With the NBA in this infinite quarantine right now, we are all looking for things to pass the time until basketball can return to our lives. So, we are looking at the drafts from the past for the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the 2001 draft the Sixers ended up with Seton Hall big man Samuel Dalembert with the 26th overall pick and he was a staple for the Sixers in their lineup for a long time. He averaged 8.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks with the Sixers and he was a main piece on a few playoff teams.
As Bleacher Report does a full re-draft for 2001, they had Dalembert going in the lottery at 13 to the Houston Rockets. So, for the Sixers, they had them selecting DeSagana Diop who came out of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
B/R wrote:
Diop comes off the board as the final 2001 pick to play at least 10 seasons, but as his career average of 2.0 points per game reveals, he didn’t last that long because he could score. The 7-footer finished second in the league among qualified players with a 7.4 block percentage in 2005-06, and his career rate of 5.7 percent is tops among players picked in 2001.
In real life, Diop was selected eighth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He lasted 12 seasons in the league and he was even the starting center for the Dallas Mavericks when they reached the NBA Finals in 2006. As B/R mentioned, he only averaged 2.0 points in his career. He lasted as long as he did due to his defense and rebounding.
Would Diop have fit with the Sixers in 2001? Maybe. He essentially was a beefier Dalembert, but Dalembert had a bit more of an offensive game and he could shoot free throws much better. Either way, Dalembert was the more talented player and the Sixers ended up with the better player. Diop would have just done all of the dirty work for them. [lawrence-related id=29297,29291,29284]