Philly and Ben Simmons: The final piece?

[mef730]

http://www.libertyballers.com/2015/8/2/9085255/the-final-piece-ben-simmons-lsu-nba-draft-philadelphia-76ers-australia-dante-exum

The above LBer article showed up on the front page of CB for me. I'm not sure why, but it really ticked me off, even more so than other "tanking 76ers" articles. Maybe it was the vision of Hinkie celebrating every loss and then, next June, dancing around after a victory at the lottery. Yeah, I know the odds are against even the worst team getting the first pick but, somehow, this article hit my sense of "basketball injustice" more than most others. Argh.

Mike

[PhoSita]

I mean, if your franchise were giving you no reason at all to be excited about the product on the court and all of your hopes rested on getting a star in the lottery, wouldn't you be interested in reading articles about all of the possible saviors?

That's all this Liberty Ballers article is.  That fanbase is all-in on getting the next big thing in the draft.  It's the only thing they have.

Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric, what they can get in a trade for Nerlens Noel, and whoever they get at the top of the draft in 2016.  That's what Sixers fans have to focus on right now.

What else should they be writing articles about?  How awful tanking is and how the Sixers and all their fans should be ashamed?

[max215]

I mean, if your franchise were giving you no reason at all to be excited about the product on the court and all of your hopes rested on getting a star in the lottery, wouldn't you be interested in reading articles about all of the possible saviors?

That's all this Liberty Ballers article is.  That fanbase is all-in on getting the next big thing in the draft.  It's the only thing they have.

Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric, what they can get in a trade for Nerlens Noel, and whoever they get at the top of the draft in 2016.  That's what Sixers fans have to focus on right now.

What else should they be writing articles about?  How awful tanking is and how the Sixers and all their fans should be ashamed?

You just described Over the Monster.

[alewilliam789]

I think they'd  be better off taking Skal Labisierre to pair with Okafor as a stretch 4 that can be a very good shotblocker. Either that or taking Brandon Ingram at the 3 because he looks like another special prospect. I'm not sure about Ben Simmons prospects in the NBA because he plays a lot like a 4 than a true 3.

[Celtics4ever]

BTW, the time they get all their pieces in line, their players will be ready to bolt and leave for other teams as they will be sick of losing.

[td450]

I think they'd  be better off taking Skal Labisierre to pair with Okafor as a stretch 4 that can be a very good shotblocker. Either that or taking Brandon Ingram at the 3 because he looks like another special prospect. I'm not sure about Ben Simmons prospects in the NBA because he plays a lot like a 4 than a true 3.

The reason Simmons is at the top of his class is he has a phenomenal handle and quickness, and you can easily run an offense through him. He can really pass and see the floor. We can only hope Marcus Smart becomes as good a playmaker as this kid is already. Teams are going to have to put their most athletic small forward on him and hope he doesn't abuse them too badly.

[Gainesville Celtic]

Yawn.... That article is laughable. If Liberty Ballers think the Sixers "last piece" is Simmons 

Is Ben Simmons that much more highly regarded (or hyped if you prefer) a prospect at this point (a year from his potential NBA draft) than then-incoming freshmem Andrew Wiggins or Harrison Barnes?

(forgot that Barnes was once the next Ben Simmons? Read the always-awesome Jonathan Abrams "Hustle and Flow" piece from during the playoffs.)

So if PHI had added Wiggins instead of Embiid last year or this year ---- are they any better than the current MIN Timberwolves?

No x 100, IMO.

This is the fallacy with PHI's rebuild (or maybe just fan's understanding of the rebuild since I imagine Hinkie isn't thinking this way) that at some point they'll just get the next Duncan or Durant --- ignoring that for as great as Duncan is the Spurs also had DRob, Parker, Manu, Sean Elliot, Pop and lots of really good role players; for as great as Durant is he's playing alongside Westbrook, Ibaka, Harden and still has only reached the finals once.

Heck even CLE got Lebron in the draft and for as great as he was/is two things happened: (1) they couldn't surround him with even Ibaka/Sean Elliot-level talent and (2) Ubuntu happened. Boom #banner17.

So <sarcasm> yay </sarcasm> for the 76ers if they get the best 19 year old on the planet. I don't think it's going to mean a title is undoubtedly 3 years away.

[TheTruthFot18]

Someone has to be the last piece. Unless they pull a MCW trade every deadline and trade their lotto pick from a year or two before for another pick. Rinse and repeat 

[Emmette Bryant]

Yawn.... That article is laughable. If Liberty Ballers think the Sixers "last piece" is Simmons 

Is Ben Simmons that much more highly regarded (or hyped if you prefer) a prospect at this point (a year from his potential NBA draft) than then-incoming freshmem Andrew Wiggins or Harrison Barnes?

(forgot that Barnes was once the next Ben Simmons? Read the always-awesome Jonathan Abrams "Hustle and Flow" piece from during the playoffs.)

So if PHI had added Wiggins instead of Embiid last year or this year ---- are they any better than the current MIN Timberwolves?

No x 100, IMO.

