Re-drafting Philadelphia 76ers 2010 pick

In 2010, the Philadelphia 76ers had the second-highest pick of the draft, but somehow they majorly failed to capitalize on their selection.

The 2010 NBA Draft produced some highly talented players and the Philadelphia 76ers were fortunate enough to have the second overall pick in that draft. Yet, somehow the franchise missed on selecting several All-Star level players after hitting the mark in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Originally, Philly selected Evan Turner with the second pick. In his junior year of college, Turner averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.7 steals. On top of that, he won various awards including AP player of the year his last season. Taking him second overall made sense.

Turner ended up being a role player for his career. Outside of a semi-reliable mid-range jump shot, Turner outside shooting never translated to the NBA. For his career, he’s only shot 29.4 percent on 3-pointers and has a career scoring averaging of 9.7 points per game.

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The 6-foot-7 forward has developed into a solid point-forward during his career and has had his best seasons with the Sixers and Boston Celtics. During his tenure with the 76ers, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.

Despite being a solid role player, Turner clearly wasn’t worth the second overall pick. There were several players selected behind him that are All-Stars or even franchise players.

Center DeMarcus Cousins (fifth pick), small forward Gordon Hayward (ninth pick), and small forward Paul George (10th pick) would have all been better choices than Turner, with George being the best. All three players have dealt with career-threatening injuries, but George is the furthest removed from his and has proven to still be a franchise player whereas Cousins and Hayward are just All-Star level players.

Having a young trio of George, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young would have set up Philly for long-term success. The team would have been a juggernaut defensively and elite offensively. For his career, George has averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 rebounds, while converting 38.0 percent of his attempts from downtown.

It’s clear that the Philadelphia 76ers missed out big in the 2010 NBA Draft. It’s hard to imagine that the franchise wouldn’t have and still might be contending for a title with the 6-foot-8 George leading the way.