Here is my first and only NBA Mock Draft. I am going to change it up slightly though. Rather than attempting to predict where players will be drafted (Pete had done a great job of keeping up with all the news and rumors flying around about what teams will actually do in his NBA Mock Drafts), in Recliner GM fashion I will make the picks entirely as if I was the general manager for each of the teams. We all know who the fans think should be selected will vary significantly from who their team will actually pick. So here I go playing GM. (Warning: it’s long since this will be my only NBA Mock Draft)
Let me start by expressing a distinct difference of opinion with most of what has been written regarding the top prospects. I rank them in this order:
- O.J. Mayo - I think he is easily the best guard prospect in the draft and based on everything I’ve seen and read the best overall prospect. Why? I have no concerns about him being a bust, having a bad or lazy attitude, and he has a ridiculous work ethic already. Every interview I’ve seen shows how mature this kid is, and he is extremely bright (29 on his ACT entering college placing him in the 95th percentile). Add the fact that of all the players in the draft Mayo’s game is probably the most polished already while not diminishing people’s view of his upside (i.e. Brook Lopez). He is my guy in this entire draft without question.
- Michael Beasley - Very close second damn near a tie with Mayo. I give the edge to Mayo only because I buy into the Derrick Coleman fears a little, tiny bit with this guy. But not as much as most. He could be a perennial All-Star and future HOF player with the talent he has right now. If you add the possibility that he gets more serious as he ages watch out.
- Derrick Rose - Don’t get me wrong I love the kid, but he isn’t as good as those other two guys. Work ethic - check. Great attitude - check. Leadership and intangibles - check. Athletic - check. Ball handling - check. What worries me is for a pure point guard he is more of a drive-to-score guy not drive-to-dish. His court vision isn’t great; it’s just OK. His shooting ability both from three and mid-range is again just OK. And his decision-making has been shaky at times especially when he tries to do too much and gets out of control which leads to excess turnovers. All that says to me is this guy is still a project PG and not a polished and fully developed player TODAY. I think the comparisons to Deron Williams and Chris Paul are unjust - this kid isn’t that good right now. Nor do I ever think he will be that good because developing court vision and those PG instincts are hard to teach. Those guys have it innately. But everyone is making it seem like he is that type of player now when I think more accurately he could potentially get to the level, making it a little uncertain. Do I think he will be a bust? Hell no - but do I think he could turn out to be just good, not great yeah, and I think people should consider that possibility as well.
On to my NBA Mock Draft thoughts…
- The first three picks are standard and here’s why. Chicago needs Michael Beasley because he fits a low post scoring threat they current don’t have. BUT, Derrick Rose is a hometown guy which if I am the GM factors into my decision heavily, he can protect Ben Gordon defensively and he is a penetrator surrounded by a bunch of shooters. Most importantly that team needs a leader and a player with a come-to-work-and-handle-business type attitude, and I think Beasley is too immature to mesh well on Chicago whereas Rose is exactly what they need from a leadership standpoint.
- Miami would be drunk not to pair Wade with Michael Beasley. They would be locked in at three positions and have a solid back-up PF as well. Also, I think Mayo and Wade are essential the same player so drafting a D-Wade clone doesn’t make all that much sense. With that said this is the most intriguing pick because Miami could end up with Beasley, Mayo, Lopez, Love or Bayless when it’s all said and done.
- Minnesota needs a SF and a center so they can move Jefferson to the PF but there aren’t good enough players at those positions to pass on O.J. Mayo so he goes there. With the addition of Mayo this Minnesota team has a lot of players I really like in Mayo, Foye, Jefferson and McCants.
- Seattle needs a center more than they need a point guard or scoring guard in my opinion. They also don’t need a developing player rather a guy who is NBA-ready now. Brook Lopez is that guy who can come in and give them some toughness inside and maturity.
- Kevin Love to Memphis just makes sense anyway you look at it. They need a polished scorer down low to go along with all the good perimeter players they have. Love is easily the best pure low-post player in the draft.
