The BroadCast: 6/5/2018 ~ Draft Pod - Joe Lunardi Examines Draft's Local Angles

storylines surrounding this year's raft class. That conversation starts in fifteen seconds, per usual, We're gonna hit you with some reminders and a general psa that if you're not yet a subscriber to the podcast, you can become one right away by going to iTunes, Google Play, and or Stitcher type in Sixers Podcast Network. You can also go to our SoundCloud page which is at SoundCloud dot com. Backslash Sixers.

You got to think that for Joelinardi, his time of year, without question, is this December, January, February, March, first weekend in April, the heart of college basketball season. But for us here at six Ers Digital, our Joelnardi season's right about now. We went to the well last year. We are privileged and grateful to be able to do so again this year and bring in the master of the Brackets, the Pride of Hawkhill, the one and only Joelnardi. Great

to see you, man. How are you well, Brian? I got to tell you when you when you called reached

out a week or so ago. I thought it must be that time to flip the cards on twenty eighteen and look toward twenty eighteen nineteen, because I guess for you guys, you're wrapping up a year, and for me, I'm starting to look to next year because once Coward's players in particular make a decision whether or not to stay in the draft, and that deadline, of course recently passed, that's when I can do a legitimate projection for the following year and I end kind of my two months

of hibernation and start looking ahead. So you are the first official public appearance for the twenty eighteen nineteen version of Draftology. How's that? Yes, we'll take it. And this is not to imply that there's ever a point when Joelnardi does not sound or seem fresh, energized, enthusiastic. But that's even better news because you can tell it's the area is there, the vibe is there, it's excellent. I'm ready to go. Have been tracking these, uh, particularly the locals.

Certainly it's an incredibly exciting month for the Sixers. Nobody has more picks right right, there's a stockpile. I mean you should almost get your own channel inside NBA. Should just you know, inside the Sixers. Should it should be on my cable box. I like that. Well, we'll put that. We'll add to the royalty invoice, okay, for the duties you are supplying us here. So wait, I got to ask you before we really dive into talking about some prospects. Is there the basis or a foundation for some sort

of bracketology already in place? Like? When does it? When does that start? When you really start ruminating about what it could look like? Well, we're recording this on AM. I allowed to say Monday June fourth, correct, the first significant bracket for twenty eighteen nineteen. We'll be posted on Tuesday, June fifth. You're completed it last night. Oh my gosh. It's based upon, like we said, the March thirtieth withdrawal deadline.

You know, like in the case of our locals at Villanova, right, if you were trying to make an accurate forecast for that team next season. You might want to know who's going to be on the team, right, And we didn't really know that in their case until I guess Stevincenzo made his intentions known last Tuesday or Wednesday, and then Spellman a day or two after that, and okay, now

we can get to work. It is crazy because and speaking to a handful of people over the last week and a half who are just pumping out mocked draft after mocked draft. I mean, this is highly coveted and sought after content we're speaking about here that you guys do just and I didn't even think about it or

make the connection between a mocked draft in bracketology. It's like people would always want to know, Yes, it is the first week in June, but sure, I'd love to know what the projection is for the field of sixty eight and let me tell you. Because I'm historically bad at the business of business. I used to tell ESPN and hopefully they won't, you know, pick up directly on this particular podcast. They'd want something in the off season,

and I'd say it's a really dumb idea. It's not accurate enough, you know, it's I don't want to do it, you know, half baked. Right when I do it, I wanted people to know that I take it really seriously and I follow all the rules that the NCAA would in assembling a field. And then a few years ago in terms of offseason content, they said, well, but we'll pay you extra for that, and I said, why didn't I think of that? What a great idea. And and you know those days are gone, you know, being a

more year round employee. But it certainly is something that that public doesn't get tired of. And whenever I think that they do, I'll get some hit on social media which says, hey, so and so just signed it. Indiana, where's the new bracket? So all we're really doing is meeting the demands of our publics. That is the hand

that feeds Indeed, we shall not bite it. Indeed. So, how does someone who is so involved in viewing college basketball through a collective, team centric lens approach and look at a draft just as the everyday normal fan of hoops guy, how do you look at the draft you're in and you're out. I guess, like a lot of people, it's become you know, in their eyes, and in mind

