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SIXR17.htm

Ahh the smoke keeps coming.....

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                      The Philadelphia Inquirer Sports
                                      
                           Tuesday, June 17, 1997
                                      
                                      
                        Sixers may sharpen the point
  They are interested in drafting a guard who will add size and defense to
                            complement Iverson.
                                      
   
                            By Stephen A. Smith
                           INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
                                      
   
   With Allen Iverson spearheading their backcourt -- and future -- for
   at least the next several years, the last thing the Sixers might need
   to grab in next week's draft is a point guard.
   
   But they haven't ruled out the possibility.
   
   Looking to entertain offers of trading down from their No. 2 slot, the
   Sixers said it's still possible they will end up with multiple
   first-round picks on June 25.
   
   If that happens, don't be surprised if Colorado's Chauncey Billups or
   Bowling Green's Antonio Daniels ends up a Sixer.
   
   ``Obviously, it's a long shot,'' Sixers coach Larry Brown said. ``But
   as the draft approaches, you never know what a team will be willing to
   offer to get the No. 2 pick. . . . If we're fortunate enough to be in
   position to grab one of those guys, we'd certainly entertain it. It
   fills one of our needs.''
   
   As spectacular as he was in his rookie-of-the-year season, Iverson
   also was erratic. He pushed the ball unnecessarily, shot poorly in
   stretches, shot too much, and faded away from the team's offensive
   structure. But that wasn't his most glaring deficiency.
   
   Generously announced as being 6-foot-1, Iverson is a guy who
   physically cannot match up with bigger guards in the NBA, Brown said.
   That's where Billups and Daniels come in.
   
   Billups is 6-foot-3; Daniels is 6-4. Both are considered the best
   point guards in the draft, and they also have the athleticism to go
   with their size and the defensive ability to play either guard spot.
   Both believe they are compatible backcourt mates to Iverson.
   
   ``Especially me,'' said Billups, a second-team all-American sophomore
   who averaged 18.5 points per game in two seasons with Colorado. ``I'm
   the best point guard in the draft. My scoring and defensive ability
   makes me believe that. Plus, I'm big and athletic enough to get the
   job done from either guard spot, which is a plus for Philly. I could
   help out both Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse.''
   
   Daniels' feelings are the same.
   
   ``I feel I'm the best as well,'' said Daniels, who averaged 24 points
   per game in his senior season at Bowling Green. ``I can shoot, pass,
   assist, and play defense with the best of them. I've proven it time
   and time again. With me by Allen's side, we'll run all night long.''
   
   Brown, who thinks Stackhouse is a natural small forward, wants a two
   guard with perimeter skills, but also someone to spell for Iverson.
   Stanford's Brevin Knight and Kansas' Jacque Vaughn were often
   mentioned as the best two point guards in the nation during last
   season's national-title run.
   
   ``But both are small like Iverson,'' Brown said. ``Both are quality,
   capable guards who look to run a ball club. I like that. But I need
   size, and picking them would be a problem because of how either of
   them -- with Iverson -- would match up with bigger guards.''
   
   Brown believes Daniels would have the same problem. A slim 190 pounds,
   Daniels has a physique that conjures questions about how he'd size up
   defensively against opposing guards. No such questions exist about
   Billups.
   
   ``Billups is a strong 202 pounds,'' Brown said. ``He can shoot, he can
   run a team, and he can play with the best of them, physically and
   athletically. I like him a lot, and I would certainly have to give him
   strong consideration.''
   
   Notes. The Sixers are bringing in five players for workouts and
   interviews this week. Colgate forward Adonal Foyle and Texas Tech
   center Tony Battie will be in town this morning. High-schooler Tracy
   McGrady, from Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., and Kentucky
   guard Ron Mercer will be here Thursday. Michigan forward Maurice
   Taylor will be in on Friday.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
   Philadelphia Online -- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sports -- Copyright
                           Tuesday, June 17, 1997