- The Knicks actually need a pure point guard not another combo guard, and they could need a legit SF as well (Q-Tip sucks!) But I don’t think there is a PG good enough to be drafted this high so I take Jerryd Bayless and hope he can develop into the Chauncey Billups mold. I think the Knicks might take Russell Westbrook because again they need a defender and non-shooting type point guard, but I am just not sold on a guy that can’t shoot all that well, and if he is really a top 10 player why the hell was he sitting behind Josh Ship and especially Darren Collison at UCLA?
- The Clippers are going to keep Brand. Kaman proved his worth at center and Al Thorton is the SF of the future. So this team needs a PG (if they don’t keep Livingston or he can’t play) and a shooting guard. Best available player is Eric Gordon and he fits a need - no brainer.
- Perfect example of my drafting philosophy I am all about taking the best available player in the position I need first, then overall best available player (always exceptions to the rule). Joe Alexander is a freak and would fit perfectly at small forward on this team who is paying Bobby Simmons over $9M to do pretty much nothing at the position.
- Here is where I mix it up a bit. The Bobcats have veterans at shooting guard and small forward. They have a decent distributing type point guard. They have pretty good depth at PF with Okafor anchoring that crew. They need a center to allow Okafor to play PF permanently. But they also need a center that is a good passer from the high post and a good 15-17 shooter to give Emeka room to work down low. Kosta Koufos is exactly that guy. Hibbert would also be a possibility as well since he is moving up draft boards. Again I think Westbrook if he falls could be picked here. WHY?!?! Felton is already consistently giving you 13-15 ppg and 7 assists while staying under 3 turnovers per game. Drafting in the top 10 you are drafting for a starter not a back up, and I think Westbrook could easily be a good back up PG or average starting PG. Felton has already proven he is an NBA caliber point guard. (gotta defend my UNC guys!)
- Indiana really needs a point guard of the future, and of the guys left I prefer D.J. Augustin. Yes, I am really worried about his size - I mean history speaks for itself. Sub 6-foot players don’t fair all that well. But Augustin is a better pure point guard than Westbrook so I take him here.
- Finally, Russell Westbrook goes to the Kings who have no point guard whatsoever having traded away Mike Bibby. Westbrook on a team with Artest makes for a very formidable defense on the perimeter which is vital in the Western conference.
- Portland doesn’t need any more damn players so I am taking best available here, and it’s Recliner GM favorite Brandon Rush.
- I honestly have no clue who Golden State should pick so I went with the guy that fits their system and has tremendous upside. Donte Green can thrive in their run-and-gun style since all he has shown he can do is run and gun. I don’t expect defense will be that high on the priority list with Nelson for this kid so he should be ok there. Considering Matt Barnes, Kelenna Azubuike and Mickael Pietrus will be free agents Green allows Golden State to let one or all of them walk.
- My boy Mario Chalmers goes to Phoenix who needs a defensive-minded PG to back up Steve Nash. Chalmers can shoot the three and can step in and play immediately on a team with a dwindling window of opportunity. Wouldn’t be surprised if he turned out to be the 2nd best point guard in this draft. He would be learning from one of the best in the business in Steve Nash. His size and defense puts him in a position to be better than Augustin, and his shooting makes him more polished than Westbrook as well. This has been one of my guys since day one.
#16 the Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock
- OK now to the team I actually care about. I don’t like any of the remaining big men in this draft and there aren’t any point guards left so I am picking pretty much by process of elimination. I don’t draft foreign players; that is my bias so Alexis Ajinca is out. Plus I don’t want a 7′ 1″ dude who is listed as a PF and shoots 3’s. Jason Thompson really intrigued me because of his production, and he is working out with Tim Grover amongst the best prospects in the draft in Chicago. But playing against weaker competition at Rider I wonder if his game will excel in the NBA game. It’s almost like taking two steps up rather than one coming from a top NCAA program. And when I saw this NBA comparison I was done with him. I am not the biggest Roy Hibbert fan so just deal with it! I am coming around a bit on him. I will say this about Hibbert, if we pick him I will certaintly give him a chance and not write him off immediately (Pete philosophy). He could be a good back-up center on our team and insurance policy if something happens to Dalembert. If Roy can get tougher he could turn out to be a real pro. With us already having Sammy I will pass on Hibbert for now. If Kosta Koufos was on the board I might take him, but I still prefer a back-to-basket bruiser over the Dirk Nowitzki wanna be. Darrell Arthur is too small for me and not as good as Antwan Jamison especially in the post so I pass. I am a Philly guy which means blue collar, hard worker, and I can’t pull myself to draft a guy with questionable work ethic and lazy attitude so Marresse Speights is out. D’Andre Jordan by all early accounts isn’t a basketball player at all right now. He is just a big dude. I watched him play a few times this season and didn’t even know he was in the game most of the team. I had a quickie with JaVale McGee for a minute, but I have since dumped him after he has gotten dominated by every other PF/C in the draft. What about Anthony Randolph since he is available on my draft board. NO THANKS! I want a basketball player not another raw kid who can run and jump. I am sure all the Tyrus Thomas fans are in love with this guy.
