Who Will Be the Philadelphia 76ers' Starting Point Guard Next Season?

As Ed Stefanski is currently debating choices for head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers from Eddie Jordan to Tom Thibodeau and Doug Collins, he has a position just as important to fill during the offseason.

With a 33 year old Andre Miller becoming a free agent off of a $10 million salary last year Sixers management must contemplate whether to continue with him or to find a young franchise point guard.

Available on the list are two current 76ers, two restricted free agents, and five possible players from the 2009 NBA Draft. With Tuesday's lottery determining the order of the first three teams draft, and possibly others due to one drafting higher than expected, point guards could either be plentiful or thinning out by pick 17.

Abbreviations:

Minutes per game = mpg
Points per game = ppg
Field goal percentage = fg%
Three-point percentage = 3p%
Free throw percentage = ft%
Assist per game = apg
Turnovers per game = tpg
Steals per game = spg
Blocks per game = bpg
Rebounds per game = rpg

Andre Miller

Age 33
6'2" 200 lbs

Current salary: $10,333,334

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Philadelphia 76ers
82 games played (81 started), 36.3 mpg, 16.3 ppg, .473 fg% (.283 3p%), .826 ft%, 6.5 apg to 2.4 tpg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, 4.5 rpg

Analysis:

The reliable veteran (530 consecutive games played) and floor general had led the Sixers to back to back first round playoff appearances since his arrival in 2008. However, there are knocks on him for his age, salary, and shooting ability. He has an adequate mid-range jumper and struggles from the three point line.

Samuel Dalembert, Elton Brand, and Andre Iguodala take up approximately $37 million of the salary cap, as well as an expected new deal for Thaddeus Young within the next two seasons. Miller is searching for that one last big payday...but will probably not find it in Philadelphia.

Louis Williams

Age 23
6'2" 175 lbs

Current salary: $4,500,000

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Philadelphia 76ers
81 games played (0 started), 23.7 mpg, 12.8 ppg, .398 fg% (.286 3p%), .790 ft%, 3.0 apg to 1.9 tpg, 1.0 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.0 rpg

Analysis:

Once designated as THE point guard of the future for the Sixers Louis Williams has displayed why he would be the perfect backup to Andre Iguodala at shooting guard.

He has a hard time getting his assist to turnover ratio to two, and also tends to show inconsistencies in shooting and defense as well. He had some stability as a point guard with Maurice Cheeks as head coach, but his restraints went with Cheeks’ firing. It is most likely up to the next head coach to decide if they would want to try him again as a PG.

Raymond Felton

Age 24
6'1" 198 lbs

Current salary: $4,148,715 (Restricted Free Agent)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Charlotte Bobcats
82 games played (80 started), 37.6 mpg, 14.2 ppg, .408 fg% (.285 3p%), .805 ft%, 6.7 apg to 2.8 tpg, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 3.8 rpg

Analysis:

Despite being Charlotte’s starting point guard for most of the franchise’s existence recent rumors have Felton being supplanted by D.J. Augustin or this year's draft pick if a PG. He seemed to have peaked at his potential at UNC and has put up almost the same stats year after year for the last three years.

A deal with him would command over $5 million easily in the first year of the contract.

Ramon Sessions

Age 23
6'3" 190 lbs

Current salary: $722,514 (Restricted Free Agent)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Milwaukee Bucks
79 games played (38 started), 27.5 mpg, 12.4 ppg, .445 fg% (.176 3p%), .794 ft%, 5.7 apg to 1.9 tpg, 1.1 spg, 0.1 bpg, 3.4 rpg

Analysis:

After achieving 8.1 ppg on .436 fg% (.429 3p%) and 7.5 apg to 2.1 tpg in 17 games at the end of the 2007-2008 season, Sessions looked to be the successor to Mo Williams in the Bucks backcourt.

However, once Scott Skiles was hired as head coach, the team traded for Luke Ridnour as a better fit to his system. He later became the starter as Ridnour was slowed with a back injury.

A deal with him would start at $1.25 million in the first year of the contract and could be the most valuable signing of the offseason. In a sense he is a younger, more athletic version of Andre Miller.

Eric Maynor

Age 21
6'3" 175 lbs

Current salary: N/A (Possible Draft Pick #17: $1,514,280)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Virginia Commonwealth University (NCAA)
34 games played, 35.5 mpg, 22.4 ppg, .463 fg% (.361 3p%), .815 ft%, 6.2 apg to 3.0 tpg, 1.7 spg, 0.2 bpg, 3.6 rpg

Analysis:

As a two time Colonial Athletic Association player of the year the senior from VCU has made a case to be a lottery-to-mid-first round pick as his team’s main offensive threat. He has show marked improvement on offense each year either as a facilitator or a scorer.

