76ers Draft Preview

Here's how this works. I've already done a paragraph on each player the Sixers have worked out, and now it's time to sort everything. Where are these players projected to go? Will the Sixers need to trade up or down to get their guy? This is more going to focus on where the player will be taken, and not necessarily much analysis of their skills. To determine these slots, I looked at five two-round mock drafts and categorized guys how I see fit.

Before 16

The Sixers did not work out anyone who will clearly be taken before them. They will probably not trade up.

16
Darrell Arthur PF 6'9 230 Sophomore Kansas

Arthur is pegged as a Sixer in only one of my five mock drafts, but he definitely won't be on the board long after that. He has a nice offensive game for a PF, and he really likes to block shots. As a pretty experienced sophomore on a powerhouse program, he might be able to contribute a bit earlier than some other guys.

Donte' Greene SF 6'9 221 Freshman Syracuse

Greene's stock is a mix of above and below the 16th pick. In my blogland, that clearly translates to a guy that could be there at 16 but definitely not much later. He is a very raw player, but his clear upside is a reason why Stefanski may be interested. Does the reward outweigh the risk?

Rest Of First Round
Alexis Ajinca C 7'0 230 1988 France

In the fickle world of NBA Draft stock, Ajinca is currently a victim. A few days ago, Ajinca could've been a potential lottery pick. Now, a couple hours before the draft, he's slipping closer to the end of the first round. He's more worth the risk in the 20's than he is in the lottery, and playoff teams can more afford to take a chance with their picks than lottery teams.

Ryan Anderson F 6'10 235 Sophomore California

Anderson is a late first rounder in most places, but I've seen him slip to the second a couple times. Either way, if the Sixers are interested, they'll have to trade down. He's definitely not worth the 16th pick. Like Darrell Arthur, he's another sophomore that might be a bit more polished than some of the other underclassmen in the draft.

J.J. Hickson PF 6'9 242 Freshman NC State

Unlike Ajinca, Hickson's draft stock has slowly risen as of late. When he first declared for the draft, he was a mid-rounder in the second. Now, he's pretty secure late in the first. He may be worth a pick before this, and I think his stock might be brought down by the bad Wolfpack team around him.

JaVale McGee C 7'0 241 Sophomore Nevada

At only 241 pounds, he's kind of thin at the moment. He's not as polished as the other two sophomores I've looked at, and this fits the bill for the kind of player Ed Stefanski is looking for tonight. He could go around 19 to Cleveland, so his stock might be a bit better than a Hickson or Anderson.

Marreese Speights FC 6'10 250 Sophomore Florida

This one kind of surprises me. The Sixers really like him, and according to a lot of places on the net, taking him at 16 might be a bit of a reach. There are serious character questions about Speights. He's been reported as kind of lazy, and that won't fly in the NBA. He's going to have to work hard because he's very raw.

Second Round
Lamont Gordon G 6'4 220 Junior Mississippi State

Gordon doesn't sound like a bad player, but I'll be shocked if he goes before pick 30. Even just in the second round, there's about a ten pick range in which he might go, so no one knows what will happen. The second round is often unpredictable because of foreign players and small school guys teams uncover.

Second Round-Undrafted
Pat Calathes SF 6'10 210 Senior St. Joseph's

I have to apologize, because after seeing some mocks, I probably shortchanged Calathes in my previous preview. He could become an NBA player from what I've seen, and I was hard on him. At best, he'll be taken at the end of the second round and have a shot to make an NBA roster. He's a hard worker and deserves the opportunity.

Undrafted
Chris Clark PG 5'8 165 Senior Temple

It doesn't look good for this former Owl.

Frank Elegar PF 6'8 230 Senior Drexel

As I said, I hope he gets taken. However, the odds are against him.

Callistus Eziukwu FC 6'10 220 Senior Grand Valley State

This small school star is facing long odds. He did not appear in a single mock.

Rob Ferguson F 6'8 230 Senior St. Joseph's

Fergy is another City Six player who probably won't get taken.

C.J. Giles FC 6'10 225 Junior Oregon State

Giles is thin and had some baggage. He really had to impress in workouts to get teams on his side, and I guess he didn't do it.

Kentrell Gransberry PF 6'9 270 Senior South Florida

Like Elegar, I'm rooting for this guy. However, he's going to have to sign on somewhere as an undrafted player.

Marvin Kilgore PG 6'3 195 Senior Texas El-Paso

I didn't know much about him when I talked about his workout, and I can't say I know much more now.

Jawann McClellan G 6'4 200 Senior Arizona

McClellan is a big school guy who doesn't seem to be getting big school treatment from NBA teams.

David Padgett C 6'11 250 Senior Louisville

If there's one guy on this undrafted list who might get taken, it could be him. He appeared in an older version of a mock I looked at, but he got bumped out in the latest update.

Nikita Shabalkin SF 6'9 210 1986 Russia

Teams love taking chances on foreign players, but Shabalkin is older than most good ones.

Michael Sturns G 6'4 190 Senior Holy Family

He played locally last year, but he did prove himself a little in major college basketball.

I'm not guaranteeing everyone will go in the slots I put them in, but they should be pretty good estimations. The Sixers might also take someone not appearing on this list, but DiLeo has said they don't like taking players they don't bring in. Some guys have secret workouts, and I guess if that's the case, we'll find out after the draft. A mock draft is upcoming.