Philadelphia 76ers Select Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. in 2026 NBA Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

This is a fantastic choice by Philadelphia's new-look front office led by Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson.

Philon, in his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide, averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 50.1% shooting and 39.9% shooting from three-point range in 33 games. He greatly improved his outside shooting in his second season at Alabama, going from 31.5% from the arc to the aforementioned nearly 40%. His ball-handling is also a serious highlight of his skillset.

It's not an exaggeration to call the 20-year-old one of the most gifted scorers in the entire draft. Because of this, Philon was rarely projected to be available when the 76ers were on the clock, but instead, he slipped down the board.

He is clearly an offensive force to be reckoned with, so what are his weaknesses and why did he fall?

Philon measured in at 6'2.5 barefoot and 176 pounds with a 6'6.25 wingspan and 8'3.5 standing reach, per Jonathan Givony. These are not ideal measurements for a professional guard, but smaller backcourt pieces are proving to still be valuable in recent years.

His other downside is the defensive end of the floor. His woes are mostly due to his frame, as he can oftentimes get bullied in the paint or be outmatched physically. His perimeter defense is not as much of a concern due to his lateral quickness, but he can be overeager at times and struggle with consistency.

With all this in mind, it's safe to say this is a home run selection by the 76ers even if guard was not their biggest need.

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