76ers Draft Preview (60 minutes before the draft edition)

Here is my comprehensive Sixers draft preview. I’ll review all the players the team has worked out. You’ll get the vital information, a bit about their game and my personal thoughts on the player. They’re sorted by where I feel the Sixers will be able to draft him.

Before 12

Jeff Green SF 6’9 228 Junior Georgetown

The Sixers flew to D.C. just to work out Green, so they obviously think very highly of him. He’s a smart, all-around player that can definitely contribute right away. He’s the exact kind of player the Sixers need; he can put the ball on the floor and score points, and he’s strong enough defensively he can bump down inside when Mo Cheeks opts to go small. They’ll have to trade up to get him if they want him though, he’s one of the best players in the draft.

Yi Jianlian F 7’0 242 23 years old China

Like a lot of other of foreign players, he may need to fill out his frame a bit to find a true position. He has great athleticism and quickness that allow him to score points close to the basket. Yi also possesses a good mid-range jump shot, so he has some unique talents for a guy his size. If Yi falls past the 5^th pick, the Sixers need to strongly consider going up and getting him. He has star potential, and I think he’s worth the risk.

Before 12 to 12

Spencer Hawes C 7’0 250 Freshman Washington

Hawes is a very raw player, and like Aaron Gray, who’s discussed later, he didn’t play as well as he could’ve. Hawes has an excuse, being that he still can’t legally consume alcohol and was only a freshman. He absolutely needs to bulk up to become a presence in the paint, but he still has great low post skills on both sides of the court. He has good all-around skills including recognizing double teams, a good jump shot and the ability to block shots. I wouldn’t be upset if the Sixers took him at 12, but I hope they don’t trade up for him.

Al Thornton F 6’8 220 Senior Florida State

Now here’s a guy the Sixers could use. He’s a polished scorer that like Iguodala, can step in and play right away. He’s a bit older than the team would like, but it just means he’s more experienced, right? He’s a great athlete who can create his own shot and find a lot of ways to score points. He’s big enough that he can bump down to PF when the team goes small. He should be available at the 12 if the Sixers don’t want to trade up for anyone else.

Julian Wright F 6’9 210 Sophomore Kansas

Wright’s another guy the Sixers need to take into serious consideration. His stock has fallen off a little bit as of late, so he should be available at 12. He struggled at the draft camp, but he’s still a great athlete with a very high ceiling. His offensive game needs a lot of work. It would be nice to see more scoring from him early in his pro career, but I don’t see that aspect of his game coming on for a couple years. He’s a very good defender and rebounder.

12

Javaris Crittenton PG 6’4 194 Freshman Georgia Tech

His size gives him an advantage on other PGs. Crittenton has the ability to be a “true” point guard; he sees the court well and he’s a gifted distributor. He also has tremendous athletic ability that will allow him to be a great scorer himself. If the Sixers were to trade Andre Miller to acquire a top pick (don’t ask me how this will happen, because it won’t,) Crittenton would be a good pick at 12 to replace him. Otherwise, it doesn’t make much sense to take him with their first pick.

Nick Young GF 6’7 205 Junior Southern California

Young is a very good swingman with a wide array of offensive moves. He can drive to the basket and draw fouls, which is something the Sixers could use. Young can also shoot the jumper, and he has the range to do it behind the line as well. At this point, he’s an average defender, but his athleticism will allow him to become better. He’s the kind of player the Sixers need, so if they have no other options, Young should be the guy.

12 to 21

Jason Smith FC 7’0 240 Junior Colorado State

It’s a reach to take him at 12 and he probably won’t make it to 21, so this one is tough. For his size, he’s a pretty good athlete. He can hit the midrange jumper, and Smith has a developing low post offensive game. Defensively, he’s not a bad shot blocker. He was a good player against pretty average competition in his career. Smith would fit in nicely with guys like Dalembert and Hunter in a low post rotation.

Acie Law IV PG 6’3 186 Senior Texas A&M

I shouldn’t put him in this range because he’ll almost certainly be selected higher. Law is a guy that’s loved by almost all college basketball fans, not just Aggies fans. He plays his best on the national stage and had big games against tough opponents. He’s a great scorer who can also distribute like traditional point guards. I would be ecstatic if the Sixers could get him this low, but I don’t see it happening.

