The title says it all. Ed Stefanski fired Mo Cheeks early today, and Tony DiLeo will be marching the sideline for our struggling Sixers tonight. He will be head-to-head with another interim coach in Ed Tapscott. I actually think this is pretty ironic as Eddie Jordan has been the #1 name floated around as the eventual long-term option at head coach for the Sixers.
All that aside, the Sixers still have a basketball game tonight. And the news today makes it significantly more interesting than I had thought yesterday. Luckily I will be there to witness first hand how the team responds and how DiLeo handles the team. I will be in section 118, row 20 seats 5 & 6. Come check me out if you will be at the game.
So with a new head coach I just want to know what you all will be looking for? DiLeo is going to coach the way Stefanski wants this team to play. Defense and run with Brand as a fall back when running isn’t available as an option. I expect DiLeo to play Rush and Marshall a bit more as well to help with perimeter shooting. Ed didn’t bring them in here to sit and have the team continue to struggle from the perimeter.
I am off to the game and have more thoughts than I can get out right now. Chat it up, interested to see what you guys are thinking.
Sixers vs. Washington Game Notes
Let’s be clear and frank from the start – this game means nothing in the grand scheme of things. The Sixers beat a really bad team tonight in easy fashion. If they hadn’t ,we would be looking the ineptness of this roster and the man who created it. That didn’t happen, and that is the only significant thing to take from this game in my opinion.
The Washington Wizards are beyond horrible – and we thought the Sixers were bad. The Wizards looked like the worst team in the conference from the tap. They were throwing the ball all over the place with little defensive pressure, and the Sixers capitalized on it to the tune of 24 points off 15 Washington turnovers.
- Elton Brand made shots and teammates found him in very good scoring positions.
- Andre Miller shot less and passed more. Hopefully this will be part of the new direction of this team offensively. I really haven’t been happy with his high number of shot attempts or his domination of the ball. But I understand he felt it was necessary to make things happen on his own when other guys were struggling. With Lou and Iguodala playing better, I hope to see him back in a facilitator role for the remainder of the season.
- Samuel Dalembert was a beast on the boards. JJG said something that I distinctly remember about guys that get uncontested rebounds that add up throughout the game vs. guys that get boards they had to fight and take from the opposition, essentially winning an extra possession. Dalembert had a lot more of those flying through multiple defenders to pull down boards we otherwise wouldn’t have got. Good job by Sam on the boards.
That is all I really care to write about this game. It was a win, at home the first in the last 6 home games. I think there is a lot more to discuss about the coaching change and direction of the team going forward. So expect more posts on that with my thoughts and in response to what people are saying in the comments.
Next game: Wednesday at home against the 10-15 Milwaukee Bucks.
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{ 86 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m most interested to see how DiLeo works his rotation. That was one of my biggest problems with how Cheeks operated. There’s no excuse for not using Rush and Marshall more when the zone comes in. Our players have been crashing to the basket all season with three men on them. The offense was stale. At the very least, I hope to see them use some more variety on offense.
Guys, lets not kid ourselves, E.S. is the coach of this team now, which might be a good thing because he will put guys in the roles he envisioned them for and if it blows up still than he has to make changes. 4 1/2 games out of a homecourt advantage in a playoff series so I hope it works.
I can!t read too much into this because Wash. looked like the worst defensive team I!ve seen all year. I don!t know what Sam had against Mo but this was the first time, other than the Laker game that he put out a good effort. With Iggy and L.Will. playing better lately and Elton looking healthier tonight we were do for a better result. One lineup I was happy to see was the original starting lineup from opening night for a stretch in the 2nd quarter. I didn!t see the press conference but I was curious to see if E.S. was going to abandon the Iggy at the 2 experiment but he was there during the 2nd quarter. Hopefully we build on this and I wish Mo luck in whatever he does down the road.
Dannie, since you were at the game here are some of our new coaches post game comments; 1] going to stay with a nine man rotation to start to get guys familar with their roles. 2] asking the players to be more accountable for their own man defensively [less switching ?]. 3] more ball pressure to control the tempo. 4] need Sammy to be a factor. 5] A.Miller feels he has to do more than just be a facillitator, but being pass first will keep everybody happy. 6] tried to get Elton the ball in good “spots”. Dannie, he said he didn!t have time to relay these thoughts to the players yet because he just didn!t have the time today but I like everything he said tonight.
