by Brian on May 23, 2008 at 8:30AM
Every week or so we'll take a look at who the experts think the Sixers will take with the #16 pick in the upcoming draft. Just a quick and dirty post with links...

There's a small sampling to get us started on our draft coverage.

My initial thought is that the #16 pick isn't the ideal place to fill the low-post need. Usually guys who are game-changers at the PF position aren't available that late in the draft. Some of these guys won't be available, DeAndre Jordan notable among them, and the ones who will be available are long-term projects. Speights does intrigue me, though.

Call me crazy, but I think this pick should be used to get a shooter. Just about every mock draft has Chase Budinger falling past the 16 pick. I like the idea of taking Budinger with this pick and adding a needed shooter without burning up cap space on a guy like Matt Carroll. Brandon Rusch is another guy who I'd give serious consideration to. They're both 6'7", excellent size for a two guard. Honestly, I think either one of them could step right into the starting lineup and provide a huge upgrade over Willie Green.

What do you guys think? Hoping the Sixers will find a way to trade up? Go big with the pick? Hope one of the PGs drops to us (Augustin or Westbrook) to shore up the future of that position?



Also on the Network:
√ Cross Your Fingers [Depressed Fan]
√ Cue The Fat Lady [Depressed Fan]
√ The headline of my dreams [Tremendous Upside Potential]
√ Livan Largesse [El Lefty Malo]




[May 23, 2008 6:18 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Eric said

I would definitely love if one of the PG's fell to us, but I do not think that will happen. I was feeling the same exact way as you in wanting Budinger. Still I would not mind if Jordan slipped or even Kevin love.

[May 23, 2008 9:38 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Dannie said

We have been preaching Brandon Rush as the pick since the season ended and he declared for the draft. He is an upgrade on the defensive end over Willie Green may be more important than the shooting. And at 6'7 that makes us a very big team on the perimeter.

[May 23, 2008 10:10 AM]  |  link  |  reply
PhillyFriar replied to Dannie

I'd love Rush for the same reaons I coveted Julian Wright last year: I love long, athletic players who can play multiple positions and really get after it on the defensive end.

It all depends on what the Sixers want. Rush or Budinger gives them even more of a logjam of athletic players at the 2 and 3 (Iggy, Thad, Carney), but Budinger especially would fill the need for a shooter -- although Rush is more polished and better defensively. Speights intrigues me as well, and I guess Darrell Arthur does, though both of them need a considerable amount of work before they can contribute.

And as a Big East fan who has seen Donte Greene play: please no. He could turn out to be phenomenal, but given his penchant to lazily chuck 3's instead of driving or posting up, he's all set to be a poor man's Tim Thomas.

[May 23, 2008 12:38 PM]  |  link  |  reply
steve said

I dont like budinger at all with all of his talent ive never seen him dominate a game. There is something about Bill Walker that i love though. Before he injured his knee he was projected as a top 5 pick. He averaged 16 ppg in the big 12 and he always shows up in big games. He dropped 31 on xavier 22 and Kansas and USC and had multiple other 30 point games. He did all of that while still rehabbing his knee and since the season ended he has dropped 25 lbs and according to Chad Ford has regained the unbelievable explosivness that had him being compared to Vince Carter with heart and a mean streak. Walker also has a great post game because he is so strong and has such great hands and hangtime. With the 16th pick i doubt any of the low post options will be there and in a few years walker could end up being one of the best 3 or 4 players in the draft.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rxr5OPRR6uU&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1YDK5P58KNE&feature=related

[May 23, 2008 4:24 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Joe said

NBC sports has us picking at 17... odd.

I am fine picking at 16. If they chose to move up to go after Westbrook, I would be fine with that.

Augustin is one bad measurement away from his stock plummeting in my opinion.

Mario Chalmers anyone? He has the smarts, the shot, and the clutch factor to be a good starting PG in the NBA.

Poor man's Tim Thomas? I never want to see that.

[May 23, 2008 5:20 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Rickhouse said

Trust me, you want no part of Budinger. I always kinda liked him on tv, but I was him live against Illinois, and they is complete wuss. He never fights through screens, if he doesn't get the ball right away he kind of takes the rest of the possession off. Now he can jump out of the gym and has a decent stroke, but I really don't think he'll amount to much. Brandon Rush is Carney without the hops, and you hate Carney. Arthur and Koufos are the two best of the guys listed above, IMO. Maybe Wayne Ellington? He's kind of a sniper.

[May 23, 2008 7:52 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Joe replied to Rickhouse

Ellington and Courtney Lee are SG options I would prefer for this team when compared to Budinger.

Rush is OK. I would take him with pick 30, not 16.

[May 24, 2008 2:02 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Tray said

Darrell Arthur's a nice player... I'd be surprised if he dropped to us, but I'd pick him if we could get him. At the very least he should be a solid big man off the bench, and he definitely has the talent to be much more than that.

[May 24, 2008 11:37 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Alvin said

I agree with you totally on this one Brian, I don't think there is the starting PF we want at #16. Sure if Love/Randolph/Arthur is available at #16 it'd be quite an easy pick but still it's hard to see it happen.

It would be good to add a solid big man to the rotation though. However IMO the priorities in the draft should be:

1) shooter
2) point guard (Westbrook/Augustin/Lawson)
3) backup big man

[May 24, 2008 1:09 PM]  |  link  |  reply
steve said

anther guy to look at would be JJ Hickson from NC state. Verrrry athletic big man thats only going to get better. i wouldnt be dissapointed at all if he was the pick.

[May 29, 2008 10:33 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Vaughn said

Chad Ford was raving about Speights and if either he, Arthur or Love were there at 16, we could have the answer at PF.

But as the original post pointed out, impact fours are rarely seen at 16, and I would not be at all surprised if none of the three were left.

The value at #16 would look to be at SG, which only furthers the argument that moving Iguadala in a sign and trade may be the best option, assuming we can get decent value.

Of the SGs likely to be available at 16, I think the ones who might merit being picked that high are Budinger, Rush, Walker and CDR.

Budinger and Walker are the tools guys, CDR the most polished scorer and Rush is the best defender and most effective overall player. At this point I like Rush the most and CDR the least (he'll score but he is maybe the weakest deep shooter of the group and the least athletic).

If they develop, Budinger and Walker can both be better players than Rush. The question with Budinger is whether he can do more than dunk and shoot threes. Will he defend? Can he get a midrange game? Does he care? People are upset that with all his skill he did not dominate in college, but we don't beed him to dominate. We need him to run the floor and bang open jumpers, which are his two best skills.

Walker is the biggest wild card, and my question with him is whether he can really light it up from deep. I have no doubt he'll lose weight, excite all the scouts with his vertical play and say all the right things. But is he a pure shooter--I am not sure.

So in the end I have them like this:

1.Rush (safest bet, great D, can start from day one)

2. Budinger (best shooter, 2nd best athlete and we have to hope he'll learn to pick it up on D)

3. Walker (can he stroke it like he can dunk it?)

4. CDR (a nice player with a 10 year career ahead of him but might just be Mo Pete)

Also, I hate to say it, but you cannot discount the marketability of Budinger. This town would just go nuts for a honky with a 44" vertical. Tell me I am lying...