With Simmons, the Sixers Draft, Comes Hope

There was no drama to the 2016 NBA Draft, particularly at the top. The Sixers were going to pick Ben Simmons, everyone knew it, and they did. In Simmons, the Sixers get the top ceiling in the draft. They get their small forward for the next decade, a player who absolutely can change the franchise's fortunes. Now, it's a waiting game to see how he does, but we know he's our's moving forward.

That was where all the drama started last night, and amazingly, where it ended. In a shocking turn of events, the Sixers only chose at the spots they had- #1, 24, and 26. There was no trade, no roster shake up, nothing for the 10-72 team from this past season. Amazingly, i'm fine with that.

The Sixers picks at #24 and 26 both seem like steals to me. In Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot, they get an athletic Frenchman who will run the floor with Simmons and create transition points. In Furkan Korkmaz, they get one of the best two or three shooters in the draft, something they desperately need. Korkmaz was an teammate of Dario Saric, who is hopefully coming over as well this season.

The Sixers will add Simmons and 2014 #3 pick Joel Embiid this year, and will hopefully add fellow 2014 lottery pick Dario Saric as well, giving them absurd depth in a front-court that already had 2015 #3 pick Jahlil Okafor and 2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel. They talent is gushing from the front-court. I'm actually glad they did not trade Okafor for another pick yesterday, as I envision the best front-court in basketball in a couple of years including Simmons, Okafor, and Embiid, with some combination of the other talent coming off of the bench. Things could get exciting really quick for Sixers fans.

If I Ran the Sixers....

Finally, the nightmare is coming to an end. That's what the Philadelphia 76ers want us to believe. Finally, with the #1 overall pick, and currently two others, the Sixers will have that big draft that begins to build the next great basketball team in the city. It's finally here.

The Sixers will pick Ben Simmons with the #1 pick in the NBA draft, at least according to every source that knows anything about basketball. He did work out for them today, reports say they told him they will be picking him, and he's #1 on every big board. Seems simple enough, right? It actually is in this case. The easy part for the Sixers is who to pick at #1. Ben Simmons is exactly the right player in this draft for the team picking first. In Simmons, the Sixers get their small-forward of the future, the kind of perimeter athlete who can get to the basket, shoot the ball, and grow into a plus defender. You can see him fitting together with some of the other "assets" the Sixers possess to make the best front court in basketball in a few, short years.

That is where the easy stuff ends. The Sixers possess picks at #24 and #26. If they stay there, it's a crapshoot guess, though one mock draft has them selecting Demetrius Jackson out of Notre Dame and DeAndre Bembry out of St. Joseph's. I doubt that happens. I would bet on one or both of those picks being traded to move up. That though, is also kind of the easy part.

The ultimate question of this draft is how much the Sixers are willing to move and how far they need/want to move up in this draft. My personal opinion is that there is no guard in this draft I would be willing to move Jahlil Okafor for, Kris Dunn included. In other words, I'd have to get a top ten pick, plus in an Okafor trade. Less than that does not work for me. I'd also be very hesitant to move more than the two picks in this year's draft together to move up, unless it was into the top ten, so i'm not dying to trade either of next year's picks. I could be high on moving Nerlens Noel, under the right circumstances, but i'm not dying to give him away. Faced with either trading him plus either Covington or Stauskas for Teague from Atlanta is not ideal to me, but it is preferable to a straight swap of Okafor for #3. I still believe Okafor can be an All-Star power forward for many years to come.

Let the games begin.

This Generation's Answer to Philadelphia's Prayers?

A few weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up all the way to #2 in the NFL Draft and took Carson Wentz as their quarterback of the future. The North Dakota State QB is the heir apparent at quarterback, and now holds the hopes of Eagles fans everywhere, desperate for a Super Bowl. He is, for lack of a better comparison, the new Donovan McNabb.

When McNabb came to prominence in Philadelphia, it wasn't alone. Across the street, the Sixers would pick Allen Iverson #1 overall, and he would be the cornerstone of the franchise for a decade, taking them to the NBA Finals. McNabb himself had Dawkins, Westbrook, Douglas, and other stars that were either drafted or signed in free agency to help him in the coming years. Across the street in the other direction, the Phillies drafted Pat Burrell at #1 overall, and would draft Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Brett Myers, and Cole Hamels with high round picks that would help eventually build the cornerstones of a championship team. The Flyers would break up the Lindros-lead "Legion of Doom," and begin assembling the Richards and Carter squad that eventually would reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

Carson Wentz will have a lot of company as he arrives in Philadelphia. Next month, the Phillies and Sixers will pick #1 overall in their respective drafts. Both squads have several young talents already in place on their roster, and should start to see improvements quickly. The Flyers already have a very young squad, one that surprised most observers and made the playoffs this season. In short, it's happening again.

I have no idea if Carson Wentz will be Donovan McNabb. I have no idea exactly whether the Phillies will pick Puk, Lewis, or Groome. I can't tell you for sure if it's Simmons or Ingram coming to the Sixers. I can tell you this- it's time to get excited. It's time to start believing something good is coming to this title-starved city soon.