Concerned that Sammy seems to have issues with coaches(Canada/Sixers) and basically doesn’t give concentration & effort. I hope he continues to play well and I’d look to trade him. Who knows how he will react to the next coach. When motivated he has an impact. When not, he’s a slug! Dileo tightening up rotation, looking for defensive accountability/consistency, pushing of the ball! All good things. these players know Ed is in his ear and they will be motivated or gone.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=MCheeks-081213
I just read that and the piece on the Sixers on ESPN insider from Hollinger. Good article but nothing we haven’t already discussed collectively on this blog prior to Cheeks being fired.
Looking forward to some change and a new look in these next few games before they face some big dogs.
I don’t think effort is the issue with Sammy. There are just so many things he still does not understand about the game. I mean he’s a soccer player. He has a terrible sense of where the basket is when he gets the ball in the paint, and might be the worst center all-time at throwing outlet passes after a rebound. I feel like I could write a book at this point on how low his basketball IQ is.
I was also at the game tonite. Saw a different team. I want to remind you that Washington this past week that beat Detroit, lost their last 6 games by less than 7 pts (except Boston), and only 2 under LA (Bryant). Tonite, they ran, passed, and went to the board on offense. I am hopeful…….
Congrats to Tony DiLeo and the Sixers! Maybe, just maybe, DiLeo could be the coach in the long run, let’s not count him out if he does very well! Sometimes GM’s make the best coaches. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Perhaps, DiLeo needs a headset like coaches in the NFL have because it is Ed Stefanski giving DiLeo the necessary plays and lectures for this team to succeed. But, Eddie Jordan,somewhere, is watching this team and monitoring this team on NBA League Pass wherever he is.
If Jordan is hired, I wouldn’t be surprised if Larry Hughes joins us as a free agent for the minimum because his career bests were with Jordan and the Wizards. Plus, he gives you that great notion on defense becoming offense. Something to keep in mind!
This team can be a joy to watch, like watching a frontyard wrapped in Christmas lights. Like Christmas lights, all the strands need to be lit up and be well connected to each outlet (basically be on the page). (GM outlet to the coaches outlet to the players outlet) and they are wrapped around the trees and bushes (our fans).
Let’s get on a win streak here guys!! If the Sixers play with that attitude and passion for the game on both ends of the floor, then we beat anybody regardless of the opponent. It’s been awhile since we beat a team in double-digits.
Hopefully Dalembert will play with this kind of energy night in and night out (or day in and day out if we play any afternoon games)! It was great to see Brand have a better game, with the exception of the free throw line which will get better game after game, this is what we needed.
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Thaddeus Young, has found a nice role coming off the bench and his post-up skills are the best! That is his niche of the game and eventually in good time, his shooting will be back. And that was an INCREDIBLE dunk that should be in the NBATV Top 10 Plays on Saturday!
Now, we have to see Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall in action and in meaningful minutes. Add those real sharp shooters to our potential shooters in Lou, Willie, and Iggy, then we have one hell of a team.
Let us fully understand that defense jump starts our offense in our to succeed and play the game in an even keel!!
Let’s hope Mo is part of the Sixers organization somewhere and Ed Stefanski is a true class act for bringing other possibilities up for this Sixer legend! We still love you #10!
GO SIXERS AND KEEP UP THE ENERGY!!! IT’S YOUR IDENTITY!!!
its funny how i’m a bit surprised that Mo got chucked now. Knew it was coming but yet? Hopefully this will put some more responsibility on the players.
Di Leo: will guard on on one, less switching…if they can do that maybe we can actually see who is playing defense and who aint. our D gives wide open looks always because someone forgot their assignment and guard the wrong player with his teammate having to switch. that is the most annoying habit, the Sixers have, lets hope this change can cure that. If thats one victory we can take from this I will be satisfied.
