Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 9:37 PM | 11 comments |
 

Happy Holiday
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Not Ty Lawson.

Not Eric Maynor.

No, the 76ers' choice at No. 17 in the NBA draft is Jrue (pronounced Drew) Holiday of UCLA. He is the first Bruin ever drafted by them.

And perhaps this should not be a surprise, because word out of their front office had been interest in the Bruins' freshman shopuld he slip through the early selections.

Holiday played one season as a shooting guard, away from his natural position in deference to senior Darren Collison. He averaged just 8.5 points.

But he was the Gatorade National Player Of The Year at Campbell Hall High in Chatsworth, Ca., averaging 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.9 assistws and 4.8 steals as a senior.

The Sixers, though, made it clear that they are not anticipating him being an impact player or even a starter. They do think he's their point guard of the future.

They took Holiday despite not having had him in for a workout.

''When (his advisors) thought he'd go in the top 10, he cancelled,'' said Tony DiLeo, the Sixers senior vice-president/assistant general manager. ''We interviewed him in Chicago (at the predraft combine). We studied him. He fits our team.''

 
Posted by Phil Jasner @ 9:37 PM  Permalink | 11 comments
11
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:57 PM, 06/25/2009
    Hey Phil, Learn how to use spell check..."shopuld"?
    — Remember Tim Kerr
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:59 PM, 06/25/2009
    Fire Ed.
    — Hammer859
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:15 PM, 06/25/2009
    If picking him should not have been a surprise, why did the writers not speak of this very realpossibility BEFORE the draft? Lord knows there has been an almost endless amount of time to cover every possible angle prior to the draft. I read many names as potential picks from the "insiders" but I do not remember much about Holiday. When the front office declares they do not expect Holiday to be much of a contributor next season, what improvements then have the team made or will they make before the season begins?
    — MrPhillie
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:25 PM, 06/25/2009
    Seriously you are a writer? The Daily News can not afford to pay a real one? My 13 year old can write in complete sentences. I assure you he will work for much less. How many grammatical errors are in the following sentence fragment: "But he was the Gatorade National Player Of The Year at Campbell Hall High in Chatsworth, Ca., averaging 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.9 assistws and 4.8 steals as a senior."
    — ivewaitedthislong
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:47 PM, 06/25/2009
    Wish it was Matt Holiday.
    — Hammer859
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:21 PM, 06/25/2009
    phil--do the sixers lead the league in having players who aren't old enough to drink in bars, rent cars or apartments? harvey pollack has t-shirts older than most of the roster. how can a team that stinks and is about to lose its only true point guard draft another project?
    — frenval
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:22 PM, 06/25/2009
    what about judy holiday? or doc holiday? even jrewish holiday.
    — frenval
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:42 AM, 06/26/2009
    People need to stop crying. It was such a week draft. No player at 17 would make an impact now. There are some more polished players but nobody who can come in and start right away and be a difference maker. Holliday has the potential and size to be a good player both ways in a few years. Everyone else is one dimensional with less upside. I believe it was a good safe pick and give Ed a break his only other 1st round pick was Maurice Speights who looks like he can play... I was very happy to see Dante Cunningham and Ahmad Nivens get rewarded for there hard work but suprised nobody took Christmas who I thought would be drafted the highest of the three. Lets see what this kid can do.
    — QuintUdall
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:52 AM, 06/26/2009
    Draft was weak, but when a solid Ty Lawson is there, why not take him. Fans shuold not be sujected to pay money for tickets to see "projects" Sixers need to realize Andre Miller will sign with someone else. Why do they think he wants to be part of this garbage. So whether they like or not Jrue will need to start. He has to be a better PG than Lou. Yeah. 2 High School Players of the year in the same backcourt.
    — Sports4Life
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:06 PM, 06/26/2009
    You people are clueless. LANGX it sounds like you were describing Andre Miller. He has no shot at all. Im a better athlete then him and I can propably walk faster then he can run but the guy can just flat out play. Ty Lawson got drafted exactly where he should of. Hes a Speedy Claxton/Brevon Knight at best. Im not saying Jrue Holliday is the next Steve Nash but for where the sixers picked they could of done worse. The sixers draft is nothing to complain about thet got the best available at the position in need. No handle no hops and no jump shot? Your exagerating and by the way tweener is a word that shouldnt be in a mans vocabulary. The sixers are going nowhere fast and it has nothing to do with this draft. Your post is a tweener! Its in between negadelphia and stupidville.
    — QuintUdall


11 comments
About Bob Cooney
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.

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