NBA Draft Recap: Philadelphia 76ers

Philly played the tanking game last year (and the year before now that I think of it) and were rewarded with the top prospect in the draft, Joel Embiid (dropped from #1 due to injury concerns); they were also able to nab the top European prospect, Dario Saric (and a future 1st and 2nd rounder out of Orlando).  Their 2nd round is worth noting too: they picked up KJ McDaniels and Jeremi Grant (two well-regarded prospects who should each get some run this season), Pierre Jackson (D-League all-star they got for Russ Smith), Vasilije Micic (a Serbian PG to stash overseas), and pulled off a coupla deals that netted them Jordan McRae (uh...don't know who that is) and the ever-present 'cash considerations'.  All in all, a nice haul that in its way is a showcase of just how deep the 2014 draft class is.  But Embiid and Saric don't help them now, you say.  Hey, tanking is what this squad is best at and since they keep getting rewarded for it, why not keep the train a-rollin'?  It makes sense that after all their efforts to get high draft picks last year, all they end up with is bench support.

With a starting lineup that may well include Grant or McDaniels, they're still set up to be an interesting afterthought again this year.  They have 2014's ROY in Michael Carter-Williams, a candidate for 2015's ROY (Nerlens Noel), while stashing 2016 ROY (Joel Embiid) and 2017 ROY (Dario Saric) candidates off to the side; their pipeline is in better shape than Pfizer (I could've made a Ukraine joke but even I'm not going there).  But while all this talent brews, they'll be rolling into next season with Henry Sims, Pierre Jackson and Grant or McDaniels likely to play significant minutes.  If any of those guys pan out, bonus; if not, the Sixers will again find themselves playing more ping pong than basketball.  Like I said, why stop now?  I can't fault them for sticking to a plan.

The supposition is that all these high draft picks will eventually turn into stars and have to get paid but the Sixers want to play it cheap for 1-2 more years before they start doling out the big paychecks.  I've got one possible monkey wrench suggestion for the future plan: why not throw the big money at Eric Bledsoe?   Bledsoe would be the crafty veteran, the offensive 1st option, the lightning rod that sets the tone for the youngsters.  I think he fits well with MCW, should fit well with Nerlens and Thaddeus Young, and Embiid, Saric, et al, would grow with him.  Personally, I think Bledsoe is the real deal, the next big thing, a for real baller that the Suns absolutely cannot afford to let go of (and I don't see how they do).  He's perfect for the Sixers, so why not pitch 4 yrs/$64m at him and see what the Suns do; if nothing else you've screwed up the Suns chances to get Bledsoe for 5yrs/$60m (which is, I reckon, about what they want to pay).  And since the Suns would likely match even the highest offer, the bid would most likely fail and the tanking plan would be vindicated.  And if the Suns blink, the Sixers could afford him.  Its a can't lose opportunity. Actually I'm surprised they haven't done it yet, I can't believe I'm the first guy to notice that the Sixers have plenty of cap space and a gaping hole on offense.  (More people need to read my blog, I'm like a public service!)

Also, another harmless suggestion: since the Sixers' main focus for the next 2-3 years is coaching up Nerlens and Embiid, why not throw in Jan Vesely on a minimum contract?  Unless they think Vesely absolutely cannot play or is a detriment to the locker room (or suffers nagging injuries that I don't know about), why not take a flyer on an intriguing talent farther along the learning curve at a discount price.  Point him at Nerlens and say, 'Do that!'  See if he can't become either a solid shot blocker in the mold of Nerlens or an offensive complement in the mold of Embiid.  Once upon a time he was considered a top 5 prospect, either he's a straight-up bust (very possible) or he's ripe for a second chance.  For a minimal investment, the Sixers might be able to coach up some trade value out of him or give their youngsters a valuable cautionary tale.

The Sixers are not a playoff team next year, even if Nerlens is ROY and MCW takes a leap forward, even if Embiid comes in and plays well, even if Jackson or Sims or Hollis Thompson have unexpected growth spurts.  They just don't have the veteran depth to roll with the Hornets or Hawks, much less the big dogs (no, Eric Maynor and Jason Richardson are not good enough to make much of a difference).  What they have is a moderately priced present and an eye on the future.  They're built to be not very good while the waves of young talent ready themselves to hit the scene (and beware Sixer fans: they may be nothing more than future trade bait).  So while any suggestions for improvement are going to fall on deaf ears, I really think Bledsoe fits them right now.  He can be that nucleus guy the youth can coalesce around for the future and he's good enough to get the Sixers into the playoffs right away (it is the East, after all).  And since they probably won't get him anyway, what do they have to lose?  Though the Sixers aren't quite ready to open the bankbook just yet (they'll have to eventually, right?), he is the perfect guy for what they've got here and now.  The Sixers are sneaky but I don't guess they're ready to make the other teams blink just yet.