Sixers Get Picks #3, #10 and Why That is Perfectly Okay

The NBA Draft Lottery finally decided to rear its head last night and almost a year of waiting through 26-game losing streaks, numerous 10-day contracts and the second worst record in the entire NBA culminated into a 19.9% chance that our beloved Sixers would end up with the #1 overall pick and the rights to take Andrew Wiggins in the 2014 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, the Sixers ended up getting the #3 overall pick and the #10 overall from the Pelicans. Thus, the harsh reality that is the NBA Draft Lottery has to be faced. Still, the outcome is nothing that should be met with tears, anger or conspiracy theories. If you'll recall from my piece about Dante Exum, the Sixers needed to land a top 4 pick this year in order for me to be satisfied. In that case, I'm ecstatic about how the chance to officially claim one of the draft's "Big 3" as our own. Trying to figure out exactly which one of those three will fall to us is another story for another day. Today is about how the big guys up top in the Sixers organization have taken another step towards the successful fulfillment of "The Plan."

"The Plan" is short for the act of laying an organizational foundation that can one day result in a team that will compete for multiple NBA championships over an extended period of time. This plan does not guarantee that the Sixers will win a championship, it doesn't guarantee they'll win the draft lottery and it certainly doesn't guarantee every draft pick will be the Rookie of the Year. But there is something to be said about maximizing your assets and thereby raising the probability that you'll one day be able to claim an organization that can be as successful as the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs are the model of success in the NBA. Sure most people hate them for how long they've stuck around, but you can't help but marvel at what they've been able to accomplish. As the great Drizzy Drake once said, "jealousy is just love and hate at the same time" and in the case of the Spurs, that hate is mostly formulated from the desire that their team could have a realistic shot at the championship every year for over a decade. Every fan would love for their team to be the Spurs and that's why they claim they hate them. Best case scenario for the Sixers, they will one day become the Spurs with the help of Sam Hinkie and Joshua Harris.

The real heroes of the 76ers, even if the fan base can't see it yet.

In order to become the model for NBA success however, you have to draft a superstar like Tim Duncan, have a coach like Greg Popovich, and hit on late 1st round draft picks like Tony Parker or even find second round stars like Manu Ginobili. That's why the Sixers "tanking" is so necessary in today's NBA. Teams need star power to win and unfortunately if you're not Miami, Los Angeles, New York or Chicago, you're not going to attract stars in free agency as frequently as you would like. So where does star power come from if you can't do it through free agency? Obviously, the draft. But in order to have the highest probability of obtaining that star power, you need to be higher in the draft. That is why "tanking" is merely a derogatory term for the maximization of the your draft pick assets. There's not much hope for a team middled in mediocracy to simply get lucky in the draft and find a superstar with the 18th overall pick, it just doesn't happen that way. Especially since teams that are contending for the 7th and 8th seeds every year are probably vastly overpaying for "stars" that plainly put, are not worth the money. That's what we saw from the Sixers for so long. Overpaying for the Andre Igoudala's, Elton Brand's and Chris Webber's of the world. These players were good enough to keep the Sixers in the playoffs every year but to expect them to lead you to a championship is a facade and it took a new ownership team to finally see through it.

Did the Sixers need to trade away two of their best players in Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes this year in order to be one of the worst teams in the league? No. But what's the point of holding on to a player if you know you're not going to want them in the future? Especially if you can trade them now and at least get something for them. Plus Sixers fans thinking that E.T. or Spencer were worth more than second round picks have to look at what those players are doing now for their teams. Spencer is a borderline backup center for a lottery team and E.T. is riding the pine on a championship contender. These guys were considered the Sixers stars and are certainly anything but that on the teams they're with now. So is a 2nd round pick a good deal in hindsight for a bench warmer? I'll take it every time. The trading of bum present day players for the future possibility of selecting a 2nd round star like Manu Ginobili is a deal you have to take. We know what Evan Turner is, and the pure possibility, no matter how small, of getting someone useful in the 2nd round makes the deal a good one. Not to mention that Hawes had no future here with Nerlens waiting in the wings.

