Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 5:14 pm  |  48 responses

Philly Draft Recap

Yes my friends, yet another NBA Draft has let me down.

By Khalid Salaam

I don’t hate Thad Young. Let me just get that out of the way first. I get the sense that some of you can smell blood in the water and I don’t really feel like taking it to that level right now. Partly because I had such low expectations for what the Sixers would do on draft day. Ideally I would have liked them to package a pick or two and bring in a vet big man or someone on the wing who can score consistently. I know it’s not easy to do but I’m unconvinced they even tried. I’m not even gonna bash Billy King. It’s old news. He’s an abysmal GM but what are you gonna do?

With the 12th pick I knew we would be hard pressed to get someone really impactful. I just hoped we drafted smart and got someone who can rebound, since that was obviously our biggest need. So when they announced Thad’s name I knew we failed. I’m not saying he’s a scrub; in fact the kid has lots of potential. Dude might end up being nasty but it’s a stretch to take a guy who is not known for defense or rebounding when those are our obvious needs. In fact when they put his profile on the screen and under the line “need to improve” it read rebounding. Well then what the hell would make the Sixers brass think that this was the best pick for the team? Pretty much everyone else picked players for particular needs (except maybe Chicago but I’m pretty much ok with Noah) we did the dreaded “best player available” nonsense that teams do when they either panic or have failed to do their due diligence in scouting. Yeah I know, Thad’s a former Slam Diary Keeper so maybe it’s our fault, either way he’s here now. We did pick up a bigger forward in Jason Smith and I like Byars as well. All in all I give the Sixers draft a C+, maybe a B- depending on how Thad develops. I wanted Julian Wright because of his versatility but its true that his shot needs work, even if he can pass and rebound. As for Al Thornton he’s a bit of a tweener and he took a couple of season in the ACC to assert himself so I guess we did the best we could.

But we’re surely the worst team in our division. At least on paper we are on track for next year’s lottery. My initial anger was caused in part in seeing how other teams were getting better with trades and how the Sixers always seem to get it wrong when it comes to that sorta stuff. I like what the Celtics did. Ray is still good and he’ll spread the floor and take double-teams off of Pierce and Jefferson. Yeah they got older but it’s worth the risk. Maybe when age catches up to Ray and Pierce, Jefferson will be a star. Maybe not but at least they aren’t living in fear. But I hate the Knicks moves. Getting a black hole (meaning, the ball goes in but never comes out) like Randolph to play with a team of gunners seems like a recipe for disaster. And that’s not even considering his off-court stuff. All the Knick fans are drinking the Kool-Aid right out of the Kool-Aid man’s ass. This will never work. The Nets did ok with Sean Williams and overall the East got better. Which would be cool except that the West got better as well. Far as i’m concerned, next year is looking like deja vu all over again.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags:

  • igun Posted: Jun.29 at 12:24 pm
    first…yeah

  • sefos Posted: Jun.29 at 12:25 pm
    first!

  • sefos Posted: Jun.29 at 12:29 pm
    and khalid, you SHOULD root for maccabi TA. we got marcus fizer and the one and only will “turnover king” bynum!

  • Allenp Posted: Jun.29 at 12:31 pm
    Randolph is a black hole, true. But, in the East he will dominate. And I think he and Curry cause havoc for other teams in the paint because both of them are good at getting easy offensive boards.
    Randolph can shoot the J, which leaves more room for Curry to operate. I like this move for the Knicks.

  • nexus6 Posted: Jun.29 at 12:38 pm
    Z-BO to the Knicks?They might have to hire Rudolph Giuliani as a GM…I always loved Joe Dumars.Except on Draft Day.I think he’s looking for a little taller version of himself,but still,I think he did a good job.

  • James76ers Posted: Jun.29 at 12:58 pm
    As a devoted Philly fan, I know the feeling. Im not even convinced with Jason Smith. Or even Byars for that matter. And Herbert Hill? Sheesh. Hey, on the bright side, will we get No. 1 pick next year?!?

  • nexus6 Posted: Jun.29 at 1:06 pm
    The Warriors traded C-Webb,then they missed the playoffs for a half century.The Sixers traded AI……Sixers fans,prepare for a big first round playoffs series in…..2049.

  • Lang Whitaker Posted: Jun.29 at 1:08 pm
    From now on we should call him Billy Jean King.

  • Khalid Salaam Posted: Jun.29 at 1:10 pm
    This is how i feel about the Sixers today and until they prove to me that they’re really committed to contending…….E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES EAGLES EAGLES!!!!!!

  • Boing Dynasty Posted: Jun.29 at 1:14 pm
    Philly, can you say Mayo.