With comparisons to a young Sam Cassell he has no major issues on offense but will raise questions about his defensive ability. Yet it may be his lack of ability to penetrate the lane against stronger big men and his athleticism that could lower his draft stock.

Jonny Flynn

Age 20
6'0" 185 lbs

Current salary: N/A (Possible Draft Pick #17: $1,514,280)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Syracuse University (NCAA)
38 games played, 37.3 mpg, 17.4 ppg, .460 fg% (.317 3p%), .786 ft%, 6.7 apg to 3.4 tpg, 1.4 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.7 rpg

Analysis:

It is not common for a college head coach to tell his best player to go to the draft if he’s a lottery pick, but Jim Boeheim told Flynn exactly that. With the Phoenix Suns expressing interest in him at #14 Flynn already has some Suns fans picturing the team after Steve Nash.

His main issues are his tendency to fall in love with the three-pointer and questionable defensive skills. Some scouts do worry about his size comparing him to Earl Watson, but if Chris Paul has not proven already talent and hard work can make up for it.

His shot selection can be improved with coaching, considering he has a decent mid-range shot. Flynn can be a scorer and a passer whose assist to turnover ratio would increase given talent on his team.

Jrue Holiday

Age 18
6'4" 200 lbs

Current salary: N/A (Possible Draft Pick #17: $1,514,280)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: UCLA (NCAA)
35 games played, 27.1 mpg, 17.4 ppg, .450 fg% (.307 3p%), .726 ft%, 3.7 apg to 2.1 tpg, 1.6 spg, 0.5 bpg, 3.8 rpg

Analysis:

Talk about an enigma for the everyman to scout. A 17 year old Holiday went to UCLA as one of best point guards of his high school recruiting class. The problem for him was Darren Collison staying for his senior season, forcing him to start at shooting guard.

Most NBA GMs believe he is a better PG prospects than originally presented at UCLA blaming the system he played under. Considering that he is 18 the question is not whether he can produce right away, but more so, can he be a dominate point guard by the time he is 21 or 22.

With great skills and mentality on both sides of the ball his main concern is shooting mid-range and longer. Also as a reminder of his age Holiday has the size but not necessarily the strength to make up for his average athleticism. If he does well during pre-draft workouts he could easily become a lottery pick.

Jeff Teague

Age 20
6'2" 180 lbs

Current salary: N/A (Possible Draft Pick #17: $1,514,280)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: Wake Forest (NCAA)
31 games played, 32.0 mpg, 18.8 ppg, .485 fg% (.441 3p%), .817 ft%, 3.5 apg to 3.4 tpg, 1.9 spg, 0.6 bpg, 3.3 rpg

Analysis:

If there is anything to say about Teague is that the kid can shoot his behind off. The problem is that’s all he can do considering he had two big men to assist, freshman Al-Farouq Aminu and possible lottery pick James Johnson. The only major improvement to his game from freshman to sophomore year was five points per game.

What is concerning about Teague game besides his defense is his point guard skills. With an assist to turnover ratio at one and his failure to put everything together questions have arrived about his mentality and toughness on the floor.

With athleticism on his side and comparisons from Monta Ellis to Lou Williams, some teams are still willing to take a chance on him in the first round.

Tywon Lawson

Age 21
5'11" 195 lbs

Current salary: N/A (Possible Draft Pick #17: $1,514,280)

2008-2009 Team & Statistics: University of North Carolina (NCAA)
31 games played, 29.9 mpg, 16.6 ppg, .532 fg% (.472 3p%), .798 ft%, 6.6 apg to 1.9 tpg, 2.1 spg, 0.1 bpg, 3.0 rpg

Analysis:

Though Psycho-T Hansborough was the emotional leader of the Tar Heels, Lawson was their mental leader as all their title hope laid on his jammed big toe. A point guard in the truest sense Lawson has the skills to be a distributor from the lane and at the top of the key.

As a spot up shooter he has tremendously improve his three-point percentage from .361 to .472 in a year when the college three-point line was moved back a foot. And though he is often mentioned being of T.J. Ford and UNC predecessor Raymond Felton, a comparison to Chauncey Billups is not out the question.

Lawson does not come without flaws. He is not a great shooter off the dribble, nor has it been evident that he can play a slower pace. Of course his size will bring up red flags to some, but he definitely has both the talent and work ethic to overcome, with marked improvement in almost each category year to year.