Now that Philadelphia 76ers fans have digested all of the negativity and “woe is us” that came in the aftermath of the 2014 NBA Draft, we should all try and embrace the new crop of youth that will be donning the red, white, and blue of our round ballers down in South Philadelphia.
I’m not talking about Joel Embiid, Sixers fans. Sadly, the All-American Kansas standout may be put on the shelf similar to what the team did with Nerlens Noel last year. Embiid’s recovery from a stress fracture in his navicular bone is 4-6 months. Sixers GM Sam Hinkie hinted in an interview that recovery will more likely be 5-8 months to allow for complete and total healing.
The other first round draft pick, Dario Saric — whom the Sixers acquired via trade with the Orlando Magic — will be spending one year (possibly two) in Europe developing a lot more over there than he would here. (Getting 30 minutes per game in Europe is a lot more beneficial than playing 10-15 minutes per game over here. Who knew, right?) In the long run, this strategy will turn out very well for the Sixers.
In the short term, there may not be much of anything viewable down at the Wells Fargo Center this year. The Sixers spent their first pick in the second round on Thursday swiping up K.J. McDaniels of the Clemson Tigers. McDaniels entered the NBA Draft after leading the Tigers in scoring (17.1 points per game), rebounds (7.1 per game), three-point field goals (42), steals (41), and blocked shots (100).
K.J. McDaniels’ defense and athleticism allowed him to earn some top defensive honors as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. For the second straight season, McDaniels led the ACC in blocks. Keep in mind that McDaniels did all of this while playing primarily on the wing. These are the kinds of players that Hinkie has been targeting, and McDaniels will absolutely work well in the kind of run-and-gun athletic team being built here.
If you doubt what I’m saying to you, Sixers fans, take a look at this YouTube clip of K.J. McDaniels’ highlight reel from last year’s opening round game against Georgia State. His athleticism is scary when you look at him at full speed.
Aaron Ransdell is a reporter for The Tiger News — the weekly publication of Clemson University — and Ransdell had a lot to say about what McDaniels did at Clemson and what he could be for the Sixers.
Follow Aaron Ransdell on Twitter.
https://soundcloud.com/adiobroyster/monday-morning-conversation-aaronransdell
[Photo: AP Photo/The Independent-Mail, Mark Crammer]Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
