Can those frisky Sixers
hold on to a big pick?

Off the Dribble
By Ryan Smith

That sound you hear.
You know, the one you can’t figure where it’s coming from.
Well, I’ve pinpointed it.
You probably haven’t been paying attention (for good reason), so that’s why you may have missed it.
But thanks to this column’s obligation to stick with the town’s pro hoops team, I think I’ve been able to get a handle on it.
That mysterious noise you’ve been hearing is the 76ers’ first-round draft pick slipping away.
That’s right . . . take a look at the standings.
If something doesn’t give, the Sixers very well may find themselves without any Ping-Pong balls in this spring’s lottery.
Who would have imagined?
When the Sixers made the December trade that sent Allen Iverson to Denver in exchange for Andre Miller and two first-round picks (one of which had come to the Nuggets via a trade with Dallas), fans were enthralled with the thought of having three first-round picks in the upcoming NBA draft.
In what is touted to be one of the deepest, most talented drafts in history, the Sixers were in excellent shape.
With the second-worst record in the league, at 5-18, the Sixers were top contenders in the Greg Oden and Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
At the time, the fact that their own 2007 first-round pick was not a sure thing was the furthest thing from anybody’s mind.
But back when he was trading secondary players, rather than franchise players such as Iverson, general manager Billy King took part in a four-team trade in July 2003 that involved the Sixers, Atlanta, Minnesota and New York.
What we have conveniently ignored is that in the trade, King surrendered the Sixers’ 2007 first-round pick to the Hawks, provided the pick is not in the top 15.
If the pick does end up being in the top 15, which seemed like a sure thing at the time of the Iverson trade, the Sixers keep it and must make a $1 million payment to Golden State (which acquired the rights to the pick from Atlanta).
No problem, right?
Of course the Sixers will have one of the top 15 picks, right?
Almost inconceivably, they may not.
Thanks (or maybe no thanks), in part, to the their recent winning ways — the Sixers have won 10 of their last 14 — combined with one of the weakest Eastern Conferences of all time, the Sixers are alive in the playoff race and in danger of losing a first-round pick.
To finish out of the league’s bottom 15, which would send the first-round pick to Atlanta, the Sixers would need to land the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Currently, that spot is occupied by the New Jersey Nets, who have a record of 32-38.
With both teams having just 12 games left to play as the Times went to press this week, the Sixers were four games behind the Nets in the standings.
While four games may seem like a lot to make up over a 12-game span, the Nets are just 4-8 over their previous 12, while the Sixers are 8-4. Additionally, the teams face off in a head-to-head match-up on Saturday in New Jersey in what has suddenly become an important game for both teams.
But there is one possible scenario that Sixers fans can hope for.
If the Sixers can continue their winning ways and wiggle into the conference’s eighth spot, they will be able to make the playoffs while still holding on to their draft pick.
While they would not be in the lottery, negating any chance at landing a top-three pick — namely Oden or Durant — the team would still have three first-round picks.
If they decide that they’d like to package their picks to move up in the draft, as King and new vice president Larry Brown have been known to do, having the three first-rounders as opposed to two will make a world of difference on draft day.
Currently, the Orlando Magic hold the eighth and final spot in the east with a record of 32-38. They, like the Nets, are 4-8 in their last 12 games.
It should be noted that the Hawks, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks are also in the mix for the bottom two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
But none of these teams — Nets, Magic, Knicks, Pacers, or Hawks — are playing as well or with as much passion as the Sixers.
So before you go projecting what the Sixers may do with three draft picks, take a quick glance at the latest standings and box scores. ••