  • nexus6 Posted: Jun.29 at 1:17 pm
    Is Larry Brown still involved in the sixers front ofice?

  • DP Posted: Jun.29 at 1:22 pm
    BOING DYNASTY IS RIGHT, BUT IT WILL BE ROSE OR GORDON IN THAT FIRST SPOT NEXT YEAR. CAN’T WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR’S DRAFT BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE SO UNPREDICTABLE. PLAY WIT IT.

  • Ryan Jones Posted: Jun.29 at 1:36 pm
    I can see the Draft night ’08 headlines now, Kha: “City of Kevin(ly) Love.” Keep that Diary run going and everything…

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jun.29 at 1:43 pm
    Eddy Curry and Z-Bo will get into at least nine fistfights before the start of the regular season. Then Zach will have Eddy “taken care of.” This will not end well.

  • H to the izzo Posted: Jun.29 at 1:44 pm
    I would have drafted Kevin Love now before Thad,its not all bad for Thad he can tear it up in the D-League next year.

  • H to the izzo Posted: Jun.29 at 1:47 pm
    Can somebody please organise a fly-on-the-wall documentary for the Knicks for next season.
    Also:What do you get if Z-Bo and Eddy have a baby?Nate Robinson-next year will be very interesting

  • Cheryl Posted: Jun.29 at 1:48 pm
    Khalid, the Eagles are gonna break your heart too. You know that right? And the East really didn’t get better, just… different. All the scandals will be coming out of the east and real competition will exist in the west. I’ll have to take naps when I get home, so a sista can stay up late and watch 10:30pm games. And that’s beauty sleep, not cuz I’m old… -ASPOV

  • Ron Posted: Jun.29 at 1:57 pm
    Can we put the Villanova Wilcats in Sixers unis next season. I’d much rather watch Scottie ‘Too Hottie’ Reynolds next season. Sixers Suck! Billy Jean had the worst draft possible and Orlando and Denver didn’t have a pick. How do you come looking worse than 2 teams who didn’t pick at all, when you had 2 selections to play with. Hey Ed Snyder, I’m in West Philly and I think I could do a better job than Billy for a fraction of the cost. Hell I think I could keep my day job and still do better than Billy Jean. We Want Croce, We Want Croce, We Want Croce!

  • Khalid Salaam Posted: Jun.29 at 2:00 pm
    No not this time Cheryl. This is Mcnabb’s last year with us (before he’s traded to the Bears) and he and we are going out with a mf bang.

  • Ben Osborne Posted: Jun.29 at 2:06 pm
    Can’t wait for the Eagles to “fly” to an 8-8 record.

  • Khalid Salaam Posted: Jun.29 at 2:15 pm
    Giants are a joke, btw

  • A-Money Posted: Jun.29 at 2:20 pm
    Khalid, I’m sorry to say this to you but McNabb is done. The best he’ll do is his choking job in the SuperBowl. Hop on the Colts train, we’ll be glad to have ya.

  • A-Money Posted: Jun.29 at 2:21 pm
    Lil’ Manning is a bum! The Giants are D-O-N-E.

  • Cheryl Posted: Jun.29 at 2:37 pm
    I hope for your sake, that’s true Khalid. Cuz I hate to see a brotha depressed, especially in bleak-a$$ NY winters.

  • Cheryl Posted: Jun.29 at 2:38 pm
    BTW, try being a ‘Skins fan for a minute. You feel me?

  • Kel Trinidad Posted: Jun.29 at 2:39 pm
    Last night we saw the juice shift in the West. Even if KG does end up on the Suns somehow, the Northwest got a lot more competitive, longer, thicker and faster. So with the exception of the champs, the field looks pretty deep.
    I gotta say, I’m not mad at the Bulls for picking up Noah. A year ago, he may have been picked up by Toronto or Chicago would have gotten him instead of Tyrus. So it still looks pretty good in CHI. Besides, they could have gotten Nick Young but that would’ve have put cats out of a job.
    As for NY, we’ll see. Eddy Curry is supposed to be the man out there but what are they going to do w/him and Randolph. No lie, the Bulls would have liked him. He’d fulfill that post need but him w/the Knicks. . . Peace out David Lee.
    Boston, maybe they’ll turn it around, but I’d expect Green to be a little upset now that Shuttlesworth is in town. He seems ready to blow up but now that he’d have to back up Allen, it’s up in the air.
    I’m just glad Orlando didn’t get anyone that dope. If they did, we might be looking at an ’09 final between Howard and Oden.

  • A-Money Posted: Jun.29 at 2:53 pm
    Cherryl, I feel truly sorry for you as a Skins fan.