Whose left? J.J. Hickson. I guess I am with Pete on this one here’s why… Of all the PFs likely on the board he has the best PF body for the type of game we would want him to play. He also has the best back-to-the-basket post game right now of the power forwards. (Hibbert is probably the most polished of the bunch). He is only 19 and has just as much upside as the rest of those guys. Regarding his height I think he could easily end up at a legit 6′10″ in the next 2 years. Besides that he makes up for that inch in wingspan, reach and jumping ability. Most importantly this dude is strong, tough, loves to bang down low, is a good rebounder already and has a knack for getting to the foul line. These are all characteristics I am looking for in a NBA power forward. I prefer to develop a young power forward who already prefers to bang down low rather than take cupcakes and perimeter-oriented bigs. Meaning teaching a guy to move his game outside and shooting 15-footers is easier to develop than taking a guy that inherently may not like to get dirty inside and teaching him the intricacies of post play. Hickson it is.
Speed it up 17 through 30
The rest of my picks aren’t all that different from other NBA Mock Drafts so I don’t feel the need to go into depth with them.
- I almost had Cleveland take Courtney Lee because I believe LeBron needs to be surrounded by guys that make teams pay for double and triple teaming him and they have a need at shooting guard as well. But there are too many “great upside” bigs left that they have to prepare for the departure of their old front court that runs 33-years old, 33-years-old, and 32-years-old. Get a guy in there now who can work and develop with LeBron for the near future.
- My surprise first rounder is Devon Hardin. I am assuming Detroit and Joe Dumars won’t be going insane for a day and draft another scrub foreign player. They need a legit center, and Hardin might be worth taking a chance on rather than a softy like Ante Tomic.
- If Bill Walker falls because of his injury Boston is the perfect team for him. They don’t really need any type of impact player and they have a bunch of young PFs. Walker is absolutely my pick because he can come in and contribute behind Ray Allen immediately if he can stay healthy.
Note: Portland has acquired the 27 pick from the New Orleans Hornets for cash considerations. I think they want to take a foreign guy and let him develop overseas for a bit longer but they could also take Douglass-Roberts if he is still on the board.
Wheww that was long. This should get you guys through most of the day and I will have something shorter and more fun a little later. Please pick this apart in the comments, but do it as if you were picking now what you think the teams will actually do.
Check out other Mock Drafts at NBA Mock Draft Database
If you want more sports coverage especially Sixers and Phillies, sign up for free email alerts or grab to the Recliner GM RSS feed. Thanks for reading.
24 comments ↓
You nailed it…the Sixers do need a “basketball player” that is exactly what they need.
But, back to the Josh Smith thing again, do and can the Sixers sign both Iguodala and Smith–or are they looking to do without Iguodala, sign Smith, and use money to get an outside threat?
D-
I could just shout over the cubicle, but I’ll put this here for discussion purposes. If you are the GM, and OJ Mayo is the best player in the draft, why aren’t you taking him #1?
JrIII (and all sixers fans) - read something last night that said the while the Hawks don’t WANT to go over $11 mill a year for Josh Smith, they absolutely will match any offer, even a max. Same goes with Monta Ellis. So I wouldn’t plan on either of those guys in Sixers uni’s next year.
DANNIE: If what Pete says is true, where do we go from here? No Josh Smith. No Monta Ellis. No Elton Brand. After his latest nightclub related run-in, any Zach Randolph ideas MUST be gone one way or the other. Sitting at #16 just won’t get it done. Are there still any possibilities for us to move up?
