Philadelphia 76ers in a tough spot in the NBA Draft | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Everyone knows the Philadelphia 76ers were the surprise team of the East, but that won’t be the case next year. Expectations will be higher and anything other than a place in the second round would be a disappointment.

So the big question is: Do they choose someone who will help them in the future or do they choose someone for now?

The 76ers’ primary needs are a point guard and a big man. Andre Miller is entering the final year of his contract and still isn’t sure if he’ll return to Philadelphia after that, while Lou Williams hasn’t convinced me to be the next starting point guard yet.

And don’t let Reggie Evans’ play in the playoffs fool you, it won’t happen to him every day. They’ll have to find someone to take that starting spot unless they want another season of 5.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game from their power forward.

So let’s take a look at what the 76ers could expect for the PG and PF.

Jerryd Bayless, DJ Augustin, Russell Westbrook, Mario Chalmers and Ty Lawson are potential first-round point guards. However, don’t expect Augustin or Westbrook to drop to 16, as Sacramento, New York, Milwaukee and Seattle are looking for a point guard pick ahead of Philly.

Bayless will likely be the first to go, with Westbrook and Augustin going second and third (perhaps not in that order) to one of the teams listed above. That leaves Chalmers and Ty Lawson available to Philadelphia.

I like North Carolina’s Lawson, but I don’t think he has enough talent to be a 16th pick. He also got caught in the past for drinking before driving (he’s only 20). Not the best thing that can happen, especially when teams scrutinize players’ characters.

Chalmers has talent. He can shoot well and play well on defense. However, he plays more of a second guard position than the point guard position. The Sixers already have that type of player in Lou Williams. So what should the Sixers do? Don’t settle for a point guard in this 16th pick.

There are a number of big men who will be available as the 16th pick approaches. Darrell Arthur, Donte Greene, Kosta Koufos, Robin Lopez and Marreese Speights could all be available if this pick is made.

Arthur knows how to score points in many ways. He is fast and that suits the team well. Greene can run the floor and shoot the ball well. He can also play both forward positions, and if he plays the three positions, Iguodala can play the two positions.

Koufos’ advantage is that he is a skilled big man who can get up and down the floor very well. The only downside for him is that he needs to get stronger. Lopez reminds me of another Samuel Dalembert. He can block shots, get you a lot of boards, he’s tough and runs up and down the floor. Speights is a small boy from Florida and a good post-up player. He reminds me of Elton Brand.

A player I like that also fills a need for the team is Brandon Rush. He can play in twos or threes, he can shoot well and play good defense.

These are just some of the possibilities. Who knows what they will do if they trade that pick for a veteran or acquire more picks.