a futures market. In a lot of respects, there aren't many Jason Tatums, necessarily right, who make an impact on a team making a deep playoff run in their first season, particularly as you know what we used to call an underage drafted player. I don't know what underages now. Does that mean you can't buy a beard? Does that mean

you know you can't vote? I don't know what. But by and large, when you look at the teams still playing, it's unusual for even a lottery pick from this past year, a super you know, high draft pick, to be an active rotation player. It's not like you know your draft lew Assender, You're the Milwaukee Bucks in the early seventies and he instantly goes in the starting lineup, is instantly paired with Oscar Robertson, and they instantly win a championship. Right,

I mean that that doesn't happen. And even in the Sixers case, it was a couple of years before you know,

Embiad was an impact player. Certainly injuries played a part in that, and Simmons as well, But who's to say if not for those quote unquote red shirt seasons that they would have been equally impactful a year or two younger, I'm guessing they would not have been because there's a there's a there's simply a physical development and maturity like this is a man's league we're talking about in the NBA, and just just look at their bodies pared to a

lot of collegians, and um, I think that's why getting you know, the process of getting a nineteen year old into a meaningful role on an NBA championship contender, to my way of thinking, is always going to be more the exception than the rule. It was really interesting too, because this past spring we saw not just Jason Tatum, but obviously Ben Simmons with the seventy six ers, Donovan Mitchell with the Utah Jazz. There were some legit solid

rookies this year. Well, and when I say some, I'm thinking of those three And now I'm kind of drawing it, but I'm saying, how many first rounders were there? Right? You're right? Right? So we're talking ten percent? Yeah, in turn, I'm not saying that five years from now the hit rate's going to be ten percent. I'm just saying today, you know, you're trying to crack what eight nine man rotation at the very highest level of the sport, like

no offense to other sports. But it's not like drafting an offensive guard in the fifth round out of Wisconsin and being you know, one of fifty three correct, right, all of whom play? You know, everybody you dress on Sunday, what is it forty five? In the NFL, they all play. They all get in the game exceptment for maybe the third quarterback. Like even the kickers and the holders and

the specialists play. Like in the NBA in a really big game, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, they don't play, and they're not going to barring injury or overtime or some calamity. What intrigues you in particular about this year's draft class? What do you consider some of the main storylines. I think that I've never seen a draft that's going to have this much local focus. Four kind of the Philly

area basketball fans. So you're saying it's a good year to bring in local bracketologist Joe, and well, no, I'm saying that if you grew up in this area as a fan of either college or pro basketball, or both,

this is a pretty interesting month. The Sixers have ten percent of the picks right at this moment, and it's it's crazy when you put it like that, right, and then you think, well, I mean they could drift where they're gonna cut half their team unlikely, right, But they have the ten percent stakeholder, which is not an insignificant stake correct. Ten percent is a lot? Yeah, okay, you know even two first rounders is a lot, and they're not insignificant slots. It's not like they got twenty eight

and twenty nine. Ten to twenty six is legitimate plus the four seconds. So you have that angle. Now we have four guys from a national championship team that won the NCAA tournament that are local guys at least by it turns with where they played college ball. Well, and then there are other players with local roots. You know, I think of Tony Carr at Penn State or Mo Bomba, who's going to be, you know, a top six or seven pick at worst seven footer from Texas, but he

played at the Westtown School out in Delaware County. And I think a lot of people are forgetting about Lonnie Walker from a Reading high who was you know, the best, most highly regarded collegiate recruit out of that area. I would assume since Daniel Marshall back in the day and he's, you know, one of those, he's on the bubble of the lottery, if you will. And so I think you add all that up right, over a half dozen guys are going to be drafted, most in the first round.

You know, bomba Walker, and at least three, if not all, four of the Villanova players seem like they're going in the first round. Plus the fact that the Sixers are picking so many times. If it was the ven diagram and you put it all together, it's almost impossible that the Sixers don't come out of this draft with at least one or two local products. Not necessarily because it's the old territorial draft days, but just the odds of it.