Pete - because I want to begin changing the culture and attitude of this team and I think the one major thing Rose is better than Mayo at is leadership and intangibles. I want to get back in the good graces of the fans after all the nonsense that happened with such a talented team last season. I want to sell more tickets and the hometown kid will with question help me do that. He is still the best point guard prospect in the draft and I think I will have a easier go at moving Kirk Hinrich for value or cap relief than Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden or one of the other young unproven power forwards. If I took Mayo I would have to find a way to move Hughes (he just flat out stinks at this point) because I still want Ben Gordon’s shooting ability on the team and figure out how two scoring guards like that will co-exist. Honestly Rose seems like the easiest choice to make work for me.
Bski - You got me! The Randolph is not going to happen and shouldn’t as he continues to prove he is an idiot and still a child who likes to play with fire.
All indications I have from Stefanski is that they explored moving up and it isn’t happening he seems content at 16. Of course he could be blowing smoke but I don’t think he is on this one. We have to draft a PF and see what he can do and develop into. I am not giving up on the possibility we get a gem at 16 either (check out the history here and here). I created a list of 17 free agents back in the middle of May and it looks like by the time I actually write that post after July 1 most of the impact guys will be off the table. Leaving us with role players that are strategically picked.
DANNIE: I will still hold out hope that something will shake out for us. If not, we had better hope we get a gem at #16. Even if we do, we’re going to need someone to act as a bridge for a year or two until he is ready. Something like Morty’s place holder idea of Odom as a short term upgrade could work. It might be our best shot at this point.
1. Trying to figure the logic in getting Odom outside a lot of cap space next summer.
2. I don’t see how we get Odom from LA anyway? What do we have in terms of a combination of players that both match Odom’s $14M contract next season and provide value to the Lakers who are trying to win an NBA championship right now? They don’t have a first round pick and if they move Odom they will need a SF (assuming Bynum is back and Gasol is the PF) that can step in and contribute because Walton and Vladimir Radmanovic are terrible!
Another name I will throw out there is Al Harrington who might demand a trade this summer. Apparently he isn’t happy in GS and the offensive style Nelson wants him to play (3pt specialist). This guy took 5 three pointer per game last season in his first 7 seasons he was taking 1 per game and he has actually gotten better at it. But the feeling I get is he wants to play more on the block and use his versatility more so against bigger, slower defenders. He’s got two more seasons at 9 and 10 million and he turned 27 years old in February. Just a thought.
Dannie: I take the opposite tack that it is easier to teach a kid to play with guts and heart than it is to teach skills. Toughness is just wanting it, anyone can do that, but skills are something more difficult. That’s why I like Speights. Even without “effort and conditioning” this guy still put up really good numbers in the SEC.
The way we could get Odom is by offering our 11 mil in cap relief to LA. That would then allow them to make a move for the SF they want. I read about Marion for Odom, but that doesn’t make sense for Miami since both players have 1 year left on their contracts. What does Miami get out of that deal? LA doesn’t have a pick to offer.
I feel the same way about getting Sheed. He only has one year left so why not take a stab at him? Our draft pick plus Utah’s, and Green for Wallace.
Of course, if none of those options emerge, I’m OK with keeping the cap space in our pocket for a better opportunity.
Morty we are just going to have to disagree on this one. Because in all my basketball life you might be the only person I have ever spoke to about basketball that believes you can “teach a kid to play with guts and heart.” I’ve been around a lot of players and coaches and it just doesn’t work like that. How do you teach heart and guts? You have it or you don’t. And if you don’t have it right now, it isn’t something you teach it’s something that is triggered inside by that player through his own experience, not something an outside individual can turn on for them. You said it yourself “Toughness is wanting it - how do you teach “wanting it” if well the guy doesn’t? I am sure we both can point out countless cases of guys with talent not having the work ethic or drive and end up wasting it. Hell if people have this concern with Michael Beasley who is immensely better than Speights I think its a serious one to consider with a guy with less talent.
