Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Kansas’ Johnny Furphy.
The Australian-born Johnny Furphy was not a highly sought-after college recruit, but landed with a basketball powerhouse at Kansas. There the young wing earned a prominent role on a veteran-laden college team, becoming a fixture in the Jayhawks’ starting lineup by season’s end.
Profile
2023-24 Stats: 33 games, 24.1 minutes, 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 46.6% FG, 35.2% 3P, 76.5% FT
Team: Kansas
Year: Freshman
Position: Wing
Height & Weight: 6’7.5” | 188.8 lbs
Born: December 7, 2004 (19 years old)
Hometown: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
High School: Centre of Excellence
Strengths
Furphy possesses great size on the wing, standing over 6-foot-8 with shoes on. Though he didn’t come to Kansas as a sharpshooter, he found a role playing as a movement shooter, playing off the gravity of big man Hunter Dickinson and guard Kevin McCullar. He showed great feel for spacing and off-ball movement. Furphy is kind of a jack-of-all trades offensive player, with the ability to do a little bit of everything. He looked comfortable in some actions with Dickinson and was a good entry passer (is there a team that could use that?).
The one aspect of Furphy’s game that jumps off the screen is how hard and fast he plays. He’s not the greatest athlete, but he thrived in transition simply by outrunning everyone, while proving to be a solid finisher at the rim with both hands. It’s sort of Pascal Siakam-esque — he has a knack for knowing when to leak out and doesn’t miss his opportunities. This also shows on defense, where he doesn’t shy away from getting into ball handlers and showed off quick hands with nearly a steal per game.
Weaknesses
Furphy is just 19 years old and played one full college season. It’s hard to know what to make of his lone season in Lawrence.
As mentioned he adjusted to his role as a movement shooter, but the results were frankly just OK. He hit 35.2% from deep on a decent volume. He shot 76.5% from the line, which is solid but not spectacular. The form does looks good and he’s ready to fire, but it’s fair to wonder how much of a clip he’ll hit from three at the NBA level.
As mentioned, he’s not an elite athlete on the wing. He makes up for some of that with his size and how hard he plays, but will he be able to successfully guard NBA wings on a nightly basis?
Positional Fit
Big wings that can shoot will always have a job. If Furphy’s jumper translates, he’ll have an NBA role. He could also become more than that. His feel for the game shows he has potential as a secondary playmaker down the road.
Draft Projection
SB Nation mock draft: No. 28, Denver Nuggets
Full disclosure: I went into this not expecting to like Furphy all that much, but I can see the vision of what he has the potential to be at the next level. What should intrigue the Sixers is how well he played off a dominant big like Dickinson. Whether he was in actions with Dickinson, moving off the big man’s gravity or simply making good entry passes, Furphy looks like he can be much more than a jumbo-sized movement shooter.
He’s still super young, but this would be a decent upside swing by the Sixers.