Unlike most drafts in the 2000s, the 2009 NBA Draft was extremely kind to the Philadelphia 76ers but did they nail it with their pick?
Very few times do teams take the right player at the right draft slot. For the Philadelphia 76ers, it only happened three times in the 2000s. I’ve already written about how they nailed the 2004 and 2005 NBA Drafts. The third time they struck gold with a draft pick that decade was in the 2009 NBA Daft when they selected Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers originally selected Holiday with the 17th pick and if they had to re-draft that selection, Holiday would be the right pick there yet again. Out of everyone drafted that year, only Stephen Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, and DeMar DeRozan are better players than Holiday.
Holiday came in and took over the role of franchise point guard in just his second season with the 76ers after Allen Iverson left that role vacant when was traded back in the 2006-07 season. Holiday made his only All-Star game appearance as a member of the Sixers.
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During his tenure with the Sixers, he averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals, while making 43.7 percent of his field goals and 37.4 percent of his 3-pointers. Sadly, his time in Philly came to an end when then Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie traded him to kick-start a rebuild deemed “The Process”.
Since being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, Holiday has blossomed as a combo guard, especially the last three seasons under head coach Alvin Gentry. Holiday has also earned two All-Defensive honors while on the Pelicans. He was named All-Defensive first team in the 2017-18 season and All-Defensive second team in the 2018-19 season.
Holiday was the best player available at the 17th spot, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some good players drafted after him or who went undrafted altogether.
- Ty Lawson (18th pick)
- Jeff Teague (19th pick)
- Darren Collison (21st pick)
- Patrick Beverley (42nd pick)
- Danny Green (46th pick)
- Patty Mills (55th pick)
- Wesley Matthews (undrafted)
- Aron Baynes (undrafted)
- Joe Ingles (undrafted)
The 2009 NBA Draft ended up being a deep one and the Philadelphia 76ers struck gold by drafting Holiday with the 17th pick. In this re-draft, there’s no reason why the Sixers shouldn’t take Holiday at that spot.