Comments on: Sixers vs. Bulls: Avoiding 3 Straight

By: tk76

tk76 — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:05:17 +0000

Dannie, I agree with the general gist of your remarks about the future. I do have a lot of respect for ES. He tried to win now without sacrificing the future. That is why he signed Brand and kept Miller.

Unfortunately, they are getting close to being in a financial pinch (over the tax in 2010) and winning now might cost them their chance to win later. Even worse, they may not be able to win now… and they may be stuck with big contracts that can’t be moved to help them build for the future.

last summer ES held all the cards, and he fully played his hand with Brand and Iguodala’s 80M signings. This summer will be an even bigger challenge. He needs to clear salary without sacrificing key young players. he needs to decide what to do with Brand and Miller, in a market where nobody wants to take on salary. There will be tough choices, and I don’t knowif any GM can pull off the moves to make this team a contender in a few years. At very least it should be interesting.

BTW, I think this organization is very close to making some financially driven decisions, like selling a #1, or letting Miller walk without much of a replacement. At least they have some flexibility under the tax this summer, but 2010 will be tough… and 2011 will be better with Sam, Evans and Green coming off the books.

By: Dannie

Dannie — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:39:17 +0000

BSKI – I am in section 211. That’s all I know at this point. Picking up tickets at will call before the game.

By: Antoine Sweet

Antoine Sweet — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:06:43 +0000

The sixers are making me so (expecitive) mad right now They really had a good shot at securing the fith seed. To not show up at all against Jersey pissed me off coming off the Detroit win. I actually went to the game in Charolette and falling behind 20 early had me hating life although they put up effort in coming back but still falling short was unexcuseible. And last night against Chicago makes me not even want to watch this team right now . Its like their just happy to be there they don’ t want to establish nothing they have no fight in them and are leaning toward an early playoff exit I know Thad is out right now but can we play hard for 48 minutes a game instead of just spurts. I really thoughty after the west coast trip we had our act together especially after beating LA and Portland but its like everytime we take a step forward its two steps back we are the most INCONCISTENT team in the leauge if not we easily would have been on the cusp of a fifty win season we must learn how to keep leads make freethrows and close out games. The guys have to use their heads out on the court Sammy shooting jumpshots is not going to cut it as matter of fact he has down right stunk this year I cringe every time he gets the ball on offense knowing he’s going to miss a layup or shoot that awful looking jumpshot. Iggy Drive more go to the free throw line and make them when you get there That jumpshot against Gerald Wallace with the game on the line he didn’t have to shoot he had him beat and than faded away . Anyway I wont go ito it any more if we play hard and smart we can beat any team in the leauge so Theese last four games I hope I atleast get a split from you guys.

By: bski

bski — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:31:55 +0000

Dannie…..Where are you sitting. I’ll stop by and say hi. I’m in my usual, section 219 row 2. If anyone else is going and wants to commiserate/cry in our beer prior to tip off, let me know and we can try to meet up.

By: bski

bski — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:28:45 +0000

JJG…..We will be stopping at Tony A’s Pizzeria in Roxborough before the game, as per your recommendation. I hope it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life because it will most likely be the high point of my evening.

By: Dannie

Dannie — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:28:05 +0000

BSKI – I will be at the game as well. Hopefully its a good game. I really just like watching good teams play. Gives you perspective for what actually works and contributes to winning a lot of games. We should see that tonight with Cleveland.

By: bski

bski — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:26:44 +0000

Greek….Yes I do have tickets for tonight’s game. My family and I will be hitting the road around 2pm. Needless to say, I am not optimistic. The Sixers have won each of the 4 previous games we have been to this season, so I hope they can pull one out of their a**. If not, I already gave my family the heads up that we will be making and early exit. No sense staying the whole time only to watch us take a beating and then getting home at around 12:30am, you know?

