Team History

1946-1949: Formed as Syracuse Nationals (National Basketball League)
1949-1963: Syracuse Nationals (NBA)
1963-Present: Philadelphia 76ers

Arena: First Union Center
            1 Corestates Complex
            Philadelphia, PA 19148
            215-339-7600

Opened: August 31, 1996
Capacity: 21,000

Owners: Comcast Corporation

General Manager: Billy King

Head Coach: Larry Brown

NBA Championships:

• 1954-1955 (Syracuse Nationals)
• 1966-1967
• 1982-1983

Overall Regular Season Record: 2264-1898 (.543)

Overall Post Season Record: 197-177 (.526)

Previous Drafts

• 2001 - C Samuel Dalembert
• 2000 - PG Speedy Claxton
• 1999 - C Todd MacCulloch (2nd round)
• 1998 - SG Larry Hughes
• 1997 - SF Keith Van Horn

Season Overview

As defending Eastern Conference Champions the 76ers rode into this season with hopes of again challenging the Lakers in the NBA Finals. However, injuries took a huge toll throughout the season. Allen Iverson, Eric Snow, Dikembe Mutombo, and Derrick Coleman all missed time due to injuries. The Sixers went from 56-26 (first in the east) to 43-39 (sixth in the east). As frustration built throughout The season, the tension between Allen Iverson and Head Coach Larry Brown, all but gone last season, Returned. A first round defeat at the hands of the inexperienced Celtics saw the tension boil over as Star Player and Head Coach had dueling press conferences. The situation appears to have quieted down for the moment, as both Iverson and Brown have expressed their desire to stay with the team. The Sixers must now determine whether this rapidly aging injury prone group can stay healthy and make another run at the finals or whether it is time to rebuild.

Off Season Overview

Free Agents

Most of the core group is under contract for next season. Iverson, Eric Snow, Aaron Mckie, Derrick Coleman, and Dikembe Mutombo are all signed for next season. The only other 2 players under contract for next season are Speedy Claxton and Samuel Dalembert. This leaves 8 free agents, the majority of which most likely will not return for next season. The man on the bubble is free agent and starting small forward Matt Harpring. Harpring is a restricted free agent and thus far has not developed into the player the Sixers had hoped he would be. In the end. I expect Hapring will return, as the Sixers will not have the cap room to acquire a small forward with any more potential than what they already have right now.

The Feud

In this corner stands Larry Brown, known as The Coach. Well respected and a no nonsense guy. In the opposite corner stands Allen Iverson, AI, The Answer. Incredibly talented and tough, when he is on the court Iverson displays the heart of a champion. He plays hurt, he wants the ball in crunch time, and he is the undisputed leader of the Sixers. Off the court, he is the complete opposite. He is often late for practice, on those days when he shows up at all, and has excuses that remind one of a teenager explaining why he was out past curfew. If Brown and Iverson continue this feud into next season, The Answer will most likely have a whole new team to explain himself too. Iverson is at a crossroad in his career, will he be a Karl Malone, a Dominique Wilkins, a Patrick Ewing? Talented players who never made it that last championship mile. Or will he use that heart we have seen on the court to help his team become a champion, ala Michael, Larry, and Magic?

Position Breakdown (excludes free agents that most likely won't return)

Guards

Allen Iverson 6'0" 165lbs

The former league MVP and 3 time all star starter is still one of the most exciting players in the league. While his work ethic could use some improvement, his athletic ability and his toughness are among the best in the league. Has incredible quickness and seems to be able to get his shot off from anywhere on the court. Franchise player

Eric Snow 6'3" 203lbs

Solid point guard who isn't flashy, but manages to get the job done and understands his role with the team. Can hit the open jumper but looks to pass first. Has missed time in each of the last 2 seasons due to injuries.

Derrick McKie 6'5" 205lbs

McKie gives the Sixers a good 3 guard rotation. A streaky shooter, like most of the Sixers seems to always have injury problems.

Speedy Claxton 5'11" 166lbs

Very quick explosive guard who has the ability to score. Is still young and inexperienced and needs to improve his defense.

Forwards

Derrick Coleman 6'10" 252lbs

Second on the team in scoring (15.1 per game) and rebounding (8.8 per game). Coleman has good hands and passes well for a big man. However he is 35 years old and at the risk of sounding repetitive is injury prone.

Matt Harpring 6'7" 231lbs

One of the few Sixers to play all year and still seemed to spend more time in coach Larry Brown's doghouse than anyone else. Is a decent rebounder, moves well without the ball, and is willing to work hard. However both he and Brown appeared to have lost confidence in his shooting ability. Harpring is the only free agent among the key players and although he may not have yet developed into the player Brown was hoping for, I would expect the Sixers to resign him.

Centers

Dikembe Mutombo 7'2" 265lbs

Not much of an offensive threat, Mutombo's specialty is defense. In the series against the Celtics, looked less like a defensive force and more like a liability as the Celtics continually forced him away from the basket by shooting so many three pointers. At age 36, he may be on a rapid decline.