So yes, the Sixers didn't win the 2014 Lottery, but who says they even needed to? Hinkie has been able to take a mediocre playoff roster and set himself up with insane cap flexibility, the Rookie of the Year, the best NBA prospect from last year, and the #3 and #10 overall picks in the best NBA Draft since 2003, which in terms of statistical probabilities, is exactly what the Philadelphia 76ers needed; a fresh start. "The Plan" is a process that doesn't happen in one year, the Sixers will not contend for a title next year, or the year after and that's okay. As their young building block players begin to grow together with the help of the best development coaching squad in the entire league, the Sixers will eventually find success. Sixers fans will be taught patience over these next couple of years and then will reap the rewards together later. Right now, it's important to enjoy watching young stars in MCW, Nerlens Noel and whoever the team drafts this year grow up and learn together. When you look at the big picture of the Sixers organization, the future is as bright as the spotlights beaming down on the Larry O'Brien Trophy and I'm okay with not winning every battle in the hopes of one day winning the war.

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Introducing Eagles 2nd Round Pick, Jordan Matthews

The Eagles first round selection was puzzling to most when they decided to go with Defensive End Marcus Smith out of Louisville. However, the Birds managed to salvage the draft, and did so quickly, when they acquired Vanderbilt Wide Receiver Jordan Matthews.

Eagles 2nd Round Pick Jordan Matthews
Shedding a Would-Be Tackler

Matthews gives us fans a reason to be excited about the incoming rookie class. He was by far the best player on Vanderbilt's team, while going up against top notch SEC defenses. He's 6'3'' 212 lbs. Fits the mold for Chip Kelly's "big people beat up little people" philosophy much better than ex-Eagle Desean Jackson's 5'10'' 175 pound frame did. He holds the record for most receptions (262) and receiving yards (3,759) in SEC history. He is also a relative of Jerry Rice, which is definitely a positive considering Rice is the greatest to ever play the wide receiver position. 

The Eagles made a great pick here. His coach at Vanderbilt, James Franklin, who is now the new head coach at Penn State, praised Matthews ability and work ethic in an interview with CSN Philly's Derrick Gunn. In fact, his first response when asked about Matthews was, "I have a man-crush on Jordan Matthews" That's the highest praise one man can give to another in my book, and now man crush Matthews (MCM) is on our side! 

His highlight film provides plenty of excitement because of the potential play-making ability he brings to the Eagles. Can't wait to see him do this on Sundays in midnight green:

Overall, great pick by the Eagles. Filled a need with the Departure of Desean, and did so with a guy who will not only beat defenders with his 4.4 speed, but also go up and get the ball in jump ball situations, and thus be a red zone presence, which Desean never was. Let's hope that Jerry Rice blood Matthews has running through his veins allows him to become an impact player from Day 1. He provides our Lord and Savior Nicky Foles with yet another versatile option to throw the ball to.

Bring us a Super Bowl Jordy!

BREAKING: Dante Exum Exists and Could Be Scary Good

Dante Exum is the mystery man from Australia in this year's NBA Draft. He's the projected 4th overall pick and the "next best thing" after Wiggins, Parker and Embiid. He was also at the NBA Draft Combine yesterday. The 6'6" self-proclaimed point guard has a 6'9.5" wingspan and an 8'7" standing reach. So he's an insane physical specimen. He also has an awesome last name AND AN AUSTRALIAN ACCENT.

I'm going to be honest. I'm infatuated with his accent and I used to think the Sixers not getting a top 3 pick this year would be the end of the world, but not anymore. Scouts say this guy is so good that if he played in the U.S. this year then he would have contended for the top pick. If professional scouts say that, who am I to question it? Top 4 pick or bust now, no doubt about it. Only problem is whether or not Exum and MCW will work together since they're both 6'6" slashing point guards with broken jumpshots. But knowing Hinkie, there's no guarantee MCW will even be here after the draft. PAUSE. What am I even saying? I'm not really sure but Dante Exum sure does HAVE A BEAUTIFUL AUSTRALIAN ACCENT.

But seriously for one second, let's entertain the thought. Pelicans pick and MCW for the rights to Dante Exum? Or some other combination? Would you do it? "That's absurd" most would say but you gotta think Hinkie would entertain that idea and ALL ideas on draft day. Especially since MCW isn't exactly the best when it comes to advanced stats. If Hinkie had the balls to pull the Jrue Holiday move last year then clearly we can't even begin to predict what he will do this year or any year after. Obviously if Exum turns out to be the Russell Westbrook/Manu Ginobili combination that he claims he models his game after, then that trade would look really good down the line. I'm not saying I support it so don't come at me like people did with Bob Ford from Philly.com. In a vacuum though, a "Big-3" of Wiggins, Exum and Noel could be a dirty combination. Plus we'd get to hear Dante Exum's AUSTRALIAN ACCENT FOR A DECADE OR SO and that may be worth it on it's own. 

