O baby, o baby, o baby, o baby! No I'm not type-singing (I made that up, you are free to use it) a smooth R&B song from the early 90s, I'm just overly excited for the NBA Draft in dos dias (2 days)! I'm not sure if I've ever been more excited for a draft than I am this year. The only one that would compare is the '96 draft but I was just 8 years old. The only thing I knew about the draft was that it rhymed with Kraft (I was a mac'n'cheese nut).
This year I feel like I'm a part of it, considering I am one of two reasons (the other being Derek) the 76ers landed the second pick at the lottery way back in May (hello?). Get to your television sets (if it has an antena, you win) quickly on Thursday ladies. If you don't, you might miss David Stern do the Villain dance after he announces the Sixers select Evan Turner (yea, I'm calling my shot - do somethin).
All draft related links today ladies-and-gentlemen (clearly I'm referring to Louis CK's child) but no Chad Ford. I'm cheap and won't pay for insider.
Hit them links after the jump before they grow-up and move out of the house.
PS: don't forget to go to the SB Nation Philly launch party tonight. The eye candy won't be as spectacular as hoped for considering I won't be there.
Yahoo! Sports Mock Draft - The Sixers Select...
Evan Turner, SG, Ohio State: No one can accuse the Sixers of avoiding their due diligence. In a span of four days last week, they brought in Turner, then Derrick Favors and DeMarcus Cousins together, followed by Wesley Johnson. In the meantime, Philadelphia traded center Samuel Dalembert(notes) to Sacramento for center Spencer Hawes(notes) and forward Andres Nocioni(notes). The Sixers actually took on more salary in the deal because they were so anxious to unload Dalembert. Is this a sign they’re prepared to take Favors or Cousins at No. 2? Maybe, but they did get another center in return. For now, it appears the Sixers are still focused on Turner.
SAS Says the Pick Has to be Evan Turner
When you're the Sixers, you have no choice but to pick a player of Turner's caliber, and it has very little to do with the two triple-doubles he registered against suspect competition last season or the 20 points per game he averaged in the Big Ten.
Almost in unison, NBA scouts have said Turner "has a great feel for the game. He's the most skilled player in the draft behind [expected No. 1 pick] Kentucky's John Wall. The question is not whether he's the right pick for the Sixers."
Tuner on whether he can be someone to build around:
"It would be one thing if I were some one-dimensional ballplayer, but I'm not. I consider myself versatile. I'm not a scorer or a rebounder anymore than I'm a point guard or shooting guard. I'm a ballplayer. That's what I pride myself on being. And I work on my game every single day to prove just that. Nothing will change in that regard."
Is There a Wall vs. Turner Debate?
"I'm a fan of both," said Atlanta Hawks scout Steve Rosenberry. "They're obviously different players. Wall is the prototypical long, speed burner, end-to-end type player, disruptive defensively . . . He's kind of more like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, the athletic-type guy.
"Turner is not a 'two', is not a 'three'. He's a point. That's what he is. I have discussions with personnel people and media and I say, 'Guys, if you don't believe me, then you haven't watched him play.' At Ohio State, he had the ball in his hand literally 95 percent of the game."
"That's what (Turner) is. He's so big and thick and strong that if you play him one-on-one in the post, he's going to score. Then, when you double, his first instincts are to pass. He's a good athlete. He's not an extreme athlete. He's an OK shooter. He's not a deep shooter. He takes you places on the court where he wants to be. He'll just back you to where he wants to get so he doesn't have to take deep shots."
"If your inclinations are you like the more traditional, go-go-go type guard, you've got him in John Wall," Rosenberry said.
Same Article: Stefanski on Turner
"The biggest compliment you can give someone is he makes his teammates better and that's what he does. He goes left or right, slasher, finishes around the basket, going to have to keep working on his jump shot. All reports we get is that he's a gym rat."
"Can he play point guard? Sure," Stefanski said. "He can play 'two', he can play some 'three'. Handles the ball so well at 6-7, can go anywhere he wants on the court. I just think he's a basketball player. I think he can play any one of those positions."
The Villain Set on Becoming the Newest 76er
"I would kind of be surprised, definitely," Turner said of possibly not becoming a Sixer.
