The 11 Biggest mistakes in 76ers' history (and what they should've done instead)

9. Drafting Larry Hughes at 8

The 76ers had not played the playoffs in seven years, but Allen Iverson was blossoming into a superstar. They went from 18 wins in 1996 to 22 victories to 31. Philadelphia had the eighth pick in the 1998 draft and hoped to secure a piece that helped push them into contention.

The Sixers selected Larry Hughes. The 6’5 wing averaged over 20 points per game during his lone college season, and Philly hoped he would blossom into a star.

Instead, Hughes played just 100 regular season games with the franchise before being traded to the Warriors in his sophomore season. He was a quality role player during his 13-year NBA career, but never fully reached his ceiling.

Things got worse as the Sixers missed out on the two best players in this draft.

The Sixers should have taken Paul Pierce

Dirk Nowitzki was the best player in the 1998 draft, but Philadelphia had Theo Ratliff and Matt Geiger in the frontcourt. Finding minutes for the German would not be easy, and he was a raw prospect in need of seasoning. The 76ers wanted to win now, but they picked the wrong wing.

Paul Pierce went tenth overall to the Boston Celtics and immediately averaged over 16 points per game. The Truth became one of the league’s best scorers and a ten-time All-Star. He led the Celtics to a championship in 2008 and made the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

Imagine Paul Piece and Allen Iverson sharing the floor in Philadelphia. The Celtics star was a plus shooter capable of taking some of the scoring load off AI’s shoulders. Making the fit work wouldn’t have been easy, but it certainly would have raised the 76ers ceiling. They made the NBA Finals in 2001, but Iverson and Pierce may have brought a title to the City of Brotherly Love.