NBA Draft 2011: What positions should the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings hunt for?
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Draft Pick: 16th Pick
Recommended Position: Power Forward
The 76ers are a team with potential. They have more or less every position covered, and with a 16th pick they won’t get a starter in this year’s NBA Draft anyway.
Andre Iguodala is solid as ever and with Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams around, there is sufficient cover for him at the wings as well. Rookie Evan Turner has also shown enough glimpses of his talent to be considered a starter
in the future. Therefore the 76ers are set in that department.
On the other side of the spectrum, Jrue Holiday is proving to be a good young point guard. Elton Brand still pulls his weight at power forward position while Spencer Hawes is passable as a centre. Of all the players mentioned,
Brand is the oldest, so a backup for him seems plausible.
Team: Phoenix Suns
Draft Pick: 13th Pick
Recommended Position: Power Forward
Although old boys like Steve Nash, Vince Carter and Grant Hill are still around in the desert city franchise, it is not their positions that need the injection of new blood. Nash is still going strong and in any case the Suns already
have a replacement ready for him in the form of Aaron Brooks. Also, with Channing Frye and Jared Dudley providing possibly better options in the forwards category, the roles of Carter and Hill have reduced somewhat.
Frye’s play however, revolves more around the jump and clutch shots and often leaves a bad taste because of his minimal post presence. The Suns would do well to get someone in at power forward, who can push him out of this position
in a year or two. He can be viable option for shooting guard though. Marcin Gortat is a good centre, so they are covered in that respect.
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Draft Pick: 21st Pick
Recommended Position: Centre or Point Guard
The Portland Trail Blazers have one of the best duos at the forward position in the league -LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace. Aldridge continues to impress and averaged over 20 points in the 2010-2011 season. Playing at small
forward, Gerald Wallace is a remarkable player. He provides good numbers offensively and was named in the NBA All Defensive team last year. Therefore the forwards are not something Portland are concerned about.
They have a number of shooting guards as well. Wesley Mathews seems set to have a bright future and if the Trail Blazers can get Brandon Roy fit and firing, they will have a very strong backcourt combination indeed.
The trouble areas are centre and point guard. Andre Miller is set to enter his 13th season and his legs cannot be relied upon much longer. They do have a number of young guards around and could give them minutes next
year to determine if they can step up. The situation with the centres is truly worrisome though, with age and health both a factor. Greg Oden, who has been cursed with injuries, is a serious concern and with him out indefinitely they need a big man in the
lane.
Team: Sacramento Kings
Draft Pick: 7th Pick
Recommended Position: Small Forward
The Kings are weak in a couple of positions, but their back bone is very strong. Tyreke Evans is an undoubted star of the future. He won ‘Rookie of the Year’ award in the previous season and although his form has faltered a little
this season, there is no questioning his talent. Marcus Thornton is a good guard as well so Sacramento are set in the back court.
Centre is a very important position and the Kings have good options there as well. DeMarcus Cousins and Samuel Dalembert are both pretty impressive and provide the team with a solid foundation. The weakest place however is the
small forward position. It is the slot where the Kings have never looked comfortable in recent years. Although with the 7th draft pick in their grasp, they have an ideal opportunity to redress that fact.
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