You know, you've got six picks, You've got this many guys with roots to the area, they almost have to overlap. At some point, when we were going back and forth about what topics we might cover here on the podcast, my initial thought was to riff on the old first four in, first four out theme for various cutoff points

of the draft. We'll circle back to that at some point, and maybe there's a little bit of an overlap here, but I definitely think we should just keep rolling on the on the train of talking about some of the local guys, because, as you said, not only is their talent individually, guys who were a part of phenomenal collective team success. Watching Villanova there is I'm not asking you to speak for a university or a Hill, but it

was a great run. And I mean this really was a year where I just thought it was like so compelling to see din Vincenzo break out the way he did and cap it off with the type of performance he had in the championship game. Someone like Micail Bridges slowly building over time when we look at the Villanova quartet, maybe some bullet points that first come to mind about

each of those guys. Well, first, I want to make a kind of a collective comment, and everybody knows this is coming from a you know, a person who bleeds Crimson and Gray and Hawk Hill. What Villanova has done. And I'm not just talking about winning the championship this year or necessarily winning it in twenty sixteen. This five year run is not just the greatest run ever by a local college team. It's one of the greatest stretches

for any college team ever. Historically my favorite stat in these five years, Villanova has yet to lose back to back games. Think about that, Like, like I spent a lot in my offseason attempting to golf. That would be like going five golf seasons without ever missing two puts in a row that mattered. Like that's inconceivable to me.

And you know they're not playing you know, the dregs of college basketball here and what and all the one and two seeds I mean, and this whole thing that you know, there were no great teams in college basketball last year. I think the draft is about to disprove that, and all the metrics already disproved it. And I mean it was great that they won a couple of years ago. For Villanova fans, this team was way better, Like this

team was historically good. And I would argue that if the Big East were still on ESPN, and that's not to show for my other employer, a lot more people would know that because like people can keep saying Villaneova's under the radar, and I'm thinking, do these people not

have electricity? So, like, like what they've done and the player development, like Brunson was maybe the most highly rated player of Villanova has ever signed in my year, with the possible exception of Tim Thomas okay back in Steve Lapis's years in the late nineties. But you know, she was a good high school player. I saw him in high school. Nobody would have talked about him then some day, maybe going tenth in the draft to the seventy six ers.

Just no way, Devincenzo. I mean, it helps to have the best game of your life in the National championship game with you know whatever, forty million people watching. Good career move on his part, but he's follow it. Sure

looks like he can play well the combine, he was terrific. Right, and U Spellman, who I actually thought coming into the season had the highest long term upside on the team, kind of became the fourth He wasn't even he might have been the fifth offensive option on that team after booth Right, I mean, because they were so perimeter oriented, But how many six eleven guys at least, you know, before the modern era of the stretch big man could could so comfortably step out and do what he's doing.

So maybe it's just time to admit that they were really really really good, and I think we'll see that June twenty. First. First, so what do each of them bring to the table, you know, I think Bridges is, you know, exactly what the NBA has become on the wing. And I don't think he's done improving, right, I mean, you look at he took a red shirt year. One of their secrets has been largely playing with older guys, right,

So let's see if he continues to evolve. Certainly has been well coached and seems to have the work ethic. Jalen Brunson, to me, you could have a really good bar argument over who's going to have the better NBA career, Jalen Brunson or a Jamir now who's been in the news lately, of course, for for coming back and earning his degree at Saint Jose. In fact, I just saw an NBA TV segment the other night about which was tremendous.

And yes I'm biased a bit, but you know, to me, Brunson's a better shooter than Jamir was at that age. I think a more you know, confident shooter. I think Jamir was faster and is still faster and stronger, and obviously work ethic and basketball IQ off the charts. But it seems that Brunson has that it's just pretty unusual for a guy of their size to play fourteen years like Jamir has and may still not be done. Right.

