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It's over. The long journey of the Big Board from Druidia and back has ended. There was Big Board 1.0. That was kid stuff. Then there was Big Board 2.0. Basically just a shinier, less antique version of the first one. BUT NOW. We as a group of amateurs have devised the infallible Sixers Draft Board. It is perfect, untouchable, and just in the nick of time, too.
I have nothing more to say, as we've been writing about the same crap for months, and this is what stalling looks like, so you've already stopped reading this in favor of skimming the list, getting angry, and insulting us in the comments below. So I guess what I'm trying to say is: thanks for reading, here ya go!
Oh, and you can blame a last minute email from Derek Bodner for a certain someone not being our unanimous #1.
20. T.J. Warren - SF, NC State
AVG: 21.2, Ballots (8/15), Last: N/A, N/A
Roy Burton (ranked him #14): "I'm a bit more bullish on Warren than most, but it's hard not to like a guy who averaged 25 and 7 in a big-time conference with no semblance of a long range game. Some guys just know how to score, and while Warren won't ever be a star, he'll figure out a way to be productive on the next level."
19. Kyle Anderson - F, UCLA
AVG: 19.27, Ballots (10/15), Last: N/A, N/A
Sean O'Connor (ranked him #9): "The league's adjustment to the legality of zone defenses necessitates teams to build around having skilled players at as many positions on the court as possible. More and more teams are prioritizing shooting and dribbling and passing, that is actual basketball skills, at non-traditional positions. I know Anderson doesn't really have a position to defend, but no one in this draft brings the size and the skill set that Anderson does - despite his inconsistent shooting, his passing and rebounding should make him a legit rotation player and offensive plus right away with plenty of room to eventually expand his role."
18. Rodney Hood - G/F, Duke
AVG: 19.2, Ballots (10/15), Last: #12, #9
Dave Rueter (left him unranked): "I'm partial to lefties, but Hood doesn't leap off the page for me. Nice shooter, but he's more Randy Wolf than Steve Carlton."
t-16. Zach LaVine - SG, UCLA
AVG: 17.6, Ballots (11/15), Last: N/A, #14
Brandon Gowton (ranked him #13): "LaVine is all about upside. He's ridiculously athletic (see: nearly jumping into outer space) and he doesn't lack confidence. He's just fun to watch. At the same time, he's young and flawed. Perhaps those flaws are fixable with the right guidance. Given his natural talent he could be worth the risk. Boom or bust.
t-16. Jusuf "Juice" Nurkic - C, Bosnia
AVG: 17.6, Ballots (12/15), Last: #20, N/A
Michael Baumann (ranked him #15): "You can't teach 6-foot-11 and 280 pounds at 19 years old. If you're that big and you have even a little skill, you can become a useful rotation player at the least. Plus overrating tall dudes from the former Yugoslavia has somehow become my thing, so I might as well lean into it."
15. James Young - G/F, Kentucky
AVG: 16.6, Ballots (13/15), Last: #17, #18
Kyle Neubeck (ranked him #10): "I want players on the Sixers that are fun. He dunks on dudes like they owe him money and is no stranger to the three ball. After the top eight, I see a ton of guys that either have low-ish ceilings or potential that they'll never cash in on. Young is the best of both worlds. If he's half as entertaining as the Young that got away, I got my money's worth."
14. Elfrid Payton - PG, Louisiana-Lafayette
AVG: 16.53, Ballots (13/15), Last: N/A, N/A
Dave Rueter (ranked him #14): "Plus defender who could make life miserable for opposing guards. Can he develop a jumper, however, and keep the other team honest?"
It's A Draftsaster!
It's A Draftsaster!
13. Adreian Payne - PF, Michigan State
AVG: 14.73, Ballots (15/15), Last: #14, #18
Jake Fischer (ranked him #13): "Length, athleticism, shooting and experience. You know what you're getting with Payne when you draft him. His lung condition is a little frightening however and might cap what room he has left to grow."
12. Doug McDermott - F, Creighton
AVG: 13.87, Ballots (15/15), Last: #9, #12
Sohil Doshi (ranked him #11): "He's definitely polarizing around these parts. While he has questions defensively, you can't argue with his strengths; this guy can just plain shoot. Furthermore, "McBucketts" is a fun nickname."
11. Gary Harris - SG, Michigan State
AVG: 12.0, Ballots (15/15), Last: #10, #10
Matt Carey (ranked him #11): "I never wanted it to be this way. I just wanted all of you to see Gary the way I do, the 4th best player on a title contender, somebody who can knock down threes and defend the best guard on the other team. I'm sorry, Gary, for I have failed you."
