Sixers move up to No. 2 in draft
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Sixers move up to No. 2 in draft
The Sixers moved up to the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft at tonight's lottery in Secaucus, N.J.
The draft is June 24 in New York. The Sixers had a 6.03 percent chance of getting the second pick.
This marks the second straight year in which the team with the sixth-best chance to win the lottery has come away with the second pick (Memphis in 2009).
“We hope our fans are as excited by the outcome of tonight’s draft lottery as we are,” Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski. “We are fortunate that the ping-pong balls bounced our way tonight, and to move up to the second overall pick in a draft that features several impact players will provide us even more options as we move through the offseason to improve our team."
The Sixers had a 5.3 percent chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick, which went to Washington.
The Wizards presuambly will use the top pick on Kentucky guard John Wall, opening several possibilities for the Sixers. The most likely possibility is Ohio State 6-7 shooting Evan Turner, which would give the Sixers a young and promising backcourt with Turner and point guard Jrue Holiday.
The team, in the lottery for the 13th time in franchise history, will select in the top 3 for the first time since 1997, when the Sixers drafted Keith Van Horn with the second overall pick.
The Sixers finished tied for the sixth-worst record in the league at 27-55, but won an advantage over Detroit, also 27-55, through a random drawing held last month.
Here is the order of selection at the top of the NBA draft:
1. Washington
2. Philadelphia
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Minnesota
5. Sacramento
6. Golden State
7. Detroit
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. Utah
10. Indiana
11. New Orleans
12. Minnesota
13. Toronto
14. Houston
Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday in the backcourt. There is hope. Get Collins now!— syddan26- Yahooooooooo!— Rich Kotite
yeessss!!!- Evan Turner. He has a great handle and is intense. No brainer.— JonKap
- Better fire Stefanski now. Don't let him anywhere near that pick.— AreaMan
- I loved how Jrue immediately started smiling when the Sixers' logo came out of the #2 envelope. He just couldn't control himself. I'd much rather have Turner over that headcase Wall anyway.— tc399189
- I couldn't be happier. I wanted Turner all along and he'll probably be there at #2. If he's not we take Wall. Can't lose.— Rick Wise Guy
- Yes!!!— blueye7
- Hmmmm first thing to go right all year. They will find a way to f--k it up!— Snoddy
- No brainer...Turner. The sixers should not let Lynam near the pick, he will want Shawn Bradley.— zion
- now it's time to move brickadala and start thad, there's nothing positive about keeping the brick shooter— bgwille
- Who cares?— Einstein
- we have to have this lineup: Holiday, Turner, Young, Brand, and a new center. AI and Dalembert can go! Collins at the head.— Orin
- Evan Turner, come on down!— scribbles
- First break they've gotten in a long time. Of course, smart teams help make their breaks but we'll take the dumb luck this time. Now it would be smart to can the GM and start remaking this team from the top down and bottom up.— PhillySubsMac
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.
