Mocking Mark

My quick predictions:

1: Oden to Portland
2. Durant to Seattle
3. Horford to Atlanta
4. Noah to Memphis, first big surprise of the draft.
5. Yi to Boston, Pierce begs for a trade
6. Conley to Milwaukee
7. Brandan Wright to Minnesota
8. Sixers trade up. Take Jeff Green.
9. Bulls take Hawes.
10. Brewer to Sacramento.
11. Atlanta trades the pick to Toronto. Toronto picks Julian Wright.
12. Nick Young to Charlotte (from the Sixers)
13. Al Thornton to New Orleans
14. Acie Law to LA Clippers

Question of the Day?

Who is the worst Sixers draft choice of the last 15 years?

I presume the majority of people would answer Shawn Bradley, given the hype that came with him and the fact that if they had played their cards right, they could have gotten Webber instead, as Don Nelson was in love with Bradley.

But if you ask this fellow, I will argue Larry Hughes. This selection is why Larry Brown should never even be allowed in a building where a NBA draft war room is, let alone the room itself. The Sixers were coming off their second season with Allen Iverson, their first with Brown as the coach. It had become painfully obvious that Iverson was a shooting guard in the body of a point guard, which is why Jerry Stackhouse was shipped out of town. While Brown had not figured out how to properly use Iverson, he had learned that they could not build the team with Iverson as the PG and another slashing guard at the 2. Right?

Wrong. Sort of. Even as Paul Pierce made a monumental slide from a potential Top 3 pick to being available to the Sixers at 8, and even despite Billy King raving about this blonde kid from Germany who could shoot lights out, some guy named Nowitski, Larry Brown made the decision that Larry Hughes was the perfect back court partner for Iverson. Hughes would be a tall point guard and Iverson would be an undersized shooting guard. The only problem? Hughes wasn't a point guard. He was a 19 year old, slashing shooting guard who jump out of the gym but couldn't shoot.

So while Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitski became two of the top 15 players in the NBA in a few short years, the Sixers kept trying to jam the square peg into the circular hole with the Iverson/Hughes back court. Until the finally came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to work, and shipped Hughes out for Toni Kukoc.

And the decision that Larry Brown made on that fateful June evening in 1998 probably cost the Sixers at least one NBA championship, if not more. But hey, at least Jim and I got to see Larry Hughes throw out the first pitch at a Phillies game after he was introduced to the local media. So all was not lost.

MORE ON THE NBA DRAFT

Since Mark so deftly covered the Sixers, I'll only speak about them briefly. They have one obvious need at power forward, and they always seem to need help at the 3. And if they trade Andre Miller, they'll need a PG (Louis Williams is not the answer, at least not yet). I'll name the 3 players I'd love them to end up with and the 3 players I will cringe if I hear their name called-

Players I really want(non-sexually)(and other than the big 2)(parentheses)

1. Al Horford (if they magically trade up to 3)
2. Al Thornton (at 12)
3. Al Coholic, or maybe Julian Wright (at 12)

Horford is the best PF in the draft, an excellent rebounder and good defender with decent scoring potential. Thornton is a super-efficient scoring SF. Julian Wright is, from what you may hear, versatile. As is Jeff Green, who would be 4th on this list.

Players who will make me cry if the Sixers take them-

1. Mike Conley, Jr. (if they trade up for him)
2. Brandon Wright
3. Spencer Hawes

Conley would be a fine addition as a PG but I think teams are fooling themselves into believing he's a top-10 pick. So chances are if the Sixers get him it's because they reached. Brandon Wright is just another talented guy with no motivation; he can score, but is pathetic on the glass and on D. Spencer Hawes is 7 feet tall and white. And he plays like it.

Honorable Mention- Any SG they take with the 12th pick or lower.

Regarding their other picks, they need a SG or combo guard for the bench because Willie Green is awful, or hopefully is traded. If they can't get a good 4 at 12th or before (via trade), they'll need to pick one up. And if they can get a decent backup for Dalembert somehow, make the damn pick. Steven Hunter stinks. I'd be fine with Kyle Visser or Aaron Gray with the 30th pick; stiff white guys are fine to pick that low.

In other sports related news, I met Marty Schottenheimer this weekend when I called 911 for his grandson in a hotel lobby in Pittsburgh. Let's hope the little guy is okay.

Reinstate the Draft

We're within hours (albeit numerous) from one of the most exciting events in sports, the NBA draft. It is the one draft in where the viewer at home can offer an educated opinion on the players being drafted, if the team drafting is making the correct move, and can get excited when meaningful trades are completed during the telecast. There is also so much gossip leading up to the even that it's a surprise that E! or TMZ hasn't started covering it.

This year's draft will either truly start re-building the Sixers into a playoff team or be the event that everyone points to when Billy King is finally, and mercifully, put out to pasture (ignoring his years of fire able offenses). Realizing the importance of this year's draft to the future of the Sixers, here are the five most likely situations that may occur on Thursday, and the possibly way each one will play out.

Scenario One: The Consensus. Sixers use all three of their first round picks and draft Al Thornton, Josh McRoberts, and Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Best Case Scenario: Thornton immediately steps in and starts at the 3, averages about 30 minutes a night and 18 points per game in his rookie year. Is able to defend the position and is a beast on the offensive glass. He gives Mo Cheeks a lot of flexibility with the roster. McRoberts continues to improve and fill out his frame so he not only stretches out defenses, but he is able to guard power forwards, becoming a more talented Christian Laettner. Big Baby turns out to be the steal of the draft, averaging 10 and 8 in his rookie year, and eventually becomes the reliable back to the basket scorer that the Sixers have been looking for since they traded away Charles Barkley.

