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**Coatesvillain** · 05-26-2004, 07:52 AM

Quote:

PHILADELPHIA -- If new Sixers’ coach Jim O’Brien has his way, a scenario many fans in the area envisioned will not come to pass.
Speaking to the media Tuesday, O’Brien said he didn’t see the Sixers taking Saint Joseph’s point guard Jameer Nelson, the 2000 Daily Times Player of the Year from Chester, with the ninth pick in the draft, assuming the Sixers’ don’t beat the odds and move up in tonight’s NBA lottery in Secaucus, N.J.

"I don’t think we have Jameer right now," said O’Brien, himself a St. Joe’s grad. "Let’s put it this way, I would not, from the guys that I studied, I would not necessarily have Jameer in the top 10 in the lottery. So if I had to make the call, which I’m not making the call, I don’t think that scenario is gonna happen."

O’Brien won’t have the final say on draft day, which is June 24, but he will have input. Recently, he’s been studying tapes of 15 prospects put together by Tony DiLeo, the team’s director of player personnel.

While O’Brien said Nelson wasn’t one of the 15, he did say he’s very familiar with Nelson’s game, having scouted him in Chicago last year in the league’s pre-draft camp and watching him this season as the Hawks made their run to the NCAA’s round of eight.

"I don’t think it’s what Jameer lacks," O’Brien said. "I think it’s the strength of, from what I’ve personally seen, the international players, the high school players and other four-year players.

"I think he’s a terrific player that will have a great deal of success in the NBA. I have not sat down with Billy and Tony and gone over where I see things. We all have our lists. I would just say my opinion is that if we draft at nine I wouldn’t put Jameer as a guy I would draft at nine. I think he’s a terrific player and he’ll make a lot of money in the NBA. But I think there’s a strength in the draft that would lead me to believe we might be able to go in a different direction."

Nelson’s size, at least from the Sixers’ standpoint, could have some bearing. O’Brien and team President Billy King have made it clear they’re committed to keeping Allen Iverson. A backcourt with the barely 6-0 Iverson and the 5-11 Nelson would be a tough sell to any team in today’s NBA.

In fact, in O’Brien’s opinion, the team’s biggest need is size.

"We need some help up front at the five and the four spots," he said. "Samuel (Dalembert is) a player who’s improving and had great growth as a player last year. But we need a center to help him. And (Kenny) Thomas is a very good player at the four. I can envision using Marc Jackson in both of those spots, the four and five, but we need some depth in our big spots. Whether that can come in the draft, free agency, trades, it doesn’t matter how it happens, we just need to improve in that area."

A number of the top prospects in the draft have height, and one mock draft on the Internet has the Sixers taking Andris Biedrins with the ninth pick. Biedrins is a 6-11 forward/center out of Latvia.

"I’ve studied about a dozen players so far and he was one of them," O’Brien said.

LINK

It's good for some real news of the Sixers to finally break, and as of right now Jim O'Brien is saying all the right things. I think he let the Jameer Nelson thing down lightly, and prevented a huge outrage around the draft (even though 610 WIP is acting like he dissed Nelson). Hearing that the Sixers are familiar with Andris Biedrins, as well as some other players is comforting. I also read in the Daily News today, that Jim O'Brien is looking for a guy who will contribute as well as improve, so it's sounding like he's looking to play the young guys pretty much continuing what Chris Ford did last season.

Here's another link, an article written by Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News..

LINK (reg. req.)

Also, if you didn't know, as of lately Truebluefan has been posting NBA news on BBB.net's front page, you can check them out here: BBB.net front page

**BEEZ** · 05-27-2004, 09:10 PM

Im a huge Jameer fan. But it wouldnt have worked with him and AI in the backcourt. Good deal Jim

**RoyWilliams** · 05-27-2004, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by <b>BEEZ</b>!
Im a huge Jameer fan. But it wouldnt have worked with him and AI in the backcourt. Good deal Jim

Thats why i didnt want him.

Hawks4ever · 05-28-2004, 11:40 AM

OB sure is pretty open with the prospects, gotta like that. Most guys are pretty hush hush

**Coatesvillain** · 05-30-2004, 12:20 PM

Quote:

In a professional sports city such as Philadelphia, Saint Joseph's University point guard Jameer Nelson was able to steal more than a few headlines this season. In fact, as the 76ers sputtered toward a 33-49 record and have made a return to lottery-land, Saint Joseph's became front-page news up until the day the Hawks lost to Oklahoma State, 64-62, one game shy of reaching the Final Four.

Nelson, who hails from nearby Chester, Pennsylvania, was the epitome of the Philadelphia point guard – fearless, intelligent and supremely confident. The 5-foot-11 Nelson led Saint Joseph's to college basketball's first undefeated regular season (27-0) since 1991 and kept winning big even after the 30-2 season, sweeping honors such as the John Wooden and Naismith awards. He finished as the school's all-time leader in points (2,094), assists (713) and steals (256). As a senior he averaged 20.6 points and 5.3 assists. Nelson had his number 14 retired and many have hailed him the best-ever in the tradition-rich Philadelphia Big 5.

The Sixers will select ninth in the June 24th NBA draft, but apparently new coach Jim O'Brien has little sentiment for a local hero.

Questioned the day before the draft lottery about Nelson, O'Brien was forthcoming in his assessment of the Hawks' point guard.

"I would not necessarily have Jameer in the Top 10 in the lottery," O'Brien said. "If I had to make the call, which I'm not making the call, I don't think that scenario (drafting Nelson) would happen."

Keep in mind that O'Brien might be a newcomer to the 76ers, but he certainly knows about Saint Joseph's and Nelson. O'Brien is a 1974 Saint Joseph's University graduate, but refuses to allow emotion to get in the way as he tries to reconstruct what is considered an aging 76er team.

Two nights later at the NBA draft lottery, 76ers president and general manager Billy King went on his best damage control mission.

"He (O'Brien) did say later that he is not making the final decision," King said. "We will evaluate everybody and then make a decision."

King insists that the organization has an open mind about Nelson and every other prospective prospect.

"A lot of times you have an opinion and then you work a player out and the opinion changes," King said.

That means that if Nelson wows the Sixers brass during his individual workout, he might be considered. Still, none of this is a ringing endorsement for Nelson.

In assessing a team's needs and desires for the draft, one major fact has to be considered. Many of the teams that are questioned are more adept at throwing smokescreens than executing the pick-and-roll. That means that
teams flat out lie, in order to throw off the competition.

It appears as if O'Brien isn't sinister enough to pull this off. He is a straight shooter who has little time for theatrics. It's likely he was telling the truth and that he doesn't consider Nelson the savior that some local Philadelphia writers have painted.

LINK

dcrono3 · 05-31-2004, 04:26 AM

I didn't know O'Brien was a Saint Joseph grad. I guess it shows that he is really thinking for the best of the team instead of attachments, something good.

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