Good article on ESPN. But isn’t Miller hurt? We have to find a way to get Rush and Marshall on the floor. We’re still last in 3pointers, and Willie Green still isn’t a starter in this league. Everybody says Lou is not a point; then start him at the two. Tony is an NBA guy but I still think we’ll get Eddie Jordan next year. Remember last year when Cleveland cleared their roster and everybody thought the trade stunk, but now with the addition of Mo Williams it looks great. More than anything the Sixers need time. We may loose Miller next season so we’ll have to indoctrinate a new point and a new coach. The bench will change again, this has officially become a work in progress.
The bad news:
Thad came off the bench in favor of Greene
Speights only played 11 minutes
The good news:
Thad was given the opportunity to make plays with the ball
Ditto for speights, they actually let him post up which was rare in the shitty cheeks administration.
The team played hard, you could see it on the first possession when they ran down hard and fast for a quick basket in a non fast break situation.
Iggy played great yesterday, 14 pts out of him is good as long as he plays within the flow of the game and doesn’t force the action.
Brand was the player we thought he would be!
Miller became the passer the he was known for instead of jacking it up 17 times.
Dileo said that for Sam to be successful that he would have to accept his role That of a rebounder and defender. Hallelujah! And he played that way. 5-17 is tremendous and he only took 5 shots!
Greek, your reading too much into Thad coming off the bench. He scored his avg. in less minutes and since Iavaroni did it for B.Jones years ago , teams do this often, it is not a demotion. Milwaukee moved Villanueva to the bench in favor of Mba-amoute and he is lighting it up since. Our 2nd unit just got a boost and the more I think about it ,Mo, if allowed to by E.S., should have kept things as close as he could have to last years finishing lineup because it would have kept everybody used to what they were doing , with the exception of Reggie for Elton. L.Will. as the 1st guy off the bench, Theo and eventually Marreese as Jason!s replacement off the bench and so on. This group of players, other than Willie who seems to found his niche off the bench, doesn!t seem to handle change well and hopefully they can eventually get that new ,Iggy at the 2 , lineup to work.
I read something interesting about Tony DiLeo. He said that he wants to really pay more attention to detail on both ends of the floor. That detail on defense, would be: Not overcommiting on a three point shot and getting pump faked, better pick and roll defense, and less double teaming and staying on your guy more. On offense: Getting Elton the ball in situations that he likes, better rotations, more off ball movement, and less standing around taking up so much of the shot clock. Paying attention to detail is exactly what MO didnt do in my opinion. When you think about it, Mo really didnt do anything big to help us play better, he kind of just expected to play better. He always was telling us, we will work the kinks out, we just have to push through it, etc. But he never made any real coaching moves that I can see. Feel free to correct me on that if Im wrong.
Hopefully we will start playing less sloppy, with less turnovers under Tony. And I think we will.
Guest, well said.
OK, a few things.
1) As much as I want to win, I feel badly for Cheeks on a personal level. I agree that he wasn’t getting the job done, but he’s a first class person, IMO, and I wish him the best.
2) Hey Zack, I’m sure you’re thrilled that DiLeo is our head coach.
3) As far as first impressions after game 1 of the Dileo era:
a) I believe I read somewhere that he intends on keeping things tight with a 9-man rotation, at least for a while. That’s what I saw last night. Miller + Brand + Iguodala + Green + Dalembert + Young + Williams + Speights + Evans = 9 by my math. This still leaves Marshall and Rush on the outside looking in. I’m hoping that he’s just trying to get an initial feel with this 9 with an eye toward working our shooters into the rotation.
b) I liked Dileo’s substitution patterns. In the first, he brought in Lou 8 minutes in (for Willie), Thad 9 minutes in (for Dalembert), and Speights 11:27 in–why then??–(for Brand). In the second, he brought Willie back in for Miller and kept Iguodala in. This gave us Green-Iguodala- Williams-Young-Speights, which I thought was much better balanced. The only problem was when took Iguodala out and brought Reggie in. That was the only time the Wiz made any kind of run against us (we were -6 in 5:02 with Reggie on the floor). If I remember, they cut the lead down to something like 35-34. The good thing was that Reggie didn’t see the floor again. When DiLeo started subbing in the 3rd and 4th quarters, he took Brand out with around 4 minutes left in the 3rd and brought in Speights. Then, instead of bringing Reggie in, he came back with Brand to start the 4th quarter. We then had the same 4 we had in the 2nd quarter (Green-Young-Speights-Williams) only this time we had Brand as the 5th instead of Reggie. Much better (with much better results).