Devincenzo is now, you know, the flavor of the month because of the combine, but he certainly will not be overmatched athlete medically, and it wouldn't surprise me, as we said, if Spellman actually has the most productive long term career of the bunch, because he's he's the most unique in what he can do at his size, Like there might be twenty Michail Bridges a year that come into the league, right, and ten Brunsons and five de Vincenzos, but not a lot of six to eleven guys you know, can do

that Al Horford thing. Now, I'm not saying that Spelfman. You know, we're all we have Horford on the brain right here in here in six or Land. But you know, he's unselfish, he can pass. It'll be interesting to see if he can defend fours and fives at the NBA, because you're really not defending just fours and fives now, you know, last night watching game two of the finals, there's Kevin Love getting switched on and attempting to guard

Steph Curry on the perimeter. You know, I'd have a better chance of like, you know, falling off the Ben Franklin Bridge, I think on the way back home than Kevin Love has to guard Steph Curry off the dribble. But I think all four of these guys have a chance to be contributors. And I'm becoming more and more convinced that at least one of them is going to still be wearing some kind of blue and white come

Come Camp. It's crazy because I think that in the past we've looked at Villanova as a program that you think of collective success first. But now maybe it's shifting in some ways. Who knows what this class could do when it comes out. It could almost change that narrative in some way, shape or form that yeah, you can go there and the team can thrive and succeed, but you know what, we're going to produce some pretty legit

individual talent. Maybe Josh Hart was pretty good too, Yeah, right, as it turns out, you know, from the Lakers, I think he's off in saying that his sixteen team was a lot better than this year's team. I'm definitely taking the under on that, but I don't want he and Archidiakan are showing up at my house and you know, painting my door the wrong call from what you've observed.

Because hitting on that point about the development, what has Villanova been able to do to maintain its success at such a high level, Because I mean, you've been around college long enough where you know if you just have one off recruiting cycle that can really change your trajectory over a multi year period. Well, I think even more remarkable than that for them in this era of guys who you know, let's be honest, for the best players, college is more like a snack right then the prime

component of their career. I would call it almost like a business organization in the sense that increasing responsibility the longer there with the company, right, progressive adding of responsibility, you know, role player, key rotation guy, you know, double digit scorer, star Like that's the path that Bridges took and Josh Hart took, and to a lesser extent, Chris Jenkins took and Spellman would have taken, and you know de Vincenzo was on the path there aren't many who've

come in and been a brunson and a starter, you know, from day one. And because Jay Wright and the staff there have have recruited well every year, they haven't typically had to thrust guys into roles for which maybe they weren't yet ready. They also haven't had a lot of

guys leave excessively early like they are now. So next year's team is going to have to break from the mould, sup and guys are going to have to maybe you know, go from the first floor to the fourth floor on the elevator instead of making every stop along the way. And I think that will ultimately impact them in the one lost column negatively, at least to start the year.

Were you surprised that Spellman decided to stay in. No, In fact, when when we did our first really really really kind of unofficial bracket at the very end of the tournament, I had him staying in and de Vincenzo going back simply because of supply and demand. There are fewer Spellman's right than Devincenzos, or so we thought at the time, So no surprise that he ultimately decided to keep his name in the draft. It wasn't for me no, gotcha, it's I don't know if can't wait to see how

all those guys shake out. And I think it's it's great that you brought two will light. A guy like Tony Carr Penn State had a really solid season, a big step four. What can you tell us about his game? Well, I think car is I mean this sounds like I'm I'm demeaning him, Like I think Cars a great college point guard. I'm not sure I see anything special about

him at the next level. I mean, certainly, you know, as a first team All Big Ten player, I assume he was the MVP of the n I T. I apologize for not knowing that, but I mean he was clearly the best player on the team that won the n I T. So I assume as much you know, Kenny make a roster. Sure, do I think he's going to have, you know, a ten year NBA career. I don't, simply because there are probably thirty Tony cars every year, okay, and is he going to be the one or two

of the thirty? You know, that becomes a Terry Rosier who was a nice college point guard, and all of a sudden becomes much more than that. I mean, there's always the exception that proves the rule, but the odds are against it. As we begin to move towards that first four and end the first four out thing that we referenced earlier, are we ready for it? Well? I just called it the bubble, Okay, I like bubble freight group because it's not always a you know, perfect I

