Philadelphia 76ers

Sam Sharpe – USA Today Sports Images The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to greatly improve after a poor 2012-2013 NBA season. They have started the process already by getting some new, fresh and smart blood into their front office with the hiring of Sam Hinkie as their new General Manager and will likely continue their wise moves when the season ends by not re-signing the melodramatic headache known as Andrew Bynum. The Sixers also have a pick in the lottery of the 2013 NBA Draft, the 11th overall pick to be precise. This will allow them to address some needs on their roster with some young talent. As of now, most people expect Philadelphia to help their shallow frontcourt in the draft by selecting someone like Cody Zeller with their pick. There’s absolutely no question that the frontcourt of the Sixers needs help and that Spencer Hawes and, to a lesser degree, Thaddeus Young aren’t going to take this team anywhere in the future. Adding someone like Zeller would be a wise move on their part. However, one thing that they can’t allow to happen when they add frontcourt depth is to let Arnett Moultrie get buried on the bench again. One of the biggest criticisms of now former head coach Doug Collins this past season was how he underutilized the young power forward. Moultrie played in just 47 games and played just 11.5 minutes per game. For how little time he was on the floor he performed well, averaging 3.7 points and 3.1 rebound per game on 58.2 percent shooting. Collins did slightly increase Moultrie’s role later in the season, playing him 18 minutes per game in nine games in April. Over those games, Moultrie averaged 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game on 71.1 percent shooting. He wasn’t a star, but he was solid and efficient when he was on the floor. At just 22 years old, Moultrie is a player with a ton of potential that could possibly be a big-time post player in the future. Even if the Sixers add depth to their frontcourt, they must continue to develop Moultrie and make an effort to get him on the floor in his sophomore season. If they fail to do so, it definitely feels like it would be a waste. Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.

While Tony DiLeo started the Sixers coaching search, he won't be the one to finish it. Sam Hinkie is re-making the rounds DiLeo and Josh Harris already made a few weeks earlier. Now that he's exhausted all Houston assistant coaches and towel boys, he's moved on to Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw. That also happens to be the reason why we didn't see Ol' Hinkieface at Tuesday's Lottery. According to CSN Philly, Hinkie flew from the Combine in Chicago to Indianapolis, where the Pacers were preparing for their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Miami Heat. It was previously reported that the Sixers had Shaw high on their list before, and now that Hinkie's the man, he decided to skip out on the Lottery and talk to him on his own. "GUESS HE DIDN'T CARE ABOUT WHERE THE SIXERS DRAFT ENOUGH TO GO TO THE LOTTERY." - someone, probably. The Andrew Bynum connection with Shaw is still a thing we should mention, but Hinkie would not hire Shaw just because he's coached Bynum before. Think of that as potential gravy. Three years ago, the Chicago Bulls were looking for a head coach to succeed the fired Vinny Del Negro. Thibodeau was an assistant coach with the Celtics team that advanced to the NBA Finals, losing in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers that year. He was working into late June for Boston, but on the night before those Finals started, Bulls management flew to Los Angeles to interview him about their vacant coaching position. Four days later word got out that Thibodeau had been hired. It was not until the Finals ended the announcement was made official. Cool. Not saying I want Shaw or not, but I dig Hinkie making moves to meet with who he wants. Although at this point I would dig Hinkie smashing a two-by-four on my skull, so maybe I'm not the best guy to comment on it. Reports that Doug Collins was hiding under the bleachers while Hinkie and Shaw spoke are unconfirmed. Numbers

