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The East contains several of the best bigs in the league, not to mention Rose/Rondo/Kyrie/Wall, not to mention, yknow, Bron and them. No chance the Sixers contend this year or next year, or even the year after.
They didn't have a franchise talent to build around anyway. So start fresh.
1. Draft a raw point guard with the size to create potential matchup problems and develop him over the next three years. They'll lose, but they weren't winning a title anyway, not in the Bron era.
2. Draft a raw defensive-minded big man to help against the Lopezes, Hibberts, and Monroes of the East. He's hurt and he's too thin, so sit him out for the season, work on adding about 20 pounds, and when he enters the league as a rookie next year, he'll have the size, the talent, and a shitload of motivation.
3. Keep losing the next two years. Some terrific prospects coming in the next two years, and not just the #1 picks. Even if they don't get Wiggins, adding Randle, Smart, or Parker next year would be dynamite. And if they enter the lotto again, there's plenty of talent coming down the pipeline the next year too, with Turner/Okafor/Looney/Vonleh/etc.
Obviously it'll suck if you're a season ticket holder, but be patient. This isn't far from the strategy OKC took-- they dealt their best players and started stockpiling talent in the draft with long-term hopes. Neither MCW or Noel are as good as Durant, obviously, but they have higher upside than the majority of the lotto picks in that draft, and Noel's injury is the perfect excuse to tank again to get either two more lotto picks or one and a high mid-firster (and considering the talent that may be available mid-first this year would've been high-to-mid lotto talent last year, that ain't bad).
Even if they don't hit a Durant/Russy/Harden combo in the lotto these next three years (they won't), they could still emerge with any number of enticing combos for the future with an early first and mid first this year and an early first next year. MCW/Smart/Oubre/Perry Ellis/Noel? MCW/Sulaimon/Parker/Okafor/Noel? MCW/James Young/Looney/Randle/Noel? Mudiay/Exum/Hood/some vet, who cares/Noel/MCW as sixth man? There is a smorgasbord of options.
I wouldn't be surprised if they try to deal Turner and Hawes for whatever they can get too. Miami's still gonna be the creme de la creme for another three years. Bide your time, get young talent, and be ready to strike at the first moment of vulnerability at the top.
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