dig that. I think that's more all encompassing. I like that. I probably should have deferred to the master from the start. Um, why don't we look at the lottery round first? Well, when I look at it's fourteen slots right in the lottery. Now, you know, but the some of the players who seemed to be so let's call that bubble, you know, anywhere from eleven twelve ish to the mid teens, you know, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,

guys that are going to be in that range. There seems to be a reasonable consensus when you look at all the mock drafts on maybe who the top ten or so guys are. Right. So we're not going to talk about I mean, we're certainly not going to talk about the obvious guys. We're not going to talk about you know, bomba, We're not talking about you know, right right, because those guys aren't going to be on the bubble of the lottery. But but I think some of these

players aren't. One of them we mentioned earlier with the local connection, that's Lonnie Walker of Miami via Redding, Pennsylvania. And I've seen him anywhere from like nine ten, like nineteen or twenty. There seems to be a pretty wide range on him, and I think in part because he was pretty inconsistent in his one year at Miami and he's probably one of those guys who really should play more in college, but he and whoever's advising him also

know that he's too talented to be passed over. Like he's not playing twenty minutes a game in the NBA next year. I would be shocked. I would be shocked, but it wouldn't surprise me if he goes at the back end of the lottery. And I actually think he's kind of intriguing for where the Sixers are, if in

fact they're looking for. I mean, again, not to we've all got Celtics on the brain, but you know, everybody would say the Sixers need their Jayson Tatum, right, and there's at least a half dozen guys in this draft, probably more who you could put in that kind of body type and type of game that they play, Walker being one of them. Same for Miles Bridges at Michigan State.

Now he would be at the He's probably gonna go in the lottery, but he and and Micaial Bridges are both getting a lot of attention for folks studying the Sixers prospects. Now, Miles Bridges and maybe this goes with the kind of Michigan State DNA is seemed to be more the D part of the three and D right, and I think that's a great description that's come about in recent years. But I think he might be on

the bubble because people will question his scoring somewhat. Robert Williams of Texas A and M is one of the few true low post guys in this draft, someone who who could really play center. I mean, we have Eton at the top, right, but for the most part, you know, people aren't drafting centers anymore unless they're so obvious that you have to take them like an MBA or in Eton.

But I certainly think in that range tailor to the lottery, Williams will get some attention, and just because I tried to find guys from from every spot on the floor. Kentucky's point guard or at least shared the job with Quade Green of of South Philly. Shay giljis Alexander. To me, he's interesting. I like him. I'm trying to play catchup on Brad. Yeah, he's he's a decent shooter. He's just

so skinny, like all their point guards seem to have been. Like, I don't know if they get him down there and they stick him on a rack and stretch them out. But that's my lottery bubble, and I'm saying two of them will make the lottery and two of them won't. To me, that's one of the most fascinating parts about where the seventy sixers are. Should they hold it at

number ten this year. And don't get me wrong, there is something fantastically great about holding the first pick, second pick, third pick, because when you get up in that range, to me, at least you have I'm gonna try to articulate this the right way. An idea you've seen the raw potential at the college level or elsewhere of what ultimately could be, you would think a difference making package.

Whereas when you get a little bit deeper into the lottery phase you're talking about ten or in the early teens, you're like, all right, you see things on the surface of what could be, but you're not quite sure what the ultimate finished product could be. And the Sixers where they are now organizationally, timeline wise, I guess what it goes back to is what I'm trying to say is that if you see some raw potential there, like you can say, where the Sixers are right now, we have

a little bit more wiggle room. I think this is me saying this not the organization for massaging some raw potential, maybe not needing someone right away. If you want to go to let's say, the free agent market to address a certain position of need, you might have some more time where it's not like that, Okay, we've got a Ben Simmons or a Joel embed and to kick start this next step four, we need these guys producing right away where there might be a little bit more time

for whomever's at number ten. Should the Sixers say that, just as there would have been more time for Jason Tatum to develop if Heyward hadn't incorrect for instance, Yes, yeah, I guess I was kind of looking at it the opposite, maybe more like a fan than an analyst, because when it comes to the seventy six ers, I am more of a fan than an analyst. You know, I'm looking at it and going, well, geez, they're not that far away.

