The Sixers will be drafting Evan Turner on Thursday with the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft and there is no doubt about it.
Ed Stefanski said himself that he has had one player in mind for a while now who they’ve known will be their pick. The draft workouts with Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins and Wesley Johnson meant nothing. If that player who Stefanski has known all along to be their pick was Favors, Cousins or Johnson, the Sixers would be actively trying to trade down. They’re not going to stay at No. 2 and take Favors, Cousins or Johnson when they can get something in a trade and get one of those players a pick or two lower. And it’s widely known that the Nets and Timberwolves would love to draft Turner, so teams definitely are interested in trading up.
There is the thought that the Sixers could trade down a few spots to get Favors, Cousins or Johnson, but the only way Stefanski would go for that is if they could trade Elton Brand. Trading with the Nets, Timberwolves or Kings is the only way to guarantee they still get one of those three players. The Nets and Timberwolves are young teams with a lot of cap room, so they wouldn’t take on a washed up veteran with a huge contract. And the Sixers just made a trade with the Kings, so there isn’t going to be another separate trade with them a week later.
They’ve known who their guy is all along and there’s no way they can trade down and still get a top five player. That is enough proof right there that the Sixers will draft Turner on Thursday.
Some people believed that the Samuel Dalembert trade for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni made it more likely the Sixers might pass on Turner and take Favors. But it’s really the opposite. Dalembert was not a quality player. The Sixers have been trying to get rid of him for a while now and everyone in Philly knew he wasn’t a good center. Hawes is an upgrade. He is a young 7-footer who can move well and costs a lot less than Dalembert. Hawes will be the future center for the Sixers for the next few years.
At power forward and center, the Sixers also have Brand, Marreese Speights and Jason Smith. They have enough big men. Even if they were to trade Brand and didn’t want to start Speights, they could put Thaddeus Young at power forward. They would like to trade Brand and either Iguodala or Young, but they’re not going to be able to trade two of them. They’ll be lucky if they can trade one. So either way, either Brand, Young or Speights will have to start at power forward.
Nocioni and Iguodala can’t play shooting guard for a team that wants to win games. Neither can Jason Kapono. And Jodie Meeks isn’t the answer. Shooting guard is the one major hole the Sixers need to fill. And there’s one clear answer at shooting guard: Evan Turner.
Turner is the type of guy who Philly fans will fall in love with immediately. He is in the Grant Hill mold in that he can a little of everything and he’s a great role model and citizen. He will never get in trouble or be suspended or get arrested or fight with teammates and coaches. That’s a guarantee. He will be a guy who kids can look up to.
And his game is smooth. He can pull up for mid-range jumpers, score in the paint, handle the ball, play lock-down defense, and has great vision. He can play and defend three positions – point guard, shooting guard and small forward. He played point guard at Ohio State and was quite dominant. He is capable of getting a triple-double on any night and he actually did so a couple times in college. And that’s in 40-minute games. His basketball IQ is incredible for a player his age. And Turner will work hard to improve his game. He will never stop working hard and competing.
Everyone can relax. Don’t believe the rumors. Turner will be a Sixer on Thursday night.
You can read more Ryan Feldman articles on TheHoopsReport.com.
I have watch Turner the last 3 years at Ohio State, and have been quite impressed.
This kid is the real deal and has a cool,quiet confidence about him that I like and is very coachable..
I think he will explode in the NBA and really show all his talents for they ran a pretty basic motion offense at Ohio State (albeit, effectively).
I think he has the potential of a Kobe Bryant and is far advanced than he was coming into the NBA
Give this guy 2 years and the sky is the limit… A can’t miss player that Sixer have to take..
For the Record,
If the Sixers don’t draft E Turner,
I was sign-off G Cobb web-site and never post again…
Has to be Turner. They can’t take Favors with them on the hook for so much money for Brand.
