What they're saying: Analysis of Sixers' pick Labaron Philon Jr. originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Sixers new President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey made his first significant move since joining the franchise last night, selecting Labaron Philon Jr. out of Alabama with the 22nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The pick was a bit of a surprise to many, including Gansey himself, who had Philon higher on the team’s draft board.
“Little bit surprised he fell to us,” Gansey said. “but there’s so many good guards in this draft that all those guys who went in the teens, they might be top 10 in normal drafts. … He was someone we just couldn’t pass up.”
As with every draft pick, the people that made the Sixers’ pick were pleased. But what about the self-appointed “experts” across the NBA universe? How did they evaluate Philon? We scoured the Interwebs to find out.
Sam Vecenie and John Hollinger, NBA Senior Writers, The Athletic – Grade: B+
Vecenie: “His improvement as an on-ball player this season while transitioning into that role could not have gone better, as he led the Alabama offense to a top-three mark in the country while putting up video-game-like numbers.”
Hollinger: “A scoring guard with a splendid array of finishes, Philon should add some juice to the non-Tyrese Maxey minutes in Philly once he gets his NBA sea legs. The Sixers have no viable backup point guard at the moment, so Philon could play right away.”
Bobby Marks, ESPN – Calls Philon the best pick of the first round
“I ranked the Alabama guard as the 13th-best prospect in the draft. What stood out for me is how Philon took the constructive criticism from the 2025 draft combine and applied it this past season. He improved his 3-point shooting from 32% to 40%.
The biggest takeaway is that NBA teams wanted to see Philon as a primary playmaker — he averaged 5.1 assists as a sophomore at Alabama. With the 76ers, Philon will join an explosive backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.”
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports Senior NBA Analyst – Grade: B
“While Philon appears to be a good value pick at this point, it’s an odd fit for a Philly backcourt that suddenly feels a bit light with him, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe… Philon is also a below-the-rim athlete and is listed under 180 pounds, so his slight frame remains the one thing standing between him and stardom. Is this a team that actually cares about competing today or is this more of a pick for the future?”
Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports Director of Basketball Scouting – Grade: B+
“Philon gives Philadelphia a dynamic scorer who attacks with pace, has worked his way into a shot-maker, and showed more defensive chops as a freshman. A gifted shot creator, Philon stuffed the stat sheet as the focal point of one of college basketball’s fastest offenses, and did it with 50/40/80 shooting splits. If he can tap back into some of the defensive tools he showed as a freshman, there could be real value here.”
Kurt Helin, Lead NBA Writer, NBCSports.com – Grade: B
“In the modern NBA, you can’t have enough shot creations, and while the 76ers have some dynamic guards in-house already (Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe), Philon could be a high-level reserve. He is a high-IQ, very skilled player who can run a team and get buckets. There are questions about his ceiling, but at pick 22 it’s worth the risk.”
Steph Noh, Senior NBA Writer, The Sporting News – Grade: B+
“Philon is a crafty guard who figures out ways to get into the paint and get his shot off. He greatly improved his shooting as a sophomore, hitting 40 percent from deep last season. He’s a good-not-great passer who can add some secondary playmaking. His defense wasn’t great last season, but he did show better skill two years ago with a smaller offensive role as a point-of-attack menace.”
