Could Kentucky beat the 76ers?

[MiltownHawkeye]

If one more person says that sixers team is loaded with college stars... I'm going to go on a pimpslapping rampage. Seriously, like it was stated earlier without MCW and Noel, name one player who was a college superstar on the sixers... ONE. There aren't any... the sixers have done this on purpose... I even broke down every player that plays significant minutes for the sixers and their college careers earlier. Half of their team is full of undrafted players from the 2012 draft.

But they're on an "NBA team" now. Once your name is put on an NBA roster you automatically unlock skills and athleticism you never had before that allow you to dominate any and all college players. [/green]

My take? The idea that this Kentucky team would "handle" the Sixers is ridiculous. The idea that the Sixers would win 1000 out of 1000 times is equally ridiculous. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. This rhetoric the Sixers' scrubs would dominate solely by the virtue of being on an NBA roster is totally overblown.

There's a reason that rookies sometimes come into the NBA and look like incredible if flawed and unpolished players already. Because they are insanely talented and insanely gifted, on the level of NBA players. They are advanced for their age and competition level. Otherwise, every single rookie would look like overwhelmed unproductive garbage. You'd never see guys like Carmelo, Kyrie, Davis, Rose etc. producing like they did as 19-year olds. KG, Kobe, LeBron, etc. would have looked MISERABLE as 18-year olds. If you're in college, the cap to your abilities and potential impact on a game is not "the worst player in the NBA" i.e. Jakarr Sampson, Brandon Davies, etc. Simply repeating that overused rhetoric millions of times doesn't make it true.

I'm not saying that UK is stocked with those kinds of prospects that could produce in the NBA right now. I'm saying that dismissing the possibility that they would take a few games out of 100 as impossible based solely on them being a NCAA team and the Sixers being an NBA team is dumb. The talent gap is being severely overrated. It also belies the nature of basketball itself. A team of less talented guys can beat a team of more talented guys at any time IF the talent gap isn't massive and the less talented team gets lucky bounces aand heats up from the field.

And for what it's worth, I don't think any other NBA team would have a shot at losing to any college team. The Sixers are unique in that more than half of their current roster were just "guys" in college and went undrafted for a reason, more or less.

[12footrim]

If the college select team can beat Dream Teams and other one give good games in the past I certainly think Kentucky would be capable of beating this crappy Philly group. I think if they played 10 times on a neutral floor they'd win 1 or 2 times.

[The1llness]

Are they playing 40 minutes w/college 3 or 48 minutes with NBA 3?

[Talent Chaser]

Kentucky has what...1 or 2 guys who will go in the first round, 1 or 2 guys who will play in the NBA for longer than 2 or 3 years?

Which means the rest of their roster is overseas bench players at best?

LOL GTFO out of here

Yeah 1,2,... Or 8 1st round picks. This team would handle the 76ers.

Yeah, ok.

Draftexpress rankings (Most Accurate Mock Draft Website)

2015 NBA Draft-
#3 Karl Towns Jr.
#9 Willie Cauley-Stein
#20 Dakari Johnson
#25 Andrew Harrison
#27 Aaron Harrison
#30 Alex Poythress
2016 NBA Draft
#17 Marcus Lee
#21 Trey Lyles

Thats 8... And a lot of them are due for a rise in their stock. But apparently 10 months from now 6 of them will gain magical powers and turn into grown men playing basketball the second they step on to an NBA court.

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

I voted no, and stand by the vote - but that's a damned talented team that I saw DESTROY another damned talented team last night.

[Hector_Reyes_8]

I think, in a 10 game stretch, the Sixers would win maybe 6 games. They suck. They're on an NBA roster, but their players would be in the D-League on any other team besides MCW and maybe Noel.

[MiltownHawkeye]

I think, in a 10 game stretch, the Sixers would win maybe 6 games. They suck. They're on an NBA roster, but their players would be in the D-League on any other team besides MCW and maybe Noel.

And even though I'm high on Noel I think he would get wrecked right now against Kentucky's frontline. He's too weak for NBA 4s right now let alone 5s and the UK guys have NBA-ready bodies at both positions.

