Draft Season: The Draft and the G League

impact on the GI League. We'll also hear from sharpshooter Dylan Windler following this recent visit to the training complex. It is trying to get that shot down muscle memory, the same as that shot every time, but then when it comes to game and I just shot selection and good shot selection shoot out with Complins. It is the latest draft season edition of the broadcast. Hello at seventy sixers, odd people, and how are you doing? Brian Seltzer saying

what's up? As we get closer and closer to the draft, and I check in with another draft edition of our podcast. We're going to talk with Matt Lily, he runs the Delaware Blue Coats, will speak about his role in the seventy sixers draft preparations, and we'll also talk with Dylan Windler.

He is a four year senior out of Belmont trying to become just the second player ever from that Tennessee based institution to make an NBA roster, and he'll recap his visit with these seventy sixers before we get started. Want to remind you, like we usually do, to subscribe to our pod if you are not yet a subscriber already.

Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, SoundCloud, tune in all places you can go to get our pods, and if you prefer to go elsewhere, does type in Sixers podcast network and that should take you to where you need to go. The gym at the seventy six ers training complex and Camden has been a busy active gym in

recent weeks. Really ever since the Memorial Day weekend, the seventy sixers have been hosting pre draft prospect workouts with six players each feels like just about every other day.

It was really neat on Saturday over the weekend to have Philip Booth and Eric Pascalin from Villanova to bring a local flavor to the competition on the court, but there have been prospects of varying degrees of experience skill sets being rolled in and out as they go through the pre draft circuits over the last i'd say fourteen to twenty days. A guy who seems interesting is Dylan Windler,

at least to me. He is a native of Indianapolis who was one of the best high school players in recent history to come out of that area, such a hotbed for basketball, and he spent four years at Belmont with the Bruins in Tennessee and had an outstanding career, one in which he got better and better as the seasons went along. As a senior, he averaged just over twenty one points per game and roughly eleven rebounds. He shot a very impressive forty three percent from the field

while knocking down one hundred three pointers. And after a stop with the seventy six ers recently I spoke with Dylan win laure about how's workout with It was a lot of fun. Um. They started us off with some shots on the move, uh, you know, really got us going, and then we topped right into one on one, three on three. We played for you know, thirty forty minutes. It was a super fast paced and very competitive, so

it was a really good workout. Of role. You put in four really solid growth years at Belmont, improved by the season being a four year player. What advantages do you think that that gives you coming into the draft. I think just a little bit more experience. You know, I've played a couple more years than a lot of these guys, um, so just having that experience under my belt definitely helps me. I've played in you know, one hundred and twenty one hundred and sixty games in college,

So just having that experience for sure. Where do you think you took your game the most in terms of areas that you expanded your skill set the last four years? So you're just you know, handling the rock and you know, being able to come off picking rolls, be more versatile and offense, and being more than just a shooter, you know, moving with and without the ball, and you know, just trying to be a better defender. I'm going to ask you about that notion of being more than a shooter

in a couple of seconds. But the shot is the shot. That's a lot of things that people focus on. How did you grow your shot over the course of her four seasons, Because if you look at it from an efficiency standpoint, the numbers went up. I would just say, obviously a lot of repetitions in the off season, just trying to get that shot down muscle memory. Um, just coming to have the same as that shot every time.

But then when it comes to game night, just shot selection, good shot selection, and you know, um, you know, shooting it with confidence. Are there NBA shooters you admire guys? You try to pattern model your game after Um. Yeah, I like to watch Gordon Heard a lot. Um, I'll like to take some stuff from James Harden. Obviously he's just who we're starting. You can't do it all things he does, but just the way he moves a little bit is very intrigue games. I try to model my

game a little bit after that. Sure, you've talked about it a lot, but tell me about your journey to Belmont. You're a terrific player coming out of Indianapolis, one of the best breeding grounds for basketball in the country in Belmont. How did you land there? Yeah, so for me, it was a different journey. I played golf in the summer my first two years of high school, so I didn't play much AU. I only played one year AU my last year of high school, so um, I was wasn't

recruited very hard. I didn't get an offer till my senior year, and I got a lot of mid major offers late. So I visited Belmont. You know, I loved everything about it, love the coaching staff, love the team. They had a winning tradition, and you know, I loved everything about it. So I committed there, and you know, I never looked back, and I think there was a great decision for me. Is there anything that you can apply from playing golf to basketball or vice versus? There

any overlap whatsoever? Yeah, I think, um, just the mental aspect of it, you know, moving on to the next shot. And you know, golf is definitely a mentally tasting sport and you've got to be able to you know, be mentally strong and just move on to the next shot. So it's kind of same thing with basketball. You know, when you miss a few shots, she's gotta be able to move on the next shot. Bellmint obviously has just one player in its history that made it to the NBA.