Thaddeus Young SF 6’7 210 Freshman Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech had a bit of a down year in 05-06, but they bounced back to compete in the ACC on the backs of Young and fellow freshman Javaris Crittenton. Young is a great athlete who’s still very raw, and he’s entering the draft after playing only one year in college. Young has a pretty good jump shot. His nuclear potential may lure a team into drafting him high, but it may take a year or two for him to adjust to the NBA game.

21

Daequan Cook GF 6’5 210 Freshman Ohio State

Cook is another player in a long line of freshmen who declared for the draft. Like the others, he’s a great athlete, but what makes him so interesting is he came off the bench at Ohio State. It’s tough to get a read on him because of his limited minutes, so a team that drafts him won’t be expecting him to play much right away, he’s going to take a couple of years.

21 to 30

Morris Almond SG 6’6 214 Senior Rice

For a team in need of a shooter, Almond could be its guy. He has a great jump shot with great range, and he could become a very good three point shooter. He can also penetrate and draw fouls. Defensively, like a lot of other guys, he loses focus and doesn’t play as hard, and that’s an aspect of his game he’ll have to improve. For a guard, he’s also not a bad rebounder.

Derrick Byars GF 6’7 225 Senior Vanderbilt

Byars busted onto the national scene when he walked over the defending champs in a huge upset for Vanderbilt. He led his team to a tournament appearance. Byars is a big guy, so he’ll most likely fit in at SF in a rotation. He has a good all-around game, does everything well, and really doesn’t do anything outstanding or poorly. Byars is a good athlete with great range on his shot.

Josh McRoberts PF 6’10 240 Sophomore Duke

The unfortunate reality for a lot of Sixers fans is yes, the team is in fact interested in McRoberts. Forget the Billy King and Duke connection, they have to work out a lot of guys in the 21 to 38 range because you just don’t know what will happen on draft day. He doesn’t have a very developed offensive game, but he’s a good defender and rebounder, and he still has some room for growth. However, I’m sure that whoever drafts him will have some unhappy fans, regardless of his potential to get better.

Sean Williams FC 6’10 235 Junior Boston College

He was kicked out of college, but his basketball ability and potential remain the same. His troubles hurt his stock, but if a team’s willing to take a risk on him, it’s going to get a good player. Williams has great athleticism and defensively, he might be one of the best players in the draft. Williams has a pretty good low post offensive game, and it always has a lot of potential to get better.

30 to 38

Arron Afflalo SG 6’5 215 Junior UCLA

Afflalo was named Pac-10 player of the year, in part because he’s a hard worker on both ends of the court. He gained the reputation of being a shutdown defender, and he also made nice contributions offensively. He might not have the quickness to drive and penetrate, but he has a pretty good jump shot that will help out teams offensively. He might not fit into a fast offense.

Glen Davis PF 6’9 289 Junior Louisiana State

Davis probably made a poor choice when he came back for his junior year. After being named SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore and leading the Tigers to the Final Four, Davis went back for his junior season to improve his already top 10 stock, and the team failed miserably. He was better than LSU’s season indicates, but his stock plummeted nonetheless. He’s a pretty mobile guy for someone his size and Big Baby will be a steal for whoever gets him.

Jared Dudley SF 6’7 225 Senior Boston College

Whoever drafts Dudley will be getting what they see, no more, no less. He’s just a decent all-around player without much more room for growth. He has decent size and average athleticism, and his jump shot has good range. He is what he is. He’ll be able to play a few minutes right away and be a solid contributor off the bench.

Nick Fazekas PF 6’11 240 Senior Nevada

It’s tough to get a read on Fazekas because he was playing against weaker competition than most guys, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be good. He’s not a very good athlete, but he’ll contribute to teams as a strong defender and rebounder. At this point in the draft, like a lot of other guys, he’s not going to get much better than he already is. He can step outside and hit some shots, and that’s probably his best ability offensively.

Aaron Gray C 7’1 280 Senior Pittsburgh

Aaron Gray simply did not play up to his potential. He’s a huge guy and should be able to dominate the small college competition, but he just didn’t. He’s not very mobile, and he would really only fit in a half court offense. He absolutely needs to improve his quickness to become an NBA player. His size is a huge plus, but if the Sixers reach for him at 30, it’s not going to be a good pick.

Gabe Pruitt G 6’4 170 Junior Southern California

Pruitt projects more of a combo guard than a traditional PG. He’s always been more of a scorer than a distributor in his career, so he might not necessarily be what the Sixers need. His size and athletic ability give him a defensive advantage matched up against PGs, but to me, his skills just fit in more as a SG. His shot and athleticism are assets, but again, he’s a bit of a tweener and that could cause him to drop.