In your hand, you hold a cookie. You are really excited about this cookie. The perfect amount of softness and warmth and cookie-to-chip ratio. You never imagined you would have a cookie so fantastic -- so fantastic, in fact, that you don't want to eat it yet. So you're walking around with the cookie. You go to the bank, the grocery store, the gym. Everyone's very impressed. Then you, high off your cookie ecstasy, drop the cookie in your bathroom trash can. You're devastated. The cookie lost 25% of itself in the trash and there's no way for you to know if the cookie made contact with your roommate's used tampons or the mucus you phlegmed into a handful of tissues last week or the crusty razorblade you finally threw away. There's just no way to know. So you could eat the cookie. You could take that risk that somewhere amongst the period blood and flu snot, your beautiful cookie is 75% of what it was. That it'll taste almost as delicious as it would've when you bought it. But are you willing to commit to what happens if it's not the same? If it's a shell of a fungus cookie? As you're debating that, you start dating somebody who works at a bakery. And the pube cookie doesn't seem worth it anymore. Throw the cookie away, friend. Before Sam Hinkie, Andrew Bynum was the only chance we had. Now that we know the Sixers owners have their priorities in order, the overwhelming need to get a superstar Right Now before they trip and fall and max out Al Jefferson is not quite as suffocating. The Andrew Bynum Aftermath A month ago, I poured my heart into a sad but hopeful Andrew Bynum article. Now, we have reason to hope. That's not to say the Sixers don't need a superstar -- they do. I'd just rather Hinkie give himself a blank page to work with than one in which Bynum's contract and arthritic knees saddle them for however long it would take it sign him. I'm sure the front office will offer a year or two, which I'm fine with, but one team's going to blow that offer out of the water, and I don't want it to be the Sixers. I can't wait to see what's next for this team. The decision on what to do with Bynum is of tantamount importance to the Allen Iverson trade in 2006. It will define this ownership, one way or the other. There are hundreds of points and counterpoints to make for both sides (HORSE! MULE!), but after locking myself in a closet for 24 straight hours without much oxygen and "Safety Dance" on loop, I'm finally confident in my decision. Andrew Bynum will never play a game with the Philadelphia 76ers. And that's okay.

On Tuesday night, the 76ers were officially locked into the 11th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.  The Sixers also have selections in the second round at #35 and #42.  So there are some very important decisions to be made for this franchise come the end of June. With a high first round pick and two second round picks stashed in their pocket (the 35th pick came to Philly via the New Orleans Hornets)the 76ers could do several things. First, Sam Hinkie and company could package a combination of picks to move up in the Draft or combine them with a player in a deal as well.  However, the Sixers could decide to keep their second round picks and add some young, inexpensive and talented (a.k.a. low risk/high reward) pieces to their roster.  This was the preferred thinking of the Houston organization that Hinkie recently departed, so odds are he could be leaning in this direction. Which brings up the question, “What kind of players will be available at 35 and 42 in the 2013 NBA Draft?” On Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets hosted a Draft Combine in which 22 Draft-eligible players — that are considered to have second round talent — participated in.  Twenty-two more players will compete in the same type of workout on Thursday.  Hinkie, Rod Thorn, and Courtney Witte (Sixers Director of Player Personnel) were all in attendance on Wednesday. There was a great deal of NBA level talent at the workout, but in my opinion Oklahoma Senior forward Romero Osby was arguably the most impressive big man in the PNY Center.  Osby, an agile 6-8, 232 pound beast, averaged 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the Sooners this past season, often dominating the paint.  On Wednesday, Osby showed that he has also added the skills to be successful on the perimeter. After his workout, Osby talked to me about how he’s been working to improve his game and where he thinks he’ll land on June 27th. “I think I’m a combo-forward,” Osby said. “You know, I’ve really worked on my shot and I’m able to shoot it from the NBA three. But, I can also take bigger defenders off the dribble and smaller defenders in down low.” An NBA scout, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that Osby could go anywhere from 30-50 depending on how the rest of his workouts go prior to the Draft. Osby also said that the Sixers have expressed plenty of interest in the Sooner and that the team “really likes [him].”  The big man will take a train from New York City on Friday for a workout with the 76ers. While the Sixers already have Thad Young and Arnett Moultire stashed for the next several years, adding a young, hard working player like Osby could prove very effective for the 7-6.  Osby could be a solid off-the-bench stretch-4 in the League just like Draymond Green — drafted 35th in 2012 — was in this year’s Playoffs for the GSW.  The Sixers definitely need to bolster their bench to give their starters some well-deserved rest and provide some scoring punch. Osby could be the hustling, well-rounded big to come off the bench for Thad in 2013-2014. Jake Fischer is a scribe for Philadunkia. Follow him on Twitter @JakeLFischer.   Follow us on Twitter @philadunkia