10. Nik Stauskas - SG, Michigan
AVG: 11.8, Ballots (15/15), Last: #13, #20
Rich Hofmann (ranked him #9): "Stauskas' combination of three-point marksmanship (44% on a boatload of attempts last year) and advanced ball-handling would make him a great complement to a young Sixers core that skews more towards the raw-and-athletic side of the ledger. Like many college sharpshooters, Stauskas will need a few years to get acclimated and fully understand the subtle but important nuances of NBA defense."
9. Dario Saric - F, Croatia
AVG: 9.67, Ballots (15/15), Last: #11, #11
Jake Pavorsky (ranked him #14): "Saric is a good ball handler, and could make a good point forward at the next level. I'm not sure where he plays at the next level, whether it's at small forward or power forward, but he should be able to hold his own at either. I like Saric, I think he's a good player, but his hesitance to make the leap to the NBA has him dropping on my big board. Will he make his presence felt in the NBA? Probably. But I can't wait two years for him to come here, and that's why I have him lower than those who will actually play here. "
8. Marcus Smart - G, Oklahoma State
AVG: 7.33, Ballots (15/15), Last: #8, #8
Sohil Doshi (ranked him #7): "Arguably the best overall PG in the draft, Smart brings a lot to the table for anyone that picks him. His measurements and abilities along with his intangibles will make him an absolute force to be reckon with for whichever jersey he dons."
7. Julius Randle - PF, Kentucky
AVG: 6.67, Ballots (15/15), Last: #5, #5
Roy Burton (ranked him #5): "It's not crazy to think that Randle could win the Rookie of the Year award next spring, but because he lacks the athleticism of a Vonleh or a Gordon, he's little more than an afterthought these days. Don't worry about his broken foot: Randle should be able to average 13 and 7 right out of the gate as a rookie."
6. Aaron Gordon - F, Arizona
AVG: 6.07, Ballots (15/15), Last: #7, #6
Michael Levin (ranked him #4): "I feel like people unfairly paint Gordon into this corner of 'unskilled, athletic freak,' when in reality, he's a tremendously skilled athletic freak, who had a really hard time shooting foul shots. I don't think he'll ever become a go-to scorer, but he can create for himself and others, and he's a really smart player. Defensively, he's already incredible, and should be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league within a couple years. So that's pretty cool."
5. Noah Vonleh - PF, Indiana
AVG: 5.67, Ballots (15/15), Last: #7, #6
The SBNBA Mock
The SBNBA Mock
Michael Levin (ranked him #5): "One time I found myself in Indiana on my way across the country and low on cash. I'd spent all my money trying to woo a lady in Dayton so I didn't want to get a fancy hotel just for one night. Luckily, I ran into Noah Vonleh, who let me sleep in his massive hands. They were warm and soft and I dreamt of the prairie."
4. Joel Embiid - C, Kansas
AVG: 3.87, Ballots (15/15), Last: #2, #3
Sean O'Connor (ranked him #7): "I know less about the human anatomy than I do about adding polls to the bottoms of Big Board posts. So take anything I say about Joel Embiid's medical issues with a giant rock of hardened sidewalk-covering salt. They are obviously concerning - back and foot injuries appear to be among the most crippling a young big man can suffer, and with so many solid options with upside available in the top 10-15 selections in the draft, I would hesitate to take him ahead of many of them for that reason alone. Especially at #3, the Sixers have to come away with some value, and Embiid is the most likely to not produce any value."
3. Jabari Parker - F, Duke
AVG: 3.13, Ballots (15/15), Last: #3, #2
Michael Baumann (ranked him #5): "I hate Jabari Parker as a prospect. I don't think he's actually worse than Julius Randle, but I detect the strong odor of Future Ricky Davis emanating from Parker. I just don't get it. I'd rather tie myself to Joel Embiid's busted innards and throw myself into the ocean than draft Parker at 3."
2. Dante Exum - G, Australia
AVG: 2.73, Ballots (15/15), Last: #4, #4
Rich Hofmann (ranked him #2): "Yesterday on the B.S. Report, Chad Ford casually mentioned that Brett Brown and the Sixers procured the tape from 36 (REPEAT: THIRTY-SIX!) of Exum's high school games. It's safe to say Hinkie and co. are doing their homework. The Australian phenom tested really well at the combine, reportedly aced all of his interviews, and played extremely well at the Hoop Summit and U-19's. Even if Exum is a little bit of a mystery, there is a lot to like here."
1. Andrew Wiggins - SF, Kansas
AVG: 1.07, Ballots (15/15), Previous: #1, #1
Matt Carey (ranked him #1): "You can't coach athleticism, and Wiggins has it, to go along with a plus-plus smile and league average dance IQ. He's the unquestioned top prospect in my book, and I desperately, desperately want him."