Alando Tucker GF 6’5 210 Senior Wisconsin

A candidate for Player of the Year all season long, Tucker led his Badgers to a good year in the Big 10. Wisconsin was in charge of the conference almost the whole season, but they slipped up against Ohio State down the stretch. Tucker doesn’t have a very high ceiling and is as good as he’s going to get, but he has a very good offensive game and will be able to contribute right away. His stock has been a roller coaster since the season ended, so it’ll be interesting to see where he’s drafted.

38

Aaron Brooks PG 6’0 160 Senior Oregon

One positive is he doesn’t throw the ball backwards. Brooks is very small, and that might be his biggest difficulty, and one thing that could make him slip on draft day. He plays a lot like a SG because he likes to drive or take jump shots, but because of his size, that just isn’t possible. He was a huge player for Oregon down the stretch who still has room to get a little better.

Carl Landry PF 6’9 245 Senior Purdue

He’s a tough, mobile, intelligent player who should be able to play a few minutes right away. His offensive skills are very good; he has a variety of low post moves and shots to score points. His defense could be a bit stronger, which is a bit surprising considering he played in one of the most defensive oriented conferences in the Big 10.

Dominic McGuire F 6’8 210 Junior Fresno State

After sitting out a year after a transfer, McGuire flourished as an athletic defender and rebounder. He’s not at all polished, but he’ll be able to contribute as a rebounder pretty quickly. At SF, however, he’s going to need to develop an offensive game. He doesn’t have that many skills right now, and that part of his game is going to have to develop for him to become a viable NBA player.

Kyle Visser C 6’11 250 Senior Wake Forest

He beefed up a bit for his senior season and that helped out his stock, but it came at the expense of his already only average mobility. He works hard to get rebounds and play solid defense, but his offensive game is only average. He’s strong enough to be a decent role player in the low post, but he’s only a second round pick.

Marcus Williams GF 6’7 207 Sophomore Arizona

Williams is still a bit raw, and he’s probably not going to be able to contribute right away. He likes to take jump shots, and even though he has a good one, he gets away from the rest of his offensive game, which is still very good. It’s a bit of a surprise that he’s even still in the draft, I think he could’ve used another year in college, and it’s not like his stock is even that good.

38 to Undrafted

Jermareo Davidson FC 6’11 230 Senior Alabama

After working out for the Sixers two years ago before pulling out of the draft, Davidson is back, and his stock still isn’t very good. For the position he plays, he’s a pretty lanky guy, but his size allows for good mobility. His athletic ability is an asset on both ends of the court, and he would really fit in with a team running a high tempo offense. The Sixers could either make a reach for him if they really want him at 38, but he’s likely to be taken at the end of the draft.

Herbert Hill PF 6’10 240 Senior Providence

Like Davidson, it’s a reach to get this guy at 38, but he’s going to be drafted. He has experience playing in the tough Big East, which bodes well for a team looking for someone to come off the bench right away. His offensive game is limited right now, but he has the ability to grow and become a better player. Hill’s defense isn’t bad, and he certainly isn’t a liability in the low post.

Brad Newley GF 6’7 201 22 years old Australia

He’s been eligible for the draft for a couple years now, but there’s a good chance he’s taken in this one. He attended the Orlando camp for a second straight year, and he impressed scouts with his hard work. He has a great offensive game with a great jump shot that he can knock down from anywhere on the floor. He’s a good athlete that can fit into an up-tempo style, but his defense needs to be worked on.

Sun Yue GF 6’9 205 22 years old China

He’s not a big guy like Yao or Yi, but he’s still a pretty good Chinese prospect. He has a great shot to go along with great quickness and ball handling ability. His offensive game is very good because he has multiple ways to score points. He could stand to work on his defensive ability and also get a little stronger. One thing in his favor is he’s already been in America playing Western style ball for a little bit, so his adjustment period might not be as bad.

Undrafted

Luksa Andric FC 6’10 230 22 years old Russia

I have no clue about this guy. I don’t see him on any draft boards, but apparently, the Sixers are interested in him because he got a workout with them. He’s mobile for a low post player, but he needs to bulk up a bit if he wants to bang bodies in the paint. He works hard, but he’s raw and very inexperienced, and he’s already 22 years old.

