| 30 Teams, 30 Days: Philadelphia Draft Preview (12th) Authored by Jason M. Williams - June 11, 2007 - 12:20 pm
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Draft Picks: 12th, 21st, 30th, 38th
What they do well
Last season was a pivotal year for the Philadelphia 76ers. They finally dealt franchise icon Allen Iverson to Denver, and cut ties with the hobbled and uninterested Chris Webber. They realized it was time to rebuild, and were able to turn the corner while stockpiling many young assets.
Andre Iguodala became the heart of the team after Iverson’s departure and averaged career highs of 18.2 points and 5.7 assists, which complimented his normally superior defense that enabled 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest.
Kyle Korver emerged this season with career highs of 14.4 points, 43% three-point shooting and led the NBA with 91.4% shooting from the free throw stripe.
Wily veteran point guard Andre Miller came over in the Iverson deal and immediately had an impact leading the team while dishing out 7.3 assists to go along with his 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Youthful Sixers including Rodney Carney, Shavlik Randolph, and Louis Williams also showed glimpses of future success in the City of Brotherly Love.
The 76ers started with a 10-29 record, but soon came together as a unit and finished the season with a 25-18 record, which leads many fans to believe that they are in good hands with Andre Miller and the new-look youthful Sixers.
Where do they need improvement?
Luckily, the Sixers are saddled with a great point guard and a very serviceable Eastern Conference center in Samuel Dalembert. Iguodala, Korver, and Carney are more than capable of rotating at the two guard and small forward position. The biggest need for Philly is an athletic scoring forward who is capable of playing both the small and power forward positions. With Joe Smith likely to explore other destinations via free agency and Shavlik Randolph coming off a horrific broken ankle, they must utilize this pick to get a strong and athletic forward who can compliment Dalembert on the floor and put the ball in the hoop.
Who should they target?
- Al Thornton, SF/PF – Florida State:
One of the more gifted offensive weapons in the Lottery, Thornton is jaw-dropping athlete who can score from anywhere on the court. He has very long arms, absurd leaping ability, and very quick feet. He is dangerous off the dribble and in transition, and has shown the ability to elevate his game in a hostile road environment when the pressure is on. He put up a 37 point, 15 rebound game at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke and added 37 points at Boston College. His strength and athleticism enables him to finish strong in the paint and grab rebounds one wouldn’t expect him to be able to secure. However, the one knock on Thornton is that he is 23 years-old and would be older than a few guys on the current Philly roster.
- Spencer Hawes, C – Washington:
Despite the Sixers already having Sam Dalembert penciled in as the starting center, Hawes would give them a gifted post scorer that Uncle Sam cannot supply. Hawes is debatably the greatest offensive talent on the low block from the center position in this draft, and would offer a big target for Miller, Iguodala, and Carney to find when slashing to the net. Also, he has a decent handle on his passing and could set up the deadly Kyle Korver for many three-pointers all season long.
- Jeff Green, SF – Georgetown:
If Green is still available at pick 12, he may be too talented for the Sixers to pass up. Already a better playmaker in a tougher body than Rodney Carney, Green would give the Sixers one of the best small-ball lineups in the league. His 6-9, 235 lb frame enables him to play physical around the hoop and is talented enough to score from anywhere on the floor. He was also the leader of the Georgetown team that reached the Final Four and he averaged a healthy 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his junior season.
Picks since 2000
The 76ers haven’t made many selections in the past couple of years, but have gained plenty of quality with their past three drafts. Iguodala has turned into one of the best players to come out of the 2004 NBA Draft, Louis Williams is emerging as second round steal as a 20 year-old dynamic scorer and playmaker, and Thabo Sefolosha was picked and immediately dealt to Chicago for the multitalented Rodney Carney.
2006
Rodney Carney, 16th
2005
Louis Williams, 45th
2004
Andre Iguodala, 9th
2003
Paccelis Morlende, 50th
2002
Jiri Welsch, 16th (traded to Golden State)
Sam Clancy, 45th
2001
Samuel Dalembert, 26th
Damone Brown, 37th
Alvin Jones, 57th
2000
Speedy Claxton, 20th
March Karcher, 48th
Who do you want the 76ers to draft at number 12? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions. |
