E Snow & the Small Guard Problem

First...congrats to E Snow - what a performance tonight in Detroit. I think they got one foul shot against him and that was it.

Second...at the end of big ball games against great teams, you need to have guards that are big and strong enough to handle any player on the perimeter one on one - I hope when they rebuild the squad, we don't have players at 6'1" who can't play post defense.

KOBE

Stephen A.'s Livin' Room

Dalembert, AI, and two 1's for Kobe. Or Miller, Dalmebert and 3 1's for Kobe and their 1. Or AI, Miller, Dalmebert and our picks for Kobe, Bynum, and their first this year and next year.

I'll find some better role players than the Lakers have and Kobe will be the best player in the Atlantic Division.

Orlando List

Happy Summer - sure we've got The Finals coming up, but are they going to be watchable? Next year when Oden and Duncan...oops, Sixers site!

Here's a list of the 20 players invited to the "Elite Prospect" camp in Orlando...figuring even if Billy the King trades 12 or 21, one of these guys is going to be a Sixer on draft night.

Looking back to our post about the draft being broken down into a "top 2" and top 9", here are the 11 players outside of those top 9 that are going to be round 1 picks (or enough GMs want to see them to see if where they'll be drafted):

Javaris Crittenton, PG, Georgia Tech
Spencer Hawes, C, Washington
Acie Law, PG, Texas A&M
Josh McRoberts, F, Duke
Joakim Noah, F/C, Florida
Jason Smith, F, Colorado State
Rodney Stuckey, G, Eastern Washington
Al Thornton, F, Florida State
Julian Wright, F, Kansas
Nick Young, SG, USC
Thaddeus Young, SF, Georgia Tech

Chad Ford's Blog

The big question is "Is the 'top 5' player that Billy wants on this list? And if he's not (which I'm guessing he's not), how's he going to move up? What does he have to trade?

Besides the 4 draft picks this season, which are worth more than they ever will be, here are some other assets they have to move in a trade:

• Andre Miller - He's got two years left for a team that thinks it needs a PG to get to the "next" level (Lakers? Mavs? Heat? Cavs? Detroit if Billups leaves? Clippers?) I would hate to see him leave but if it meant getting a Brandon Wright or Mike Conley Jr.
• Louis Williams - If there are any believers in his skills (which there may be), he could be a throw in to move up
• Dalembert - He's not as good as his salary but he's got size, so if someone has a need at center he might be worth quite a bit in a trade (Atlanta?)

Sixers Salaries

Let me also say, being the master of the obvious, that there is no one on the Sixers that in untouchable when it comes to this draft...including Iguodala.

If it meant getting #3 and retaining some picks, I think its worth it for Conley, Brewer, or Wright.

Hibbert

The fact that Hibbert is going back to school is not good for the Sixers...someone would have reached to get him in the top 10 and pushed a player the Sixers wanted down, or given them more leverage to move up.

That "Special" player and 3's

So now that we got some bad news/good news on Tuesday, its time to reassess what options are coming up...

Billy King let it go to someone in the media that there is a player in the top 5 that he wants...I would have to think that that top 5 player he wants is Brewer, Horford, Wright, or Conley...I think Brewer, Horford and Conley are worth the move - all All Star Level players...not so sure that Wright is.

Considering the blurring lines between 4's and 3's, and considering that Larry Hughes is killing the Cavs right now, I thought we should look at some 3's before the long holiday weekend. I've taken Durant off this list because he's not going to be a Sixer.

3’s

1. Julian Wright 6-9 220 20 Kansas

2. Jeff Green 6-8 225 20 Georgetown

3. Al Thornton 6-7 210 23 Florida State

4. Thaddeus Young 6-8 210 18 Georgia Tech

5. Derrick Byars 6-7 220 23 Vanderbilt

6. Marcus Williams 6-7 207 20 Arizona

7. Alando Tucker 6-5 205 23 Wisconsin

I'd be happy with Thorton at 12 right now, but a lot of moving still to do.

Sorry - Couldn't Resist

"Thank goodness I got the extension BEFORE the lottery!"

4's

There's a big hole at 4 in our planet - here's some of the top candidates who will be available to the Sixers. I'd be shocked if one of these players OR a trade for a 4 doesn't happen.

