Pick And B-Roll
True Hoops has video highlights of Sixers first-round pick Rodney Carney.
And an audio scouting report from David Thorpe at the Pro Training Center in Clearwater, Fla.: "A tremendous athlete, maybe one of the better perimeter player athletes in the draft. I have some concerns about his overall feel for the game, his basketball IQ. He does shoot it very well, he's definitely very quick, very fast, he jumps out of the gym, and I think can knock down open shots, and I think that looks very enticing on draft day. But when the actual game starts.... you just have to be able to react make the right read and go, and I don't know that Carney has that."
Some love for the Memphis U. swingman from Complete Sports, written by a Sixers-following fan from ... North Dakota?:
If you had told me before the draft that the Sixers would get Carney, I wouldn't really have been disappointed. Carney is potentially a lockdown defender, a "world-class athlete" (thanks Jay Bilas), and a pretty good shooter. Sure, he has shortcomings - he doesn't have much of a midrange game and he's not all that great at creating his own shot off the dribble, but paired up with Andre Iguodala, and you're looking at one of the most athletic wing combos in the NBA. Keep AI around, and now this is a real fun team to watch.
Want something from the horse's mouth? How about the Rodney Carney draft blog, from NBA.com:
I don't know what will be going through my head when my name is called – a lot of emotions for sure. A lot of the other guys feel the same way. I talked to Rudy Gay last night, and he is real anxious to see where he is going to go. I'm just looking forward to getting called up there, especially with my family there and all. I've got a pretty big group going – my mother, my father, my little brother, my big brother, my uncle, my aunt and my girlfriend. My mother is definitely in awe of the whole thing.
Everyone is wondering what I am going to do once I get drafted in terms of making that first big purchase, but I don't have anything in mind just yet. I'm gonna wait until I am officially on that NBA roster before I do something like that. Then who knows, maybe a car, a house…Anyone have any ideas?
The day before he described his visit to Philadelphia:
Monday I was in Philly to work out for the 76ers at the Wachovia Center. I've been nursing a sore ankle the past few days so the first thing I did when I got to the gym this morning was to ice it and then tape it up before I hit the court. I ran through some light workouts and took a tour of the arena with my mom and the coaches.
Then I met with a psychologist who confirmed – thankfully – that I wasn't crazy. Just kidding. The questions were a little strange, but every player who works out for the Sixers goes through it, which eased my mind. When that was all over, I rushed to the airport to catch my flight to NYC and prepare for the big day.
A Fox Sports blog, Hoop Futures, scouted the prospect this way in December: He runs the floor like a Greyhound, and soars above the rim for sportscenter-worthy dunks. When his outside shot is falling, it is hard to not see Carney starring in the league someday. When he is throwing up bricks, he tends to look more like a track athlete than a basketball player.
Their summation: You won't find a more electrifying player than Rodney Carney at the college level.
Rodney Carney is going to do fine with the sixers, if not excel in the league. At 6'7 he can guard the new era of the taller guards in the league (lebron, kobe, etc.). Everyone is more than aware of his athleticism and ability to get up and down the court. He will do exactly what the 76ers need him to do, hit the open 3, when getting dishes from AI(not for long), Cwebb, and iggy; also, he will electrify the crowd with flashy dunks and great blocks. I think that him and Andre together could be the new "flight brothers" in philadelphia. I'm calling it now, you heard it HERE first.
Hey, this is twins15 from Complete Sports, thanks for the link. :) We Sixers fans are everywhere! I was hoping for Marcus Williams for the Sixers, but I do like the Carney pick. He fits in with what looks to be one of the their main goals this offseason - defense, while still being able to provide offense on the break and from the outside. A nice all-around player as long as he maintains his focus.