The Sixer Sense
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History of the Philadelphia 76ers and Number One Selection

By Dan Falcone

Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons (25) sits on the bench during the first half of game seven of the SEC tournament against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons (25) sits on the bench during the first half of game seven of the SEC tournament against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers have a solid history of drafting first overall. What they do in this year’s NBA Draft is important.

The National Basketball Association’s number one overall selection is the player chosen first among the eligible draftees by a team during the annual NBA Draft. Obviously, the franchise with the first overall pick attracts significant media attention, as does the player who is selected (or projected first) with that pick.

There have been multiple overall first selection players that went on to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award. They are: Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan , LeBron James, and Derrick Rose.

The Philadelphia 76ers embark on a historic year and era, and for many reasons. This upcoming draft presents another opportunity, with the first selection overall for the Sixers. Two other times the Sixers secured the first pick were in 1973 with guard/forward Doug Collins and 1996 with guard Allen Iverson.

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1973 Doug Collins – Illinois State University

After playing against the Soviets in the Gold Medal game and one of the most controversial contests in sports history, Collin’s career became even more interesting. Drafted out of Illinois with a nickel in his pocket and a $10,000 check Collins’s first act as a pro was buying a Coke, according to the Chicago Tribune. In 1973 the 76ers won the first overall pick with a coin toss. The Portland Trailblazers lost the flip and selected second. Doug Collins played eight seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, and was voted onto the NBA All Star Team three times. For the 1976-77 season, he and Julius Erving led the Sixers to the NBA Finals, where they eventually lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Starting in 1979, Doug Collins experienced a series of nagging injuries. His NBA playing career came to a close in 1981. Collins played in over 400 NBA games, and averaged nearly 18 points per game. He posted a career FG% of .500.

1996 Allen Iverson – Georgetown University

Iverson was just two years old when Collins was selected first overall. At the time of the historic Iverson pick, the questions regarding the 76ers were: Can Vernon Maxwell play the point? What made anyone think he could? Who thought that Richard Dumas would become suddenly stable and mature? Why did the Sixers give up so quickly on Sharone Wright? Can Derek Coleman play? Who knows? Will Derek Coleman play? How well can or will he play? If Coleman sent the likes of Bill Fitch and Chuck Daly packing what chance will Head Coach Johnny Davis have of reaching the royal malcontent?”

It was an unusually strong draft for point guards. Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash and Drew Barry shared the same class with Iverson.

Coming out of the Big East, Allen Iverson was somewhere between franchise player and potential star. He was “chock full of promise,” and left John Thompson to try his hand in the NBA game.

Iverson was seen as an “extremely dynamic defensive player” that constantly “worked on his offensive game.” He was thought by some scouts as having a slight NBA frame. Most point guards entered the league needing to add ten pounds. Durability was thought to be an issue. A long prosperous career awaited AI. He is now a Hall of Famer.

Allen Iverson played 14 NBA seasons and averaged 26.7 points and 6.2 assists per game. Aside from leading the NBA in scoring for four seasons, Iverson was a three-time All-NBA First Team selection. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997 and NBA MVP in 2001.

? 2016 Ben Simmons ? – Louisiana State University ?

The presumptive number one selection was born the year Allen Iverson was picked first overall.  Simmons is just an obvious special talent that can play more than one position like Lebron. He has a great ability to see the floor and find open people. If Brett Brown wants him, he will take him, and the 76ers front office would be wise to allow Brown to call the shots based on their Aussie connections.

The bottom line is this: Simmons is a skilled player with versatility, a solid skill set, intangibles, and a large growing frame. He is a bona fide first pick overall. At the time, it is said that he lacks a consistent jumper.  This is apparently not enough to offset his chances of going number one.

Perhaps Simmons does not have Lebron’s body strength at the same age, but it is thought that Simmons’s can reach to over nine feet from a flat-footed position and has unique creativity and skills. Simmons also has the capability of acquiring strength and is dedicated to preparation for the next level.

Next: Simmons Wants to go First to Philly

The Sixers need to select Simmons first.