| 30 Teams, 30 Days: Philadelphia Draft Preview Authored by Jason M. Williams - June 19, 2009 - 2:33 pm
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2009 Draft Picks: 17th
Pre-Draft 2009-10 Projected Starters:
PG: Andre Miller (FA)
SG: Lou Williams
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Elton Brand
C: Samuel Dalembert
Key Reserves:
SF: Jason Kapono
F: Thaddeus Young
C: Marreese Speights
What The 76ers Do Well:
The 76ers struggled at times offensively, with the addition, and then loss, of Elton Brand and a coaching change hampering their schemes. However, they were solid defensively.
They held opponents to 97.3 points per game, which ranked 11th in the league. They don’t have any tremendous individual defenders, which is a testament to their approach.
Their defense could best be described as “pesky.” They ranked fourth in steals and tenth in blocked shots; statistics that can help tell a team’s defensive story, but often come as a result of not just above-average defense, but also focus and energy.
Philadelphia was in the middle of the pack in a majority of categories. They ranked 17th in rebounding and 24th in assists, and would have ranked higher in both categories had Elton Brand not gone down with a season-ending shoulder injury.
Some feel as though it’s a negative, but the fact that the 76ers were able to tread water after Brand’s injury shows that they can play in a variety of ways. They were 23-23 when Brand was lost for the season, and finished 18-18 without their big free agent acquisition.
Greatest Areas Of Improvement:
Three-point Shooting
The 76ers were the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA this past season, shooting a horrid 32% from downtown. The addition of Jason Kapono will help fix that deficiency, but more help is needed. Adding a guard -- perhaps a point since that position is an area of need -- that can drill a three with regularity will greatly help their overall offense.
Roster Depth
Especially with the uncertainty surrounding Andre Miller’s impending free agency, the 76ers have serious depth issues. If Miller returns, Philadelphia has a solid starting lineup (Miller-Williams-Iguodala-Brand-Dalembert), but aside from Thaddeus Young the bench is lacking in experience.
Who’s Gone Number 17 Recently?
The 76ers can definitely find a difference-maker with the 17th pick, assuming they don’t draft someone with the name Sean (or Shawne) Williams. The jury is still out on Hibbert, but the Pacers and Hawks found gems in Granger and Smith, respectively. This year’s draft isn’t as deep as ones in the recent past, which could make it harder for Philadelphia to find a diamond in the rough.
2008
Roy Hibbert, Toronto (traded to Indiana)
2007
Sean Williams, New Jersey
2006
Shawne Williams, Indiana
2005
Danny Granger, Indiana
2004
Josh Smith, Atlanta
Who Should The 76ers Target?
- Ty Lawson of North Carolina
Lawson was sliding down draft boards a month ago, but his performance in workouts has improved his stock over the last week or so. Assuming the 76ers zero in on point guards, he could be the best option to step in and replace Miller.
- Patrick Mills of St. Mary’s
Philadelphia needs a shooter as well, and Mills is better than Lawson in that department. RealGM Editor Chris Reina has called him “explosive,” which would be an added bonus, allowing Eddie Jordan’s offense to be more versatile.
- Eric Maynor of VCU
Maynor is great at creating his own offense, but that may not be something that the 76ers greatly need. With that said, he can hit open shots from the outside, which would help open up the paint for Brand.
- Jeff Teague of Wake Forest
Teague is a good shooter and very quick, but isn’t as good of a passer as some of his counterparts. Passing will be vital to the 76ers, who will be using Eddie Jordan’s version of the Princeton offense.
Picks Over the Past Five Years
The 76ers have found a star in Iguodala, and good players in Young and Williams. Speights could turn out to be a solid interior player alongside (or behind) Brand, and the team’s draft history should ease its fan base.
2008
Marreese Speights, 18th
2007
Thaddeus Young, 12th
Daequan Cook, 21st (to Miami)
Petteri Koponen, 30th (to Portland)
Kyrylo Fesenko, 38th (to Utah)
2006
Thabo Sefolosha, 13th (to Chicago)
2005
Louis Williams, 45th
2004
Andre Iguodala, 9th
Who Do the Fans Want?
According to Andrew Perna’s Philadelphia 76ers Draft Summit, an interactive forum featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the 76ers Draft discussion, the fans of Philadelphia have made it known that they would like to draft a point guard.
The Verdicts
1. What could the team have done differently to advance further in the playoffs?
Cassidy: Not much. If the East was halfway decent, we would have been a lottery team.
Foshan: I think greater consistency in the regular season would have landed us a higher spot, giving us a better chance at advancing.
The76thDegree: Better defense. When you have a good defense, it doesn’t matter if your offense isn't running like a well-oiled machine.
ZigZag: If we shot a better percentage.
