Fans, experts split on Sixers draft grades
We all do it. Whether consciously or not, every sports fan pegs a letter grade next to their team's draft as a way of deciding whether or not it was successful. We here at Philly.com/Sports love hearing from our readers and like offering you an easy way to tell us how you feel about the draft.
Fans, experts split on Sixers draft grades
Matt Mullin
We all do it. Whether consciously or not, every sports fan pegs a letter grade next to their team's draft as a way of deciding whether or not it was successful. We here at Philly.com/Sports love hearing from our readers and like offering you an easy way to tell us how you feel about the draft.
While we know not everyone reading our site is an expert, we do acknowledge that this city has some of the most knowledgeable sports fans in the country. And when you have an opinion, you like to let it be known (especially when it is an angry one)
That is exactly what we found out in our two most recent polls regarding the Sixers selection of Maurice Harkless in the first round and the trade to acquire Arnett Moultrie, the 27th overall pick.
Here are the questions, and the feedback we have gotten as of 10 a.m, Friday (the day after the draft).
While the fans are not impressed with the Sixers' draft, the experts seem to like it, if not outright love it.
Adi Joseph of USA Today gave Harkless a B grade:
Harkless’ declaration for the NBA draft was among the more surprising this season, but he has tremendous upside. He reminds us of Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George, who left Fresno State a year before he was ready and took time but is now a rising star. Harkless should replace Andre Iguodala, if he is traded, and he’s more of a scorer than shooting guard Evan Turner. He’s not a great fit, though, as the 76ers need a center, but he has high upside at No. 15. Grade: B
And he gave Moultrie an A-:
Moultrie would have been a great fit for the Miami Heat, but they traded him to the 76ers for a future first-rounder and the 45th pick. Instead, he’ll be an excellent fit for the 76ers. He’s tough and athletic and can shoot, and at 21, he’s ready to contribute now. Perry Jones might be the best player available, but Moultrie was the best fit for the 76ers. Grade: A-
Matt Moore of CBS Sports gave the Sixers an A-, and had this to say:
Moe Harkless (15): This was somewhat baffling because the Sixers have guys at his position – Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. Harkless is young and will take some time to develop, but he’s got a chance to be a quality starter in the league. He’s long, rebounds well and can also get to the basket and finish. He can be brought along slowly, but the reward could be tremendous.
Arnett Moultrie (27): The 76ers needed a big man with the potential loss of Lavoy Allen and they were fortunate that Moultrie, who has no shortage of off-court question marks, was still on the board at 27. Moultrie’s major strength is his ability to rebound — and that’s what Philly needs. Moultrie also possesses a decent skill level, but he’ll get on the court due to his ability to get things done on the glass.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix listed the Sixers as one of the draft's three winners:
At No. 15 the Sixers took St. John’s forward Maurice Harkless, a raw but extremely gifted small forward. Then the Sixers cut a deal with Miami to acquire Mississippi State big man Arnett Moultrie, a double-double machine with the Bulldogs who can defend and hit the offensive glass. The decision to draft Harkless likely spells the end for Andre Iguodala, who could be moved for a shooter the Sixers sorely still need.
Chad Ford of ESPN wasn't as positive as some of the others:
Harkless: Harkless has been rising as we’ve moved closer to the draft. He’s a very good athlete and an excellent slasher, reminiscent of Trevor Ariza. But did they really need another non-shooter in Philly?
Moultrie: The Heat are trading Moultrie’s draft rights to the 76ers for a future first-round pick and the 45th pick in the draft. Moultrie was a favorite of the Sixers and he fits them well. He’s another great athlete and he can really rebound. He also can spread the floor and even can shoot 3s. He’s not a shot blocker and he can disappear, but he’s great value here.
And Royce Young of CBS Sports was even less positive, giving Harkless and Moultrie a C and a B-, respectively:
Harkless: The Sixers just added another player that can’t shoot and needs to get to the rim to score. He can defend, but isn’t this just Andre Iguodala lite? You have to assume he’s a future replacement for Iguodala who the 76ers have been trying to trade for forever. If so, not a bad pick. If not, curious.
Moultrie: This pick being traded to the 76ers from the Heat, but a bit of an unexpected free fall for Moultrie. Some had him as a late lottery guy and here he is falling nearly out of the first round. The Sixers can use more size and Moultrie is an athletic, explosive player that needs to refine his game.