Moving on…
“Even without “effort and conditioning” this guy still put up really good numbers in the SEC.” For me that doesn’t translate to the NBA. You either have to be insanely talented (which I think we all agree Speights is not) or you have to work your ass off. If you think he will become a hard worker that is fair enough. But he isn’t going to come into the league with the same type of work ethic and succeed.
Let me throw out another thought. What if the Sixers just draft their player at #16, replace any of the serviceable guys that leave and pretty much stand pat?
Dannie, no problem agreeing to disagree, but I will note that effort is contagious. How many times have we seen talented underachievers and/or selfish players join winning teams and change their spots?
Everyone seems to agree that Speights is talented, and the more advanced numbers bear that out. He is 19 years old, most people including myself had a lot to learn at that age.
A couple thoughts:
1. Dannie, what I read or heard somewhere was our cap space of $11M allows us to trade Odom ($14M) for Willie Green/Reggie Evans ($4M) straight up, and we’d have $1M left over. But I still don’t see the Lakers making that trade. One thing we could do is leverage our cap space and tell them that if they don’t trade us Odom then we’re gonna make an offer to Vujacic, which would only work if they were concerned about their cap, like the Grizzlies, which is possible because Bynum is restricted next year, and there are more teams with more cap space next year. But we’d have to make sure LouWill and Iggy are locked up first, though I’m not sure if the Lakers could even make an offer for one of thsoe guys since they’re over the cap.
2. My pick for tomorrow is still Darrell Arthur, but this is mainly going off what I saw of Arthur. I read that J.J. Hickson’s upside is Chris Wilcox, and I think the probability of that is high, which I like. But I also think that there’s a high probability that Darrell Arthur could become the next Antawn Jamison, and if I had to choose, in 5 years, would I rather have Chris Wilcox/Thad or Antawn Jamison/Thad I’d choose the latter. Also, who could’ve helped us more against Detroit, Wilcox or Jamison?
I’ll repeat what I said earlier: Arthur got 20 and 10 in the championship game, shooting a high %, and coming real close to equaling what Al Horford did in Florida’s two championship games. He was able to do what Kevin Love couldn’t, and that was score against Memphis’ big men. Kansas doesn’t win without the guy (or Rush or Chalmers or Collins), he really doesn’t get enough credit for this. If Kevin Love had done that, or someone with a marketable “it” factor, people would’ve piled on the superlatives, “phenomenal”, “this is why he’s a surefire lottery pick”, “gutsy”, etc.
3. About Josh Smith, let’s call Atlanta’s bluff, that they’re willing to match, because we have nothing to lose, and at worst, we mess up their cap space a little and probably cause them to lose Childress (but not to us) this year, and Marvin Williams down the line. Sometimes, getting better is a matter of the other team getting worse, right?
What’s do you think the ceiling is for Speights? And the other guys for that matter? Is he a productive starter in the NBA? An All-Star caliber player?
Not a huge proponent of advanced stats.
I am with you on effort being contagious but it still needs to come from within. I will give the best example I can that supports both our arguments in the perfect context for this blog. Charles Barkely. He had tons of talent and equally as lazy and half-assed coming out of college. But he came into a team with two lock Hall of Fame players and more importantly an ideal mentor in hard working Moses Malone who played a similar position. 100% those guys and that culture had a lot to do with Barkely becoming a better more hard working player. With that said, everything I’ve read about Charles and from Barkely himself in his books was that even with the boost he got from that contagious environment what really drove him came from within. People doubting him, questioning his size, calling him fat etc. And that part you just can’t teach.
If the Sixers stand pat and expect to go any deeper in the playoffs, they better hope for several things:
1) Re-sign Iguodala and Williams and extend Miller.
2) Jason Smith needs to do a better job rebounding and must consistently knock down the 17-footer so he can be our starting PF.
3) Lou Williams must look to pass more and improve at running the offense, since he’s our backup PG. Our offense cannot shut down when Miller sits.
4) Thad Young needs to play SF predominantly to take advantage of his skills.
5) Iguodala must have a consistent outside shot so he can play SG. Also, he needs to handle the ball less, as he led the league in TO’s last year.
6) Rodney Carney has got to become our knock down 3-pt shooter.