To be the second to go from that school to the pros in the NBA, What would that mean to you? No, you'd mee the world for me for sure, just being able to represent all my university, you know the obviously they've had a great basketball program for a long time with coach Burr, So just being able to represent them and just all mid majors across the nation would be really good feeling. As you said a couple of minutes ago,

you feel like you're more than just a shooter. What are some of the other areas of your game that you have the most pride in? Uh, Like I said, I'm trying to get better with the ball coming off the screens. I try to move really well without the ball. Just stay moving on offense, all aspects, and then you know, one thing I'm trying to prove on his own the defensive. I'm just trying to grind it out every day, trying to become more versat I'll be able to switch screens

and guard multiple positions. So that's something I'm working on. You know, I gotta get stronger, but you know I'm getting there for sure. What are your expectations for draft night? You know, I'm not trying to set too many expectations because i know draft night can be hectic, So I'm just trying to stay positive to what i can in these workouts and let that you know, play itself out and just try to do everything that I can to put myself in the best position. All right, Dylan, thanks

so much, appreciate it. Dylan Windler, an exceptionally efficient player out of Belmont, spent four years at the Tennessee based school, put up some great numbers his final two seasons, both offensively and defensively. He paid a recent stop to the seventy six ers at the training complex for a pre draft workout. We're going to speak with Matt Lily, general manager of the Delaware Bluecoats, coming up, but first I

wanted to issue this reminder. If you're a person who is ages five to seventeen, you very well maybe listening to this podcast, or if you are a parents of a child ages five to seventeen. Seventy six Ers basketball camps are starting soon, as in within the next week and a half at some locations throughout the Delaware Valley. Registration is open go to seventy six Ers Camps dot com.

Seventy six Ers Camps presented by Rothmann Orthopedics, empowered by EESF has been an institution in the area for over thirty years and It's hosted over one hundred and ten thousand campers, some of whom have gone on to become pros, both men and women, Others who just have had a great summer spending time around seventy sixers players and highly qualified camp instructors. Campers from over forty states fifty countries

have gone to seventy six Ers basketball Camps. It is designed to meet the needs and skills for players of all levels. It's seventy six Ers Camps dot Com to enroll now for day and overnight camps, which get underway in just a few short days. As we mentioned, just a few short days until the NBA Draft next Thursday, June twentieth, Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Someone who's been an integral part behind the scenes for the seventy six Ers in preparing the organization for this year's draft Matt Lily.

He's had his eye, of course, on prospects who can help at the NBA level, but as general manager of the Delaware Bluecoats, he's also checking out guys who could fit with his team in Wilmington come the fall, and he's also working with a front office and helping assemble this year's summer league roster as well. So if that is the context, it was the reason why I wanted to sit down with Matt Lily on this episode of the podcast. Matt, how are you holding up? We are

getting close? Yeah, it is like you said, it's hard to believe that we're you're sitting here so close to the draft, but where you know, I'm holding up okay, and we're excited about Thursday night. What's the tone like inside an NBA front office right around now? Um? Tone, it's I think we feel pretty good about about where

we are. I think at at times this process gets a little bit hectic, where um, you know, there are dozens and dozens of players that that you're trying to sort through and kind of put put together some sort

of priority or ranking. But I think we feel good about about the work that that Vince Rosman and Mark Eversley in the whole scouting department has um has put in, you know, really the whole year round to put us here in position to have a pretty good feel for kind of where we have guys and and have a plan for what we're hoping to do Thursday night. My first inclination whether I'm tweeting about something or writing about something.