Favors will be a good NBA Pro also, but has a lot to work to do with his Offensive game…
the Sixers don’t have the 2-3 years to wait that it will take for him to become a polished NBA players
Turner is the most NBA Ready player in the this draft and should be able to contribute from Day 1
favors is just another tyrus thomas and thats from me watching him play not from reading other analyst commentary
yea sixer have to take turner unless they can get wall
if they can get wall please thats the move he’s a superstar and we need 1 here in philly so bad
Favors is a lot more advanced that T Thomas ever was coming out of school who has been a bust
since coming out early from LSU. Favor has got game and is much stronger and has a pretty high motor
that Thomas who basically had a 2-3 week run during the NCAA tournament and everyone fell in love with him… What a disappointment T Thomas has turned out to be
I liken Favors Game to a Josh Smith,J J Hickson,L Powe and potentially a David West…
i wont argue with u paulman tyrus thomas at lsu Thomas was named SEC Freshman of the Year following a 2005–06 campaign in which he took the Tigers by storm by when he averaged 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in 26 minutes per game on over 60% shooting from the field.
ur derric favors u rave of
PPG APG 3P% RPG BPG SPG
12.4 1 .000 8.4 2.1 0.9
like i dont have to read phil jasner columns on whats what i know it myself i didnt know the numbers be4 my comparison but after i checked i more confident in my comparison
yo jj hickson is a bum leon powe omg would u spend a top 5 pick on a leon powe please pman r u serious how any lottery pick is ever compared to leon powe i will never know lmao leon powe lol i dont like favors but he i s a top 3 pick draft express says best case scenario antonio mcdyess be4 injuries worse case chris wilcox i like both comparisons he really does remind me of a wilcox at maryland which brings me to my steal of the draft i’d like the sixers to get him if possible grevis vasquez i like him more than jrue holiday
wait a min so r u saying leon powe is better than tyrus thomas
Favors is a lot more advanced that T Thomas ever was coming out of school who has been a bust
since coming out early from LSU.
so therefore leon powe is more advanced than tyrus thomas
well leon powe has no range at all tyrus thomas 15 to 18 ft
secondly leon powe is a banger neither thomas nor favors r bangers
i really cant believe u said leon powe lmao
favors thomas both athletic
powe has never been nor is athletic
just a horrible comparison take it back or admit u dont know shit bout bball
I do like a younger McDyess compariosn and even Elton Brand/Nene is not a stretch who were athletic coming out of college but not real polished offensivle… ,,
This Favor kids is 20 years old, he will get bigger and stronger and with good coaching, I bet that in 2 years time, is more advanced and skilled than T Thomas will ever be…
(Powe when Healthy is a decent player, and I take nothing back.. )
ok thats ur opinion and thats fair but u said coming out and right now he is a raw no jumper having no iso game no post up game big and u know who that reminds me of tyrus thomas a long athletic 4 man with no skills as of yet. will he be better than tyrus probably but tyrus aint done yet either he’s 23 and who knows the future i was just calling as it is now not future predictions
powe is a 10h man on a roster plays 10 min a game he is min eater sort of like in baseball a long relief pitcher nothing more if he were so valuable bos woulda resigned em he signed with cle for league for vet mininimum he’s a scrub a hustling scrub but a scrub
Powe was a pretty decent role player with the Celtics for a couple of seasons on a good team..
Why the hate so much fo him.. Phillywill..
I want and hope the Sixers select E Turner for he is the best all-around player who is NBA ready in the
Draft and the Sixers need all the help they can get now
My point is that Favors will be a pretty good NBA Player 2-3 years down the road, if he gets with the right Team & Coaches where many thought T Thomas was a reach to begin with and very immature and a poor worrk ethic whch is how he has turned out to be…..
leon powe career avgs 6 ppg 4 rebs if thats favors he would have been like powe and undrafted sign on not a top 5 pick in the draft bad comparison
Not bad stats for playing 10 minutes per game like you stated..
If he played 30 minutes a game , he would average 18 pts per game and 12 Rebounds per game..
You can’t put stats up if your on the bench with bad teams and coaches…