Used to be that we started the Liberty Ballers Big Board in December. December! Maybe we were a bit over-eager. One year, the infamous Willie Warren made his way into our Top 12. That was rough. So this year, we decided to reign ourselves in a bit and wait until the Draft Lottery was completed. Well, that happened, and now we know we've got the Dan Brown-esque 11th pick going into the Draft. Will they keep it? Maybe. I've got a few coins on the Sixers moving up or down or back in or out or some prepositional phrase on the evening of June 27th. Sam Hinkie don't wait for nobody. But this isn't about draft position or mock drafts or anything. This is our own community big board. The criteria can be anything you want it to be. Team need, BPA, upside, readiness, high sock game... anything. There is no clear-cut top pick for me. Plenty of variables at play here, so be sure to make your case in the comments respectfully. Mock Drafts: Sixers Going Big? We'll keep doing this every few days until we get our full Top 15. Each LB bloglord will have his own Top 15 and we'll compile them together at the end like we always do and put it into a consensus. As we get closer, we'll have individual guys make their case for what the Sixers should do with the pick. And then there will be our Second Round Sleeper: Pimp Your Prospect segment, which is always one of my faves. But for now, I'll gather five players each voting period. If the guy you want next isn't listed, mention him in the comments and I'll consider adding him to the next voting block. And if Jerel McNeal happens to make his way onto a vote, well then I'm just not sure what to say about it. Here we go: Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter, Anthony Bennett. Poll Who is our #1 prospect? Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Anthony Bennett 10 votes | Results

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t able to move up any during the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night and will have the 11th pick in June’s draft. It is now time to think about what this team needs and where they could go with that pick. The first place I look is at the power forward position. There is really no depth there on the Philadelphia roster, and they would be smart to look into drafting Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk is a 7-footer who averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game this season for Gonzaga. He would fit into the starting lineup perfectly for the 76ers because there really isn’t any competition right now at that position. The center position is very weak besides Spencer Hawes, and the team doesn’t have any good or true power forwards. I could see how Olynyk would be a better candidate to play center for Philadelphia, but I think a season at power forward wouldn’t hurt. I think a lot of thought will be given to Olynyk, but I think it may depend even more on who the team gets as their new head coach. That hasn’t been decided yet, and it is likely that whoever the choice is will want his own style of player. Olynyk has the ability to play a few different positions and while I don’t see him being an All-Star caliber player, this draft class is quite weak. There may be no better option than Olynyk at that point of the draft. He may be a work in progress but he is definitely worth taking at No. 11. Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.

Jerry Lai – USA Today Sports Last night, the ping-pong balls bounced exactly the way everyone expected them to for the Philadelphia 76ers. While they had a chance to move up or down during the NBA Draft Lottery, they ended up right where they had the highest probability of being. They will select 11th in the 2013 NBA Draft, which is not the most pleasant spot to be. This year’s draft class is not very deep and it will be tough to get an All-Star caliber player with the 11th overall pick. For this place in the draft, the 76ers need to look at taking the best player available. This team needs talent across the board and since they won’t hit a homerun with this pick, they have to choose someone who can come in and contribute right away. The 76ers have a couple of decent pieces in place with Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes. But the truth of the matter is they do not have enough to compete for a title and whoever they can take at number 11 will not be the difference maker that puts them over the top. They can, however, get value from this pick by addressing any number of their numerous needs: such as a big man, a backup point guard or a shooter. Many are discussing Indiana’s Cody Zeller or Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk with this pick and I don’t disagree with either of those being the right choice. If they take one of them, they will have Hawes, Arnett Moultrie, Young and Lavoy Allen already under contract in the frontcourt. Would that mean the end of the Andrew Bynum experiment in Philadelphia? We will have to wait until June to see what the 76ers do with number 11. Zach Slotter is a writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @zslot6, Like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.

