It looks like the Sixers got what they wanted in their selections of Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen.
The fans on the other hand did not.
The Sixers failed to move small forward Andre Iguodala last night, much to the chagrin of Sixers fans throughout the area. Whether the non-trade was by choice or by chance remains to be seen.
With the 16th pick, they selected Nikola Vucevic a 6’10” center from USC who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Trojans last season. His 22 double-doubles last season were fifth in the nation in that category. Vucevic is labeled as a hard worker with a nice face up game who works well in the post. The questions surrounding Vucevic are his ability to guard quicker and stronger 4’s and 5’s at the NBA level, his willingness to improve his outside touch as well as filling out his frame. There have been questions about his toughness as is the case with many European bigs in the NBA. Vucevic may be asked to spell Elton Brand from time to time. I’m curious to see how he meshes with the up-tempo and defensive style of the Sixers reserves.
The arrival of local product Lavoy Allen officially places Marresse Speights on notice. If the three-time A-10 All-Defensive team selection proves to be a defensive upgrade, then Speights can be sent packing. Allen is a patient player who defends and rebounds very well, he was never called on to be a scoring option under Fran Dunphy and that will need to change at this level. Allen will need 
to develop a go-to shot and work on his post mechanics.
It looks like we’re going to have to wait the Iguodala trade out. Will there even be one? I’m remaining optimistic that a trade is still in the works and the Sixers are just exploring all of their options. The need for front court help has been addressed, but the search for a bona-fide scorer continues.
alright everyone… say it with me… todd macculloch
oh how the negadelphians consistently disapoint me. Jumping to conclusions. Always glass half empty. Always lazy, poor comparisons and just plain over-the-top negativity.
The Sixers had 2 clear needs – a true center and a shooter. They also could use rebounding/interior D. They got some of that but not all of it, and many see that as a failure. “Wah Wah Wah. I want my cake, and to eat it to. And I want my favorite icing! And Milk. Chocolate Milk. My favorite kind! Wah Wah Wah”.
Complian complain complain.
Let’s see how Vuc and Allen play, and see if they can get a shooter for Iggy and then evaluate the team/offseason.
Good article Ron. I did some research on this kid Nikola and he appears to be a solid player but in my opinion adding a true SG one that isnt afraid to take the final shot, one that can actually make a shot and is a proven scorer was more imperative. Seems to me that the sixers are merely “taking a shot” on guys instead of really trying to upgrade the SG position. Nikola may turn out to be a future allstar, maybe a kevin love type. But when you have the opportunity to upgrade at a position of serious need and has been of need since Allen Iverson was traded, then you gotta upgrade it. Marshon Brooks, Alec Burke, Klay Thompson, Nolan Smith are all SGs that can score the ball effectively and are proven scorers on the college level…
Per Ron Glover the sixers had 19 losses of 6 points or less. Thats not on the defenses fault especially being that they were ranked 10th overall in the league. Thats a lack of scoring and them not having a go to guy that can score in the crucial moments. Our best scorer in a 6’0 pg/sg 6th man named Lou Williams our 6th man. Thats pathetic… So far the sixers for the past few years now have not addressed there SG position. Iguodala obviously is not the answer, evan turner is more of a guy who sets his teammates up, lou is a guy that comes off the bench and lacks consistency, Thad young is a energy guy not a go to guy… Theyve had this hole on there team since trading Allen iverson and its more glaring then ever before…
Jon, do you agree that the Sixers have turned a corner since Doug Collins is here? (if not, go seek medical attention) Then why are you grouping the last few years etc… in with now. This is the first offseason A.C. (After Collins) so let’s see where this goes…
We needed help at SG & C, so if Doug Collins really wanted him over Brooks, Smith, Burke, et al then I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Let’s see where Andre winds up & then judge things…
Thanks Jon, good thing for Vucevic is that the NBA is going through a turnover and he’s coming in at the right time to be in a position to establish himself in a few years. Dominant big men are rare, not saying he’ll be dominant but he should hold his own.
