# Philadelphia 76ers draft Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, and Arsalan Kazemi



## BlakeJesus (Feb 1, 2006)

Nelens Noel was the consensus top pick of the draft by many for the majority of the draft process, so bringing him in at 6th has to feel like great value for their front office. We all are pretty familiar with this kid, but I really like what he brings to the table. I think the NBA is trending towards big men like him. I've heard him be compared to Theo Ratliff and I think that's a pretty solid projection actually. Not a guy who's going to give you high end scoring, but he's capable of being a 12/8 guy who can force steals and block 3-4 shots per game. An athletic rim protector who can run the floor is something almost every single team in the league can use. He's still very young, and I do not think he's hit his ceiling as a player by any means. I also think having a guy like the next prospect they brought in playing with him will make his life much easier on offense, which is something he can use in the early stages of his career. If he stays healthy this is an exciting get at 6.

Michael Carter-Williams is another one of my personal favorites in this draft, he's got a lot of Ricky Rubio/Shaun Livingston in him. He has fantastic size at nearly 6'6" in shoes (6'5.75" to be exact), 6'7"+ wingspan, and he put up a whopping 41 inch vertical. Of course he's not without fault, as his free throw shooting is below average, his three point shot needs work, and he wasn't an overly efficient or potent scorer. Now that we have that out of the way, here's why you should be excited about MCW. His creativity and court vision is terrific, he's going to be somebody players enjoy playing with. His natural passing ability mixed with his elite size at the PG spot allows him to create angles most cannot, so his unselfishness can really be showcased game to game. This also allows him to be a quality rebounding PG, and his defensive ability seems apparent. Though some may wonder if he can matchup with the elite speedsters, the fact he's also as big or bigger than most NBA SG's will allow the 76ers to be versatile and selective with their matchups. Also nabbed nearly 3 steals a game in college, and all indications are he's going to be a quality defender at the next level.

Arsalan Kazemi is a bit short for a PF, at only 6'7.5" in shoes but makes up for it with a legitimate 7 foot wingspan. Seems like a very solid hustle guy, averaged 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and .7 blocks in only 28 minutes per game. Not much of a scorer, but a solid guy to bring in at 54th.

Overall I really like what the 76ers did in terms of who they brought in. I know they gave up Jrue, and that's pretty tough, but I think I'm slightly more OK with that than most considering how high I am on Carter-Williams. They are going to need a scorer to put along side him and Noel, as neither are quality shot takers, but it's a very nice defensive minded nucleolus to build with. Not for nothing, it would be a nearly ideal place for a guy like Andrew Wiggins to land next season.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Obviously, if Noel can stay healthy, he can prove to be the steal of the draft (didn't think I would be referring to him as a steal given his initial projection).


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

BlakeJesus said:


> Overall I really like what the 76ers did in terms of who they brought in. I know they gave up Jrue, and that's pretty tough, but I think I'm slightly more OK with that than most considering how high I am on Carter-Williams.


This is the key to the trade that not enough people are focusing on. If MCW turns out to have more upside than Jrue, it's a win-win for the 76ers even if Noel doesn't pan out. They got the better player on a cheaper deal with a shot at adding another nice piece in next year's draft.


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