This is the fallacy with PHI's rebuild (or maybe just fan's understanding of the rebuild since I imagine Hinkie isn't thinking this way) that at some point they'll just get the next Duncan or Durant --- ignoring that for as great as Duncan is the Spurs also had DRob, Parker, Manu, Sean Elliot, Pop and lots of really good role players; for as great as Durant is he's playing alongside Westbrook, Ibaka, Harden and still has only reached the finals once.

Heck even CLE got Lebron in the draft and for as great as he was/is two things happened: (1) they couldn't surround him with even Ibaka/Sean Elliot-level talent and (2) Ubuntu happened. Boom #banner17.

So <sarcasm> yay </sarcasm> for the 76ers if they get the best 19 year old on the planet. I don't think it's going to mean a title is undoubtedly 3 years away.

Sorry to judge, but doesn't that team need a point guard?

[Tr1boy]

How can that be possible when the Celts will be drafting Simmons?

[max215]

How can that be possible when the Celts will be drafting Simmons?

Well they'll think he's the final piece leading up to the lottery. Here's how it will play out:

The Sixers finish with a record of 11-71 and the best odds in the lottery. Other teams' Owners and GMs consistently call the Sixers an embarrassment and call for rule changes to prevent prolonged tanking.

The Nets will finish with the fourth best odds after stinking it up for the whole year. We will be beyond excited about the prospect of drafting one of Brown or Ingram.

After we win our first round series and lose a heartbreaker in the second round, we will begin to really look forward to the upcoming lottery.

As the envelopes are revealed during the lottery, the Celtics logo will not be there at pick 4, but rather the 6ers logo after being jumped the maximum of three times. The Celtics receive the number one pick and Ben Simmons.

Banner 18.

In all seriousness, I don't have a great deal of animosity towards the 6ers. I think what they're doing is kind of embarrassing, and I feel for the fans, but I don't hate the organization. My post speaks more to the fact that they could be bad to an epic extent and still have just a 25% shot (at best) at securing 'the final piece.'

[knuckleballer]

He's the piece that the Nets pick will give us, I hope.  I have never been so impressed with a high schooler, excluding Lebron.  I love his passing.  I cant wait to watch his college games.  I'm more excited about him than Oden, Wiggins, or Parker.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

How can that be possible when the Celts will be drafting Simmons?

Well they'll think he's the final piece leading up to the lottery. Here's how it will play out:

The Sixers finish with a record of 11-71 and the best odds in the lottery. Other teams' Owners and GMs consistently call the Sixers an embarrassment and call for rule changes to prevent prolonged tanking.

The Nets will finish with the fourth best odds after stinking it up for the whole year. We will be beyond excited about the prospect of drafting one of Brown or Ingram.

After we win our first round series and lose a heartbreaker in the second round, we will begin to really look forward to the upcoming lottery.

As the envelopes are revealed during the lottery, the Celtics logo will not be there at pick 4, but rather the 6ers logo after being jumped the maximum of three times. The Celtics receive the number one pick and Ben Simmons.

Banner 18.

In all seriousness, I don't have a great deal of animosity towards the 6ers. I think what they're doing is kind of embarrassing, and I feel for the fans, but I don't hate the organization. My post speaks more to the fact that they could be bad to an epic extent and still have just a 25% shot (at best) at securing 'the final piece.'

The Sixers will not be bad to an epic extent, if anything they'll look like your typical 25 win team. Good enough to catch some surprising teams off guard, bad enough to be underdogs in 90% of their match ups.

[MBunge]

How can that be possible when the Celts will be drafting Simmons?

Well they'll think he's the final piece leading up to the lottery. Here's how it will play out:

The Sixers finish with a record of 11-71 and the best odds in the lottery. Other teams' Owners and GMs consistently call the Sixers an embarrassment and call for rule changes to prevent prolonged tanking.

The Nets will finish with the fourth best odds after stinking it up for the whole year. We will be beyond excited about the prospect of drafting one of Brown or Ingram.

After we win our first round series and lose a heartbreaker in the second round, we will begin to really look forward to the upcoming lottery.

As the envelopes are revealed during the lottery, the Celtics logo will not be there at pick 4, but rather the 6ers logo after being jumped the maximum of three times. The Celtics receive the number one pick and Ben Simmons.

Banner 18.

In all seriousness, I don't have a great deal of animosity towards the 6ers. I think what they're doing is kind of embarrassing, and I feel for the fans, but I don't hate the organization. My post speaks more to the fact that they could be bad to an epic extent and still have just a 25% shot (at best) at securing 'the final piece.'

The Sixers will not be bad to an epic extent, if anything they'll look like your typical 25 win team. Good enough to catch some surprising teams off guard, bad enough to be underdogs in 90% of their match ups.

You would think so.  Their coach seems like he knows what he's doing and they've got enough talent and experience, but who knows what Hinkie will do?  Would anyone be shocked if he traded Wroten and Covington for a lottery protected pick?

Mike

[chambers]

They've got a nice class to choose from this year.

If they miss out on Simmons, they take Labissiere or Jaylen Brown- not a bad back up plan.

They also have the Lakers pick. If the Lakers bomb- which they probably will, they could have two top 8 picks quite easily.

I wonder if the Lakers pick+ Noel would get them another top 3 pick?