This time of year when the draft workouts start to pick up, is to caption something like business is picking up at the training complex. There's more pre draft work outs. But is that really true? To me? It seems like certainly the more public facing stuff is like the workouts are things that we as members of the media we get to see. But is it really true or is this an ongoing, year round process that's now at a

culmination point. I think some of both. I think it definitely is a year round thing where we've got to we have a whole team of scouts that are that are on the road across across the whole world really um that are constantly UM watching guys. We've got some video guys here that that are based here at the facility that are that are constantly turning through players and film and collecting intel. So it is it is certainly

a year round process. But um, I think this definitely is the culmination this month of June where we've got you know, six guys coming in every day to work workout and get a firsthand look at We've got our scouting meetings going on where the scouts that are that are scattered all over or now here in Camden, and we're we're meeting every day to kind of hammer out our board. So um, like I said, it's it's it's some of both. It's very much a year around process.

But this month and this week particularly is is kind of that whole process coming together. Looking back over the last couple of weeks, probably fifty ish or soap prospects all said and done, are going to be passing through the doors here at the seventy six ers training complex. From your experience of being with the team for parts of four or five seasons, now what what do you think the biggest value is to these workouts, And maybe not even a workout, just the fact that you get

a guy in your own building, on your own campus. Sure, there are some guys where we may have a limited sample size of film or video or live exposures that this becomes important to be able to actually see them on the court and see them play. But for the most part, we've seen so much of most of these guys that more than anything, we want to get them in the building and get a touch point with our coaches on the floor working with them and sit them down and talk to them face to face to get

to know them a little bit as people. So for the guys that we're familiar with to get to this point to be in our building, more than anything, we just want that that touch point to have them, like you said, on campus here and see what we're about. How valuable is being able to interface with some of the player development coaches working with these guys on the court, even someone like Brett Brown, who I assume that we saw him the other day pop in for a workout

and observe guys. Just how does that add to the scouting and talent evaluation process where during a year, if you're on the road that sort of thing, there's not

that type of dialogue or back and forth. Yeah, I think it's it's good for us to see the guys and how they respond to coaching, and we're able to kind of put in some of the basic concepts that that we employ here with with the sixers, um to some you know, some defensive stuff, some offensive concepts to see how they pick those up and how they respond to kind of into respond to coaching and what basically is alive practice setting where or we've got some drill

work that we put them through, um, and our coaches. They're not out there, um, you know, running the thing. They're actually coaching and and trying to teach. So I think there is definitely some value there and getting getting the players on the floor with our coaches where we're trying to teach them and seeing how they respond firsthand. The objective of any draft in any year, of course, is to add talent to the pipeline to better position to franchise, to win and go after that ultimate prize,

an NBA title. On the very primary level, that concerns the Philadelphia seventy six ers, but there is another part of that, which is the groundwork being laid in the G League level with the Delaware Blue Coats. That is your purview. Does that change how you look at these workouts if you're wearing the lens of general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats versus what Elton Brand is looking for as general manager of the Philadelphia seventy six Ers.

Not really, honestly, I think from top to bottom, really we're just looking for good players and for some guys that's going to warn consider a consideration as a first round pick. Potentially it's some guys the second round pick. For some guys it's going undrafted and going maybe the

summer league route. So it's there's a spectrum, um, but but really it's all the same work that that our whole our whole group here is putting in where we're trying to identify talent and identify people that we'd like to have in our program in one way or another. Um and ultimately how how that happens, Whether it's like I said, first round picks that can round pick whatever, that's that's kind of what we figure out on the

back end. But more than anything, we're just here looking at all these players through the same lands and and you know, trying to identify some guys that can help us.

It's interesting. So the criteria regardless of where a guy falls is essentially the same, Like there is a blueprint for the type of player the Philadelphia seventy six ers one in the organizations absolutely top down, what have you learned about putting together a roster, whether it's helping for the summer league or looking ahead to the G League

season in the fall. Um, I've definitely learned a lot of been now in the G League for a few years, now and um now helping out with the summer league roster here, UM there, they are a unique challenges I think, particularly in the G League, where um, you know, there's there's different mechanisms for us to acquire guys, and inevitably there's some amount of turnover that happens to our league at the very least with the two way guys going