If I have a choice between let's say a McHale Bridges, who I think is closer to being able to contribute right now on the wing than a Lonnie Walker, who strikes me as a guy whose game still has some growing up to do. Give me, you know, ten percent less upside and eight more could play for me today. Now, if you told me prior to the draft that a big name who can't be named I was going to

be on my roster right then you're right. I might think differently because I wouldn't want to be overloading or putting up an expectation that you know, drafting this twenty two year old, we make them sound like their ancient versus a nineteen year old you know is going to sit. And that's I guess why they get paid the big

money in the other building, no doubt about it. And that's that is going to be the If you're an observer and you know fans out there, you might not be able to remove the horse from the race type feeling they have about it. But right if you just in a perfect world, if you have to know it would take place in free agency or through a trade market or something like that, that could possibly shape how

you view the number ten pick. But right now it's a little bit more unclear because of course got to wait until July first, in June twenty first, And I wonder why they do it that way now that I think about it. You know, it adds a nice dramatic touch or flare to it. Even more so perhaps I'm sure there's a reason, and I'm sure the reason is based upon something in which the players make more money.

That would be my off the wall guests. They gets a safe bet bubble guys for the back end in the first round as we look in an area where the Sixers will also have a selection at number twenty six, should they of course hang on to it. Yeah. I have some names here, and not unsurprisingly, these are mostly older guys who played at least three and in a couple of cases four years of high level college basketball. One of whom we've talked about, Gellen Brunson from Villanoe. Uh,

the National player of the year a point guard. Um, we could do an entire podcast. I suppose on the future the next five to ten years of the seventy six ers at the point guard position. Right, But for purpose of argument, I'm going to assume that the powers that be between Simmons, McConnell and Faults, they feel covered at that spot. Uh. And and not a need to go and have you know, kind of a traditional jail and Brunson type at the point. Yes, you're right, right,

right right? Uh so something. But one of the other guys, and he's more of a combo guard. And I've not heard this name a lot. Uh. I think. One of the best players in the back end of the first round, but I think because nobody really knows about him, he's going to slide near the end of the first round is Jerome Robinson from Boston College. I guess he's listed as a point guard, but he you know, and my

he's just a guard, okay. And he may have been the most underrated player in the ACC last year, like almost single handedly making BC respectable after having only been a year two removed from going oh and eighteen in the ACC, Like that's not easy to do when you have nine home games, like you gotta you almost have

to try to do that. And as an aside, they also went winless in ACC football that same year, which is like inconceivable to me, really, like like someday, doesn't the ball just have to bounce into your hands in a good way. But whatever. Jerome Robinson end of the first round. Moe Wagner, who's you know, one of those euro forwards. Great career at Michigan, three years worth, you know, played at a high level in the tournament, obviously won the Big Ten Tournament both of his years, last two

years at Michigan. Extremely well coached and kind of a pro style offense from by John bee Line. He intrigues me. And you know, because you can never have too many disliked duke players on any list. Grayson Allen, you know, and the thought, you know, when he was anointed King of the World after scoring double digits in the NCAA Championship game as a freshman that he would only quote unquote only be a late first round pick three plus years later. That would surprise a lot of people. But

I think that Allen will probably be in this range. Also, we'll call them first round bubbles. He's a name that attracts a lot of attention because of the way he started his career and the way his career played out and the team he plays for and all that. What did you observe anything as far as fine tuning to his game anything like that, or how his career carried on and ultimately played out. I'm not sure what his NBA skill is, right. You know, people make the JJ

Reddick comparison around here, and I get it. I get it. They're both high energy players from Duke, you know, who share the same complexion, the same coach, and much of the same college background. I get it. But Allen's never been the shooter that JJ Reddick was or is. So you can say, well, this is JJ Reddick's NBA skill and that's not enough grace, and Allen's a terrific basketball player.

