My Plan For The Sixers Is Simple: In Turner I Trust

I think the Sixers getting the second pick in the 2010 NBA draft was the best thing to happen to this team. Kentucky point guard John Wall appears to be the consensus No. 1 pick and he’ll likely be drafted number one.

The Sixers don’t need a point guard but they desperately need a two-guard and Ohio State’s Evan Turner, who is regarded as the best two-guard in the country will probably be available for them to select.

I’ve heard some experts talking about front court players like DeMarcus Cousins, and Derrick Favors, but take a minute to really think about what this Sixer team has and needs.

Ask yourself why would you draft anyone besides Turner. This Philadelphia basketball team is lacking a shooting guard and that’s exactly what you get in Turner.  He’s listed at 6-7 and showed he isn’t afraid to take the big shot during this past college basketball season.  If you need more convincing, lets look at the key players that should be on the 76ers next season and decide for yourself what they need.

I like second-year point guard Jrue Holiday a lot. I’m not ready to say he’s the next great young point in the NBA, but I do think he’s talented and has a high ceiling. Holiday showed at the end of his first season that he can play at the NBA level and that he’s got a very promising future.

Small forward Andre Iguodala is what he is.   Sixers fans should honestly stop wishing or expecting for him to turn into a franchise player. He is a good NBA player that is capable of playing outstanding defense and would be a good No. 3 option on a contender.

My message to the Doug Collins and the Sixers front office, put Iguodala in a position to succeed by not asking him to play the two-guard position and average 20 points a game.  He’s a small forward who is a better defensive player than he is a scorer.

Young guys like forwards Thaddeus Young and Maurice Speights and guard Lou Williams could be solid contributors on a good team. Young and Speights are versatile and Williams is a natural born scorer. I’ll admit I may like these three guys a lot more than most but I think that with right coach they will continue to get better.

I have to admit when the Sixers signed Elton Brand, I immediately thought they were going to be a contender in the East. Unfortunately the Brand experiment has not worked out yet, but maybe the addition of a new coach is what’s best for both parties.

On the other hand I believe Sam Dalembert is what he is. The good thing is that if you’re not a fan of Dalembert, this is his last year under contract with the team and I highly doubt he will be resigned.

Add Turner to this mix of players and you may have a team that could be exciting to watch. Holiday and Turner in the backcourt, Dalembert at center, and Iggy and Young at the forward positions…wow!

Williams, Brand and Speights coming off the bench would give the team a pretty nice group of guys backing up the starters. Before you tear me apart please note that I’m not calling them the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls nor the 2000-01 Sixers. I’m just saying they will be fun to watch and if the players develop they will be a solid team in a few years.

It doesn’t take much to realize I’m high on Turner and that by adding him the team will win a couple more games during the 2010-11 season. However adding Wall, or Cousins would be a bad move, it’s just not what the team needs.

Wall may very well turn into the next great young player but drafting him will most likely stunt the growth of Holiday (the No. 17 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft). Cousins, and Favors very well could turn into great big men in the NBA, but the team has a few big guys already. Why add another one to the mix? Why draft someone that you will have to find time for?

Look at the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the 2009 NBA Draft they selected James Harden (shooting guard) with the No. 3 pick in the draft. What’s the big deal? Well although Harden turned out to be a solid pick and did come into the league with some hype, he was far from the best player available at the time.

Guys like Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, and Jonny Flynn (all point guards) were available at the time. But the Thunder did not need another point guard because of the great play they were getting from Russell Westbrook. The team already had solid players at the other starting spots and the only position they lacked was a shooting guard, so they took the best one available.

The blueprint of how too build a solid team through the NBA draft has been made public thanks to the Thunder. Hopefully the 76ers will follow it and not try to win overnight because that can have horrible ramifications if it doesn’t work.

For the sake of the team and the fans of what was once a proud organization, the Sixers have to draft Turner with the No. 2 pick. It’s only right and the fans of the 76ers are in desperate need of something that will make them smile.