At the end of the day, all these mock drafts and potential draft day trade ideas are irrelevant since no one will actually know who's picking where until Tuesday night. "Settling" for Exum is not the beginning of some Sixerspocalypse and could actually be a blessing in disguise. Wherever the Sixers fall, Hinkie has assets and he knows how to use them. So here's to trusting Hinkie, trusting the system and hoping the lottery balls fall in our favor come the evening of May 20th. Still, even if they don't, we will persevere.

OH AND DANTE EXUM'S ACCENT WOULD BE SO CUTE PAIRED WITH BRETT BROWN'S "BOSTRALIAN" ACCENT.

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Two Eagles Headline the Madden Cover Voting

The Madden 15 cover fan voting bracket was released yesterday and this time the game designers actually decided to make it a relatively exclusive honor and made the bracket only 16 players as compared to 64 from a year ago. Last year our very own LeSean McCoy was the only current Eagle to be included in the 64-man bracket BUT this year, with half as many players, McCoy and Nick Foles have graced the bracket. 

It's no secret as to why McCoy is on the cover. He's one of the league's most popular running backs. NFL fans love watching the shifty moves Shady is able to put on opponents week in and week out. Last year, McCoy was a 10-seed and upset the 7-seed, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. McCoy could have made it even further through the bracket had he not run into the Adrian Peterson buzzsaw in the second round. Peterson continued on to the finals and McCoy was sent packing. This year, McCoy returns, this time as a 3-seed and ready to wreak bracket-havoc after leading the entire NFL in rushing yards.

Nicky Foles was brought on to the cover bracket this year following a fantastic sophomore year where he led the entire NFL in QB rating, even better than Peyton Manning's MVP year! Now, Folesy is only a 7-seed, but I think he has a chance to pull an upset in the first round against the 2-seeded Kaepernick. I, for one, believe that Kaepernick is seeded a little high after not quite living up to the expectations that he set for himself with his rookie year numbers. But then again, Kaepernick is a super popular player with his dual-threat playing style so all of Philly is going to have to rally behind Foles if he is to pull the upset. 

C'mon, now isn't that a beautiful sight?

While the Madden Cover doesn't actually matter as much more than a popularity contest and there's also the issue of the Madden Curse, I think we should all pretend that we're not superstitious just this once and try to help our hometown heroes make a run! If Donovan McNabb can make it to the semi-finals of the Greatest QB of All-Time Bracket, then I truly think anything is possible here. Also, it's always cool to be able to buy a game with one of your favorite athletes on the cover and is a form of league-wide recognition of how great a player truly is, SO GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR SHADY AND NICKY FOLES BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! The link to the voting **CAN BE FOUND RIGHT HERE!** The first round voting ends on May 15th so there's no time to lose. The eventual champion will be crowned June 6th so here's to having an All-Eagles Madden Cover final and having a little more incentive to drop $60 on a game that you'll only be able to play for a year until the next one comes out!

So Who in the World is Marcus Smith?

Oh...?! That guy...?! Yeah, still don't recognize him.

Well that was... underwhelming, to say the least. Eagles went into the draft rumored to potentially make a big splash and ended up with a guy that was projected to go in the late 2nd/3rd round. Not exactly tsunami level waves being produced there, Birds. The Eagles did make a trade, they moved back from 22nd overall to 26th overall; swiping an extra 3rd round pick from the Browns in the process. Now they'll be able to pick/trade/reach for another prospect tonight! Hurray!

Anyway, the team did make a selection at 26 as referred to above. His name is Marcus Smith (which is at least not common at all and very easy to remember) and he is an outside linebacker from the University of Louisville. Now assuming you're not some college football junkie getting high off Manziel TD passes or toking up on old Tim Tebow reruns, you've probably never heard of the guy. That's okay, because neither had I before last night. Here's some physical stats about Philadelphia's newest 1st round pick:

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 251
40 Yard Dash: 4.68 secs
Arm Length: almost irrelevent, 34"
Hand Length: definitely irrelevant.

Obligatory highlight reel where you can watch Marcus Smith beating up on assorted quarterbacks and looking like the second coming of Reggie White located here:


So how does he fit in, if at all? Well it appears he could actually be a perfect fit for the Eagles scheme. The Eagles were in desperate need of someone who can rush the passer off the edge and Smith's biggest core strength is his pass rushing ability! Further, he fits in well as a hybrid guy who can potentially play OLB and DE for the Eagles unique 3-4, 4-3 combo defense. The other saving grace for this guy in Philadelphia is his huge upside. The man was recruited out of high school as a quarterback so WE HAVE to be patient with him. He's been playing the defensive side of the ball for only 3 years but has pure athleticism and length that can help him succeed in the NFL. That being said, I doubt anyone in Philly is willing to give a first round pick 2, 3 or even 4 years to develop. I'm not saying it's a bad pick by the Eagles, I'm just saying I'm... underwhelmed. 