Schiller, this has nothing to do with Doug collins. Obviously theyve made some strides, they still ended with a 500 record and was bounced out of the PO in the first round, nothing different from previous years. But this SG issue has been a problem since they traded Iverson. It would have been good to draft a young SG that can grow with Holiday, turner, young and lou, there all 24 yrs old and younger… Were supposed to be happy bc Doug collins fell in love with this guy when he first layed eyes on him, (his exact words)… but thats a load of garbage to me… and i feel made a mistake not taking Brooks… think about this, if they took Cousins last year and either trade iggy for one or drafted a SG (Marshon Brooks) there team would be set
This would have been the starting lineup this year
PG.Jrue Holiday
SG.Marshon Brooks
SF.Andre Iguodala/ or ET
PF.Elton Brand/ still could have drafted Lavoy Allen this year
C.Demarcus Cousins
Instead this is what our scrambled roster looks like
PG. Jrue Holi
PG. Jrue Holiday
SG. Iggy, may be traded so whose gonna be the SG?
SF.Thad young? are we even gonna have him here? ET? Is he even ready?
PF.Elton Brand
C. Nikola Vucevic? Who?
Good point Ron, there is lackof dominant big men in the nba but when i look at this guy i dont see someone dominant i see a role player, maybe even rotational. Again i think hes solid but i think we may have reached a bit… But bc our centers arent very good he ll probably get the start and may blossom into a really good player…The nets had SG Marshon Brooks rated 15th overall on there draft board, we were 16th!… Coincidence? Not at all…
I swear philly fans make me not want to be a fan in this city sometimes. We had the 16th pick what the hell were we suppose to do at drafting number 16? no one was even a difference maker in this draft starting from pick 1 on down. Evan Turner was clearly the 2nd best player in that draft and it would have been a mistake to draft otherwise.
No one said that this solves the sixers big man problems you think collins is going to start him at day 1? he didnt start the 2nd overall pick what makes you guys think he is going to start a 16th pick? what other reserve on this team at center can you look more forward to at the moment? Tony Battie? Speighs? come on.
Vricchini, thats my point this is a scrambled roster. They ll probably start this new kid over hawes because hes solid all around. But its a scrambled roster big time… Is thad gonna resign? Is ET gonna step up and be the player they need him to be? Will iggy still be here? Where will the scoring come from? Where is the go to guy?
Jon, wallow in your ‘ifs’ and ‘I would have’s all day. Do it all you want. But I personally am happy with the picks (though I too would like Iggy to go). We can get shooters. They are a dime a dozen. This team isn’t going to win the championship next year. And if you can get a guy at #25 who will come in and play like a Kobe in a year or two (your psuedo words, not mine), than we can do that next year, with a still young developing core, but then we might have a legit center, which is harder to come by and develop.
Try some deep breaths. Glass of water? Mabye rub one off? Something has to work for your ‘they didn’t draft my obsession’ tizzy…. shessh
OKC took one of the better scorers in the draft. A 6’3 guard namedReggie Jackson with a 7ft wingspan, are the OKC thunder possible trade partners with the sixers? He was taken by the thunder at 24 reports say that the knicks wanted him 7 spots earlier, Reggie didnt work out 4any other team bc OKC promised him that theyd draft him at 24. So the question is why would he agree to lose all that money to play behind Russell Westbrook? Sounds like westbrook may be on the block… i gotta see how the salaries add up…
This draft is said, by mostly everyone, including Stefanski, to be one of the worst drafts ever with no true studs. Full of rotation & bench guys. At least they filled a need with a highly skilled big man in Vuch & in my opinion could be a steal in Allen. Give it a chance guys. WTF, are the 76ers winning anyway. Until they relieve themselves of the albatross contracts of Iggy & Brand, & get a Star in here they won’t be able to do s#!t anyway, or be anything but a bottom dwelling, one & done playoff team. Thorn, Stefanski, for the love of God, f^@#ing trade Iggy already. He has to go. It’s getting old already, damn it. I’ll drive him to the airport for you.