7) Sam Dalembert needs to play defense, rebound, and block shots. He can get his points off running the floor, lobs, and an elbow jumper here and there. Most of the time when he gets the ball on the block, something bad happens. We cannot ask him to create for himself and we can forget about him creating for others with his “passing” out of the post.
9) Willie Green should be kept behind glass and only broken out in cases of extreme emergency.
10) Hope Herbert Hill can give us a reliable big man off the bench. Booth, Amundson, and Shav Randolph don’t add up to much.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of hopes, just a few things off the top of my head.
Nice post bski, all good points. As for your #1, Philly Daily News just reported the Sixers made qualifying offers to both Iguodala and Lou williams…right now terms are undisclosed. I’d be really happy if the offers were in the range of:
Iggy: 5 years, $60 million (12 mill a year)
Sweet Lou: 4 years, $16 million (4 mill a year)
With your #6…Unfortunately, Rodney Carney isn’t ever going to be a Korver or Kapono type shooter. The guy just isn’t a flat out pure shooter, he is much more of a streaky 3 point shooter that can get really hot from outside. What I’m hoping he can become though, if he hits the three more consistently and his effort is there more, is a Matt Barnes, Bruce Bowen type player that can be a huge defensive presence as well as a 3 point guy in the 37 - 38% range.
Your #2: I really don’t consider Jason Smith a part of this team. I just don’t see this guy in our future plans, I think he is a poor poor dirt poor man’s Austin Croshere…and that’s not saying much. Don’t like his game, I think he’s a mediocre bench player on some team, and I don’t want it to be ours. We need bangers and scoring from the block, not high post jump shooters.
#4 and #5: This will be a huge test year to see if our team is successful with Iguodala at the SG and Thad at the SF spot. I’ll be very curious to see how this works…I’m still very skeptical because of the lack of outside shooting. Although I do think Thad is going to be sliding between the 3 and playing a small 4 a lot so Carney gets some more burn at SG. Thad’s got a nice little high post game, so this is fine with me.
Your #10: I think Herbert Hill is being the most undertalked about guy on our team. If he recovers from injury nicely, we will have ourselves one of the top 3 gems of the 2007 draft’s second round. I loved watching him play at Providence…this guy is a total 6′10 classic big man workhorse. If healthy, he’ll make a great backup PF/C capable of rebounding and putting some points on the board. Very similar game to Temple’s Marc Jackson.
I’d just like to comment on the great talk on this website. It is truly refreshing to see adults have conversations about potential draft picks or trades or whatever. With that said, I am completely torn on what I feel the Sixers should do at #16. I think the team is building a good core of talent unforetunately alot of talent is at the 2 and 3 so this is a perfect draft to get a 4. My short list includes Hickson, Arthur, Speights, and Jason Thompson. I don’t know that any of these guys will be bonafide stars but, i think they will be solid pros a few years down the road.
Ideally, they draft one of these 4 guys let them develop behind a guy that isn’t on the team yet. That is my biggest concern who is the 4 to start the year. Antawn Jamison is a name that jumps at me as a stop gap but, i have no clue what is value is $$ wise and i don’t want to break the bank. I’d love to hear some feedback and again guys thanks and i will enjoy more conversations in the future.
DAVE T: Thanks. I certainly don’t believe everything I said has a good chance of happening. I was just trying to envision a way for us to get better under Dannie’s constraint of standing pat. I did the best I could with what we’ve got.
Who knows, if Jason Smith gets a diamond stud earring maybe he could at least channel Mike Gminski. Couldn’t hurt, could it? If Reggie Evans does the same….Rick Mahorn?
Few things:
1. Did you see the Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto deal? They are now the 3rd best team in the league and if they can get a solid SF or shooting guard I think they are now better than the aging Detroit as currently assembled. That intensifies the need for the Sixers to get a legit PF in here who can defend as well as got right back at these guys on the offensive end.
2. I hear a lot of people that say “oh there aren’t that many PFs in the East so it isn’t that big a deal.” I don’t buy that thinking. What matters is where they are not quantity and the teams the Sixers need to catch up too have big time inside players and if Miami drafts Beasley, finds a way to get Brand or steals Boozer from Utah next season (one way or another they will get a good big in there because of Wade, Riley and the location) that is another team ahead of the Sixers in that department. This is the position that needs to be sured up ASAP now and in long-term thinking as well if we want to contend every season not one hit wonders. When you factor in if we were to get through the East without it you know for sure we will have to deal with a great PF from a Western Conference team.