back and forth and then call ups, injuries, buyouts, you know, the things that happened. So we try to put the rosters together and together with versatility in mind, knowing that these changes are going to happen, and even in summer league, there's going to be you're probably not going to have the same group game to game. So I think versatility is something that we put a premium on when we're

putting all of these all of these things together. I feel like a common saying in professional sports is for an athlete who is out, whether it's on the court or the field or whatever it is, it's like you're yes, playing for the team that you wear the uniform for, but there's also other sets of eyes from around the

league who are keeping an eye on you. For me, summer league seems like that is really the case, you have guys who could be in flux after summer League where maybe something pops and it sticks in your brain, and when you're trying to put that team together for the following year, you might think back on what you

saw at summer League. Yeah, absolutely, I think, Um, from a G league perspective, for sure, Um, there are a ton of guys that are are coming to the summer league trying to find their next opportunity, and and best case scenario, obviously that next opportunity is MBA. But um, a lot of guys come to summer league impressed at the level where they find themselves in a G League team and and hope to kind of parlay that into

an NBA opportunity down the road. I'm sure that after enough time, you can look at a prospect and say, hey, this guy has this type potential in the NBA. Can the same be said for now? When you look at a guy, if he comes into GYM, you're like, man, that guy would be a great type of player to fit in the G league atmosphere and environment. Yeah, I mean, I think they're whether it's NBA or G league. I think there there are certain things that that stand out

right away. Um, you know, in a workout like this, you can see a guy's physical profile that that maybe, uh, you know, has them suited to potentially step in into an NBA game. A certain skill may stand out, whether it's shooting or defending or passing. So there are definitely things you can kind of pick out of these workout settings to identify as potential roster guys, whether that's Sixers or Blue Coats. I'm totally going to give you license and authority to correct me if you think I'm wrong.

But in the time that you've been with the seventy six ers organization, I feel like the G League itself has been on a very interesting timeline where there's been expansion, there's been upgrades and facilities, of course in Wilmington with the Blue Coats, but also around the rest of the

G League. Have you found, whether it's in talking with some of your players or in conversations with agents when you mentioned the opportunity of playing in the G League, is there a difference in how that's perceived nowadays compared to even four years ago. I think one, I started in here in Delaware in twenty fifteen. I started in the G League twenty and twelve. So I've been I've been around long enough to kind of see how far

this league is come and how much it's grown. I think just the quality of life, honestly of a G League player is is far and away the best it's ever been. Um. I think when you look at our housing,

our facilities. We just opened up seventy six Ers field House this year, and then just the opportunity you see call ups, call ups continue to rise and rise and rise every year, and now with the implement and implementation of two way contracts, I think the G League is probably as a peeling of an option to a player as it's ever been. For you guys, specifically last year, it was a crazy year between the start of the season and so much of the schedule being frontloaded with

road games, then seventy six Ers field House open. Specific to the Blue Coats, how did you find the fieldhouse changed the game for you guys and the way you operate? Um? Well, first, it definitely wasn't challenged to start on the road like that, but we managed to get through it. But the Fieldhouse changed everything for us. It was a place that we could really call home for the first time is a world class facility honestly that we use for practices and

we have our officer there. Obviously we play all of our games, our home games there, but it's just an unbelievable space between the training room and the weight room, the locker room, which it's just a great place for us and our players to call home and go to work too every day with NION Development and Improvement. Another thing that's happened during your time with the seventy six ers is that the general state of the team itself

is totally different. Where the NBA might have been the setting for young guys coming in to get their professional reps before, but over the last two years, that's a completely different deal. If you found that even the ascent of the team at the NBA level, that that's you know, stoked excitement for guys who are are part of the blue coach knowing that they are that close to, like let's say, forty some miles or forty five minute drive

away from an NBA team that's reached this level. Look, it's winning is fun, and it's it's fun to be a part of a winning program, no matter or kind of what what role you have or or where you fall, whether it's um you're on the Sixers roster, two way Guy, Blue Coach roster, or even any of the staff associated with either club. I think winning is fun into um to be around a successful program like we haven't been for the for the first few years. I think is

is just an enjoyable experience for all of us. As we start to wrap this up on it, to just touch upon and close the book on a few things and storylines from the Blue Coach season last year, first year, a few also first year for your head coach Connor Johnson, who was a part of Brett Brown's staff for several seasons.