Power Forward Rankings (Chad Ford - ESPN.com)

1. Yi Jianlian 7-0 246 China
2 . Brandan Wright 6-10 210 North Carolina
3 . Al Horford 6-9 235 Florida
4 . Joakim Noah 6-11 230 Florida
5 . Tiago Splitter 7-0 240 Brazil
6 . Jason Smith 7-0 230 Colorado State
7 . Josh McRoberts 6-10 230 Duke
8. Glen Davis 6-9 290 LSU

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/position?id=6&draftyear=2007

Suckers

Take your Tommy points and shove them!

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2007/05/23/green_around_the_gills?mode=PF

Sorry Boston

Thank goodness they got pushed down so far...sure we didn't move up, but no one in our division did either.

Boston Sucks.

No Luck

Try again next decade...

Mike Conley #5 on Jay Bilas's list...

That's another big time player that was not expected to be a top 10 pick sneaking in there...more good players at 12. How do we know that Conley is now a top 10 pick? Because we'd take him and laugh all the way home...so you know he's pretty good.

It looks like there's going to be a top 2 and top 9.

TOP 2
Kevin Durant
Greg Oden

Top 9
Mike Conley Jr
Julian Wright
Jeff Green
Corey Brewer
Brandan Wright
Yi Jianlian
Al Horford

Can the Sixers sneak into the top 9 with their three picks? If they can't, do they stay where they are and get a starter? 2 starters?

Its Almost Time...

I know we have next to no shot (thanks to my little brother), but I'm going to try to send some positive vibes out to those ping pong balls in Secacus right now. If the right one shows up, things are going to be different.

If not, we're still going to get a good player at 12-14 or can package a few picks to move up.

Names rising:
- Mike Conley Jr.
- Jeff Green
- Julian Wright

All are wowing at their individual workouts and are moving up.

I think Horford and Brewer aren't slipping past 6...

Bob Salmi

Bob Salmi, a Sixers postgame analyst for Comcast SportsNet, confirmed that he has been contacted about the analyst's job on the game broadcasts, where the network declined to renew the contract of Steve Mix. Salmi was told that the network would be conducting a national search, but that he would be one of the people under consideration.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20070522_Snider__Pingpong_no_fun.html

Thanks Phil...

No one I know has said one good word about the Mayor of Mixsville being let go...unless they get Charles Barkley, whomever comes in is going to have a tough pair of shoes to fill.

Last Night's Game

Few things...

- LeBron needs to want the ball every trip down the court
- Chicago is a better team than these two teams if they can get their roster re-arranged
- I just hope the Cavs win to ruin CWebb's spring
- Anyone know what's wrong w/ Larry Hughes?

Interesting Quote from NY Times

The draft is regarded as exceptionally deep, for two reasons: five high-school stars who were barred from the 2006 draft, including Oden and Durant, are eligible; and four Florida players who put off the N.B.A. last year to pursue a second consecutive N.C.A.A. championship have declared for the draft.

As a result, players who might have been drafted in the top 10 — had Oden, Durant, et al been taken last year — will be pushed into the middle of the first round.

“The ninth pick in the draft is probably going to be a top 3-to-5 pick talent, because that’s where he would have gone had things stayed the same last year,” said an Eastern Conference scouting director.

The 2006 draft was the first in which high school players were barred by a new N.B.A. rule. The decision of Florida’s stars — Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green — to stay another year created an additional anomaly.

“It created a weak draft last year,” the scouting director said, “and it created a deep draft this year.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/sports/basketball/22draft.html?ref=sports

Live! From My Living Room!

I'll be "Live from 10021" (I'm staying in this Zip Code baby!) tomorrow night...

I know what you're saying..."so will I and everyone else besides 14 bad to average NBA GMs"...

But!...but...

It looks like The Promised Land will be reporting live from the draft!

Stay tuned for more details and say an extra prayer tonight.

Thaddeus Young

You see Young anywhere from top 10 all the way down to the late 20's.

A few things to note about Young...