I’m willing to give DiLeo some latitude and see how this plays out (like I have a choice anyway, right). I’m thinking that Reggie’s minutes will be going to Marshall and/or Rush (hopefully soon), especially since Speights is playing pretty well. Anyway, it’s good to finally beat somebody. We need to get this thing turned in the other direction.
Positive signs: Iguodala – 11 shots (a more controlled approach). Dalembert – 17 boards (on a mission). Miller - 12 assists (distribution – he remembered!). Brand – 27 points (found it; where’s it been?). Youthful, shortened bench (Young, Williams, Speights) outscoring foe bench 37-31.
It’s what they’re paid for, and fit to do (upon insistence, explicit or circumstantially implied).
Mitigating factors: (1) it was the Wizards, a rag-tag bunch, absent Arenas (2) it was the evening of the morning that their lenient, laissez- faire coach became unemployed due to their collectitive lassitude and nonchalance, and individual inattention to detail or flat-out recalcitrance. Stefanski officially served notice by inserting his trusty assistant on bench that their mega-rich keisters are on the line, having seen long enough that a reminder was needed. We’ll see how long ‘the honeymoon’ lasts.
Next up: Milwaukee and Richard Jefferson, another Arizona U. cactus flower. The key will be containing Bogut, Redd and Villanueva. And, of course, ”bringing it” again.
Dannie, good summarization.
I forgot to mention:
Dileo will have to either get a 10th man into the rotation, give Speights more minutes, or some such thing because both Brand and Miller played 38 minutes last night. I don’t see that as something either one of them could, or should, do night in and night out.
I’m just thinking that if DiLeo cuts Reggie’s minutes and adds a 10th man to the rotation, voila, there are your minutes for Rush and Marshall.
Blski, Deleo said nine, but inferred it was according to matchups so hopefully Theo, Donyell and Rush get some run. A.Miller on the 2 guard defensively is going to happen more often because ,he said last night, that Willie was used on their p.g. to pressure the ball. I hope this eventually means L.Will. may get a chance to start at the 2 guard if he can consistantly hit the 3 and play under control [our B.Gordon ?]. Thad got to play 15 ft. and in and looked effective, that I liked, but again it was the Wizards.
The Bucks are going to be tough. We can’t afford to underestimate them. They just put up 121 last night.
I find it interesting, we have another 3 day lay off between games. Why so many? Is it really like this every year?
Dave T. ….We went to Mama’s last night. Found the place no problem at all. The steaks were very good. Lots of flavor. That is a huge, gut-buster sandwich. I also liked their blend of cheese (a purist might frown on the use of mozzarella, but we liked it). It would have beaten Chubby’s hands down but for one thing. It was way too greasy! —-That is the first thing I notced about Chubby’s steaks, JJG. There is an almost complete lack of grease with their sandwich. Very dry. Very nice.
I expect some grease with any cheesesteak, but this was too much. The bottom of the roll was soggy and falling apart. Even the waxed paper in the bottom of the basket was soaked through. The thing of it is that there is so much sandwich to eat that by the time you get 3/4 of the way through (my boys and I ate the whole thing of course) the grease really starts to get to you. It sat in my stomach for hours. Plus it made me very thirsty. I had 5 sodas during the game last night. I just could not drink enough.
Don’t get me wrong, we all enjoyed them. My wife and kids said they would definitely go back. I appreciate the recommendation. It’s just that all that grease knocked it down a couple pegs. Maybe this is atypical. Maybe we were there on an off night. Maybe the fried onions and mushrooms added extra grease. The next time we go I am definitely going to ask them to squeeze out as much as they can before they put it in the roll.
BTW, my next game is January 24th and I’d love some more pre-game dining recommendations from anyone. Thanks.