[greenandgold]

Could the Sixers squad currently in discussion (sans MCW and Noel) be favored over a strong D-League squad? I don't think so. Take the Texas Legends roster:

Mike James, Renaldo Balkman, Damion James, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Omar Samhan, Eric Griffin, Booker Woodfox etc.

That's the same hodgepodge of NBA vets, failed draft picks, and former college stars that Philly trots out. These guys all have the required age and body development you think is so important in comparisons with Kentucky. And many of them have experience on the NBA court, weightroom and practice gym.

[Hector_Reyes_8]

Could the Sixers squad currently in discussion (sans MCW and Noel) be favored over a strong D-League squad? I don't think so. Take the Texas Legends roster:

Mike James, Renaldo Balkman, Damion James, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Omar Samhan, Eric Griffin, Booker Woodfox etc.

That's the same hodgepodge of NBA vets, failed draft picks, and former college stars that Philly trots out. These guys all have the required age and body development you think is so important in comparisons with Kentucky. And many of them have experience on the NBA court, weightroom and practice gym.

I don't think any non-MCW and Noel Sixer were stars in college..

[42uptop]

Draftexpress rankings (Most Accurate Mock Draft Website)

2015 NBA Draft-
#3 Karl Towns Jr.
#9 Willie Cauley-Stein
#20 Dakari Johnson
#25 Andrew Harrison
#27 Aaron Harrison
#30 Alex Poythress
2016 NBA Draft
#17 Marcus Lee
#21 Trey Lyles

Thats 8... And a lot of them are due for a rise in their stock. But apparently 10 months from now 6 of them will gain magical powers and turn into grown men playing basketball the second they step on to an NBA court.

Looks like someone forgot to inform you that the college season just started.

Anyway, if you truly think these kids could destroy the Sixers then you are clueless anyway. Keep dreaming.

[LLJ]

Could the Sixers squad currently in discussion (sans MCW and Noel) be favored over a strong D-League squad? I don't think so. Take the Texas Legends roster:

Mike James, Renaldo Balkman, Damion James, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Omar Samhan, Eric Griffin, Booker Woodfox etc.

That's the same hodgepodge of NBA vets, failed draft picks, and former college stars that Philly trots out. These guys all have the required age and body development you think is so important in comparisons with Kentucky. And many of them have experience on the NBA court, weightroom and practice gym.

I don't think any non-MCW and Noel Sixer were stars in college..

They were at least very good college players though. They also have more experience and maturity than college kids.

[TheKingofSting]

After what I saw I think UK's second unit may give them a run.

[ckchen]

Could the Sixers squad currently in discussion (sans MCW and Noel) be favored over a strong D-League squad? I don't think so. Take the Texas Legends roster:

Mike James, Renaldo Balkman, Damion James, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Omar Samhan, Eric Griffin, Booker Woodfox etc.

That's the same hodgepodge of NBA vets, failed draft picks, and former college stars that Philly trots out. These guys all have the required age and body development you think is so important in comparisons with Kentucky. And many of them have experience on the NBA court, weightroom and practice gym.

I don't think any non-MCW and Noel Sixer were stars in college..

To me, this is why people are misjudging the Sixers team and overrating the Kentucky team. While there are apparently as many as 6-8 highly project players on Kentucky, I could safely say that none of them are currently "stars" either - how could they be? If you're playing 10-15 mpg, and getting mediocre numbers because they aren't starters, it is what it is. Also because the team is deep and the minutes are spread around even their starters aren't blowing anyone away either.

Also - there are actually very few players on the Sixers team that weren't college stars. To saw that only MCW or Noel were is a huge misconception. Davies, Wroten, KJ McDaniels, Drew Gordon, Covington - were all college "stars" on their respective teams by the time they left. People saying that they were "just guys" are
underestimating the impact they had on their college teams.

By that reckoning - can you call the Harrison twins or Karl Towns college "stars"?

[HotelVitale]

Kentucky playing at their absolute best wins. However today their offense did not look good. Their bigs, although loaded with size and athleticism, missed tons of east baskets around the rim being guarded by 6'8-6'9 players. A lot of these missed were ugly misses.

Thanks for making this case. This was the first college game my girlfriend watched ever, after having sat through 20-some pro games, and she kept asking what the hell was wrong with all the players. 'These guys look like they're playing basketball for the 2ns or 3rd time in their lives' she said, just because NBA players are so much more competent and skilled by comparison.