How did that help the synergy that existed just in general and the fact that I shouldn't discount this that you worked with Elton under Elton for his year as general manager of the Blue Yeah, I think, um, with Elton and myself and and and Connor, Um, you know, we've we've been familiar with each other for for a few years now, having having worked in this organization in

different roles. So UM, I think for for me and Connor specifically as two relatively young guys to kind of step into these these roles that and opportunities that we were really excited about. Um, you know, we had a we always have a bunch of ideas that we're throwing off of each other, and um, we're able to kind of implement during the seasons as the first time kind

of run running our own team. UM, So we were both kind of really excited going into last year and and UM, you know, I think it helped our partnership a lot, just knowing how committed we were to kind of building a successful program. What did you learn about, say You're Smith last year? UM, A lot. He's a great kid. We really enjoyed, um having him down in Delaware for for his assignments. UM, if I had to pick one thing, it's just that he just lives and

breathes basketball. His his his work habits are are unbelievable. And to see kind of the the drive that he had to come off of injury and and and get back into into plane shape, UM, it was really impressive. Impressive and honestly being a young guy coming down, UM, you know, and I think all of our team in Delaware was was at least a couple of years older than him. So to come down and and even have have those guys take note of how hard he was attacking his his rehab and his his his return to

play was, you know, was impressive. See I can't help with notice that you started to smile when you're thinking about zay Or Smith. And it's funny because I talked to a few guys on the Bluecoat's roster and they said that his sense of humor is a very underrated aspect. That was personality because when we talked to him in the media, it's very business like, yes sir, no, sir. He's extremely buttoned up in a very polite way. But people talk about his sense of humor. Is he's a

funny kid man. It's it's um. It's not the it's not the overt over, the over the top joking around. It's the hill just hit you with these little one liners every once in a while that that make you think and make you make you crack a smile. Of course, lasting impressions U are one thing, but it's something to build upon as well. But how do you think Shake Milton wrapped up the year last year? I think Shakes Shake's progression over the course of last season was one of,

if not our biggest success last year. UM, just to see him handle multiple roles for us. Sometimes he was off the ball, sometimes he was on the ball. UM. And and to really kind of take a leadership role of the team in Delaware, which is hard when you're not there all the time. You know, he's he's spending time in Philly with the Sixers, UM, then coming down to Delaware where he's our guy. UM. So I have a I have a lot of respect for it, for

Shake and what he was able to do last year. UM. And honestly, as as a basketball player, I think his future is very, very bright. He got down there for a couple of games, but it seemed like one overarching theme was, UM, guys got better last year. UM. You know, we could talk about a Shake Milton, We could talk about Hayward high Smith, Maryland man man out of Maryland who got his two eight contracts, someone like a Norvelle

Pell doing what he did. Guys seem to get better. No, we had a relatively young group, but I think we had a We had a group of guys that um were hungry to get better, and a coach and staff that was committed to helping them do that. So some of the names you mentioned Norville Pell significantly better at the end of the year than than the beginning of

the year. I think he finished second or third, and defensive Player of the year, second or third, and most improved player Matt Farrell, the guy that got a lot better over the course of the season, especially his three point shooting UM Jared Browner, and the guy that ended up number two all time in single season made threes

last year. So I think there are definitely a bunch of instances for guys we can point two over the over last season, and I think that's a big credit to our guys for being being hungry and being willing to put the work in, and to our coaching staff for being right there in the gym with them. Good stuff for Matt Lily, general manager for the dell Or Blue Coats, which, by the way, premium tickets for some home games on Sandy Out six or dot com backs. Lets Blue Coats go there and check out the dates

and the details. Matt. Best of luck in this pre draft season and beyond the perfect things Brian. Matt Lily heading this season at number two as general manager of the Delaware Bluecoats and as we mentioned just then, six premium home dates have been announced for the two thousand, nineteen twenty Deller Bluecoats schedule and go to a sixers dot com slash bluecoats for all the latest information. Big thanks to Matt Lily for taking the time to chat.

Thanks to Dylan Windler as well. Thank you as always for listening of a couple more episodes. I do believe at least one early next week, getting you set for Draft Night two nineteen as the seventy six ers look ahead with five picks in hand on June of twenty and talk to you that you see