Worst Case Scenario: It turns out that Thornton has peaked at age 23. He has a difficult time creating his own shot and becomes a liability on the defensive end. Regardless, Billy King still ends up rewarding him with a six year extension for triple the money that any other team was even considering offering him. Minutes after signing the contract, Thornton falls off the podium and tears up both of his knees. McRoberts continues the popular Duke Tradition and lays an egg in the pros. He starts writing a blog on MySpace, dishing gossip on the other players, and that leads to a fight in practice with Rodney Carney, in which Carney is heard yelling out "Snitches Get Stitches". McRoberts retires after three years and takes a position in the Sixers front office as Billy King's protege/lackey. Davis immediately invests his money in a giant refrigerator and the world's largest deep fryer. He reports to training camp like he is actually carrying a big baby to term. After losing a posedown on TNT to both Charles Barkely and Mike Sweetney, Davis is out of the league after two years and becomes the first former professional athlete to win Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest.

What Actually Happens: Thornton becomes a nice scorer off the bench as a sixth man. McRoberts presents matchup problems on the offensive end, but is unable to guard anyone. Davis becomes one of the many undersized power forwards that bounces around the league.

Scenario Two: The Sixers trade the #12 and the #21 picks to Minnesota for the #7 pick. They select Spencer Hawes with the #7 pick.

Best Case: Moses Malone takes Hawes under his wing and after his rookie year, Hawes shows a lot of potential on both ends of the floor. Next season he becomes a real offensive threat and in year three he makes the All-Star team. Hawes spends the next ten year in a Sixers uniform, battling with Bosh and Howard as the best big man in the East.

Worst Case: At the initial press conference, it is revealed that Hawes will wear the number 76. Ends up as another tall white stiff that is drafted too high based strictly on his size. Gets fed up with the fans and makes fun of how they refer to water as "wooder". Ends up the most hated athlete in Philadelphia until he is traded for a second round pick.

Actual: Has a rough adjustment to the NBA, especially on the defensive end. Works hard and ends up as the first big guy off the bench for a good NBA team, just not the Sixers.

Scenario 3: The Sixers trade Andre Miller, the #11 and #21 picks to Atlanta for Marvin Williams and the #3 pick.

Best Case: The Sixers draft Horford with the #3 pick and make an additional trade with the Bulls to obtain Chris Duhon. They open 07/08 with a lineup of Duhon/Igoudala/Williams/Horford/Dalembert with Carney, Korver, and Hunter coming off the bench. Horford steps in immediately and produces on both ends of the floor, earning comparisons to Elton Brand. Marvin Williams matures into a very good player, rebounding, scoring and improving his shot. Sixers with the Atlantic Division next season, use the freed up salary cap room in the offseason to sign a top level point guard, and are in the Finals the next season.

Worst Case: End up using the #3 pick on Mike Conley, who turns out to be a faster version of Eric Snow. Marvin Williams decides to not report and the Sixers have to trade him to Portland, and in return they take on Darius Miles, who ends up strangling Mo Cheeks. The Hawks use the #12 pick on Julian Wright, who ends up winning Rookie of the Year. Miller ends up being the catalyst for propelling the Hawks to 50 wins and the Eastern Conference Finals.

Actual: Horford ends up being a stud and the Sixers are able to build around Igoudala/Horford. Williams and Carney end up being the exact same player, and the Sixers trade one of them away and the other becomes a role player that can't really shoot, rebound, or defend. The Hawks screw up the pick, get the first first pick in the '08 draft which is owed to Phoenix as part of the Joe Johnson trade. Because Billy Knight is the worst GM in all of sports.

Scenario 4: The Sixers trade the #30 pick to any team that willing to take Willie Green in return for an expiring contract.

Best Case: Willie Green is gone!! The nightmare is over!! With the added salary cap room that the Sixers obtain from moving Green, they are able to sign Elton Brand in the off season. Willie Green is exposed to another city as the worst offensive player in the NBA. And you never have to hear another Sixers fan tell you that "Green is a decent scorer off the bench".

Worst Case: The Sixers have all this salary cap room and end up overpaying two mediocre players in both money and years. Willie Green realizes that it's not a bad thing to pass the ball or take free throws, and actually ends up as a decent scorer off the bench.

Actual: I become a fan of whoever Willie Green is traded to just so I can enjoy watching him lose games for them. There is nothing better than seeing Willie Green's box score of 13-30, 14 points, and trying to figure out how a coach would allow him to shoot the ball 30 times.

Scenario 5: Ed Snider comes to his senses, fires Billy King before the draft.

Best Case: Tony DiLeo steps in and drafts two college kids and one Euro, who is stashed away for a year. The Sixers go out and hire a GM with a plan to make them a Championship team. He is able to sign players to one year deals for 07/08, trades Willie Green, gets a great return for Andre Miller, and signs Igoudala to a sensible contract extension.

Worst Case: Ed Snider turns to the one man he trusts with basketball decisions, Larry Brown. Joe Smith is signed to a three year deal and the Sixers have no money to spend on free agency. After two consecutive years in the lottery, Brown decides he has seen enough and trades Igoudala to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups. After four years of Brown as GM, he decides to take a job with a European team, leaving the Sixers in a worse position than they were in before the start of the 06/07 season.

Actual: Billy King is gone. That would be enough for me.

So now we wait to see how things play out on Thursday. Fan-tastic.