| 30 Teams, 30 Days: Philadelphia Draft Preview (30th) Authored by Jason M. Williams - June 26, 2007 - 9:28 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?
The Sixers used Allen Iverson to mortgage their future by acquiring additional draft picks. With their first two picks, they should have focused on a big time combo forward, and their second we suggested a power forward or shooting guard. Assuming they addressed the needs for forwards earlier in the draft, they should focus on grabbing a solid addition to their backcourt. At the final pick of the first round, plenty of guards should still be available to help the Sixers turn the corner in the Atlantic Division.
Who should they target?
- Gabe Pruitt, PG/SG – USC:
Pruitt is a very raw talent with superior speed, quickness, agility, and plays as a pest on defense much like Devin Harris of the Mavericks. He provides nasty defense to go along with his explosive offensive skill set. He can beat his man off the dribble and score in penetration, or he can pull up and nail the midrange jumper. His only knock is that he is more of a scorer than a distributor, which wouldn’t be a problem since he’d be on the court with pass-first-extraordinaire Andre Miller.
- Morris Almond, SG – Rice:
Almond has arguably the best outside shot in the draft from the two-guard position. He is an explosive scorer who can score off the dribble, in transition, and from a set shot. His 26.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game helped propel Rice, and he would benefit greatly playing alongside the unselfish Andre Miller. The Sixers are already equipped with tremendous athletes who can finish at the basket, but Almond would provide a change of pace scorer who can score off the dribble in one-on-one situations, and team with Korver to provide a formidable one-two three-point punch.
- Josh McRoberts, PF – Duke:
While McRoberts has faced plenty of scrutiny as being the overrated player on the overrated team, his track record speaks for itself. The 6-10 Blue Devil averaged 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game during his sophomore season, and is still maturing on the court. His passing, rebounding, athleticism, and high basketball IQ have many people believing he can have a similar impact that David Lee has had thus far in his young NBA career. If so, he would be a great pick for the 76ers here at 30.
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
Thabo Sefolosha, 13th (traded to Chicago)
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 21? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions. |