But you know, I would make I would make a bit of a comparison because I follow these kinds of things, like Doug McDermott, who I really, really really really wanted the Sixers to draft. He was available with whatever their second pick in the first round was, and he had won every Conceivable College Award as a four year player at Creighton yet and he's had some injuries, but he's kind of bumped around the league. You know, he's a generalist,

he's generally really good at everything. But another guy from Creighton one dimensional, Kyle Korver is, you know, entering his thirty seventh season and playing in the NBA Finals. So like Corver has a clear NBA skill, Okay, And if you're not, you know, a superstar, you know, a top one or two were three option on a team, now you're a specialist, it seems so, I don't know what Alan is is the long way of answering the question. I mean, some people beloved him, and obviously a lot

of people find him annoying. I don't think that's an issue in terms of the NBA because there's probably a lot of beloved and annoying players in the NBA. I suspect, but most of the ones who last are either stars or have a specialty blocking shots, making threes, you know, lockdown defense, you know, bang, whatever the it is. And I don't know what Allan's it is. Maybe he's hanging out towards the end of the first round, early stages

of the second round. For the seventy six ers, they're going to have possibly options in both areas, whether it's twenty six and the first thirty eight and thirty nine they currently hold in the second round, also fifty six and sixty some names that you think could filter into draft boards, perhaps said any one of those junctures and slots of round two. Yeah, I mean, the second round becomes really a crapshoot because of the whole draft and

stash idea. It's not really an idea, it's a strategy, and a good one because you only have so many roster spots and obviously they have a lot of picks here at the moment. And even if they do some moving within the drafts, either this year or in the future, I mean, the Sixers are still going to draft probably three or four players right minimally, it would seem. And focusing you know, on the collegiate ranks for the purpose of this discussion, we talked about Tony Carr. I think

he'll be there middle to late second round. There was a player at Georgia, a Yante Maten, just a regular you know, rotation forward, uh, who I think would be a good investment late. Uh. Now, I'm going to struggle with this. The Greek freak, right and help me out here? And a coup I can I can give you that. A Coupo you know, his nephew played at Dayton this year, or tried to. He was hurt most of the year

for reasons passing understanding he's staying in the draft. But I actually saw him play against those Penn Quakers in the game out there. Well, let me tell you if if if his name was Costas Blinardi or Costas Smith, he wouldn't go in the second round. But because his last name is and he's gonna get picked. Uh. And and he's interesting. My favorite though, uh in this second round bubble from Merland Justin Jackson, who who I think is the kind of sleeper who who you know, could be.

He's not as thick as the Sixers other Justin Justin Anderson. But why I always think of Merland as ACC even though they're in the Big ten now, But totally understandable, Yeah, they should be in the ACC anyway. He's a better scorer probably than Anderson projects as a better scorer at this level. But he's a guy who if he were available, certainly fifty six or fifty eight. I don't think he'll last that long. I would have a hard time passing up.

So start to wrap things up. Who is a player that stood out the most to you that you saw live in person? I knew you're gonna so let's scratch Villanova from that, because that's obviously we talked about the talent that the Wildcats had this year. Was there one guy you saw him? It's your travels doing the games the radio for Saint Josephs that really jumped out. Who might be in the draft conversation right now? Well, you

know he's not getting talked about a lot. I'm gonna give kind of one national and one lower the national. Zaire Smith, the guard from Texas Tech who I saw

in the tournament. I went up to the Sweet sixteen where Villanova was playing, and I saw him a couple of times during the season as well, and he's just kind of one of those warrior guys, like he's not as explosive offensively as let's say, at Kemba Walker, but he's a he's a put the team on my back kind of guy who who carried them maybe more than you would have expected. And a guy locally who's not on anybody's draft board, but who I could certainly see

becoming an NBA player is BJ Johnson from LaSalle. And and maybe you know, we're all impacted in a biased way by the by the tragic death this year of Wrestllll Butler. Right, but there are similar kinds of players, uh, you know, at least in college. Rasseul, you know, hardly made his reputation as a lockdown defender. B J Johnson terrific score. Not sure he could guard me at times, but but you know, again has an NBA skill and range.