Back in 1993, the Orlando Magic rocketed from their slotted #11 position to the first overall pick in the draft thanks to the NBA’s ping-pong ball lottery system. Last night, the 76ers were not fortunate enough to see that Draft Lottery miracle repeated 20 years later.  As you know by now, the Sixers officially own the #11 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, which is exactly where the odds said they would end up.  The tie shunning Joshua Harris seemed about as thrilled as everyone else in Philadunkia nation with the outcome. “We had a small probability of being super happy and a small probability of being slightly sad.  We’re neither.  We’re right where we were expected to be,” a weary and somewhat disheveled looking Harris commented. To be honest, it’s not the most exciting draft position to be in, but after the jump, we’ll take a look at some facts about and ideas for the 11th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Here’s is a look at the last 10 years worth of players selected at #11: ’12:  Meyers Leonard ’11:  Klay Thompson ’10:  Cole Aldrich ’09:  Terrence Williams ’08:  Jerryd Bayless ’07:  Acie Law ’06:  JJ Redick ’05:  Fran Vasquez ’04:  Andris Biedrins ’03:  Mickael Pietrus ’02:  Jared Jefferies That’s not exactly a list of future Basketball Hall of Fame members.  However there were a couple of solid NBA players chosen in those 10 years, so the Sixers need to come home with nothing less than that on Draft night. Here’s a look at who the various NBA Draft experts are projecting the Sixers will select at #11: HoopsHype:  Kelly Olnyk (C; 7-0 & 225; Gonzaga) nbadraft.net:  Kelly Olnyk SI.com:  Kelly Olnyk Draftexpress.com:  Cody Zeller (PF/C; 7-0 & 230; Indiana) ESPN.com:  Cody Zeller Quotes from Josh Harris: “It’s an important decision,” Harris said of finding the Sixers next head coach.  “If you get the right coach really fast, that’s better.  But at the end of the day, you want the right coach.  We’re not putting a deadline on it.  It doesn’t work to your advantage because the reality is we have a lot of talented coaches on the staff right now.  Some of them have been head coaches, so we’re trying to get the right coach, not to get a coach quickly.” “I don’t want to comment on Bynum specifically, but it’s all interrelated,” Harris said.  “Over the next weeks and months we’re going to get more articulate about our strategy.  Sam has been here for a week and he’ll be speaking about our basketball strategy.  It’s all interrelated.  All of this stuff has to be focused on building a winner.  Every decision you make has multiple affects on every other decision.” Here’s a Video of Sixers managing owner Josh Harris following last night’s Draft Lottery where the 7-6 officially secured 11th overall pick.  Doesn’t this guy have enough money that he can afford to take some media training classes?  Maybe Molly Sullivan could help Josh out. Dei Lynam of csnphilly.com also posted this video interview with Harris. Philadunkia Notes: The No. 11 draft pick is slotted to make roughly $1,930,000 in year one. With the Kings now staying in Sacto, rumors are all over the various NBA sites and on Twitter that the organization is looking to move Demarcus Cousins.  Would you trade the #11 pick to the Kings for Cousins?  Would you throw in Evan Turner if they asked for him as well? According to Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN), The Cavaliers have $20 million in cap space, 2 first round picks (No. 19, No. 31), as well as the No. 33 and interest in improving fast, so they will investigate trade options with No. 1 pick.  Is there a package the Sixers could assemble to move into the #1 spot? In addition to the 11th pick, the Sixers also hold the rights to the 35th and 42nd picks in this June’s draft. Follow us on Twitter @philadunkia

There was a 90.7 percent chance that the Philadelphia 76ers would wind up with the No. 11 pick at the end of Tuesday night's Draft Lottery... and that's exactly what happened. Neither of the team's representatives - co-owners Josh Harris and Adam Aron - brought any sort of lucky charm with them to New York last evening, but it probably didn't matter all that much. The Sixers did the most damage to their chances by winning 11 out of their last 20 games - pride is a fool's fortress - and no rabbit's foot, four-leaf clover, or Steve Nash bobblehead doll was going to magically vault them into the top 3. There typically isn't much to be gleaned from events like this (it's really just a vehicle for owners and general managers from across the league to get together to talk shop), but in between bites of penne pasta and prime rib, both Harris and Aron were willing to speak on the record about the future of the franchise. And while Harris sidestepped a direct question in regards to how close he thought his team is from being a contender - "I'm going to let [new GM] Sam [Hinkie] speak about that" - he and Aron offered a few interesting takeaways: Aron on Hinkie's role in the search for a new head coach:"People in the ownership group will certainly interview the serious candidates, but it's Sam's search to run." Harris on analytics:"I think people get confused when you talk about analytics... All you're doing is adding data to player evaluation. Seems like it's very logical." Harris, prior to the lottery results being announced, on whether he believes in luck:"In my day job (as manager of a private equity firm), I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make smart bets, smart investments... but I've never been much of a superstitious person. And obviously in this... this is pure luck. There's nothing you can do to influence this." (Note: You could have influenced it by not winning those meaningless games in April. But I digress...) Harris on whether the team has enough information to make a decision on Bynum:"Diligence is a process - you're always gathering information. But obviously, we've been thinking a lot about that. Certainly, we have more information than... the league at large, having lived with Andrew, and we have an exclusive negotiating period right now, so certainly we're looking at it, and gathering more information every day." (Note: Call me crazy, but "Living With Andrew" sounds like a fantastic idea for a sitcom - I can hear the laugh track as I'm typing this. Levin: Have your people call my people.) Harris on his role in major basketball decisions:"The way it works with something that significant, the basketball people are tasked with developing a viewpoint, and certainly on that kind of decision, I would be briefed... I mean clearly, when there are big, big money issues, certainly we're going to get involved, because we're the ones writing the checks. But I think what we've shown is that if it's kind of important for the team, we think it moves the needle, we think it's a smart risk, we'll spend. We don't want to be dumb about it or stupid about it - the reality is, including the amnesty, our payroll was $84 million last year. So that was... kind of a lot of money." Harris on coming out of the lottery with the No. 11 pick:"Expected value. I figured when we came here I had a small probability of being super happy, and a small probability of being slightly sad, and I'm neither, We're right were we expected to be, but it was nice to be here and support the Sixers. It was good." Again, the Draft Lottery isn't a place where earth-shattering revelations are made. But as is the case with virtually every NBA-sanctioned event, the night belonged to outgoing Commissioner David Stern, who gave something of a "State of the Union" address prior to ESPN's televised proceedings. Stern may not be the most affable person in the world, but he's almost always the smartest man in the room, and his "G" (read: gangsta) is