I don’t know what feeds Stefanski and Thorn’s(and Collins’s) egos, but we need to take it away from them. This team is mediocre and they had the potential to make the future brighter and blew it and for what? The chance to win 1 or two more games next season? I’m making a huge assumption in saying that Vucevic and Allen will actually be positives for our W/L campaign next year….. They say that it’s hard to part with a superstar, because it’s hard to rebuild. So escaping from the mediocrity that King built while Iverson was declining was indeed difficult. But we all agree Iguodala is no superstar. And this is no good team, its a team doug collins has motivated but there crazyyoung and still are hanging on to iguodala for some unreal and unfathomable reason…
JH, couldn’t have said it better myself. He needs to f^@#ing go. What exactly do they think they’re going to get for this stiff? If they’re overvaluing him & holding out for a mint, they’re making a idiotic mistake. Cut your f^@#ing loses already.
Im in no way a Iguodala supporter but the OKC thunder are a Andre Iguodala away from winning a championship. You plug him in their line up and they beat the Mavericks hands down. So while we dont value him because we so desperately need that post Allen Iverson player other teams know his value.
But would you guys do that deal, Andre Iguodala for Russell Westbrook? There team would benefit yes and would be true contenders in the west, agreed, but, we would be contenders in the east too, bc i feel honestly that we are go to guy away from seriously contending in the east…
I wanna start a trade iguodala campaign… trade him to the OKC thunder for a real scorer in RW who wont have to worry about handing the ball off to a kevin durant, we’d have the second coming to allen iverson just a taller (6’4) stronger (200 pounds) player…
JH, right now, I would trade him for a couple of basketballs, & a pair of old Jordan sneaks. He is a hinderance to this team getting better, & stunting the growth of Thadd & Turner, & taking away much needed playing time. Get him the f^@# out of here!
Jon Hart – you’re intitled to your opinion – and I hope you know that I take that very seriously. BUT – what opportunity to ‘make the future brighter’ did they blow? Are you refering to one or some of the rumors? If that’s the case, sorry to break it to you bud, but you got played by the media if you thought those rumor offers were 100% true and just sitting on the table for them… OR if you are just so damn sure about your scouting ability as a fan watching youtube and reading ESPN, and you think they drafted stupider than you would – well get over yourself – you have a differing opinion but you are incorrect if you think that they objectively did something stupid – 0 rookies have laced up yet. It’s June, in the NBA.
Seriously, you can wish they did it different, tell us who you would have taken/what you would’ve done etc…. but to sit here and act like they blew it and you know that is just unreasonable and out of touch with reality.
If they had ignored the front court alltogether, would you have been sitting here satisfied with our front court consisting of Speights and Brand? Tell me the answer to that? What about Speights Brand and resigning Hawes? What about now? You comfortable with THAT frontcourt?
I DO want a SG, and Westbrook sounds enticing.. but we needed a bunch, couldn’t get it all, and got the harder to come by pieces – Center project and Rebound specialist – that may pan out. I say that’s a good start.
And as for Iggy, yeah, it feels frustratingly TIME TO DO SOMETHING – I get that, but if you factor in the ownership context, and understand that (at least for me) the desired effect would be just as obtainable if they trade Iggy for something that pans out to help us with shooting in July, August, September, heck I don’t care if they wait till early in the season to pull it off. The ownership context is preventing it now, and once that’s fixed, I’d rather they take their time and get it right than walk around starving, looking for food and get suckered.
terrible picks… this kid from USC is not a good shooter inside or out and will struggle against more athletic players in the NBA… sell the team and hire a real GM
One thing that can’t be overlooked is the absence of the NBA Summer Leagues, it doesn’t tell you everything but it give you an idea of what you’re working with. That’s frustrating to me. Evan Turner is supposed to be working with the Herb McGee this summer on his shot. Lets hope that works out.
Jott – where’d you get your scouting skills from? Just curious because all the other reports, by people who get paid to do it, say the guys is a skilled outside shooter. And Doug Collins loves the kid – he said he watched every single play the kid had the ball in his hands for – I’m going with Doug over your ‘analysis’…
Not to change the subject but the Portland Trail Blazeres offered C Greg Oden a 1 Year $8.8 Million qualifying offer to remain in Portland for next season..
A team can still make him an offer, but Portland has 7 days to match and with his history of injuries, and now with this big offer in front of him, it’s very unlikley another team is going to surpass that offer to obtain him when you really don’t know if he will ever be healthy enough to play a full time schedule and season