The Sixers had a good draft, based on what the experts are saying. Yahoo gave them the only A+ of any team in the NBA.
Philadelphia 76ers
Grade: A+
Haul: Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, Arsalan Kazemi.
Philadelphia wasn’t going to be doing much of anything this year, they didn’t do much of anything last year, and unless you count a fluke run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis in 2012 as “something,” they haven’t done much despite making the playoffs with a mediocre outlook in previous seasons.
It’s true that Jrue Holiday, at age 23, was young enough to be a factor in his prime when the 76ers finally turned the corner on a rebuilding project, but new GM Sam Hinkie wanted to start things his way, with his guys. And he’s grabbing Noel, the once-thought-of top overall pick and total rebuilding project, along with a long and lanky guard in Michael Carter-Williams (who sounds like he should be the third lead on a procedural drama). And Kazemi is a beast of a rebounder who should make the team.
Meanwhile, the team will have two lottery selections (thanks to New Orleans weirdly sending over their first round pick) in next year’s far more impressive draft.
All it cost Philadelphia was Andre Iguodala, a year of paying for Andrew Bynum’s rehab, and Jrue Holiday. Philadelphia will stink next year, but they’ll finally be stinking with a front office worth getting behind.
I don’t know enough about the NBA or these players to have a strong opinion. I am just happy that there is a long term plan in place. Hinkie seems smart.
Noel is a risky player, but has great upside. I don’t mind rolling the dice on a player like him.
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The Sixers won the NBA title 30 years ago. Writer Patrick Sauer recently took a look back at that team and just how good they were.
Being a Sixers fan was a lot of fun in that era.
It’s an interesting deal, and under normal circumstances I don’t think an advisable one. But the Sixers are such a mess that they kind of need to use a season just to get untangled from the trouble that they’re in. I wouldn’t even call it a rebuilding year. It’s a tanking year.
Lots of risk, but you almost have to do that in the NBA. You must have an elite player to build around…LeBron, Tim Duncan, Kobe, Durant, etc. Those 2 picks next year should land some top talent. And we’ll see just how good Noel can be.
Yeah the risk is worth it in this case. No guarantee you get a top pick next year or any of the guys pan out, but if you stood pat you’d be looking at a 35 win a year team that never could get into the lottery to take a true potential game changer, which you must have in the NBA.