And here's the new big boards from everybody minus Tanner, who is off the grid protesting Markel Brown's exclusion from everybody's Top 20's. The voted-on LB Community Big Board has also been figured into the equation.
| LEVIN | PAVORSKY | O'CONNOR | HOFMANN | BODNER | RUETER | BURTON | GOWTON | BAUMANN | JUSTIN F. | FISCHER | CAREY | NEUBECK | DOSHI | COMMUNITY |
| Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Embiid | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins | Wiggins |
| Exum | Parker | Parker | Exum | Wiggins | Parker | Parker | Embiid | Exum | Exum | Exum | Exum | Exum | Exum | Embiid |
| Parker | Exum | Smart | Embiid | Exum | Embiid | Embiid | Exum | Embiid | Parker | Parker | Parker | Parker | Parker | Parker |
| Gordon | Embiid | Exum | Parker | Parker | Exum | Exum | Parker | Randle | Vonleh | Embiid | Embiid | Embiid | Embiid | Exum |
| Vonleh | Vonleh | Gordon | Vonleh | Vonleh | Gordon | Randle | Vonleh | Parker | Gordon | Gordon | Vonleh | Vonleh | Randle | Vonleh |
| Embiid | Randle | Vonleh | Gordon | Smart | Vonleh | Smart | Randle | Vonleh | Randle | Vonleh | Gordon | Gordon | Vonleh | Randle |
| Smart | Gordon | Embiid | Randle | Gordon | Randle | Gordon | Gordon | Saric | Smart | Randle | Randle | Randle | Smart | Gordon |
| Saric | McDermott | Saric | Smart | Randle | Smart | Vonleh | Smart | Smart | Stauskas | Smart | Smart | Saric | Gordon | Smart |
| Randle | Smart | Anderson | Stauskas | Stauskas | Saric | Saric | Saric | Gordon | Embiid | Payton | Saric | Smart | Stauskas | Saric |
| Harris | Hood | Randle | Saric | Saric | Stauskas | McDermott | Stauskas | Stauskas | Saric | Stauskas | Stauskas | Young | Saric | Stauskas |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | Stauskas | Harris | Nurkic | McDermott | Young | Payne | Nurkic | Harris | Harris | Harris | Harris | Harris | McDermott | Harris |
| Stauskas | Payne | Nurkic | Payton | Harris | McDermott | Harris | McDermott | Hood | Young | LaVine | Young | Payne | LaVine | McDermott |
| Payne | Harris | Stauskas | Anderson | Payne | Harris | LaVine | LaVine | McDermott | Nurkic | Payne | Payne | Stauskas | Harris | LaVine |
| Jordan Adams | Saric | Hood | Payne | P.J. Hairston | Payton | Warren | Harris | Payton | Payton | McDermott | LaVine | Hood | Payton | Young |
| K.J. McDaniels | LaVine | Young | McDermott | Payton | Nurkic | Young | Clint Capela | Nurkic | Tyler Ennis | Saric | McDermott | Anderson | Young | Payne |
| Nurkic | Jordan Adams | LaVine | Harris | Young | Payne | Tyler Ennis | Payne | Young | Payne | P.J. Hairston | Payton | K.J. McDaniels | Payne | Payton |
| Young | Anderson | McDermott | K.J. McDaniels | Warren | LaVine | Payne | Warren | Payne | Clint Capela | Young | Anderson | P.J. Hairston | Anderson | Anderson |
| Payton | Warren | Payne | Clint Capela | Clint Capela | Tyler Ennis | Payton | Hood | Tyler Ennis | McDermott | Hood | P.J. Hairston | Adams | Nurkic | Hood |
| Jarnell Stokes | Payton | Payton | Tyler Ennis | Tyler Ennis | K.J. McDaniels | Nurkic | Young | Warren | Warren | Anderson | Hood | LaVine | Warren | Nurkic |
| McDermott | P.J. Hairston | Jordan Adams | P.J. Hairston | Nurkic | Anderson | Hood | Anderson | LaVine | P.J. Hairston | Warren | Nurkic | McDermott | Hood | Spencer Dinwiddie |
So there's your board. Print it out and fax it to the Sixers. They can be reached at 1-800-Hey-It's-Us-The-Sixers-How'd-You-Get-Our-Fax-Number-?-Seriously-Who-Is-This. Be sure to wait for a confirmation page.
We've got a draft tomorrow, everybody. In six years, when Liberty Ballers is being ran by Chase Rueter and not so much a website as it is wallpaper for your brain, you can dig this up out of the archives hidden in your butt and laugh at us for having Doug McDermott anywhere near this list.