Basket-ball of Friday, 26 June 2015

Source: libertyballers.com

Philadelphia Sixers select J.P. Tokoto 58th overall

J.P Tokoto J.P Tokoto

Michael Levin's night has been saved, as the 76ers grabbed J.P. Tokoto out of North Carolina with the 58th pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

Tokoto could've been a successful pick for the Sixers as early as the 35th selection, but fell into the Sixers' lap at the tail end of the second round here.

With Sam Hinkie's constant drafting of centers throwing everyone into chaos, it feels like that hysteria would've be lessened if Tokoto was simply taken early in the second round and some of those selections slid down and were then picked later on.

Here's what I wrote about Tokoto in a second round preview for the Philadelphia Daily News:

Tokoto is a two-guard from an ACC school entering the draft after his junior year, just as [K.J.] McDaniels did last year after 3 years at Clemson. McDaniels' height and weight are both the same as well. While Tokoto didn't rack up the gaudy block totals that McDaniels did to pose such a threat in transition defense, Tokoto was a better three-point shooter in college, hitting 37.5 percent of his attempts from deep this past season as a Tar Heel.

Shooting 42.8 percent from the field overall, as Tokoto did as a junior, isn't great. But he did hit an above-average rate of his threes and made 66 percent of his attempts at the rim, per Shot Analytics. An athletic wing who can hit threes, attack the rim and eschew midrange jumpers is the ideal role player for Hinkie and Brown's system.

Tokoto could been a steal here and should provide some Vine-worthy highlights for the Sixers as soon as next month's Summer League.