Christian Burns PF 6’9 240 Senior Philadelphia University

Burns was the Division 2 player of the year, averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds per game. He’s from Hamilton and obviously spent two years playing ball in the city, so that’s probably how he earned his workout. I don’t think he has any shot at all to be drafted, so this was really just a courtesy workout. He’ll probably be brought in for another tryout after the draft and he might have a shot to play in Sixers Training Camp.

Jason Cain F 6’10 225 Senior Virginia

Here’s another Philadelphia connection guy. He was born here, so I guess a full circle kind of thing needs to be completed. Anyone see any video on that Tyreke Evans kid? He looks pretty good. He would look nice in a Villanova uniform next year.

Kyrylo Fresenko FC 6’11 ??? 20 years old Ukraine

I seriously can’t find any information on him. I’m not even sure how the Sixers know about him. Billy King really did some digging for this one.

Coby Karl GF 6’5 204 Senior Boise State

Well, he is the son of an NBA coach. That’s a positive, I guess. He’s an average athlete with average skills. I can’t talk about this guy for three more lines, so I’ll talk about the Denver Nuggets. They really hurt themselves by giving away those draft picks. They really could’ve added some nice pieces, but the team they have now is the team they’ll have next year.

Marko Lekic PF 6’11 267 22 years old Serbia

Don’t know much about him. He’s a pretty big guy out of an area in the world that’s started producing a lot of basketball players. I don’t see him in any mocks so I’ll just assume he won’t be drafted. He was eligible to be taken the last two years, and he’s not in the NBA now, so he must not be that good.

Mike Nardi PG 6’0 175 Senior Villanova

I was never a fan of Nardi, and even in last year’s Elite 8 run, I always saw him as the fourth wheel behind Foye, Ray and Lowry. He’s small and just doesn’t have great basketball qualities. He’s an inconsistent scorer, and he’s not going to amount to much. It’s nice for him to get a workout because he’s a good leader and he did a decent job helping Villanova in a transition year, but he’s not going to be an NBA player.

Dustin Salisbery SG 6’5 205 Senior Temple

Salisbery finished up a nice career at Temple that ended with him ranked 27^th on the Owls’ all-time scoring list. His senior year was a part of a transition project for first year head coach Fran Dunphy, but he’s a good coach and working with him can only help Dustin. Because he’s local, the Sixers feel almost obligated to work him out, and he has no shot at being drafted.

Curtis Sumpter SF 6’7 223 Senior Villanova

Sumpter is a great story, and he’s one of the Big Six’ (yeah, I went there) favorite players. He returned from two devastating knee injuries to have a solid senior season at Villanova, with the help of a medical redshirt. The team around him wasn’t as talented as before his injuries, but he still helped the Wildcats to a tournament appearance. I think he’ll be a pleasant surprise to whichever team signs him after the draft.

Marquis Webb GF 6’5 205 Senior Rutgers

After Quincy Douby left Rutgers early, Webb took over as the team’s go-to guy. He’s a pretty good scorer and a pretty good athlete. Webb was also considered to be one of the conference’s best defensive players. He would most likely fit in the team’s SG/SF rotation with Iguodala, Korver and Carney. Since he’s probably not going to be drafted, I don’t have a problem with the Sixers taking a flyer on him as a free agent.

Mark Zoller F 6’7 220 Senior Pennsylvania

Here’s another guy who got a courtesy workout from the hometown team. Zoller grew up in Montgomery County and went to a nice program in St Joe’s Prep. At Penn, he was one of two senior leaders that helped the Quakers continue their Ivy League dominance. He really doesn’t have a pro position or any outstanding qualities. Probably pretty smart though.

To review, I think the Sixers need to take care of three things:

1&2. Scorer that can drive and big man to rotate in the low post

3. PG for the future

If they only end up making two picks and can hold off on a PG until next year, that wouldn’t be a problem. The scenario I wouldn’t mind seeing is Al Thornton with the 12 and trade the 21 and 30 to move up a bit and take Jason Smith. It would knock out both needs with quality players, and you still have the 38 to play with.

I think looking through the players that were worked out, it’s pretty clear what the Sixers want to do. They’re probably going to hold onto the 38, and keep their options open in the lower end of the draft. I don’t see them trading up much past 12, but if they have to move up a couple spots, I can see them doing that.

Good picks need to be made tonight. Good pieces need to be put into place because in free agency next year, several superstars and good players will be deciding where to play. Showing a star that he could be the last remaining piece to a championship puzzle would be a huge selling point, and the draft will go a long way to doing that.