Last night's Draft Lottery was the equivalent of a Dan Brown book. You pretty much knew what you were going to get, but there was some small part of you -- maybe like 2.9% of you -- that hoped it would lift itself out of the mediocrity, and a bigger part of you that worried it would be worse. But in the end, Majority, and O'Doyle, rules, and the Sixers will go into the NBA Draft slotted with the 11th overall pick. And now, we enter a phase that we in the biz call "Oh My God Seriously Another Mock Draft?" Experts and people who breathe with their mouths will be submitting countless mock drafts between now and June 27th. We'll report some of them back to you when we feel like it. But keep in mind that the Sixers are run by Sam "Hot Pants" Hinkie. He don't like to stay still for too long -- I do not believe the Sixers will simply make their three picks (11, 35, 42) and be on their way. But for now, here are the updated NBA Mock Drafts that currently have the Sixers going with a big man because apparently Spencer Hawes, Kwame Brown, Lavoy Allen, and Andrew Bynum's expiring contract don't seem to cut it. DRAFT EXPRESS - Cody Zeller DX doesn't take their mock too seriously until later in the draft process, but now that individual team needs are finally being considered, this is worth looking at. Givony has Rudy Gobert going the pick before and the Sixers opting for Zeller over Kelly Olynyk and Mason Plumlee. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED - Kelly Olynyk Mannix has Zeller going to the Kings at 7 and Alex Len falling to 10 for the Blazers. Here's what he had to say about it. "With the future of Andrew Bynum in doubt and with a hole at the power forward spot, the Sixers badly need frontcourt help. There are questions about Olynyk's strength and concerns about how, after three years at Gonzaga, he will match up with bigger, more physical defenders. But there is no denying Olynyk's offensive skills. He has a variety of moves in the post and at the combine showcased guard-like shooting from the perimeter." SB NATION - Rudy Gobert Jonathan Tjarks has the Blazers opting for Cody Zeller with the pick before, which leaves the extremely long Frenchman for the Sixers at 11. Upside, baby. Nobody say Alexis Ajinca, please for the love of God. Here's Tjarks, whose opinion I trust, on Gobert. "It's hard to get a feel for what direction new management will go in here. Do they go with a safe, low-ceiling pick or swing for the fences? Gobert, and his 7'9 wingspan, definitely falls into the second category." NBA.COM - Mason Plumlee There's our boy! He'd been dropping to the mid-late teens in most mocks, but NBA.com, steadfast as ever, has the Sixers asking for just one serving of mashed potatoes, thank you very much. With Zeller gone, Howard-Cooper has the Sixers opting for ol' Plum Face instead of Olynyk and Gobert. "The combination of a developing offensive game and already-there elite athleticism for a big man has turned the brother of Pacers rookie Miles Plumlee into a very solid choice late in the lottery." CHAD FORD - Cody Zeller If you've been doing the Lottery Generator with any regularity, you know Ford's had Zeller and the Sixers married like the couple who always want you to come over for game night if you bring a vegetable tray but without the ranch dip because ranch is too fatty and we're already having blueberry crumble for dessert. Ford, INSIDER ONLY BUT WHERE'S MY PROMO CODE, thinks they go Zeller even with the Shabazz Muhammad enigma still on the board. Also, NBADraft.net, who we don't particularly love or trust, has them going with Olynyk with Gobert and Shabazz still on the board. It's mocking season!