"If Evan is the guy we end up taking, you start thinking of a [point guard] Jrue Holiday, who is the youngest player in the NBA," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "You talk about Evan, and you have two guys who could be a combination for seven, eight years in the backcourt together.
"And I think that is one of the things that Eddie Stefanski and I have talked about is where you have some holes, you can't fill them all at once. You try to get guys that you think can be really good for a long period of time."
But critics question Turner's athleticism and believe a lot of his success comes from dominating the ball. With that, some wonder if he can flourish while the ball is primarily in Holiday's hands. "I just think definitely the personnel is a good fit," (Turner) said.
"Jrue is a young guard. Andre Iguodala is a great wing. Elton [Brand] is really good. Thaddeus Young is really good. I think this is a good city and a good program. "You look two years ago, they made the playoffs, repeatedly. And I think I can help out in this situation."
Mark Perner Says Size and Potential Over Skill is Mistake
As recently as last year, the Memphis Grizzlies took 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 pick when they could have chosen Tyreke Evans.
The Atlanta Hawks went with potential in 2005 and chose North Carolina's Marvin Williams, when they could have had their franchise point guard of the future in either Deron Williams (No. 3) or Chris Paul (No. 4).
In 1993, the Sixers had a chance to get in the middle of the deal that sent Chris Webber, who was the No. 1 pick, to Golden State in exchange for Anfernee Hardaway, the No. 3 pick, who went to Orlando. This is when they should have traded the pick. Instead, the Sixers stayed away, let the Warriors and Magic make the deal, and were satisfied to pick 7-6 Shawn Bradley, whom many expected to revolutionize the game. Yeah, right.
With the second pick in the 2010 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select . . . a sure thing.
Minnesota Writer Claims Sixers Selection is in Question at this Point
Philadelphia, picking second, "is kind of the question mark," said Wolves assistant general manager Tony Ronzone. "They're posturing [that they'll pick Evan] Turner, but they talked about Wesley Johnson today. They've talked about [Derrick] Favors, too. They're doing what they should do" by keeping other teams wondering, which could produce a trade offer or two.
"Hopefully I can get [new Sixers coach] Doug Collins on the phone today and get him happy and get him fired up and he'll tell me who they're picking," Ronzone joked. More likely? "We'll sit back and see what comes to us," he said. "We're in a great spot."
Dei Lynam Weighs In on Who She Feels the Sixers Should Take
Mike Prada of Bullets Forever on Available 1st Round Picks
Most realistic targets from 12-26 IMO: Miami at 18, OKC at 21 and 26, CHI at 17, ATL at 24. I predict the Wiz buy either the 17th or 18th.
It would be extremely nice if Stefanski could get one of those instead of signing Brain Scalabrine.
Draft Party at the Wach on Thursday
The Philadelphia 76ers will host a Draft Party for fans interested in being part of the draft night action at the Wachovia Center on Thursday, June 24 beginning at 4 p.m. The festivities will include player appearances, a Draft Night Show featuring alumni and player interviews as well as live coverage of the 2010 NBA Draft.
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., Sixers Public Address Announcer Matt Cord will host a live Draft Show on the Sixers court featuring interviews with Sixers alumni Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Gerald Henderson and Clint Richardson as well as current players Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday and Marreese Speights.
If there's one Sixer player I could party with, it would clearly be Lou Williams. I have a feeling he's got all the shorties posted up at one of his shindigs.
Nets to Take Wes Johnson at 3?
Wesley Johnson is moving up to 3, New Jersey, on our next mock (DraftExpress) coming shortly. Told New Jersey will take him and go for a PF in free agency. Wes is the most ready guy and New Jersey wants to be competitive next year.
Favors does to Minnesota & compliments Love+Jefferson perfectly.
I'm not quite sure I would agree with this choice by New Jersey, especially when a frontcourt of Brook Lopez and Derrick Favors is a possibility.
Completely Un-Sixer-Related News of the Day: Amanda Bynes is Done with Acting
Amanda Bynes is retiring from acting, according to a series of posts on her Twitter account.
I know this may come as gut-wrenching, spraining news to all you huge Bynes fans that grace us with your presence everyday. Keep your heads up guys (I'm looking at you prideoux) and keep hope alive for a She's the Man sequel.