In Philadelphia, Marcus Hayes writes if the 76ers' "endless, and so far fruitless, rebuilding strategy" pans out, taking C Jahlil Okafor with the third overall pick in Thursday night's draft "should be a red-letter day in their history." It was the day the 76ers "gave up no assets and secured the most valuable player in the draft" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 6/26). But the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER's Bob Ford writes the selection of Okafor "poses at least as many questions for the Sixers as it answers, with the main question being: What are you going to do with all these big guys?" Heading into the 76ers' third season under GM Sam Hinkie, the "time is finally right to think about fitting together a roster that makes sense on the floor." The draft "didn't begin a new chapter for the team." It "merely added some pages to the one that has been open for a couple of years" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/26). SI.com's Ben Golliver writes the 76ers' "grand tanking experiment already faces serious questions about its direction and progress," and the Okafor pick "only adds to those concerns" (SI.com, 6/26).
BLAZING SADDLES: In Portland, Jason Quick notes Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey following the draft was "called a bum ... a moron, and an idiot." In the span of 48 hours, the Blazers' roster "had been painted as a team headed somewhere between a rebuild and retool" after trading Nicolas Batum, Steve Blake and draftee Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and acquiring Mason Plumlee, Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh. But Olshey assures a "plan is unfolding." The team will have around $41M "in cap space to improve the roster." If F LaMarcus Aldridge returns, that will take $19M "out of that chunk," leaving around $22M "to land a starting small forward, a backup point guard and some depth at center" (Portland OREGONIAN, 6/26).
SONG REMAINS THE SAME: In Boston, Christopher Gasper writes the Celtics’ draft “fell flat” with fans. There was “no move into the top 10” or “packaging of picks for an established NBA star.” The team instead “continued plodding down the road of rebuilding.” Celtics fans “wanted deliverance; instead they got a call to exercise patience.” They were “let down again as the team’s surfeit of draft picks didn’t add up to a slam-dunk move” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/26). SI.com's Chris Mannix gave the Celtics a "C" grade for using its first pick of the night, No. 16 overall, on Louisville G Terry Rozier, as it is "hard to see how Rozier fits in Boston." The Celtics currently are "loaded with young talent in the backcourt" (SI.com, 6/26).
