After writing about the re-draft of the 2011 picks for the Philadelphia 76ers, it seems appropriate to continue with the 2012 NBA Draft. It should be noted that all three of the Sixers’ original picks were traded before either during that draft or before the start of the regular season.
In this draft, the 76ers originally had the 15th, 45th, and 54th picks. It should be noted that the Sixers traded the 45 and future draft assets to select at the 27th pick. With that in mind, this article will be looking at re-drafting at the 27th spot, not the 45th spot with Justin Hamilton selected.
With the 15th pick, the Philadelphia 76ers select…
Originally, this pick was used on Maurice Harkless. Harkless was later traded in the offseason in the Andrew Bynum deal. Harkless developed into a solid athletic defender in the league who can finish around the rim and could occasionally hit a 3-point shot, although he was somewhat inconsistent. His career averages are 7.0 points and 1.0 steals per game.
Not a bad pick, but not the best player available. There are a few solid options available for the Sixers like Evan Fournier, Will Barton, Jae Crowder, Tomas Satoransky, and Khris Middleton. However, the best choice at this spot would have been Draymond Green.
Green has become one of the best playmakers and defenders in the whole NBA. He’s a three-time champion, Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive team, and the guy who brought small-ball to the NBA. He’s a future Hall of Famer he would have made a difference for the Sixers.
It was a tough choice between Green and Middleton because of Green’s limitations as a scorer, but he’s one of the best defenders the NBA has seen this century and that can’t be ignored. For his career, he averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks.