Sixers draft leaves me scratching my head

There is one thing I am certain about last night's draft ... Billy King wasn't the best liar. He was not a rainmaker. Nobody was buying the crap he was selling. So the Sixers played the hand they were dealt.

The draft went as many had predicted. No brainfarts really. The trades didn't change the picks much. Seattle was the real rainmaker. The big man the Sixers needed was not there at #12 so they took the best player available. Thaddeus Young was Billy's pick. I still had Julian Wright at that spot but I can't say he would be much better. I like most don't know much if anything about Thaddeus Young. So we have to wait and see. It may be a few years before we know if he will bloom or bust.

So here's another thing I am certain of ... Billy didn't do much last nite to inspire his fan base. The marketing team has madd work to do this year. Thaddeus Young ain't puttin' fannies into seats at the Wac Center. Billy still has to find that big man to help us believe. But let's face the truth ... the Sixers will be lucky to equal last years performance. If they get a Big or not. Franchise players don't grow on trees. Mo Cheeks needs to provide a system that works for the hand we are looking at. People won't tune in until they win. To sum up the draft in a word "prudence" ... to use another word "boring".

I'm okay with the other picks. I predicted Jason Smith would be their 2nd pick. The way they went about getting Smith was a little odd, but the result was the same. There rest of the moves where good picks with a little cap-ology mixed in. That's been part of King's thing in the later rounds for sometime. I some circles the draft might be considered a success. The Sixers should get at least two guys that will fit in to the rotation this year. That's about the best they could do.

So all the hyperbole was for nothing. No answers. The draft only created more questions. Like ... why hasn't Billy King been fired yet?

Stephen A. Smith Heckled at the 2007 NBA Draft

This was hilarious YouTube - Stephen A. Smith Heckled at the 2007 NBA Draft read the story on slam ...

Sixers Draft Summary

The Sixers sent me an e-mail this AM. Here's some of the spin .

76ers Draft Thaddeus Young #12
Position: F
Height:
6-8
Weight:
220
Age:
18
School: Georgia Tech

High School: Mitchell HS (Memphis, TN)
Download Bio

"All along we were going to take the best player on the board and that was Thaddeus Young for his upside," said Sixers President, Billy King. "We looked at some guys for the now but we felt that looking for the now and the future that Thaddeus was the right pick."


76ers Acquire Draft Rights to Pick #20 Jason Smith
Position:
F/C
Height:
7-0
Weight:
233
Age:
21
School: Colorado State

High School: Platte Valley HS (Kersey, CO)
Download Bio

"The next big guy on the board was Jason Smith and that's why we made the maneuver with Miami to get Jason Smith, giving them a future
second-round pick and cash to get the big guy that we wanted," King said. "We didn't want to take that chance that they would take him."

76ers Trade for Draft Rights to #42 Derrick Byars
Position:
G/F
Height:
6-7
Weight:
220
Age:
23
College: Vanderbilt
Download Bio

"We were looking at trying to get a strong athletic guy or a big guy and we felt that Derrick Byers was the right fit," King said.

76ers Trade for Draft Rights to #55 Herbert Hill

Position:
F/C
Height:
6-10
Weight:
232
Age:
22
College: Providence
Download Bio

"I just loved his athletic ability,
rebounding, and toughness," King said. "I think he can
really shoot the ball."

ESPN.com - Hill is a good
value pick here. John Hollinger's statistical system
ranked him as the 16th-best college prospect player in
the draft...read more

All the best GM's are liars

All the best GM's are liars ... Billy King has admitted as much in the past. So forgive me if I don't put much stock in what Billy or any other NBA executive says these days. Still the recent low key nature of the loquacious Mr. King gives me pause. No grand proclamation of "change" this year. I've gotten no e-mails from Billy. Perhaps I've just gotten use to be being lied to. Who doesn't like a little conversation while there getting screwed ... errh watching the franchise's future unfold in front of them.

I peeked in on an online chat yesterday with Marc Narducci, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter. Lotsa questions and concerns the Sixers are serious about drafting Yi. Marc seems to think the Sixers have to get two players that can fit into the rotation this year. Everybody's got an opinion. Stephen A. talks about today's "mood of cautious optimism". Jon at Passion n Pride suggests the Sixers make a deal with the Bucks. My predictions are already on record at Ricky's sixers4guidos blog. I'm going with Julian Wright at #12. Of course that prediction comes with the proverbial hedge "if a trade doesn't happen". But trades always happen. I was looking back at last year's draft. I recall the heartache then relief I felt when Thabo Sefolosha was announced as the Sixers pick and then traded for Rod Carney.

This year's draft has the potential to be wildly unpredictable. I am bracing myself for a real roller coaster ride today. As Samuel Jackson 's character said in Jurrasic Park just before he hit the switch ... "hold on to your butts".

Why All Those Mock Drafts Are Always Wrong!

So it's draft day ... Me and the crew are chillin' at the annual Sixers draft day party ... lying on a beach chair and sippin' a Pina Colada. This is crunch time for draft nicks. Time to see the fruits of all those laborious hours of research. Ahh! This drink is really good!

Off in the distance I hear draft chatter ... the radio perhaps. The conversations have deteriorated into referencing this mock draft or that one to back up an argument. I thinking to myself ... "All those Mock drafts are always wrong.". There's no accounting for GM brain farts and wacky draft day trades! Ahh! There's nothin' better than a nice cool drink on a hot summer's day. My senses are overcome by the scent of BBQ and the rhythm of a steel drum in the distance.

Eventually the drafty chatter breaks thru the haze ... "The Portland TrailBlazers surprised all the experts by selecting Kevin Durant with the #1 pick!" ... Apparently I had slept thru part of the first round. Portland took Durant at #1 (hardly a brain cramp). Seattle takes Oden at #2. The great northwest is planning the parade already.

