The Philadelphia 76ers have several issues to clean up stemming from a disappointing season that saw them get no production from a player brought in to be the future of their franchise, Andrew Bynum.
NBA Draft 2013: Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of need, three picks to get it right
The Sixers have a young, up-and-coming team, and the NBA draft will be yet another opportunity for them to find a star in the making. Unfortunately, their first-round selection at No. 11 may not yield one.
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With the former All-Star slated to hit free agency, the Sixers can now move on and try to regroup and retool via Thursday’s draft. They’ll have to do so without a coach, as they’re one of a handful of teams with a vacancy.
Draft Picks
The Sixers hold picks No. 11, 25 and 42 and have plenty of options. They can trade up in order to secure a player of their choosing or stockpile more picks to develop more homegrown talent. If they stand pat, there will be plenty of players available at each point that can come in and provide some depth on the second unit.
In the second round, they got the New Orleans Pelicans' pick as a result of the Marreese Speights trade.
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Visit Liberty Ballers for more on the Sixers. Depth Chart
Point guard: Jrue Holiday, Charles Jenkins (free agent), Royal Ivey (free agent)
Shooting guard: Damien Wilkins (free agent), Nick Young (free agent), Justin Holiday, Jason Richardson
Small forward: Evan Turner, Dorell Wright (free agent)
Power forward: Thaddeus Young, Arnett Moultrie, Lavoy Allen
Center: Andrew Bynum (free agent), Spencer Hawes, Kwame Brown (player option)
Biggest Needs
With Bynum likely moving on, the Sixers will need a big man to add depth in the frontcourt. They’ll also need a solution at backup point guard to spell Holiday, but Philly could even go with the best player available at any given moment.
Potential Target(s)
Assuming everything stays the same and Cody Zeller (scouting report) falls to No. 11, Philadelphia would do well to grab him as he would be able to contribute right away. That seems unlikely, however, that he’ll slip that far, and if so, they’ll need a contingency plan. Brazilian Lucas Nogueira (scouting report) is another player that could fit at that point as a defensive specialist. Zeller has more refinement on both ends of the floor, so he would be a best-case-scenario selectee.
In the later rounds, there will be plenty to choose from. Minnesota big man Trevor Mbakwe, Virginia Tech combo guard Erick Green (scouting report) and Florida forward Erik Murphy are three good options.
Again, going with the best available in the later rounds may serve the Sixers best.
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