Guys, what do you think of moving Thad to the bench. Was this a Mo move or an E.S. suggestion because our new coach did stay with it. Here is my take. His game right now is better suited as a 3/4 than pure 3 because he looks more comfortable 15 ft. and in and doesn!t handle well enough yet to drive from 20 ft. out. L.Will. in the last 5 games : 16 ppg., 2.6 ass., 50 % fg.; 33 % 3pt., 80 % ft., and all this in about 24 min. a night. If eventually Willie could be put back on the bench as our first guard off could this maximize this teams potential better because Thad doesn!t seem to have the room down low to operate with Sam/Elton and Iggy on the court together. What do you guys think.
Moral: The greasy cheesesteak gets the squeak.
Defense, defense, defense. Starts there. Windmilling, matadoring Lou at top makes 2 guards lick their chops. Willie works at D end, makes other guards earn points. On that basis and Green’s general court stability as opposed to LW’s mercurial style of play, Willie should start games.
LW stats you mention show improvement of late but are diluted some by factoring the time and circumstances of achievement during those 5games.
What I think is that it’s idoitic to play that less then 35 minutes a game!
LW should get 15-25 min a game, depending on his offensive effectiveness and defensive match-up – that’s it. And he should report to the coach when he gains upper body mass and defensive conviction. While his offense occasionally dazzles, his defense fairly consistently gets shredded. At this stage in his career, he’s a piece, not a pillar.
I am so checked out of this season right now. Problem is I have seen this all before a good game here or there out of all these guys. The Sixers are inconsistent and have been for a very long time even going back to the year Webber and Iverson were here. They look great for two games than suck for two. I was hoping when Brand came in he would give us a consistent 20-10 a night well guess not. Ok tonight Sammy showed up, Brand played well, and Miller had a ton of assists. I don’t care! Put this kinda effort together for a month straight than I might think they have turned a corner.
I don’t care what Sammy does from here on out we need to trade this guy he is so up and down. We have all seen this before and frankly I am sick of him. Brand, OK good game but, WTF!!!! is up with your free throws. This team cannot compete with elite teams shooting free throws as bad as they do. Hopefully that is part of the attention to detail.
I don’t particularly like anyone on this team. If the Sixers weren’t my home team I wouldn’t have watch 5 mins of these guys on any of the ESPN or TNT games. If I was from lets say Sacramento there isn’t one player on this team I would care about. I follow plenty of players on other teams. Brandon Roy, Chris Paul, Josh Smith, Rudy Gay, and so on. We have no exciting young players, or exciting players at all. Watching this team is like watching grass grow. Even when they have a good game it isn’t very exciting. For people that follow the Sixers cause we know it won’t last and for any other person cause we dont have exciting players. This is probably a big reason why attendance is down.
It looked to me like Brand was more decisive last night, that is to say he made his moves quickly and looked like he believed in what he was doing. Too often this year he has looked like he lacked confidence. Thad also was taking better shots than he has as of late – more of the spin move and floater in the lane. And of course, Miller was focused strictly on passing. Was there more ball and player movement on offense or was it my imagination? Are these developments all because of a new voice? Hard to say given that Dileo spoke to the team for the first time only a couple hours before tip, but who knows.
I would also like to say that JJG you sir are quite a wordsmith. I don’t always agree with what you say but I always enjoy your posts.
Thanks, 2one5. Your candor in post #28 was equally appreciated.
2one5- if i were you i’d keep watching. stats like this boost Miller and Dalembert’s trade value. i do feel you about exciting players though. I was high on Iggy before i saw that he can’t shoot well. its sad but winning (team-wise) will solve that.
What is that? did I hear Sammy was 2nd in All-Star voting among centers? ok…he’s not going near Howard but maybe a couple of first-place votes could give him a very attractive price tag. you never know.
Speaking of which, Orlando beat Jazz without Howard IN UTAH!! well ok they were without Boozer, but gotta give ‘em some cred.
saw the box totals for sixers win; struck me how even on a DOMINATING performance, we go 2-12 from beyond. wow we really need some ben Gordon in here. Nick Young had a DNP, wonder if they are getting tired of him, you never know. Sixers accept all forms of trash pls.
i remember the offseason excitement bout this team, I’ve tried but can’t give up on them, even though I know the reality if their limitations. But what caused that, we might see it again and hopefully can continue building up on it.
i think we should just do like jjg and look forward to the next game. it’s interesting that with lowered expectations/pressure teams always fluorish.
