September 22, 2015
We are only a week away from Sixers training camp getting underway at Stockton University in New Jersey, so the NBA’s six-week offseason (give or take) is almost over. Still, we have a few days left for big picture questions until the current season begins to take up all of our attention.
One of those questions, specifically one that very much involves Sam Hinkie and the current Sixers, came across my Twitter timeline last night. Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report/NBC Sports caught my attention with this one:
Rudy Gobert probably goes #1 if you redid the 2013 draft with 100% hindsight, right? Top 3 has to be Gobert/Giannis/Noel in some order.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) September 22, 2015
The 2013 NBA Draft was the night when Sam Hinkie kick-started The Great Rebuild in earnest, shipping Jrue Holiday to New Orleans for the sixth pick and a protected first-rounder that ended up being Dario Saric (after a trade, but he was always their guy). Later, Hinkie selected Michael Carter-Williams with the 11th overall pick in the draft. We all know how that turned out.
Highkin’s question makes for some good debate: If we’re re-drafting with the benefit of two years of hindsight, who goes where? Did Hinkie make the right picks? If not, which players did he miss on?
Without getting too in-depth, here is my thinking: Of the five players selected ahead of him on draft night, Victor Oladipo is the only one on Noel’s level. Anthony Bennett, the surprise top overall selection, could possibly be Noel’s teammate soon. Remember, there was a rumor that Hinkie was willing to do the Holiday trade if one of Noel, Oladipo, and Bennett was on the board at 6:
Yahoo Sources: Minnesota progressing on contract buyout with former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett. He would be free agent if clears waivers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) September 21, 2015
Behind Noel on draft night, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert are the only guys who I would put at his level. So if they make up our top four, I would probably go: 1. Gobert 2. Antetokounmpo 3. Noel 4. Oladipo.
Before you interject, the last three are ridiculously close and their order is certainly up for debate. Oladipo and Noel probably have a better chance to make a leap to All-Star level than Antetokounmpo, but Giannis has the highest potential of the three. Gobert’s rim protection is ridiculous, and his proven ability to anchor a top-flight defense sets him apart (again, in my opinion).
As for the Carter-Williams pick, I would obviously rather take Gobert and Antetokounmpo ahead of him in the re-draft. After those two obvious picks, it becomes trickier. Sure, I’d rather have a few players selected behind MCW (Steven Adams and Gorgui Dieng are two), but none of them likely would have built up the type of trade value that the Los Angeles first-round pick commanded. Like the Noel pick, Hinkie did well for himself in that spot even if he may have missed out on the true home run.
What say you? Is Nerlens at 3 too high? Too low? How about MCW? I would love to read and possibly respond to some opinions in the comments.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