  • Jake Posted: Jun.29 at 2:58 pm
    Giants win the division this year, no doubt. Anyone who was paying attention realized that Barber was actually holding the team back last year. In the words of Plaxico Burress to Lincoln Financial Field, “Get that sh*t out of here!”

  • Ryan Jones Posted: Jun.29 at 3:09 pm
    If Eli wasn’t a Manning, and he played for the Vikings or Seahawks instead of the Giants, but everything else about him was exactly the same, no one would ever talk about him ever. What a limp, uninspiring piece of marginally talented sh*t that guy is.
    And I don’t even hate the Giants.

  • tike Posted: Jun.29 at 5:07 pm
    Khalid, Finally your the only Slam writer that didnt sit here and talk about Stephen A. Smth…and Ryan thats the smartest thing you’ve said since i’ve been reading Slam…You idiot!!

  • bigmike407 Posted: Jun.29 at 5:43 pm
    My heart goes out to all you Philly fans. First the Kolby Kolb pick in the NFL draft and now the lackluster NBA draft out of what was a decent class. So sorry for you guys. Maybe Billie-oh I mean Billy-King and Andy Reid should switch jobs. But as bad as it is for you all, at least you’re not a Yankees fan such as myself. It’s painful to watch Sportscenter now. Everything goes wrong, every game. Get a lead, game suspended. What must we do to get a W? It’s bleak like Memphis right now.

  • AJ$ Posted: Jun.29 at 7:58 pm
    Jason Smith suckaz!

  • Ben Posted: Jun.29 at 9:48 pm
    Learn something about basketball. This was a great pick. He’s going to end up being one of the top 6 players from this draft, and there was no one left in the draft who was even close to having serious star potential other than guys even smaller than him (Rudy Fernandez for one, Javaris Crittenton, etc…) The only way to go is best player available. And Billy King got it right this time. Thaddeus Young was the best player available, and it’s not really that close between him and the other guys. Here’s a test, try to find other guys who put up 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists while shooting 48% from the field and 42% from 3-point range as 18 year old freshman who were 6’8″ and have upper echelon NBA athleticism. Here’s a list of those guys-Jamal Mashburn, Grant Hill, Carmelo Anthony, Luol Deng, Lamar Odom, Mike Miller, and Marvin Williams. Basically, this guy is a future all-star waiting to happen, and if you really want to get excited watch him in either of his games against North Carolina destroying anyone and everyone on a team laced with future NBA talent. It won’t be immediate, but the Sixers are now set at 2 and 3 (and have some pieces to trade in the future in Korver, Carney, Jones, Byars-a guy whose very similar to Brandon Roy and destroyed the very overrated Corey Brewer on two occasions this year, averaging 22.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists on 53% shooting from the field in two games against the supposed defensive stud.) IF the Sixers don’t do something foolish right now and give someone an MLE, they’ll be way under the cap next year (before resigning Iguodola) with Webber, Smith, Randolph, Ollie, etc… coming off the cap. And they’ll be a boat load of big men opting out and available. And the odds of picking up an elite big man outside of the top 5 are not very good. Carlos Boozer does not happen very often.

  • T-Mac Posted: Jun.29 at 10:38 pm
    anybody else notice that Ray Allen and Allan Ray are on the same team now?

  • Dennard Posted: Jun.30 at 2:48 am
    The NFC = Eastern Conference. Eagles will win the division though. Someone tell Andy Reid to run the ball more often. That 80-20 pass/run ratio sh*t ain’t gonna cut it. It has lead to injuries for D. McNabb 2 seasons in a row.

  • kosmic Posted: Jun.30 at 12:00 pm
    The Sixers the worst team the East? You got to be kidding! First they only mis the playoffs by a couple of games, our nucelus have matured, and the sixers learned how to win. Now lets get to the draft, Thad can shoot and play defense, Byars sec player of the year, can shoot prediction Glen Rice,His name is plain but not his game, Jason Smith, colarado mister basketball, can rebound and shoot. Smith in the predraft work out moved big glen davis out the blocks, that is why sixers picked him over davis. So don’t tell me he’s soft. Hebert Hill, the big east scoring champion 19 points per game The big east wasn’t in a douwn year either. And you tell me they didn’t improve? Sixers have the ability to put 5 three point shooters on the floor at the same time. What team in the East can defend that line up? Forget the east what team in the nba….and still got players comming of the bench that can hit the three. And You still have louis and super scorer waiting to explode once Sixes put him in the rightful position shooting guard , you still have Sam shot blocking and defense. Don’t sleep on the Sixers!!!!

