76ers to re-brand
Deep Sixer: Even with the pre-draft workout on Saturday for Ohio State center B.J. Mullens, it is, of course, much more likely the 76ers will draft a guard in Thursday's NBA Draft.
76ers to re-brand
Even with the pre-draft workout on Saturday for Ohio State center B.J. Mullens, it is, of course, much more likely the 76ers will draft a guard in Thursday's NBA Draft.
Here are, in our opinion, the Sixers 3 most likely picks:
1.) Eric Maynor, VCU: When speculation first began, the front-runner was definitely North Carolina's Ty Lawson, but it seems that right now Maynor is a very likely pick. Both Maynor and Lawson are true point guards, but word is that Maynor is one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft. If last year's starting PG, unrestricted free agent Andre Miller, doesn't re-sign, Maynor would at least provide an option.
2.) Ty Lawson, North Carolina: His stock has dropped since pre-draft workouts began, falling "clearly behind" Syracuse's Johnny Flynn. The knock seems to be he is injury-prone and a product of the UNC system. Regardless, his leadership qualities, speed, and transition game would give the Sixers an option at point guard, but consensus seems to be Lawson would first need some time as a backup.
3.) Terrence Williams, Louisville, SG/SF; Jeff Teague, Wake Forest, combo guard: Ok, so we said 3 top picks and this makes it 4. Williams is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard who is very athletic, although he seems to slip into the small forward role, too, and we know the Sixers don't need another tweener who slips into the small forward spot. Teague is listed as a point guard, but is more of a combo guard. He has a ton of upside, but the Sixers do have a combo guard in Lou.
And ...
Last week the 76ers announced they will re-launch their brand identity tomorrow in the main lobby of the Comcast Center on JFK Blvd. Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski and new head coach Eddie Jordan will be present. This "major announcement" is scheduled for 2 p.m. and includes a free t-shirt and multimedia presentation on the Comcast experience (the public is invited to attend). Afterwards, the Sixers will begin a T-Shirt Tour from a double-decker bus, with the t-shirts courtesy of Adidas. The tour begins at the Comcast Center, continues through to the circle at the Art Museum, loops around Main Line Health's Lankenau Hospital, then west up Lancaster Ave.
--Kate
If Lawson is available GET HIM!!!!! Plan and simple UNC would not have won the title without him.— cusoraider- Maynor is a solid player, no doubt about it, but he needs to hit the weights big time. Ty Lawson was a man amongst boys at UNC, and would be a spectacular pick for the Sixers, should be still be available at 17.— kgochenour
- If Lawson is on the board he must be the pick, hands down. http://www.reclinergm.com/2009-sixers-draft/— ReclinerGM
- is Ty Lawson better than a Jameer Nelson? Lawson is short, but i like his high FG %... also has a nice 3.5 Assist/TO ratio.. all while leading a high profile program to a National Championship..— AlonzoMoselyFBI
- As NBA ready as Maynor may be, I want this team to have someone who has won something. Their core players (maybe with the exception of Brand many years ago) have never won anything, either in college or the pros. Lawson has and should be their pick.— brob1900
Lawson is the pick; sure hope he is available- this pick will bring a chamionship feel to the rebuilding 'sixers' under Stefanski and Jordan...johnnyu- I hope they rebrand without Mark Zumoff and HipHop. Those two belong on the scrap heap.— Drew777
- How many times can you re-brand before it gets old. Go back to the old uni's and leave it alone forever.— RichardsCaptain08
Pick Lawson. sign and trade Miller to Detroit for Rasheed and more and then sign Iverson- Why isn't Ellington even being mentioned?— hugh
- simple hugh, lawson is better than ellington.— amg
- ·"$%4 IVERSON%&/(— Phillies08
- I find it pathetic that the sixers would pass on ANYBODY...based on the fact that they have "LOU"........Loser article.... loser franchise..sorry to say....WE NEED TO BRING BASKETBALL GLORY BACK TO PHILADELPHIA......Best available should be the pick regardless of position....I believe Ellington will be a longtime starter somewhere....ILUVCHAMPIONS!!!!!!!— ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS
- Does the new brand by any chance involve playing even slightly interesting basketball?— dasher
- Does the new brand by any chance involve playing even slightly interesting basketball?— dasher
- They need to make sure they get 2 picks out of this guard hevy draft. Trade Willie for a 2nd rounder, address both backcourt positions. And Im not in love with Lou so make him expendable too, way too much of a scorer's mentality & not consistent enough to play that way. All the players mentioned above can play, get the best at 17 if you can't move up. Try using Sam & Lou to move up if you can steal Steph Curry or Gerald Henderson.— XmarksTheSpot
- RichardsCaptain08- are you serious? Take a look at the website, they are going back to the 82-83 unis and logo. This has been known for about a year now.— phila1
- Ellington isnt being mentioned because he is slipping- hes a back of the 1st round, top 2nd round pick. Should we be talking about Nivins, Christmas, or Cunningham too? C'mon people.— phila1
- YOU MEAN LOU ASMUNDSUN???????????????????????????????? LOU.....SERS— ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS
