, he'll take on a similar role in Philly as he did as a freshman with Alabama when the Crimson Tide had a crowded backcourt that included Mark Sears, Aden Holloway, and Chris Youngblood. Philon showed his two-way chops in his debut season in Tuscaloosa. He had plenty of offensive game, but his defense helped him stand out.
He took a slight step back defensively as a sophomore, but he was tasked with significantly more on the offensive end, with his usage skyrocketing. Philon increased his three-point shooting to 39.9% and more than doubled his scoring output.
He won't have to carry that kind of usage in the NBA, but his ability to shoot will allow him to fit in nicely next to either Maxey or Edgecombe in lineups. Philon is capable of playing on or off-the-ball, as he showed playing next to Holloway this season and Sears last.
Philon has a great opportunity to prove the doubters wrong. If he can live up to the potential Norlander believes, then he'll significantly outperform his draft slot.
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