Apparently during my haze I missed "the trade". Just minutes before the draft the commissioner announces a 4 team blockbuster deal. Minnesota trades Kevin Garnett & Randy Foye to the Lakers. The Lakers send Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, and Aaron McKie to the New York Knicks. The Knicks sent Malik Rose to LaLa land, Stephon Marbury back to Minnesota along with Andrew Bynum. Atlanta swaps the Lakers' Randy Foye for Speedy Claxton. Then the T-Wolves and Hawks swap picks. At #3 Minnesota picks Corey Brewer.

Got that?

At #4 Memphis some how misses all the excitement. New head coach Mark Iavaroni takes the guy they had on their board, Brandan Wright. At #5 Boston selects Yi Jianlian the Chinese wonder (haha). At #6 the Bucks select Ohio State PG, Mike Conley.
Atlanta is next at #7 after swapping picks with the T-wolves. But wait ... they've swapped again! This time with Sacramento at #10. The Kings go off the board and select Marco Bellineli, the best SG in Italy (see photo).

What! I fell off my beach chair. At #8 Micheal Jordon and the Charlotte Bobcats select Florida PF Joakim Noah. Wow ... give me another one of those drinks! At #9 the Bulls take 7' tall center Spencer Hawes.

Suddenly Atlanta has the next two picks. They pick Jeff Green #10 and Javaris Crittenton #11. RU kidding me! The Sixers are next at #12 and Al Thorton, Al Horford, Julian Wright, Thaddeus Young, and Acie Law are all still on the board. Suddenly I am sweating. The buzz around me has reached a fever a pitch. The Sixers select Al Horford with the #12 pick! Unbelievable! High fives all around.

Next thing I know my buddy is shaking me. "Yo, wake up! The draft's getting ready to start!" ... What? Man these Pina Coladas are good ... did ya try one?

I guess the drugs wore off for Billy Donavan

mfrank summed it up pretty well (even if I don't know what interminable means). His point was this ... Billy Donovan came to the right decision in returning to Florida. The narcotic like euphoria of being offered a ticket to the next level wore off. The deal he got at Florida was pretty sweet. He could never win another NCAA title again and he is set for life in the college ranks. He is king of the hill. Why trade that in for the possibility of becoming the latest college head coach to be embarrassed in the NBA. Why trade that in for the headache of the NBA grind.

They answer of course is that the next level offers more fame ... more fortune ... immortality. If you have the stones for it.

I guess Billy didn't have the stones. Which is okay if you know you don't have them.

New School Head coaches are Welcome

There as been a spate of head coaches named in the past week. Makes sense ... the NBA draft is bearing down on us and the last thing a GM wants to do is hamstring their new head coach with draft picks they had no input into. I welcome the number of first time head coaches gettin' the nod. The last thing the NBA needs is another retread head coach (Mike Fratello, comes to mind) doing the same things 'cause they have always done it that way ... and gettin' the same result ... mediocrity. You can't fire all the players. Maybe the new school coaches can shake things up.

Iavaroni Rhymes with D'Antoni new Grizz head coach
Mark Iavaroni is the answer. The jeopardy question is "Who was the last guy listed in the starting 5 of the last team to win a major championship in Philly".

• Big Mo
• Lil' Mo
• The Doctor
• Andrew Toney &
• Iavaroni
  

Mark has paid his dues (boy what a cliché) and has been on the shortlist for several openings the past few years. The continued success of the Suns' up tempo style of play has got a lot of teams looking to imitate it. The Grizlles actually started the transition to the run and gun game this year. They where among the lead leaders in scoring. But did not have the horses to pull it off. Their defense was lousy. They couldn't stop anyone in the 4th period because the players where so winded by the end of the game. Iavaroni will continue the experiment. That's good for the NBA.

Billy Donavan cashes in ticket for the big show
The basketball gods have not been kind to college coaches jumping the broom to the NBA in recent memory. But with back to back championships on his resume, there will never be a better time for Billy Donovon to make the leap. Orlando is a 5 hour drive from Gainesville but at least he's in the same state. And he's gotta love the talent he has to work with. I have commented before that Brian Hill was not the right coach for the Magic. They made the playoffs on talent alone and got summarily spanked. The Magic could shake up the eastern conference next year. That's good for the NBA

Bobcats will continue to answer the question 'Sam Vincent who?'
So Charlotte's really is gonna shake up the franchise this time. There will be no Larry Brown homecoming. Since their inception the Bobcats have been coasting on the regions hunger for a NBA team. Bernie Bickerstaff has been just puttin' a new coat of lipstick on this pig year after year. First a new GM and now a new head coach nobody has every heard of. But he's paid his dues (there's that cliché again) according to Micheal Jordon. He wants to prove he's smarter than everyone else. I think we're looking at Micheal's stint with the Washington Wizards all over again. Not the best thing for the NBA, but how could you do worse than the job Bernie was doing.

Jim O'Brien rises from the Dead
Okay, so it was not all new blood this week. But this is good news (depending on your perspective). The Pacer will be stagnant again next year. After turning over most of the players this year they fire head coach Rick Carlisle. Known for his gruff personality and inability to relate to players (that's why Detroit gave 'em the boot after winning 50 games). So what does the Pacers brain trust do ... Let's hire Jim O'Brien ... a head coach with an even greater rep for his inability to relate to players. Heck nobody on the staff even liked O'Brien during his short tenure with the Sixers. Hey Larry Bird ... where can we get some of what you're smokin'?

Again, this move may not be the best for the NBA, but it's great theater.