The only thing we need to do with Lou Williams is prep him for an eventual trade - he has value on the market but hasn't served the purpose we wanted. Seriously, if Lou can't supplant a Willie Green in the starting lineup, forget it. We need a 1, a 2 and a 5. I say a PG needs the most time to develop so pick up a ty lawson.— dpcoz- Pick Lawson— bjack85
- Eric Maynor should definitely be the choice. This kid beat Duke and almost beat Pitt in the NCAA tournament with a weak supporting cast around him. He's a clutch player that does know how to win. Lawson had the best talent in the country around him. In fact, UNC did just fine when Lawson was hurt.— smfree31
- maynor is the guy...lawson is to small he will get abused in our division...he will get posted up...andre miller presented match up problems for guards because he was tall and strong...you might say eric maynor is to skinny only thing he has to do is get in the weight room...not a big deal at all...but u can give a guy 3 inches...pick maynor most nba ready...the sixers are tring to win some games now...— salis15
- maynor is the guy...lawson is to small he will get abused in our division...he will get posted up...andre miller presented match up problems for guards because he was tall and strong...you might say eric maynor is to skinny only thing he has to do is get in the weight room...not a big deal at all...but u can give a guy 3 inches...pick maynor most nba ready...the sixers are tring to win some games now...— salis15
- TY LAWSON. there's no other answer. we need a true point guard. maynor is score first, as is teague, and terrence williams would be a horrible pick, plus there's no way he'll be there. williams is going lottery. if we don't take lawson, i'll be disappointed, unless of course, flynn, holiday or jennings drop, in which case we better take one of them.
- Maynor looks to be a similar type of player to Miller ... which would make him a nice pick. Putting on 10 or 15 lbs. of muscle should not be a big deal. If Lawson looked to be another Jameer Nelson I could get excited about him ... but he's not.
- Lawson is not an NBA player, slow on defense and smaller than listed. The last thing the Sixers need is more smallest players for their positions.— JonKap
- Please do not take Eric "the Dagger" Maynor... As a Drexel fan, I saw him cry at VCU for 4 years and he will not be a fit for the Sixers. Take Lawson!— DrexelDragonFan
- What exactly is "NBA ready"?— flyerdup
- Just to throw this out there: Word on the street philly maybe packaging Elton Brand to Dallas in a sign and trade deal for what in return is unclear at this state but the talks are deffinately taking place according to a good source of mine in the Big D.— rayzoe
- I got the re-Branding... trade Elton Brand for Elton John, go back to the old school shorty shorts and as they say on the Flintstones, have a gay old time... WILMAAAAAA.— pitydafool
- 76er's Brand Identity "No Way Hoops Say"— The Marco Islander
- If we don't get Ty Lawson I'm not going to re-up my season ticket package.— I would have taken another name but lonewolf beat me to it
- Lawson is so living off UNC and people seeing him on TV. He is a horrible pick for this team. They need length, they need quick release shooters, they need guards who can stay in front of people....Lawson just can not do these things. Mark my words, he will be a deep bench pro at best.— JonKap
- Your not thrilled by a perpetual .500 team?— Cville
- You absolutely have to take Ty Lawson if he is available. The Sixers would really be stupid to pass onthat type of talent.— GHOSTPHAYCE
- Yawn. who cares.— hegzatsc
- "The knock seems to be he is injury-prone and a product of the UNC system." Yeah! UNC stinks! Their players never succeed in the pros! Selfish and undisciplined, the whole lot of 'em. Wait....what?— scotsman
- they should take patty mills with pick 17 he will be great for yrs— DVSDANINOZ
- Any chance Earl Clark falls to the Sixers?— mdriban
- Everybody is sleeping on Ellington, the daily news compared him to Aaron McKie, Mckie was never as athletic as wayne and wayne shoots just as good.— northphillyboy
- Well, anything is better than the "old" brand, pheww! Everyone (most) want the team to draft Lawson, so of course we'll probably draft Maynor ;) But either should be an improvement over what we have, guess we'll have to just wait and see won't we! Whatever they do with the first pick should be good, but we REALLY need a good shooter with the second pick, trading for Kapono didn't get any hopes up from me, averaging 8 points a game doesn't seem to provide a great deal of help, he'll need to average at least 17 to make me happy!!!— FireChief
- Well, anything is better than the "old" brand, pheww! Everyone (most) want the team to draft Lawson, so of course we'll probably draft Maynor ;) But either should be an improvement over what we have, guess we'll have to just wait and see won't we! Whatever they do with the first pick should be good, but we REALLY need a good shooter with the second pick, trading for Kapono didn't get any hopes up from me, averaging 8 points a game doesn't seem to provide a great deal of help, he'll need to average at least 17 to make me happy!!!— FireChief
- Ill put money on it that its the white jerseys from last year with the old school look and red and blue with old school look— chico1127
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