  • Tommy.D Posted: Jun.30 at 4:42 pm
    I don´t think that Randolph will be on the knicks for that long.
    The Knicks dont need two young offensive big guys down low. They need som D. And Where could they get this.. I think Isaiah will look to the pistons.
    And aim to get Sheed to the knicks for Z and maybe a guard.
    Because the knicks need some veteran leadership who can strenghten theire defence and fire them up.
    And with those things in mind, who the better guy to go to then Sheed in the L? .. Just a scenario..

  • Flacker Posted: Jul.1 at 1:17 am
    Being a Jazz fun I loved the draft since Utah picked up the best shooter in the draft in Morris Almond. As fart as the draft as a whole I thought it was good, there were some big trades which always makes the draft exciting. Portland did great, obviously getting Oden, but getting rid of cancerous Randolph (who might not be able to handle New York City, cause Portland was too much)and bringing in Frye, plus some other great picks later in the draft, like the Mcroberts, Green and the spaniard form phoenix. The Bulls would have beeen better taking Hawes, since Noah has 0 offensive talent and displays skills that are already showcased in Chicago. Thaddeus Young could end up a steal for Philly, just let him play first before you rip him. It’s a good thing Philly traded for Byars though, he is probably much better then an unknown Euro, except that Byars plays the same spot as Young. Aaron Brooks went a little high to Houston since they just traded to get Mike James, I thought Glen Davis would have been a good fit with them, but I guess Adelman coaching there now is maybe why they went with a speedy guard instead. Other then that the Draft was pretty good.

  • edmond Posted: Jul.1 at 9:59 am
    yeah kosmic.. i agree with you

  • JG Posted: Jul.1 at 11:19 am
    SEAN “SWAT” WILLIAMS is the next K-Mart for the nets
    i predict at least 2 blocks pg, and 7rebounds

  • H to the izzo Posted: Jul.1 at 12:43 pm
    Answer to Kosmics question:The San Antonio Spurs could defend that.

  • Khalid Salaam Posted: Jul.1 at 9:00 pm
    Kosmic and Ben…thanks for the enthusiasm!! Hey maybe, u never know.

  • jrthebeat Posted: Jul.2 at 10:19 am
    BK tried to move up – he couldn’t get it doen – so who else do u take? no power forwards left, take a chance on Williams or at least get a 19 yr old with potential to shift Iguadala to the 2

  • bx indahouse Posted: Jul.2 at 2:43 pm
    …ofcourse you don’t like the Knicks moves, your from Philly, you wish you were in NY.
    Keep the hate.

  • hansosword Posted: Jul.2 at 3:00 pm
    Dequan Cook could be the steal of the draft too….sucks to be a sixer.

  • Doctor Him Posted: Jul.3 at 11:58 am
    Let’s take a step back here, because I don’t hate the Sixers draft as much as many fans. Yeah, it would’ve been great to get Oden/Durant or Horford/Yi/Noah, but that wasn’t happenning. Young was “BAA” best available athlete. From what we know of his makeup and talent, I think he has star written all over him. Smith, Byars and Hill were all good value picks who I think will actually be useful players in the league. The problem that King has is he doesn’t have any trade chips (of course that’s his own fault) to trade up to the top 7. No one wants Green, Hunter, Carney, etc… Now…I would’ve dealt Korver and drafted Almond or signed Carroll to be my shooter. In the end, 2007 isn’t a year for the Sixers to make a move. They FINALLY get under the cap at the end of the season, and the 2008 draft looks very solid in what the Sixers need (centers and point guards). I think you’re going to see a lineup in 2 years of Iggy and Young on the wings with Dalembert and a draft pick under the basket with the free agent target (Arenas?) rounding out the 5. I use Miller and Korver as my trading deadline chips and try like hell to get them to take Green also. I don’t hate Willie Green, but I don’t think he’s a rotation player on a good team. Beasley and/or Rose and/or Mayo and/or Arthur fit nicely with this squad. We have to remember that the Sixers just blew up the roster and it’s going to take more than a couple months to rebuild it.

  • b.a Posted: Jul.4 at 2:46 pm
    Kobe will get traded…

  • SLAM ONLINE | » Draft Week Begins Posted: Jun.23 at 10:11 am
    [...] 2007… Here is Khalid’s draft recap, with some hilarious in-hindsight reading. We’re (the 76ers) surely the worst team in our division. At least on paper we are on track for next year’s lottery. My initial anger was caused in part in seeing how other teams were getting better with trades and how the Sixers always seem to get it wrong when it comes to that sorta stuff. [...]

Comments




The comments section is a place to further discuss the topics in this post. Commenters who seek to accomplish any of the following may be banned: - Personally attack other commenters. - Make derogatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or religion. - Troll, or comment with the intention of creating problems. Trolling includes, but isn't limited to, baiting people to flame at you, encouraging people to leave the site, spamming and using alternate IDs.