• Left Handed
• Would have been a top 15 pick last year and kind of fell off the radar because of the two other young guys and Georgia Tech wasn't great this year
• "Tweener with Huge Potential" - just like every other player in the last 15 years. One thing for sure about Young is he's long, athletic and can score the ball.
  
• I don't know when he'll be able to play help-side defense, which you have to do to be a winning player. See: S. Dalembert
• The last 10 games of the conference season, Young averaged double digit shot attempts while Tech won 7 of 10.

My conclusion - great pick at 20, not so much at 12. If they got him with their 3rd pick, I'd be thrilled! He'd play in the top 9 next season, and would hopefully develop like a Rashard Lewis type of player.



Young and Kevin Durant @ the 2006 Jordan Classic

What would it mean?

We're about 24 hours away from the lottery...it seems there's been lot of controversy about the amount of opportunity there is for teams to get high picks and not be rewarded for losing games...please refer to my posts in early April about player value. While we've assumed that the first pick will be #12 and focused our reporting on players who may be available at that spot and beyond.

That being said...


What would it mean to get into the top 2 tomorrow? Oh, just everything.

Let's be straight...Durant is a player that would have a "Duncan-esque" impact on the team...by the time he would be 23, he'd be good for 25, 12, 5 and 5 every night. With a good supporting cast, the Sixers would be one of the top 4 teams in the East for as long as he was on the team and was healthy. Everyone wants to get to the conference finals etc...but a good barometer for success in the NBA should be game 6 of the semi-finals; with matchups and injuries, it's the toughest part of the playoffs to get through, but I digress...there is no reason with Durant the Sixers won't be there consistently. That means quality basketball for 10 years at least! The major upside to KD is that he's just a superb basketball player in addition to being the best athlete. Again...a Duncan, Kobe, LeBron type of player...all have, could and or will win championships. Better than KG (although he's just hasn't caught a break), McGrady etc...IMO.



Mr. Oden...

I've had the good fortune of being an OSU graduate and missed probably 20 minutes of game action he played this year. A few things you should know...

• Oden didn't play basketball from May to December last year. That's an incredibly long layoff - so when observers said "he looked gassed" in January, that was the reason.
• He has a legitimate left hand
• Just because he's a center, and wants to play center, and is coming to the Association to be a center, he is a good enough athlete with a floor game to be a 4 (next to a Dalembert type)

I will cry if he comes to the Sixers. My dad will buy season tickets (along with about 10,000 other people who are just waiting to be entertained consistently for a $300 evening). Greg Oden will automatically be put with Wilt, Moses, Daryl, Charles, Julius, Allen, Mo, Andrew, Eric and Aaron and other one named 76er greats. If the Sixers put the same team on the court they had last year they would finish in the top 4 in the conference and win the East with Oden REGARDLESS of what anyone else does.

By year three, the Sixers would be in the finals.

That's all.

Acie Law

http://www.hoopshype.com/draft.htm

There are somethings to like about Law:
1. 6'3"
2. 120 college games in a major conference
3. Can make his own shot close to the hoop

I worry about a long term solution at poing guard that doesn't include consistent 18 foot jump shooting.

Next year, assuming Andre Miller is back, Law would come off the bench. If he's good enough it would allow them some flexibility at trade deadline time next year.

I'd prefer a true backcourt scorer to compliment AI.

The Mayor will not be Re-Elected

Longtime Sixers television analyst Steve Mix will not return to the broadcast team this season.

Comcast SportsNet, the employer of Mix and play-by-play announcer Marc Zumoff, said in a statement: "With the conclusion of the 2006-07 NBA regular season, we are evaluating new ideas for our Sixers game broadcasts, and will not be renewing Steve Mix’s contract when it ends next month."

Zumoff and Mix worked together for 12 years, the longest of any broadcast team in Philadelphia.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/100-05172007-1348078.html

Definition of Loser

Andre Miller / Eric Snow

Along with Andrew Toney and Charles Barkley, Eric Snow will always be one of my favorite Sixers. Last night reminded me why...Vince Carter, woof woof. But E Snow got right under Air 16W and pushed him right off the block.

That brings me to Andre Miller...he's not E Snow on the defensive end, but his overall game is better than E Snow's ever was...I challange anyone to find me a better replacement for him for through 2009...good luck. I don't want to pay Chauncey Billups even if we could.