Chip Kelly did go on to state in his post-draft press conference that the team had SIX top-tier players that they were willing to take at 22 if they were there. Unfortunately it seems all of those players were gone by that time. Have to think that our man "HaHa" being picked at 21 to the Packers had to factor into that process. Those cheese-loving bastards.

We'll just have to learn to love our new man Marcus I guess. Or we can just boo him out of town... we'll see what happens.

Still trusting Chip though, until further notice.

Ha Ha Wants to be an Eagle

Sights set on Philadelphia?

We're a little bit over 4 hours away from the long-awaited 2014 NFL Draft and already one player has come out thirsty to get in on the Chip Kelly Experience. Despite the name, the man is no joker. Ha'Sean "Ha Ha" Clinton-Dix, the top-notch safety prospect out of the University of Alabama has a message for the Philadelphia Eagles: "Come and get me." The fit works. Ha Ha would fill one of the Eagles biggest defensive holes in the secondary. Ha Ha also personally thinks that he would harmonize perfectly with the Eagles defensive scheme based on the film he's watched. Only problem is that most mock drafts have Clinton-Dix projected to go top-15 in the draft and the Eagles are currently slotted to pick 22nd. Therefore, it seems the Eagles would have to trade up in the draft to get Orlando native.

Personally, I would be ecstatic if the Eagles could add this impact performer to their roster come eight o'clock tonight; especially if he fell to 22nd. But according to Mel Kiper's Final Mock Draft, Clinton-Dix is projected to go 13th to the Rams so that possibility looks more like a sheer wish than a reality. Still, Ha Ha is the type of player every Eagles fan could get behind. He has all the tools and physicality to bring a Dawkins-esque type of player back to the Eagles defensive backfield. Check out some of his highlights and a #TBT tribute to Young Jeezy and autotune Kanye here: 

While Clinton-Dix is not the best athlete in the draft, he makes up for it with great defensive instincts. He boasts a modest 4.58 40 time and 33-inch vertical. He does stand to add on some muscle but that's always something that can be done when he hits Chip's intense workout regimens. But he should be able to mask that lack of strength a little because he has solid height at 6'1" and wingspan at 78 1/2-inches. Combine all that with great hands and we could finally bring an impact safety back to the city for the first time in 5 years.

Don't get your hopes up too much though Eagles fans, Howie Roseman was quoted in saying "In terms of the safety group, I don't think it's a strong class at all." But Roseman is extremely high on the Wide Receiver group. Who knows, maybe it's the truth, maybe it's all smokescreens. Either way, Clinton-Dix doesn't seem too upset about the Eagles GM's comments, if he's even aware of them, or maybe he just wants to prove him wrong. South Street Bloggers
think he's a perfect fit, Clinton-Dix thinks he's the perfect fit, only thing left is that the people making the decisions need to agree. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if the Eagles are able to add Ha Ha and ensure their defense is no laughing matter.

Eagles' Options With First Round Pick

NFL Draft Baby!! An event that everyone tries to predict what will happen, and nobody is ever right. With the trades, and all the lies that organizations tell one another in order to keep their true intentions under wraps, there is no way to figure out what NFL teams are planning. Regardless, this is an exciting event, one which causes a lot of hope for the future. Every fan over-exaggerates the potential outcome of what each pick means for their team's future.  

The future of the Eagles franchise is in the hands of GM Howie Roseman, and the grading system that he and the Eagles' scouts have put together in order to rank potential picks. It all starts tonight as the long awaited 1st round of the NFL Draft begins at 8 PM. The Eagles currently hold the 22nd overall pick, and there is a lot of speculation about what the Eagles will do with that pick. Will they trade up, trade down, stay where they are?

If the Eagles were to trade up they have a couple of different ways of justifying that decision. The Eagles big needs are Defensive Line, Defensive Back, and Wide Receiver. The reason behind trading up is to ensure that you get a guy you are really high on, a guy that, in the first round, fits your system perfectly and will make an impact immediately for your team. There are a couple of guys that could do that for the Eagles. Top ranked WR, Sammy Watkins out of Clemson would be great as an Eagle, but hes probably going in the top 3, so he isn't really a possibility, the asking price would be way too high to make that sort of jump. Next is Mike Evans, WR out of Texas A&M. Evans is a possibility, but he could go in the top 10 as well. If he falls out of the top 10, then its possible the Eagles make the jump for him. So, Mike Evans is the only WR that the Eagles could trade up for in the 1st round. 

