Hey Man, Can't We All Just Get Along?
Yo, Philly in the News
Playlist Rewind: AFI at the Factory
Whole Hog Is All Heart
Photoist
Yes, you read the headline right -- it was a pretty good night for Philadelphia basketball in the NBA Draft. Not as good as it could have been, but at the moment, we aren't complaining.
The 76ers came into the night with one pick, the 13th in the first round. They used it to select Thabo Sefolosha, a swingman who ESPN analysts touted as a very good choice. But while the talking heads were raving about Sefolosha's athleticism and defensive intensity, Sixers GM Billy King was working out a deal with Chicago to send Sefolosha to the Windy City.
King got the 16th pick in the first round from the Bulls, and as Phillyist watched the trade announced our first thought was that the team had just blown its shot at Connecticut's Marcus Williams, rated by many as the best point guard in the draft. Surprisingly, Williams was still available when the Sixers' pick came up, and we hoped that King would select him. But, our prediction skills and general luck being what they are, King went for Memphis forward Rodney Carney instead.
We were, for a moment, disappointed. Though he has some character and weight issues, Williams is an amazing talent who would have learned a lot playing alongside Allen Iverson -- or, just maybe, instead of him, if the rumors about trading A.I. to Boston are true.
Having said that, Carney is an outstanding basketball player, and we really mean it when we say we aren't complaining too much about his selection. Phillyist saw Carney in person while in Dallas for this year's NCAA Tournament, and was impressed by his athleticism and shooting touch. A state champion high jumper while in high school in Indianapolis, Carney also has a big wingspan and is a great rebounder. He also has what Phillyist's favorite college basketball analyst, Bill Raftery, calls "blow-by speed," and if Carney gets on the floor with Andre Iguodala the results could be a lot of fun to watch. Overall, Carney received a 93 rating out of a possible 100 on the widely read website nbadraft.net, a higher rating than Sefolosha's 90.
In the second round, King swung trades to get two players at a time when we figured the Sixers wouldn't be doing anything else for the night. The first player, 6-foot-7 Washington (as in University of) shooting guard Bobby Jones, intrigues us quite a bit. He was the Huskies' leading rebounder last season, and has received a lot of praise for his defense -- something the Sixers certainly need. NBADraft.net compares Jones to veteran guard Bruce Bowen, whose superb defensive skills were a big reason why San Antonio won the championship in 2003 and 2005. The other trade brought in Milko Bjelica, a power forward from Serbia who was originally drafted by Toronto.
It was also a good day for the Big 5, as three former City Series players heard their names called at Madison Square Garden. Villanova guard Randy Foye took the stage first, drafted seventh overall by Boston before being traded to Portland and then Minnesota. We bet Foye, a great shooter and ballhandler, will do quite well playing alongside Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett. Some ESPN analysts even said Foye could be this coming season's Rookie of the Year.
Another Wildcat guard, Kyle Lowry, was chosen with the 24th pick in the first round by Memphis. The Grizzlies have made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and Lowry will get to play on a team that includes fellow Philadelphia native Hakim Warrick. Finally, Temple's Mardy Collins was drafted with the 29th pick of the first round by New York. With all due respect to Gothamist (though when it comes to the Knicks, there isn't much to be had), we offer Collins our condolences for having to join a team that has absolutely no chance of success next season. There's no doubt, though, that Collins has the skills to succeed in the NBA.
Two Big 5 alumns weren't drafted, though: Villanova guard Allan Ray and La Salle forward Steven Smith. We know Smith worked out with the Sixers on a number of occasions before the draft, so we're sure King and coach Mo Cheeks are well aware that Smith is definitely good enough to play in the NBA. Ray has plenty of talent as well, and is also quite familiar with playing at the Wachovia Center. Hopefully, the Sixers will be able to sign at least one of those players, if not both. And we'll throw out one more player who King should consider: West Virgnia's Mike Gansey, who did almost everything possible as a shooting guard during the Mountaineers' rise to prominence in the Big East over the last two years.
Photo taken by the author.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Post a comment (Comment Policy)