Below you will find my initial crack at a mock draft. I did this based on team need, and also how I think players will rise and fall as the draft process goes on (for instance: people will find out Brook Lopez just isn’t all that good).
As for the Sixers – I have them taking Brandon Rush here, who I have said before, I would love on the team. If the draft played out this way, they would probably take a look at Chase Budinger and maybe one of the big-man projects like Kosta Koufos or JaVale McGee.
If Donte Green were to fall to 16 I think we would have to take him at 6’10 he could be our answer long-term at PF. He isn’t as polished in the post yet, but with his size, shooting ability and versatility I don’t think I could pass on him.
My 2 cents.
Haven’t seen McGree play but do you like Koufos? I really didn’t think much of him while he was at Ohio State.
I love Brandon Rush though. He’s got a sexy game. Chase Budinger would be a nice consolation prize although he doesn’t seem to play very enthusiastic defense. Don’t know if that’s a concern or not…
I don’t really like Koufos, no. He seems pretty soft. However, he will probably wow people at workouts because of his size and skill, and might get a look from the Sixers.
There were definitely some questions about Budinger’s desire, but the kid is a freak athlete who can shoot. I’d be happy to have him. He’d be a great fit for our offense.
What do you guys think our chances of trading up a few picks? I’d love to get in the 8-12 and pick up Augustin… He is pretty much my favorite player in the draft after Rose and Beasley.
Picking at 16, I don’t see anybody available to get excited about unless there is someone in Europe. The encouraging thing from last season was that we now have a coaching staff that will give a young player a chance to play. I hated the years with Larry Brown when a young guy could not get on the court. And he was supposed to be the “teacher”. A player cannot really learn unless he sees some real game competition.
RARO –
I think you will hear A LOT of rumors about the sixers trading up. we could use our pick and the pick from the Utah trade. also, there are a lot of teams in the lottery that are willing to trade out. Even the bulls and heat appear to willing to listen to offers.
GBA –
this is pretty deep draft, and while there probably won’t be anyone at #16 who will be an all-star, there are plenty of people to get excited about. Brandon Rush, Donte Green, Chase Budinger, Joe Alexander, Bill Walker are all guys I would be excited for.
But you are right – we will see a lot earlier whether or not whoever we get can play than we used to. It’ll be interesting to see how Brown handles the Bobcats, considering they are pretty much all young guys.
RARO -
forgot to comment on Augustin. I know my blog-mate Dannie LOVES him. I think he would be a great pick-up as well. Texas was better with him as their best player than they were when Durant was their best player. He’s not better than Durant, but it says something about how good he is.
Thought I’d comment on some people the Sixers should absolutely NOT draft (if available at our #16 slot):
-Donte Green: Seems enticing at 6’10, and is obviously freakishly talented, athletic, and has a nice shot. That said, I’m petrified of him being a Sixer. He is the classic case of street baller without any sense of the game…his shot selection is absolutely atrocious, he is completely in love with the 3 point shot and just jacks them up, ignores the low block post game, and doesn’t have great post foot work. Obviously some guys can improve…but I just don’t see this guy having the “Thad Young work ethic” gene. His flaws really came out in Big East conf. play.
-Joe Alexander: love this guy, and while he’s not a sure fire bet, I think he will be one of the surprises of the draft given his skill set. That said…why go for another 6’8 SF type? We already are waffling Iggy between the 2 and 3 spots, Thad Young between the 3 and 4 spots…do we really need another talent to mess with Thad’s playing time…even if he can shoot? I say no.
-Javale MacGee: I can’t stand gambling on big men projects like this. I’ve seen Nevada play several times…this guy is completely unpolished, without a doubt needs another 1-2 years of college ball, and wouldn’t have any type of impact until 3 years later, if at all. He literally needs work on every area of his game…what we definitely don’t need now is another Sammy Dalembert type that will take 85 years to develop.
-Kosta Koufos: I think he’s both under, and overrated. Given his stellar performance for the Greek national team over the summer, and scouting services drooling over him senior year, expectations probably got too high for him. OSU had a real inconsistent year, and Kosta was no exception. Sometimes he showed Pau Gasol type finesse moves in the post, regularly made the 18 footer, and was a great passer…other times he literally looked lost and overwhelmed. You could make a case that he’d be a nice offensive project to pair with Sammy’s D…except that Koufos’ will get MAULED in the NBA for his lack of quickness on defense. He can’t guard the NBA 4 spot…I just don’t think he’d work with our roster.
-Robin Lopez: When people say he is Anderson Varejao 2.0, they aren’t kidding. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we don’t need yet another big man with a completely unpolished offensive game that only gets points off hustle plays and put backs (aka: Dalembert, Shavlik, Reggie Evans, etc.). Love his hustle and great team and individual defense, but no way should we pick this guy.