Moultrie is a GREAT pick who is the next Kevin Garnett...Moultrie is a 6'11" beast who led the tough SEC in REBOUNDING...plus he is a great inside and outside shooter who scored 17 points per game...Moultrie was a better pick than Harkness, and Moultrie will be an All-Star for many years.— phil500- If you add players like Moultrie and Harkness to the rotation, and take Meeks, Williams and Brand out, what you get is longer, faster and more athletic all over the court. This makes sense for a team that values defense and likes to run. You have to rebound well to play a fast break style. They added a good rebounder and a good finisher. What's wrong with that?— Paul SoTX
- Haha, I hope you were kidding Phil500, I'm not real excited about a guy that lasted until the end of the first round & was traded away by Miami, who had Eddie Curry & Jawan Howard on their bench last year. He sounds like the second coming of Maurice Speights to me with his attitude problems. I'm going to hold off judgement on the 1st pick until I see what they do with trades & FA, right now I don't see how can bring him off the bench with Young, no matter what Thorn said, they're the same player.— cannon00
- Moultrie will be best STEAL in this draft...Moultrie is the next Kevin Garnett...great rebounder who led the SEC...and great shooter who scored 17 points per game..WOW.— phil500
- You have to ask your self why Miami would give up a player for basically nothing.— Drew777
- Trades happen all the time depending on the diferent needs of teams, Miami is NBA Champions and received a good package for the trade, they got a 1st round and a 2nd round pick...Sixers got the TOP rebounder in the tough SEC..plus a 17 point per game scorer, that they really need.— phil500
- Well Drew, all but the first player in this draft have question marks. The further down the draft board you go the bigger the gamble. You are taking a chance on a player, no matter which one you take. The lower the pick, the easier it is to take a risk. At 19 years old, Harkless is a gamble with a great deal of upside. At pick 13, Kobe Bryant was a kid with a lot of upside, and the Lakers took a chance. Turned out ok I think. The draft is a crapshoot. Only time will tell if these were good picks or not. Seems that the experts feel these players have a chance to excell, and potential to be top players. Lets hope that they maximize their potential. I believe that coach Doug wants to succeed and that he wants the best players he can get with which to do so. If he likes the players we drafted and the plan for building this team into a contender, than I'm happy to watch them grow. Patience grasshopper.— Johnnydeagle
- Lots of reason Miami gave up Moultrie, but primarily for salary cap issues. They are already WAY over the cap ($8 million) and have to pay a huge luxury tax. First round picks get guaranteed two-year contracts. 2nd round picks do not get guaranteed contracts and can be cut in training camp. Plus, Pat Riley hates rookies and if he's going to pay a luxury tax, he'd rather do it for Ray Allen or Steve Nash.
- 100% correct...The Heat deferred paying another guaranteed contract (1rst Rounder) this season, as under the new CBA 20 mil=45 mil fine...Essentially, the Heat save about 3/4 million over the nest few years by sending away a player they basically don't need. — bearsfriend
- Im all for going on potential in the NBA draft, this is different than any other sport. You get maybe 4 or 5 guys that rise above the rest in their careers at the next level so imo you reach a bit take potential as opposed to potential role player. There are plenty of those to find so you gotta take a chance on upside. Like the big man pick as well, people were all about this guy early not sure why he fell. Thats see how it shakes out, nobody knows. It worked out with Jru.— peteike
- Moultrie is a dog; won't be in the league in 3 years or at least won't be on a DC coached team in 3 years.— JBinPA
- well the Sixers know they are not winning an NBA championship anytime soon so they can wait on Harkless but my concern is who will lead this team with AI2 gone especially in the playoffs . Evan Turner was like a deer in the headlights against the Celtics and if they do not make the playoffs next year it is a major step back toward mediocrity.— anthemra
- phil500... I hope you're right and not just HYPERBOLIC. Garnett? Really? Either he's the next Kevin Garnett and you can declare yourself more intelligent than every scout and GM out there, or you're a bit too hopped up on the sixer's kool-aid.— vinni
- Vinni...how those scouts feel about Kobe Bryant when he was drafted..not a single one thought Kobe would be the mega superstar that he became.— phil500
- the experts from espn, SI, cbspsorts etc...what a joke these hacks are. these are the same "experts" who told everyone there would be numerous trades involving the 1st 10 picks of the draft. They are no more clued in than the average person, they are great at generalizing that's it.— eagles2010