3. New draft thought can the Sixers use some of the cap space to buy a late first round pick and draft two PFs to increase the chances that one of them will turn out to be a real player and have some nice competition to drive the two young players? I mean there have already been two other teams to do this in this draft.
4. Are you willing to trade Andre Iguodala if that means you net a very good inside player and start building from the inside out rather than the current direction which is outside in?
Will throw out another idea. With all the recent shuffling and moves Chad Ford has Chalmers dropping to 17 in his most recent mock. What if we can again buy a later 1st round draft pick and take Chalmers at 16 and then take one of the 100 upside bigs with the later pick.
DANNIE: I like the second idea, but then I’ve liked Chalmers all the way along. It would be great if we could swing it.
As far as your first idea, I would trade Iguodala. PF is a glaring need of ours. Based on the difficulty we are having addressing that need, I would say we would have an easier time finding another outside player(s) to give us what Iguodala does.
Yesterday’s idea about Al Harrington could work as well.
Dannie, kudos for having the ability to flow chart all those scenarios in your head without getting a headache.
I don’t wanna trade Iggy, his skill level isn’t stratospheric, but his attitude and desire to win is. This was discussed previously - last year was his “rookie year” as far as trying to lead a team goes, I believe he’ll do a much better job of it for 2008-2009. I love that the Sixers are developing him as a leader (intentionally or not), kind of how in a company you groom certain guys to be management. Of all the Sixers we have right now, and of all the free agents we’re considering, and of all the people we’re thinking of drafting, he’s got the highest potential of being our “coach on the floor”, which I think is necessary for a championship. And he doesn’t need to be our #1 option to do become this kind of player.
Dannie I really like your #3 option, trading for a second 1st round pick in the early to mid 20’s. I think the irony of the Iverson trade was that this draft would be the perfect draft to have three 1st round picks in…it would allow has to draft one more “solid” big, one gamble-big, and a backup center or PG.
Would be great if we could land a Speights/Hickson combo in one draft, or Speights/Jason Thompson, Koufos/Hickson, Arthur/Hickson, something along those lines. Unfortunately, if we were to trade solely for a 1st round pick, the only pieces we really have to work with are Willie Green and Jason Smith (I’m not willing to give up Carney for a late 1st pick).
Then again, if the Hornets can trade their #27 for cash, and Denver their #20 for a future 1st to Charlotte…why can’t we get in that mix as well?
p.s: James Jones just opted out of his contract from Portland. I’d love to sign him for 3 years 9 million or so, he’d really bolster the 3 point shooting we need, and would make a nice tandem with Carney to come in off the bench.
That said, it would be silly to eat up any of our FA money for a role player that could go towards Brand. Maybe we could offer him part of our yearly MLE? J. Jones would go for less than Korver, Kapono and Matt Carroll would (all one dimensional 3 pointer gunners making 4-6 million a year).
Dave T - I gotta pass on that. James Jones is too redundant to Rodney Carney and don’t want them both on the team. I don’t see the value in tying up money there if people really have faith in Carney becoming a real player and improved shooter (everyone here knows I don’t think its going to happen). Plus I rather get a shooter who is or can play the point to maximize the money we would use on a role player. Eddie House anyone?
I think I’m somewhere between the naysayers and glass-is-half-full’ers with Carney. I think he’ll improve enough to become a nice 7th man off the bench…a little D, some energy, good slashing, streaky shooting…I just don’t see him as a legit 3 point shooter, and he’s not a great IQ guy. We need at least one lights out shooter in the 38-42% range.
Fully agree with your “backup PG that can hit the long ball” idea…would be killing two birds with one stone. I think that’s why I really liked Augustin, even with the lack of size…he’s a great shooter. I know I’ve said this before, but the 2nd round has Brian Roberts and Jamar Butler (both supremely underrated) that could fill this need, those guys can both run the point, hit 3’s from anywhere, and really know the game well. Unfortunately, we’ve got no 2nd rounders.
Leave a Comment