The Sixer Sense
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The Philadelphia 76ers History Of Picking At One In NBA Draft

By Bret Stuter

May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown represents his team during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown represents his team during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers Haven’t Picked At One In NBA Draft often, But Do Well At It

Shooting guard Doug Collins was one.  Point guard/ shooting guard Allen Iverson  was the other.  So far that trend has been in the back court.

Now the Philadelphia 76ers annals will add a third name to the players picked at one in an NBA Draft – either Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram.  Will the team remain in the back court?  In theory, Simmons could play point guard, and Ingram could set up as the shooting guard.  But to be picked number one for the Philadelphia 76ers team means something far greater to this city. It means the birth of another NBA legend.  You see, the number one pick for the Philadelphia 76ers have gotten us to the NBA championship finals.

That’s some very good company to share by a young man just entering the NBA.  But it’s also a great deal of pressure whether the young man realizes or not.  In both cases, the selected player was an impact guy, a productive basketball athlete and a player who ended up in the Philadelphia 76ers record books.

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There are no guarantees for any NBA draft selected to “make it big”, but there is the inertia of past performances which will set the bar for the next player picked.   If the player is mature enough to manage the expectation, the high bar will serve as a huge motivator.  Discipline, training, work-outs will be all part of the path, simply following footsteps of those who had come before.

But if not mature enough, the high bar will seem unattainable.  That will be counter-productive. Soaking in the virtues of the first pick of the NBA draft for someone is an easy enticement to cut corners, to hang out with friends instead of the gym, to make poor choices and squander the talent that so few have.

And so, the player selected must not only be worth the pick, but they must be up to the task of traveling a road few can manage in the NBA.

Next: Collins