-Billy Walker: LOVE this guy, and think, whether it’s this year or next year, he will be one of the surprises of the draft…but like Iguodala, he’s got a mediocre jumpshot, and while he has nice BBall IQ, relies mostly on athleticism to get the job done. Amazing talent whose stock is inexplicably down (tore his ACL, made an amazing recover, and slowly has regained form, especially last quarter of the college season)…but again, just a terrible fit for our team. He and Iggy are far too similar.
Guys we SHOULD consider, if available, in this order (by position):
Big men: 1. Anthony Randolph 2. Kevin Love 3. Darrell Arthur 4. Mareece Speights
SG: Brandon Rush
PG: DJ Augustine
If we wind up trading for any 2nd round picks:
Great NBA backup PG’s / combo guards that can hit the three: Brian Roberts (Dayton), Jamar Butler (OSU)
Big men: Richard Hendrix (Bama), JJ Hickson (NC St.)
I also don’t think we should sleep on Herbert Hill if he recovers well…not that he’s our PF savior or anything, but this guy can really play, he has potential to be one of the gems of last year’s 2nd round and could be real productive off the bench.
Dave T-
Agree completely on McGee, Koufos and Lopez.
I will reserve judgement on both Walker and Green until I read up on them going into the draft. I am a huge Big East fan, so I did see the best and worst of Green this season. I think he would be a bit of a project, but 6’10” guys who can shoot and run the floor are rare and he might fit in real well with our offense. Walker I would get excited about just for his athleticism alone, but you are right in that he doesn’t really fit our team right now. Gets by on his athleticism, not necessarily basketball skill.
I WISH Joe Alexander could play the 2 or the 4 because I LOVE his game and his attitude. But unless we sign and trade Iggy, it’s not happening (but I don’t see him being there at 16 anyway)
As for the guys you like. No way Randolph is there at 16, he will be Top-10. I think Love and Arthur will be gone, but I would certainly take either of them. I would enjoy (notice how I avoided a play on words there) seeing Love throw his trademark outlet passes to start our break. Speights I’m not completely sold on, but will keep a close eye on moving forward.
LOVE Rush – obviously right now he is my guy. Like Augustin a lot too.
Yeah, I agree that Randolph will most likely be top 10, probably top 8. I more put him down, and K Love, just in case we somehow trade up a few spots to the late lottery range. Sincerely doubt that would happen, but figured I’d toss it out there.
The reason I like Speights a lot more as a pick then Greene is because he’s actually a true low post guy. I tend to go for drafting by need and not talent, or “the most talented guy that fits our need”, unless it’s truly someone special.
So I kinda think about what the Sixers want and don’t want in a future PF. What we don’t want:
-A defense only hustle guy, as it would be a Ben Wallace/Varejao clone which just doesn’t work, and we already have Sammy D there
-A PF that has a finesse game, as any Euro type presence would not fit into the rugged, defensive atmosphere of this team (and I think Mo would have no clue how to coach a finesse Euro guy, to be honest)
-A PF with an abundance of SF skills, that tends to play a perimeter game like Sheed Wallace or Dirk. Given that Thad Young, already a 6’8 tweener forward that we are going to bring up and want to improve SF skills…having a new 6’9 – 6’11 big man come in that also is a big guy that doesn’t play a post game would just give us more of the same, and not help get us double teams down low.
What we DO need: an actual offensive post presence. We need a guy like Duncan, Brand, Boozer, Zach Randolph (minus all headaches and the offensive black hole), etc…I’m not saying we have any shot of can getting a talent of that caliber, but we do need someone that at least has that PF mindset. Someone that we can actually give the ball to on the block, that doesn’t shy away from mixing it up inside, and enjoys scoring off good foot work in the interior.
The only guys that are either like that right now, or have that potential, in this draft are:
-Brook Lopez
-Anthony Randolph
-David Love
-Darrell Arthur
-Mareese Speights
-JJ Hickson
-Richard Hendrix
All the rest are either too small forward-y, too finesse, or too defensive oriented. I’d rather gamble with a slightly more raw, and less “talented” guy (Speights) that caters to a classic low post game, then with a more classic Mickey D all american type like Greene that just seems like the antithesis of what we need and would be a perimeter big guy.
I’m with you though…I think Brandon Rush is SEVERELY underrated, and could really step in right away and give us a true SG, 3 point shooting, great defense, and some extra punch.
Disagree with your take on Brook Lopez though…I used to think he was an overrated guy and just another version of the Collins twins…but after watching a lot of Pac-10 games this season, the dude can flat out play, I really changed my mind about him. He’s got a great, fundamental back to the basket game, although his ceiling level isn’t nearly as high as some of the other athletes in the draft. If I’m the TWolves I take him in a heartbeat just so Al Jefferson can slide over to play his natural PF spot.