The 2014 NBA draft was an important one for the Philadelphia 76ers. After a 19-63 season, the Sixers were looking to finally get the franchise cornerstone they needed.
With the No. 3 pick, the Sixers found that guy: Joel Embiid. The big fella missed the first two seasons of his career due to foot injuries. Since then, Embiid has turned into one of the best players to ever play for the Sixers.
A redraft of 2014 put together by the folks at HoopsHype has Embiid going No. 2 to the Milwaukee Bucks. Therefore, the Sixers select Julius Randle in the redraft at No. 3:
Despite a standout lone season at Kentucky, Julius Randle still took a slight tumble on draft night to No. 7 due to a perceived lack of outside shooting and his unwillingness to pass the ball in college. Few could have imagined how Randle would have blossomed in the NBA, as he’s actually now a plus-playmaker out of the frontcourt, a respectable outside shooter and an All-Star-level power forward overall.
Randle blossomed into an All-Star player in this league and won the Most Improved Player award in 2021. He has been an important piece for the New York Knicks and one has to assume he would have had a similar impact and trajectory with the Sixers.
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