The 76ers NBA Draft Time Portal: Revisiting 2007

Let's pretend, Marshall Mathers never picked up a pen we mastered the art of time travel during this offseason.  We could go back and inform FOX executives about the cult following Arrested Development would gain, hopefully saving the series from its unfortunate demise.  We could put serious money on Northern Iowa to upset Kansas in this past year's tournament.  We could even kidnap Ed Stefanski and tell him to stay as far away as possible from Elton Brand.  But that's neither here nor there (it might be there).

Today we'll be jumping, swimming, and row-boating into our "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" inspired swirling time portal all the way back to June 2007.  The San Antonio Spurs were fresh off their Finals victory against the Boobie Gibson led Cavaliers, the Boston Red Sox were on their way to their second World Sereis title in 4 seasons, and LOST just had one of the best cliffhanger's in television history (Season 3 finale - all my LOST fans know what I'm talking about).  Most importantly, the 2007 NBA Draft would commence at the end of the month.

Now that Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have supplied us with the knowledge of how to enter people's minds, let's go inside the Sixers' front office collective brain and incept our own ideas (no Ellen Page, you can't come!  Go off and talk in cool, hipster lingo with George-Michael Bluth before I get angry!).  That's right fellow members of Miami Homicide (Sargeant Doakes is jacked... and burned badly), it's your chance to re-do the 2007 draft for the Sixers.

Rules, regulations, and available choices after the jump.

It's no secret that we were all pretty much obsessed with Thaddeus Young his first two seasons.  Some to the point where a jersey sporting his name was purchased (fail).  The 2009-2010 season was a wake-up call for Thad's Lads (clearly it's Thad's support group).  It even came to the point where some of us here would have been happy with shipping him off for a late lottery pick or even a later first rounder.  Thad's shaky performance even led to our own Mikey Bourn Levin to write this little diddy where he suggests the Sixers try to deal Thad before this season's deadline.  Well now is your chance to have never seen him in a Sixers uniform.

Not only did the Sixers pick Thad in the first round that year, but also a little (big) boy out of Colorado State with the original name Jason Smith.  I think it's safe to say that this pick hasn't turned out according to plan.  He missed the entire 2008-2009 season with an ACL tear and didn't show much improvement in any facet of his game last season.  Unforunately for us, he may have to take on a regular role as a 15-20 minute per game man this year because of the lack of height currently in the Sixers front court.  However, we've traveled back and can now never have selected him in the first place (okay the Sixers didn't technically select him in the first place but they traded for his rights on draft night so it counts).

For the sake of this exercise, we'll pretend everything that happened before the Sixers selection went down exactly the same.  For instance, you can't say you would have picked Kevin Durant instead of Thad because, as we know, the Sonics already got him.  Eligible players to choose instead of Thad are picks 13-60 and those eligible to take Jason Smith's spot are picks 21-60.  For a complete list of draft selections, hit this link taking you to the 2007 NBA Draft Wikipedia page.

The Sixers are on the clock.  David Stern is waiting impatiently.  Get him your picks before he goes all "we don't have pigs-in-a-blanket" on you.

My choices: 

With the 12th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Thaddeus Young.  I still have hope that Thad has the potential to be a starter and scorer in this league.  That one and a half month stretch two seasons ago before he hurt his ankle always pops into my head when considering his future.  He's never had a coach for more than a season and hopefully Collins will be able to provide some stability in Thad's life.  Don't get me wrong, he must vastly improve his jumper, defense, use of the right hand, handles, and IQ.  I still got faith in you Thad, don't let me down.

With the 20th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat select and trade Marc Gasol to the Philadelphia 76ers.  Gasol wasn't actually taken until pick 48 but today he's making a 28 slot jump.  Marc-y Marc is on his way to becomming on the top big men in the league.  He provides a big body on the inside and has been an above average rebounder.  Pretty much, he's become everything Jason Smith hasn't.  If we had Gasol instead of Smith, there wouldn't be as much of a panic about the lack of bodies down low as there is today (yes it would still exist, but not to this level).

Okay, I've done my part, now it's your turn.  Who ya got?  Bonus points if you go off the board and choose Ekene Ibekwe or Mike Jones (who?).