However, if the Eagles trade up to get a WR....I'll be pissed. The Eagles had a proven, play-making, spark plug of a wide receiver, coming off a pro bowl, best of his career season just under 2 months ago. And they let him go for NOTHING! So now, the Eagles are just gonna turn around and draft a WR after letting Desean Jaccson go? No. No. Unacceptable. Can't happen. If the Eagles feel the need to replace Jaccson's productivity by drafting another WR, they should have never let him go in the first place. That wouldn't make any sense. The only way to justify releasing Jaccson is if the Eagles believe that Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper are good enough at the wide receiver position to make the offense just as effective as if Desean were still there. 

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Intercepting A Pass In
Last Season's Game Against Notre Dame

At the moment some of the mock drafts are projecting that Alabama Saftey Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will fall to the 22nd spot. That would be by far the best case scenario for the Eagles. He, along with Louisville's Calvin Pryor are a close ranked top 2 for the safety position, and after those 2 there is a pretty big drop off. When the Eagles failed to sign Jarius Byrd or T.J. Ward during free agency, the possibility opened up for the Eagles to snag a top tier safety in the draft. The Eagles did sign free agent safety Malcolm Jenkins, however, he is far from the talent level that Byrd or Ward would have provided. 

The final option for the Eagles is to trade down. The only reason they would do that is if guys like Evans, Pryor, and Clinton-Dix are off the board. There is a lot of talent in this draft, and trading down and receiving additional picks is not a bad option if the guys you want aren't on the board anymore. 

Prior to recent mock drafts, Clinton-Dix was off the board within the first 15 picks, so if he falls to 22, expect the Eagles to jump on him. 

There are some reports that the Eagles will, "drop a bombshell" tonight at the draft. I really, really hope that does not mean trading up to get a wide receiver. Again, they gave up Jaccson for nothing in return. It doesn't make any sense for the Eagles to use that pick to replace Jaccson, when they could have just kept Jaccson. 

Here's to hoping the Eagles draft Ha Ha and laugh their way to the Super Bowl this season. 

Michael Carter-Williams Is Your 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year!

FUN FACT: MCW also won NBA Smile of the Year.

Well it's been a long time coming to say the least. I'm not talking about the waiting time in-between my last blog and this one either. Today we get to officially say that the Sixers have their first NBA Rookie of the Year since Allen Iverson in Michael Carter-Williams. Alright maybe it's not official yet but I trust the source for NJ.com and the fact that there's really no other candidate for this award this year. Anybody who says they expected this from the 21 year-old kid out of Syracuse would be lying.
The now 22 year-old pro with one year of NBA experience under his belt has grown exponentially since Draft Day 2013. MCW has always had the tools to become a star. He's blessed with extraordinary height for a point guard at 6'6", which allows him to see and pass over pretty much all those who guard him in the NBA. MCW has had a stranglehold on the Rookie of the Year spot ever since his debut when he almost had a QUADRUPLE-DOUBLE (22 pts, 12 Ast, 7 Reb, 9 Stls), went toe-to-toe with the best player on the planet and beat him and effectively turned into "Magic" Carter-Williams for the night. So what if the real Magic was actually 3 inches taller than our Sixers version? They're clearly the same player.

In case you forgot how amazing that debut really was, or if you need some cheering up after the Flyers ducking out in the first round of the playoffs and with the Phillies bullpen blowing every other game, here's the highlights that should put a smile on every Sixers fan's face:



Sure the guy has flaws, but we're not worried about that right now. His main weaknesses like strength and a jump-shot are all fixable and will be worked on. As long as MCW continues to grow himself into the leader that Brett Brown wants him to be and remains coachable, one day he should become the perfect point guard for the Sixers and hopefully be a perennial all-star. But even if he's not an all-star caliber player every year, that doesn't mean he's not a perfect point guard you'd want running an offense and doesn't mean he won't be helping them win playoff series in the future.

The bottom line is that MCW is a rising star in the NBA and deservedly won this award after leading all rookies in points, assists, steals, rebounds and double-doubles. You can't make much of an argument for anybody else when the man leads in pretty much every major category. MCW benefitted from a weak draft class but it's still awesome to think that even with a weak draft class, the Sixers potentially made out with the two best players. MCW will also assuredly make All-NBA Rookie First Team now, but also look for Hollis Thompson to highlight the All-NBA Rookie Second Team after leading all NBA rookies in 3-point FG%.

Dance, Dance.