The Spin Zone - The Phanatic's take on Rodney Carney

John McMullen:

Like a lot of you I nearly had a heart attack when I heard the name Thabo Sefolosha but all my visceral Billy King attacks would have to wait when the Sixers swung a trade and ended up with Memphis swingman Rodney Carney. The Sixers should have selected Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams but Carney was the team's second best option and No. 2 isn't all that bad when King is the captain of your ship. Carney is a virtually a carbon copy of Andre Iguodala athletically but he understands his role a lot better that the junior A.I. Carney already realizes he needs a lot of work at the offensive end and made his name as college basketball's best on-ball defender. A tough-minded defensive presence certainly can't hurt the Sixers.

Jared Trexler:

At second glance, Thabo Sefolosha -- while not a household name -- is an athletic swingman with the ball skills to play two-guard and the wingspan to bother perimeter players on the defensive end. So, it would not have been the end of the world if the Sixers had kept the Swiss star. That being said, Rodney Carney is a lockdown defender who loves to attack the basket and create off the dribble. He has the makeup and upside to be a solid player at the pro level, however with Marcus Williams still on the board I am hesitant to call this draft and trade with the Baby Bulls a winner (Philly also received a 2007 second round draft pick and cash considerations from Chicago). Drafting Williams would have allowed Allen Iverson (if he remains in Philly) to move to a more natural position off the ball -- especially in the guard's old age behind a career of wear and tear. I don't hate the move. I don't love it. Seems like a typical Billy King draft to me.


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