76ers eyeing frontcourt possibilities

PHILADELPHIA — With the NBA draft one day away, the 76ers' problem may not be all that harsh given the abundance of power forwards and centers ready to be selected.

But it's a matter of so many big men scouted, so many notes, so much debate, and so little time with the draft fast approaching.

On Tuesday, Darrell Arthur of Kansas dropped by the gym at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine to work out for the Sixers.

Last week, it was Marreese Speights of Florida. Earlier in the month, it was Donte Greene of Syracuse and JaVale McGee of Nevada. The Sixers' brass also attended a private workout for DeAndre Jordan of Texas A&M, and drove to New Jersey to see Kosta Koufos of Ohio State.

Because of the depth at power forward and center, the Sixers are sure that one of seven or eight young men who play one or both spots will be on the board when their turn comes at No. 16.

Still, how do you measure the different aspects of the candidates' games — that Arthur played a key role on Kansas' 2008 NCAA championship team, that Speights and Jordan have potential, that Greene and Koufos can shoot from the perimeter?

"We feel real good about (the depth) because a big is one of our needs," general manager Ed Stefanski said Tuesday. "We feel the best player on the board when we pick will be a big. How to differentiate between them is tough. We'll ask questions, we'll argue back and forth. We'll feel out what the scouts say, and we'll see where the consensus comes out."

Most of the Internet mock drafts have had Arthur, Koufos and Jordan going to the Sixers at various times. With all the workouts held throughout the league, the boards change almost daily.

Arthur, who had his ninth workout Tuesday and will participate in his 10th on Wednesday in Washington, has drifted in and out of lottery consideration, mainly because, at 6-foot-9, he may be a bit small for a power forward. He has heard he could be picked between ninth and 20th.

"I'm just trying to do as well as I can and hopefully get a spot in the lottery," Arthur said Tuesday. "I'm anxious. I'm worried and nervous about it, but I'm excited about it, so I'm just going to try to take it all in."

And if it's the Sixers?

"Man, that would be great, playing with a younger team, just getting out there and trying to bring a defensive presence," he said. "That would be fine with me."

Arthur, Speights, Jordan and McGee are athletic players who can run the floor, which fits the Sixers' style of play, but Arthur is the most polished and experienced of the four. Though Greene and Koufos may not be as athletic, they can bang inside and stretch the defense with their ability to hit the 20-footer, or even go beyond the NBA three-point line.

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