The "Right" Choice

Is the fact that the Sixers have drafted players very similar to Evan Turner three times since 2004 irrelevant? Weirdly yes. Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Rodney Carney are former Sixer draftees that have size and skill sets that strongly resemble Evan Turner, the second ranked player in this year's draft. Well lo and behold the Sixers have that second pick. An attraction to players like Turner has become evident, but the Sixers have missed more than once on choosing our team's next star. So here's a news flash Sixers, Turner is your best bet yet, so let's not use the past as an excuse to pass up a player who will begin to mend a broken franchise.

Dear Doug Collins; you weren't around last year but I hope that our number two pick gives you a clear indication of how things went. Need a better idea? Selfish and immature basketball, twelve individuals playing a game with the regard for one thing; the name on the back of their uniform. You are inheriting a team that needs help from you more than anyone who will get minutes this coming season and your first task is the draft. You have expressed your interest in taking 6'10'' power forward Derrick Favors with the second pick in the draft; and in theory your not far off. But for this one, let's stick with reality.

2009's selection Jrue Holiday has checked out as a Point Guard who could lead this team in the future, Andre Iguodala, putting his 80 million dollar contract aside, has shown shades of an above average wing man, and Thaddeus Young has brought energy and a clear knack for scoring in the flex four position. What's missing? A big man. So the plan for the 2010 draft should be to get a big man, right? Wrong. If the Sixers had anything higher than the fourth or fifth pick, it would be an appropriate situation to draft according to your immediate needs. A top three pick only comes around so often and so does the chance to grab one of the draft's best player. At the number two pick it is highly likely that John Wall will go the Wizards and Evan Turner will fall into Philadelphia's lap. A big man can wait. Turner is a stud who rebounded, distributed, and scored regularly and in the clutch for the Ohio State Buckeyes last season. If the Sixers pass up Turner to get Favors, the big man they think is imperative for 2011 playoff run, the future gets a lot less bright. Evan Turner is it, the real deal, so whether or not the Sixers "need" him for next year's game plan, the future is always around the corner.

JD