So it wouldn't surprise me to see somebody like that make a team among guys that I saw in person and who I thought there might be a job for that guy. All right, excellent, As I'm thinking of something to ask you about to put a bow on all this. You know, I'm looking We're here in the business office building right now. I'm looking across the parking lot to the basketball operations business and there are a couple Hawk

products that have office space over there. Whether you're talking about Jim O'Brien, John Bryant eight, dude who played with Jamir Nelson, who's one of the Sixers assistant coaches. There really is a pretty strong like there is for all the City six schools pro basketball history from Saint Joseph. So what's the nugget or the story, whether it's obvious or excure that you take the most pride in as far as Saint Joseph's contributions to the game at the

NBA level or it's connection to the NBA. Well, this is almost too random, but it's perfect, Brian. When it was this past fall, you would appreciate this as the you know, new father of of young twins. Congratulations for that. I find that long term, a wedded bliss has been facilitated generally, if late in October before I start my season, if we go on a kind of a week long getaway somewhere, right, and the fact that it happens to fall on or around our anniversary is just you know,

God's way of keeping me honest, I guess. But so we're in jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, I kid you not. In late October this past year in like you know, some boutique bookstore, and I think it was four dollars written in pencil on the side, and I wish I could remember the author's name. I'm embarrassed now, but it was the diary of the sixty seven sixty eight six Ers championship team like start to finish, largely Wilt focused but

not and how the team was put together. And of course the rookie general manager of that team was Jack Ramsey Okay, and his first round draft pick I think I want to say fourteenth overall was Mattie Gukas and he played, He was in the rotation. There were some injuries late in the year and in playoff series. I think Larry Costello was hurt for the year, and Maddie kind of took those menuts. And there was this Saint Joe link. And this was my formative years in basketball.

I was maybe seven or eight years old and I was just I had asked for and received a clock radio for Christmas. If that doesn't paint me as the biggest nerd of all time, and I would listen to the Sixers when I went to bed at night. That that year, sixty seven sixty eight. It started the year before last year. My dad took me to Convention Hall and I saw Will play against Russell and that was pretty cool, and then of course the next year they

were epically great. You know, one of the top, most people still think, one of the top pro basketball teams of all time, one of the few that physically could match up with teams of today. Like there were some you know men Luke Jackson and Wilt and Hal Greer, the late Hal Greer this year, who was one of my first early favorites. And of course they also had Wally Jones, another local guy, but a huge you know,

living and growing up and working on Hawk Hill. Of course, you know, we have the Ramsey Center and and he's one of our icons. But his first job in the NBA was not coaching, It was as general manager of what became arguably the greatest one of the greatest teams of all time, is certainly the greatest seventy six ers team, at least on paper. And uh, you know, he would be the first one to say, I hope that record is broken by his son in law, Jim O'Brien, who's

on your staff now. So wouldn't that be full circle? If you know, why wait more than a year or two to start hanging more banners. Definitely a biased opinion on my part. I know that Philadelphia probably will and forever always be a football passion first area territory. But I think when you really look into where the city has made the most direct contributions to any sport, I don't know how you could look anywhere farther than basketball.

It's stories like that that, Yeah, there luggets you uncover all the time. Well, here you go. I'm watching the NBA Finals this year, and in each of the first two games, one of the three referees was from Cardinal O'Hara. Like, not just Philadelphia, but right and like that, like like there are pockets of coaches and scouts and officials and

front office people. A week before that, I'm walking up the fourteenth hole of my golf club and there's zed Stefanski going down seven giving me a raft of you know what because I was in the sand, and I'm like, all right, well, you know, your new general manager and president of operations the Detroit Pistons, I know, proving that it can't possibly be that hard to do this job. I'll say this a bad ed. His sons are really

good golfers. Nice. We'll leave it at that. Prospect analysis and other things in between with Joelnardi always great catch up with the man. Thanks the one and only Joelnardi is so lucky to have him in the local area to tap into as a resource. Thanks to Joe for taking the time to talk here on the podcast. Thank you as always for listening. Stay tuned. We'll be rolling out more draft coverage pods in the days ahead, so keep on check into your feeds. See