First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. brings ball-handling, shooting ability, and playmaking to the Sixers

NEW YORK — The 76ers entered the 2026 NBA draft fresh off a playoff series that exposed their roster shortcomings.

That decisive second-round sweep against the New York Knicks showed the franchise needed to double down on what it received from cornerstones Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. They needed more speed, more scoring, more shooting, more rebounding, more everything.

The Sixers’ first attempt at improving came with the selection of Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall in this year’s draft, christening the Mike Gansey era as president of basketball operations.

» READ MORE: Sixers select Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick

Let’s take a closer look at Philon’s career at Alabama, how he fits with the Sixers, and other areas of the Sixers’ roster that can still be addressed.

Philon arrived at Alabama as a homegrown talent who proved himself as a big time scorer, earning Alabama’s Mr. Basketball high school honors.

Before leaving town for Link Academy in Missouri for his senior season, Philon played three seasons at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., and averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a junior. That scoring ability didn’t immediately translate to college in his freshman season at Alabama, when he produced 10.6 points, 3.3. rebounds and 3.8 assists in 37 games.

Philon realized that he didn’t put together a strong enough campaign to enter the NBA. Yet he went through the process and returned to school for another year, where his tape was more undeniable. As a sophomore, Philon scored 22 points, snatched 3.5 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists per game. That was good enough to get buzz as a lottery pick before dropping to the Sixers at No. 22.

Philon’s skill set features a crafty handle, ability to finish at the rim, shooting range from deep. He can function in the screen-and-roll and is creative in open space. He made 57.4% of his two-pointers and 39.9% of his three-pointers last season, and those numbers are made more impressive by the fact that Philon was often the center of attention for Alabama and created a large share of his own shots.

Most important, Philon’s numbers weren’t empty calories. His production contributed to winning in both seasons for the Crimson Tide, as he helped direct a team that made the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 this past season. Each time his team met a No. 1 seed, losing to Cooper Flagg’s Duke team in 2024-25 and eventual champion Michigan in 2025-26.

The Sixers have too many holes to fill in one draft. They entered Tuesday with voids in the backcourt and frontcourt. The franchise hit on Maxey and Edgecombe in recent drafts, but those stellar guards were near the top of the league in minutes played. Paul George and Embiid played inspired basketball at times when available, but they were not healthy nearly enough. George played only 37 games because of injury and suspension and Embiid called his 38 games played a “successful season” after he managed 19 games the season before.

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There were several players on the board who could have helped the Sixers when the 22nd pick rolled arrived. And several of them were names that slipped down the board as Arizona’s Koa Peat, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., and, of course, Philon, were available. The Sixers appeared to take the best player available, as president of basketball operations Mike Gansey intimated that they would.

During the draft process, Iowa sharpshooter Bennet Stirtz, who was picked No. 16 and joined former Sixer Jared McCain with the Oklahoma City, made a poignant statement. He said every team can use more shooters and ballhandlers. That’s what Philon will bring to Philly, another player who can create and score when Maxey goes to the bench. He’s adept at getting downhill and making buckets in the midrange and over bigger bodies, which will be needed on a Sixers team that received the lion’s share of its scoring from four players. That he is a strong three-point shooter will be a bigger boon for the Sixers after trading McCain at the deadline in February and struggling to make shots from deep in the postseason.

The Sixers also trotted Edgecombe out as a secondary ballhandler often in his rookie season. But that typically amounted to him creating offense for himself or initiating and getting out of the way. There wasn’t much in between as he continues to improve his ball-handling. Philon can take some of that pressure off Edgecombe and do more to find Embiid and George, who have grown more dependent on their teammates to get them the ball at this time of their careers.

Rebounding was a major issue for the Sixers last season. As was on-ball defense and communication. As were turnovers. Those things won’t all be addressed in the draft or free agency. The Sixers can add reinforcements at forward to lower the usage of a smaller lineup around Embiid. They can also retain Kelly Oubre Jr., or Quentin Grimes to keep depth and talent on the wings.

But because of their contract obligations, there are some things that can only be fixed from within. Maxey, George, and Embiid are all on max contracts, so the Sixers are limited in who they can add to the roster. That means those players will have to do more. It’s hard to ask Maxey to be better than he was during the regular season, when he carried the franchise to the playoffs and earned All-Star and third-team All-NBA honors. That leaves George and Embiid, whose availability will remain the biggest factor in this team’s success.