The day is finally here. The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight and it will be fun to see how the ping pong balls play out. The Bucks and Sixers have the best chance to get the number one overall pick at 25 and 19.9 percent, respectively. Followed by the Magic at 15.6 percent, Jazz at 10.4 percent and Celtics at 10.3 percent. Being a Sixers fan, I am praying they get the number one pick to take Andrew Wiggins. Although there have been some NBA executives who say they would rather have Jabari Parker over Wiggins, I believe it would be a HUGE mistake if Wiggins is not drafted number one. The Sixers definitely went all in on this years draft to rebuild their team. Trading all-star point guard Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans for the rights to Nerlens Noel (who has sat out the entire season), and this years first round pick (top five protected) during the draft last year said it all. If everything falls to place here is what I want the Sixers to do.
With the first pick, assuming it is number one or two, take Wiggins or Parker. If the ping pong balls don’t fall the way Sixer fans want them too, it will be interesting to see what they will do. I strongly believe Wiggins and Parker will go number one and two so if the Sixers drop below two, there will be disappointed Sixer fans. Even though there is good talent out there, I believe Wiggins and Parker will be two cornerstone pieces to franchises. Please, ping pong balls, play out so the Sixers get the first or second pick. Still Julius Randle, Joel Embiid, Noah Vonleh and others are out there if the ping pong balls don’t go the way Sixer fans want them to. This is one of the deepest drafts in a while, so there is talent to go around.
With the second pick, the New Orleans Pelicans pick, assuming it is not top five, I would love to see the Sixers take Aaron Gordon of Arizona or Gary Harris of Michigan State. These two players are very different obviously as Gordon is a forward and Harris is a shooting guard. It will be fun to see which direction owner, Sam Hinkie wants to go. Gordon is a freak of an athlete who plays above the rim while Harris is a great shooter which the Sixers desperately need. I’m just drooling about the possibility of Wiggins, Gordon, and Noel teaming up with Michael Carter-Williams. Talk about amazing athletes.
The “it’s never going to happen but I can dream scenario” is trading for Kevin Love. Love will be a free agent after next season and he has already said he does not plan on resigning with the Timberwolves. So here’s an interesting scenario where I say the Sixers offer them the Pelicans pick, Thaddeus Young and a few second round pick in exchange for Love. It won’t happen but I can always dream right? “Together We Build” was the motto for this past season for the Sixers and the time is finally here. It is an exciting time for Sixer fans and I am excited for what the future holds for us. I strongly believe Sam Hinkie will put the Philadelphia 76ers back on the basketball map and it all starts with how the ping pong balls roll.
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Alan Liang is a junior Drexel Sport Management major with minors in Marketing and Business Administration from West Windsor, NJ. Alan scores baseball games for Baseball Info Solutions and is currently on co-op with the Philadelphia 76ers in the camps department. Follow Alan on Twitter @AlanLiang29.
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