PhilasFinest: If they had made free throws, and had better coaching/preparation.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: As it pertained to the matchups, we could've gone to Thaddeus Young. We didn't nearly do so enough; instead those shots went to Willie Green.
83SixersRocked: Nothing.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Cassidy: I don't think we really have any real strengths on this team. We are athletic and can run with any team, but you aren’t going to win a championship playing that way.
Foshan: I think the team’s biggest strength was our ability to get out and run, unfortunately this also translates into an underdeveloped half court game ... our biggest weakness.
The76thDegree: Speed and athleticism. Our core consists of guys who can run the floor and score on the fast break.
ZigZag: Rebounding, scrappy defense, and running the fast break.
PhilasFinest: Transition offense, defensive hustle, and rebounding.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: When Healthy, this team has a core of solid bigs. I believe a healthy Jason Smith and Speights are going to bring some nice depth and offense off the bench.
83SixersRocked: Until Brand's injury, rebounding. They dominated the boards.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Cassidy: None of the players really went above and beyond what we should expect from them. If had to pick one it would be Speights, who was able to play well on the offensive end when given the chance to play.
Foshan: I think Andre Iguodala and Young really turned it on, not sure it was a surprise, Speights showed some real promise, which is a positive to take away from a disappointing season.
The76thDegree: Young. In only his second year he opened the eyes of people outside of Philly with his game and immediately built on his rookie season. He stepped up his offense and showed his abilities as a scorer, which was something we sorely needed.
ZigZag: Iguodala. He lived up to his big contract.
PhilasFinest: Iguodala played very well considering his slow start. Towards the end of the season, and in Games 1 and 3 of the playoffs, he really showed signs of becoming a star.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: Young. I have not seen a man put the ball in the hoop as flawlessly in Philadelphia since Allen Iverson. If the 2007 draft could be done all over again, Young's a top-3 pick. I firmly believe it.
83SixersRocked: Speights.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Cassidy: Brand. I expected much more from him. Obviously, he got hurt.
Foshan: Samuel Dalembert had probably the roughest season. He is a better player than he was this year.
The76thDegree: It's tough to decide between Dalembert and Kareem Rush; I can’t say Brand since he was injured. I would say Rush. He was outright terrible. There were a few times he had a chance to earn some minutes, but this "shooter" we brought in to get some perimeter offense simply couldn’t shoot.
ZigZag: Louis Williams. His numbers were down from last season.
PhilasFinest: Williams. After a breakout season the year before, people really expected this kid to really take off.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: Tough choice to make. It's between Williams, Andre Miller, and Dalembert. All three have played below their rates of last season. Why not put them all in here shall we?
83SixersRocked: Brand, though only because he was injured.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Cassidy: I'm confident in Ed Stefankski.
Foshan: I'm not overly confident. The front office had a decent vision for making this team work going forward, developing several very good young players, but they made the 'big move' (Brand) one year too soon, in my opinion,
The76thDegree: I would say I have mid-level confidence about our front office. I was very confident until Miller wasn’t traded at the deadline, which was a huge error.
ZigZag: Very confident. We just need some more pieces and Brand healthy.
PhilasFinest: It’s probably 50-50 . We were very aggressive last season making a splash in attempting to become contenders in the East, but with limited cap space, Miller walking and no real trade assets ... there’s not much hope.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: Can't say I'm worried, we knew this would be a two-year project. This is the second and final year, what is depressing is how we poorly prepared for it.
83SixersRocked: For me, the front office = Ed Snyder, and the Flyers are his baby. The 76ers appear to be an afterthought.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Cassidy: Wow. What should we start with? We need a point guard, a shooting guard and a new center.
Foshan: Best point guard available.
The76thDegree: Point guard. After Miller leaves we have Williams as our starter. Yikes.
ZigZag: A three-point shooting point guard and a center.
PhilasFinest: A point guard and a shooter.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: Point guard obviously, but I'd like to see if we can obtain another late first rounder/early second and pick up a wing-man. Green's time in Philadelphia is up.
83SixersRocked: A fundamentally sound point guard, a shooter that can discourage double teams, and a big bodied center that has some ferocity in the paint.
7. Who would you like the 76ers to take with the 17th pick?
Cassidy: Jonny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, Ty Lawson or Wayne Ellington.
Foshan: Eric Maynor.
The76thDegree: Even with our glaring need for a point guard, I still say BPA, no matter the position.
ZigZag: Lawson.
PhilasFinest: Patrick Mills.
Dedicated_76ers_Fan: Lawson, Maynor or Mills.
83SixersRocked: Seriously, I don't follow college basketball. I'll just watch everybody argue. Jeff Teague? Mills?
Click here to read other draft previews in our 30 Teams, 30 Days series
Who do you want the Sixers to draft at number 17? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments and questions. |