By: Dannie

Dannie — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:07:09 +0000

JT - Well for one you are assuming Elton Brand should to be catered too. OR better stated we should build around his game more than trying to make Iguodala and Thad work here in some capacity. I am not at the moment. Brand needs to sell me on his viability as an impact player on both ends of the floor. Like I said the Sixers-version of Elton Brand is seriously unproven at this point. I hope he turns out well but I am working with what I have seen to this point. Iguodala is a good player that does a lot of things that help a team win and has proven that (and I am not really a big Iguodala supporter). Thad is mainly a scorer only at this point with a rapidly developing game. Also who is to say Thad (34.6% from three) won't become a reliable kick out option considering his age and development curve? Both guys are younger as well. I'd rather work with that than build around Brand at this point. I don't really like this team's roster at all. I would completely rebuild it if I could but when I talk about deals and changes I try to stay within the realm of reality given what we know about the organization and the league. I can't see Stefanski trading Iguodala at all. Whereas I could see him trying to dump Brand considering we now have Speights, Jason Smith returning and his age. I'd almost rather move Brand and/or Miller for a guard that can shoot and defend and a pass-first young point guard that can defend (would shoot as well be asking too much? haha) I think part of the problem with the Sixers is they have been of the idea we were only one peice away and I don't agree with that. They tried to win now and develop young players. That's hard (nearly impossible) to do at the same time successfully without a great player. Two options:

Let's take a small step back and go really young and let them grow together in a development phase. I think we still end up in the position we are in now - bottom playoff team. Then when Sam, Willie and Reggie come off the books you have young players in or near their prime with tons of cap space and really be in position to contend with one last piece. (long term strategy)
Be willing to trade young player(s) and really go after a win now strategy. (short term strategy)

And that is just off the top of the head thoughts not fully developed to respond to you JT. I don't know if that is the answer but it's an answer. About crunch time. In the short term why wouldn't a line up of

shooter/defender (whether it be at the point or SG) (replacing Andre Miller on the floor who hurts both defensively and perimeter shooting wise)
Thad
Dala
Brand/Speights
Dalembert/Speights/whatever center is playing well that game

work in crunch time? Don't forget the line-up of Brand/Dala/Thad/Miller/Sam had a very good +/-. The bench squander a lot of leads and put the starters in come from behind positions later in games.

By: The Greek

The Greek — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:32:30 +0000

jkay, like I said before as long as miller is around Willie Greene will be starting.
20nzone, we traded that number one pick along with Carney and booth for cap space.

RRose, welcome to the Sammy Bashing wagon. As always I am the driver and refreshments are in the back.

Dannie in response to my no vote of confidence for Stefanski here it goes. And I’m not saying that he can’t right the ship. I am just saying that I am losing faith in his ability.

1 He traded away Korver and Carney probably their best 2 3 pt shooters. Hate on Carney all you want but he is a good defender . Yes we needed to make cap space to get Brand, blah blah blah. If the knicks could shed the contracts of Randolph and Crawford then Stefanski could have somehow shed the contracts of Greene and/or Evans. There was no reason to include a number one for someone to take Carney.

2 He spit the bit on Lou Williams. Twice. The first was when he signed him to that contract and the second time was when he didn’t deal him at the deadline when he claimed that there was a lot of interest in him.

3. Should have signed a real head coach such a Eddie Jordan from the get go.

4 He shaped this team, crossed his fingers and hoped that someone would be able to hit an outside shot. For this he is fully responsible.

5. Willie Greene starting comes straight from the top because you sure as hell know that if he told Dileo to bench Willie Beamon then that would happen.

6 Speights has been poorly developed. As I have stated before the dude has a good hook shot with both hands but for some reason whenever he posts up no one on this non Thad piece of crap team gives him the ball and it pisses me off. That’s why he has to go 15-20 feet away from the hoop to get the ball and doesn’t give it up when he gets it. Being that Dileo is Stefanski’s assistant he is ultimately responsible for this.

7 Sammy D, where too start? How about suspending him for his selfishness or just benching him to send a message?

That’s enough for know, I am sure I will think of more things later.

1 more thing about that Jersey game, during warm ups the only person not f’ing around was Theo. What a bunch of fools these guys are. Dileo let this clowning go on, I was embarrassed by the crap they were doing in warm ups. I really wanted to go into there huddle in the 3rd quarter and give them the verbal message that Dileo was/is incapable of.

By: JT

JT — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:18:51 +0000

Dannie – Much as you don’t like it I think you have to trade Iggy to improve this team. Let Thad develop at the 3. Right now, your 2 best offensive weapons play the same position. Iggy is having a year where he might have the trade value required to get a 2 who can consistently make the three point shot, which in turn opens up Brand’s game and hopefully delivers on the value the Sixers expected when they signed him.

I think your Ginobli analogy is misguided. Playing Thad as the Super sub still doesn’t solve the problem of not having a consistent jump shooter on the floor at crunch time, where most likely you’re in a half-court scenario. Ginobli can create his own shot AND serve as the kick out guy at the 3 point line. Neither Thad or Iggy can do that.