Section 215
Fansided

History Says The Philadelphia 76ers Won’t Get Best Player In Draft

By Mike Lacy

Feb 20, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball in front of Tennessee Volunteers forward Kyle Alexander (11) at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball in front of Tennessee Volunteers forward Kyle Alexander (11) at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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2007

Top pick: Greg Oden

Best player: Kevin Durant (2)

Other notables: Al Horford (3), Joakim Noah (9), Marc Gasol (48)

Analysis

Before the draft, there was some debate whether Oden or Durant would go #1. The Blazers chose Oden, and indisputably made the wrong choice. Oden came into the league with injury concerns, and he was never able to overcome them. (For those of you who are counting on Joel Embiid to be a stud, it’s important to remember that big men who enter the league with injury issues rarely get better.) The correct choice would have been Durant, who is one of the five best players in the league.

Horford, Noah, and Gasol have also established themselves as quality NBA big men.

Philadelphia 76ers pick: Thaddeus Young (12) – Despite being a bit of a “tweener,” Young was a dependable scoring forward for the Sixers before they traded him before the 2014-2015 season.

Next: 2008