Kentucky has what...1 or 2 guys who will go in the first round, 1 or 2 guys who will play in the NBA for longer than 2 or 3 years?
Which means the rest of their roster is overseas bench players at best?
LOL GTFO out of here

Yeah 1,2,... Or 8 1st round picks. This team would handle the 76ers.

I'm assuming you didn't watch the game then. Those guys screwed up so many easy things, missed so many rotations, dribbled right into defenders, etc. That game couldn't have been any clearer an example of really large, athletic people running wildly around. KY's players looked awesome and a handful of them are going to be forces in the NBA but the pros don't make the sorts of mistakes the college guys do every minute of every game.

I don't think any non-MCW and Noel Sixer were stars in college..

A lot of guys weren't superstars but many were. In addition to Drew Gordon, Robert Covington put up 18/8 his last two years in college, was one of the best players in his conference. KJ McDaniels just put up an efficient 17/7, also a top player in the ACC last year. Wroten left after a single solid season and Shved never went to college but both would've been dominant if they had played another season or two.

[greenandgold]

It's fine to talk about what big stars KJ McDaniels and Robert Covington were in college, but it's irrelevant. Those guys don't start for this particular tank and they don't play many minutes. Hollis Thompson and Henry Sims are starters, though. Please tell me what AMAZING players they were at Georgetown and in the D-League.

[Talent Chaser]

To those who have been saying the 76ers would kill UK:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/jeffborzello/status/535512269204230145[/tweet]
Not what Vegas thinks

[LakersDynasty14]

To those who have been saying the 76ers would kill UK:
[tweet]https://twitter.com/jeffborzello/status/535512269204230145[/tweet]
Not what Vegas thinks

Sixers a -16 vs Kentucky? That's an pretty big point spread for an NBA team. Vegas is basically saying Kentucky has no chance.

[TKainZero]

After what Kentucky did to Kannas?
Maybe...

That was a beat down of epic purpotions!!!

if Kentucky goes undefeated, and the 76ers go winless... I say they should have to play each other!

[ckchen]

It's fine to talk about what big stars KJ McDaniels and Robert Covington were in college, but it's irrelevant. Those guys don't start for this particular tank and they don't play many minutes. Hollis Thompson and Henry Sims are starters, though. Please tell me what AMAZING players they were at Georgetown and in the D-League.

Sims has been moving in and out of the starting Iineup. Everyone knows he is a stop-gap journeyman solution until Embiid can play. Hollis is a 3 pt specialist who Brown is trying to convert into a 3 and D player, a la Bruce Bowen. For what it's worth. Hollis was one of the best college 3 pt shooters by the time he tried for the draft.
But bringing up the Bowens of the world is exacly the point. Teams can start players in specialist roles, and players who had unremarkable college careers can parlay certain skillsets to NBA success. Every star player needs non-ball dominant role player types to play with. Just like a team with 5 Kobes would go nowhere in the NBA - you always need role players on every roster. Pointing out that every person in the starting lineup is a potential star (still not a given) - is meaningless when it comes to an NBA roster. Look how much trouble Lebron, Kyrie, and Love are having trying to figure out how to play with the others.

You can't ignore bench players just like you can't ignore role players. If talking about bench players on the Sixers is irrelevant, then is that also the case for Kentucky? So you're limiting the discussion to just Cauley-Stein, Poythress, Towns, and the Harrison twins? So we're also not counting Dakari Johnson or any of the bench players? This is such a useless and throwaway statement, I don't even know where to start.

[JimmyTD3]

Could the Sixers squad currently in discussion (sans MCW and Noel) be favored over a strong D-League squad? I don't think so. Take the Texas Legends roster:

Mike James, Renaldo Balkman, Damion James, Bernard James, Doron Lamb, Omar Samhan, Eric Griffin, Booker Woodfox etc.

That's the same hodgepodge of NBA vets, failed draft picks, and former college stars that Philly trots out. These guys all have the required age and body development you think is so important in comparisons with Kentucky. And many of them have experience on the NBA court, weightroom and practice gym.

Hold up.

There's a dude in the D-League named Booker Woodfox?

That's awesome