Samuel Dalembert 6'11" 250lbs

Has a lot of athletic ability but is still learning the game. Did not play much this past year.

Outlook for next season

There is no way the injury bug can be as bad as it was this season can it? This is still a talented team led by one of the elite players in the league. Although they have some front court players that are in their mid 30's, the Sixers still have the ability to perform like they did 2 seasons ago when they made it all the way to the NBA finals. Given that they play in the weak eastern conference, the same conference that saw the Nets and Celtics come from nowhere to play each other for the eastern conference title, with a little luck the Sixers have a good shot at their second eastern conference title in 3 years.

Draft Needs

This team is set at the guard position so they will look towards the forward and center positions in the draft. They biggest needs are a scoring small forward to either replace or supplement Matt Harpring and a big man that can help the aging Mutombo and Coleman. Normally the draft starts to get weak around the 9th or 10th pick, however this draft is deeper and there are enough quality players that at least 1 or 2 will still be on the board when the Sixers draft at number 16.

Players Considered (based on those available at the time of the pick)

Kareem Rush - SG 6'6" 214lbs Junior, Missouri

SG is not a need position for the Sixers, however there are some that believe Rush could also play small forward. One of the top scorers in the draft, Rush can drive to the hoop and has 3 point range. Makes good decisions and looks very smooth playing the game. Needs to work on his ball handling skills and cut down on his turnovers.

Bostjan Nachbar - SF 6'9" 220lbs Benetton Treviso, Euroleague

Excellent shooter and very athletic player. Has a great understanding of the game. Can great off the dribble and loves to play on the break. After playing a key role on a team that went all the way to the Euroleague final four, he should be one of the most ready to play guys in the draft.

Melvin Ely - PF 6'10" 256lbs Senior, Fresno State

A good athlete who at times looks very explosive. Good shot blocker and a decent rebounder. Could learn behind Mutombo and Coleman. Seems to lack intensity and desire. Needs to develop his offensive game as most of his points have come from putbacks and dunks.

The Pick

Bostjan Nachbar - SF 6'9" 220lbs Benetton Treviso, Euroleague

In looking at the best available talent, Nachbar is the best fit for the Sixers. Rush is a very talented player and while he may be able to play some small forward, at 6'6" he is undersized for the position. I eliminated Rush because he is a natural SG, a position that the Sixers do not need help. Melvin Ely could provide that 3rd big man that the Sixers do need. However his lack of intensity and weak offensive game mean it may take some time before Ely is a solid player at this level. Nachbar is a very good fit for this team for a variety of reasons. Given that the Sixers are not looking to rebuild and want to compete now they need a player that is ready to contribute now and not in 3 years. Nachbar has played at a high level within the Euroleague and is considered among the most ready to play guys in this draft. Secondly, small forward is a need position for this team whether Harpring stays or not. Thirdly, the Sixers could certainly use a scorer to take some of the pressure off of Iverson. He has a buyout in his contract so he should be able to join the team for the upcoming season. Like almost all the euro players he will need to work on his defense, however his scoring, ball handling skills, and ability to help right now combined with the fact that the biggest need the team has is small forward makes Nachbar a near perfect fit for the Sixers.

Most Likely Team Pick

There is some talk that the Sixers may not keep the 16th pick. If they do keep it, they will wait to see who falls to them among the small forwards and power forwards that are out there. This may include Haislip, Stoudemire, Ely, and of course Nachbar.

Post Draft Analysis

Next up the Sixers decide to trade Speedy Claxton. Ok, he is their 4th guard and with the strength of their 3 guard rotation isn't essential to the team. If they had traded him for a scoring small forward or a big man I would have come away feeling pretty good about the whole evening. What they did instead was deal Claxton for John Salmons and 2 throw in players that will have little impact on the team (Mark Bryant and Randy Holcomb). Is Salmons a bad player? No not really, although he certainly didn't have a dominate career at Miami and a couple months ago you would have been laughed out of the room if you mentioned him as a first round draft pick. Salmons is a combo guard, capable of playing point guard, shooting guard, and possibly some small forward. Sound familiar at all? Look above at the description for Jiri Welsch. Salmons is essentially a poor mans Jiri Welsch. He does the same things Welsch does, he simply doesn't do them as well as Welsch.

The Sixers needs coming into the draft were a small forward who can score and a big man to form a 3 man rotation with Mutombo and Coleman. Can Salmons be the scoring small forward they need? I say no, I don't see him being successful in that role. He is more likely to be the 4th guard on the team and have no more of an impact than Speedy Claxton did. If the Sixers had simply stayed at 16 and drafted Borchardt or Woods they would have addressed one of their major needs. Borchardt is one of the few true centers in this draft and his outside shooting ability would have been a nice compliment to Mutombo. Woods is a natural small forward, is a better athlete and a better scorer than Salmons.

While we cannot completely evaluate the draft until we learn the status of the draft picks the Sixers get from the Warriors, as of the moment I would give the Sixers a D.