Satiating my summer season basketball appetite, I had the fortune of covering adidas Nations, an yearly grassroots basketball camp that gathers in the LA area, for SB Nation this past weekend. Although there was a surplus of prep and university talent on hand from the United States and all in excess of the planet Evgeni Nabokov Jersey, I had been passing by a quantity of NBA Scout badgewearers when I realized there was a half-decent shot there'd be a Sixers scout right here as well.

A cursory look down at the handsomely embossed briefcase of the tall gentleman to my left proved me proper. This was Mike VandeGarde, an Austin, TX primarily based school scout for the Sixers for above a decade and former Illinois State star massive man. On introducing myself and preparing for the "OH GOD LIBERTY BALLERS GET AWAY" pepper spray that happily never ever came, Mike and I talked Sixers, Salt Lick BBQ, and more Sixers for about 45 minutes while watching two tournament video games in front of us.

Mike could not have been any a lot more helpful and ready to reply the flurry of concerns that was snowing out of my mouth ad infinitum. I'll inform you what I can tell you.

-- There's a good deal up in the air at the second, as you know. But what is not being talked about as much as INTERN COACH is Sam Hinkie's lack of an assistant GM and whether or not or not he'll carry in his own new group of scouts http://www.sjsharksproshop.com/10-antti-niemi-jersey. Less than two months away from education camp and, as VandeGarde explained to me: "Sam's got a good deal on his plate, but scouting is as essential as ever." In the meantime, VandeGarde was just back from scouting in Prague and adidas Nations was "an opportunity to see substantial school youngsters you in no way get to see." But he and I watched the university guys as the prep prospects played more down the gym -- "These are the guys that matter appropriate now. These guys are coming out subsequent yr and we require to know every little thing we can about them."

An Oral Pre-History of the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, Featuring Derrick Coleman and Plenty and Tons of Dropping

O'Connor digs deep into the offseason for this one.
 

-- There is a lot you can say about the Sixers organizational state of disarray considering that Allen Iverson and four guys from your community misplaced to the Lakers in 2001. What you can't say is that they have not drafted properly. 10 of their final eleven first round picks (minus Rodney Carney) have been reputable rotation players.

VandeGarde attributes that achievement to the stability and trust the Sixers scouting division has with every single other Sharks Jersey. Under guys like Courtney Witte, Tony DiLeo (as properly as his brother Frank), and Jordan Cohn, there is been a great deal of collective agreement in excess of the previous decade. And when you consider that only two of people eleven gamers had been picked in the Top 10 -- Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner -- it gets to be instantly evident how the Sixers have ran on the 8th-seed treadmill for so long. If you will not string with each other a couple of best picks and strike gold, it truly is practically not possible to move one particular way or the other when you are drafting reliable guys.

That's one thing the team is aware of.

-- Obtaining been in the War Room for a extended while Sharks Shop, VandeGarde has keen insight into the Sixers imagined method. "You search for guys that could modify the franchise for the better. We're looking to draft young guys with super large upside."

-- In accordance to VandeGarde, everyone was excited and on board with the Bynum trade, even though he was pushing genuinely tough to hold onto one particular of Moe Harkless or Nikola Vucevic, both of whom he is really high on. "But taking into consideration what took place with Bynum, we're in a wonderful scenario as a franchise."

-- The two players above the previous few many years that have created his jaw drop the most... will shock you. And you may believe I am creating it up because of how closely it displays my very own ideas. You will just have to take my word for it -- Andre Drummond and Anthony Bennett.

-- He's optimistic about Evan Turner turning out to be a solid NBA player. The notion that a new program could support unlock a handful of elements of his game is a single he believes in. Emphasized how very good of a rebounder he is for his place.

-- I asked him about the distinct lack of Euro draftees more than the previous decade or so and he stated it was not really a conscious decision. "We have Euro scouts we believe in, and we have had Euro guys on the board, it just didn't function out." Had Michael Carter-Williams not fallen to them, there had been a variety of foreign prospective customers they had been searching at for that spot.

-- Getting been based mostly out of Texas although Hinkie was in Houston, Mike and Sam had a romantic relationship prior to Sam's hiring here. "Sam's constantly played items closed to the chest." That certainly tracks. Mike loved the James Harden trade and lamented that, had items gone a various way, the Sixers could have been in a place to obtain Harden themselves.

-- VandeGarde's super higher on Nerlens Noel, echoing Sam's sentiments about rim protectors currently being at a premium. It's been a extended time considering that a large guy as athletic Noel has been with the Sixers http://www.sjsharksproshop.com/23-ryane-clowe-jersey. As soon as Noel will get his knee appropriate, he is enthusiastic about all the blocking and dunking which is to come. Believes that other teams have been frightened off by the knee and which is why they passed. Also: "Sometimes teams get locked into a guy they fell in enjoy with and that's how other guys begin to slip." Appears like that was the case for the McLemore and McCollum picks.

"Taking into consideration what took place with Bynum, we're in a excellent situation as a franchise." -Mike VandeGarde, Sixers university scout
 

-- Relating to the jump shot of a specific MCW: "There is hope for everybody in terms of a jumper. His rotation and his form are okay. Look at what Iguodala has become -- he had much worse rotation coming into the league. With time, consistency, hard work, and work ethic, there is undoubtedly hope for his shot." They also looked back at his high college tape and noticed that he shot well enough to feel his is far from a misplaced cause.

Total, I got the sense from Mike that although there's nevertheless a lot of operate to be completed, the organization is on the correct track. "But it truly is not like you have a 10-year contract. You gotta make very good selections each day." And that's what it really is eventually about -- whether or not you are a scout or a GM, one particular selection can set you back a great deal of years. The Sixers have had a couple of of individuals in the last decade. With the new regime hell-bent on taking its time to make the ideal options and two very likely lottery picks in their pocket, the potential is vivid certainly.

We talked for a even though, so there is naturally things I left out. But if you have concerns, I will try to solution the ones I can.

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