You know everyone will get theirs every night when Miller is out there. You know it will take someone at least 6'5" to play him on the low block to defend him consistently. He's done it. He's playing for his last contract.

Movin on up?

“First, we try to identify the best players in the draft and try to go after them. Having three first-round picks and a second-round pick, we have more chips to be able to go after some players we like. If that’s not possible and we draft at our position, we’ll take the best player available.

We feel that we need to accumulate talent, as much talent as we can, so we will go after the best player at our pick.”

- Tony DiLeo on www.sixers.com

If they could figure out a way to get Horford or Brewer....I think it'll be impossible to get into the top 3. Period. Obviously one of them will be available at 4...

7 Days Until Secaucus!!!

Artest

If there wasn't a chance he would kill some season ticket holders, he'd be great with the Sixers.

Tiago Splitter

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?playerId=18838&draftyear=2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlrqMS7tp-A

I like what I see from Splitter...he runs the floor nicely and has good instincts. He would have been a lottery pick three years ago but has had contract issues every year since and hasn't been drafted, but that is no longer an issue.

I'd be thrilled to get this guy at 21, but he may not last that long...tough call 12 if one of the top 7 players drops into the Sixers lap?

Spencer Hawes

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?playerId=19025&draftyear=2007
http://nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/spencerhawes.html

I don't see Hawes fitting into what the Sixers are doing...while he's got a low post game, he wouldn't be a good fit with Dalembert as he's not a great defensive player. I can't see the Sixers taking this guy unless they see something I don't see.

I will not be excited if this guy is our major offseason addition...I think you can get size further down in the draft for better value than Hawes at 13.

Jeff Green

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=368
http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?playerId=18886&draftyear=2007

I didn't see Green play more than 5 times this year, but what can't he do?

I actually think he'd play nicely with Iguodala...he can balance the floor on offense and plays defense. Plus he would um, allieviate, Sammy D.'s need to have the ball in his hands on offense for more than 4 seconds at any time.

Green would have been a top 10 pick in 2005 or 2006 if he would have been available after his junior year.

One thing I like about Green...he was the Big East Player of the Year. I like players that lead winning teams.

Prospecting Part One...

Let's take a look at some candidates around #12 that we here at The Promised Land hope Billy King is scouting...
Let's start with Michael Conley Jr....we all know I'm biased.

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1176

Let's get one thing straight...Michael is not a 35 minute a night guy on a winning team in 2007. While a very strong 180-185 lbs., he will be taken down to the paint on in the 4th quarter much like Allen was all those years.

In 2009, Mr. Conley will be one of the top 5 PGs in the NBA.

He'll get himself up to about 205 while keeping his speed. He'll shoot much more consistently.

If the Sixers pick comes up and they Conley is on the board, I'd be suprised if they let him slip. Billy, please don't leave him on the board.

The Nets and Cadavaliers?

Since the Sixers’ season became tedious early, it didn’t receive its proper attention late. But the under-told story of another playoff-free season was that Maurice Cheeks proved to do what he always did best: He competed.

With Larry Brown walking around the joint, copies of his Hall of Fame coaching resume spilling from his pockets, Cheeks’ job was in peril — and with reason. Soon — next season, to be exact — he must coach the Sixers into the playoffs, or admit that he is unable.

But just as he always did in tight spots when he was a champion point guard, Cheeks snarled, took a deep breath and went to work. Given a real basketball team to coach — rather than trying to do the impossible and succeed with Allen Iverson — he coaxed the Sixers to 30 victories in their final 58 games. More, he refused to play the fans’ absurd game of losing with the goal of better drafting position.

It was the very spirit that helped Cheeks grow from a second-round draft choice out of West Texas State to consideration for the basketball Hall of Fame. In hindsight then, maybe Sixers fans should have seen it coming.

##########

Strange, but Allen Iverson tired as a playoff series lengthened and began to miss shots at a disturbing pace, and was unable to lead his to success, even though he was complimented by an accomplished scorer. Shocking.

http://www.delcotimes.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FDCT%2FSports&r21.content=%2FDCT%2FSports%2FTopStoryList_Story_319977