2one5, I disagree but I understand your frustration. I live in Charlotte, NC. I was an Allen Iverson fan, but when he got traded. I was considering being a Nuggets fan. But after watching Iggy, I remained a Sixer fan. I now cheer fully for the Sixers and barely pay attention to AI. I actually love watching the Sixers, just because I am a Sixer fan. You have to live with the bad, and live with the good.
Last year at the begining of the season when we were 5-13, were you saying the same thing? I would think yes although Im not sure. But by the end of the season, I thought this team was one of the more exciting teams in the league. Lets wait and see what happens this year. Remember, Its early.
Man I wish it was that easy to switch teams. Me personally, Im stuck with this crew until the day that i die!
That said, it was sad to see how hard Sammy was running last night. Where was that for the first 23 games? What a dog.
suede: bout Thad; to play with the first unit does he need to: develop better handles and be more of a 3 to play with the already questionable Iggy at 2? or does Sammy need to go in favor of a jump shooting center to free up post space and driving lanes? or does he just need a shooting point guard who will hand him the ball and clear way for him to operate down low? what direction does he need to go in.
see i think his development is about to halt if he doesnt get more minutes and more importantly, more ball. he is soo good at this stage, at what he does, that there is very little he can learn by sitting on the bench IN ANY CAPACITY. i hate to see them waste potential like this. look at Brandon Roy; year 3 he is the legit man of that team (Greg who?). not drawing any comparisons but gotta give some light if you want the tree to start growing!
J.Kay, yes,yes,and yes to your three questions and no to not playing him as much. I!ve stated from the first game he didn!t start that as long as his minutes don!t go down coming off the bench isn!t the end of the world. I will ask you this: #1] he starts and plays 35 minutes sitting on the wing shooting 3!s with no room to work on his midrange game and post game or #2] he comes off the bench for 30 minutes with players that allow him to be creative and use and refine his full arsenal offensively by being the main focus of the offense. Which would you choose ? I don!t know what he is yet, could he be a star, maybe. He also could be a role playing Iggy type that is a 17 ppg. player which isn!t a BAD thing. My main concern with our current roster is which player out of L.Will. and Thad can become our second 20 ppg. scorer next to Elton to help us get to the upper tier as a team.
bski, glad you haven’t forgotten about me. I actually like the idea of DiLeo coaching – at the very least, he should know the Sixers’ strengths and weaknesses better than Mo does as a result of his scouting, so I think he’ll do a better job of playing to their strenghts. BTW, I read your argument for that mostly lefty lineup… we shall see…
I am def not switching teams. I still watch every game but I am not excited about this team or group of players. I don’t root for other teams over the Sixers, but this group especially this year has been horrible to watch. I was basically trying to say that none of the players on this team are very exciting maybe Thad in acouple years but overall this team is boring. Some of this has come from the absolute awful play on the offensive end. Last year I enjoyed watching because there was no expectations and the team was scraping and beating the odds. This year they do not seem to scrap or play with any heart. I still ride with this team no matter what.
Thad should come off the bench like suede’d #2 in post #36. The team needs a guy on that second unit that the other team has to respect.
Lou was supposed to be that guy but his slow start has been well documented. A second unit with Thad, and Rush, M16 and any two starters (depending on match-ups whether we need bigs or not) should be able to score and defend.
I think the starter play too many minutes even when they’re stinking up the joint.
Dre, I love his midrange game and for whatever reason it was lacking when he was out there with the starters. 2one5, winning will make it exciting, other than A.I., that 2001 team was boring offensively but they captured our hearts. I also agree with you about Jumpin!s writing but his pessimism, though often on the mark, has me driving towards the Ben Franklin Bridge sometimes.
Anyone know anything about Sergio Rodriguez? Good pure pg buried on the Portland bench. I think he could be a good option for us as a successor to Miller’s job. When he gets minutes he has great numbers. Can’t cost too much in a trade, depending how much Portland values him.
Bubbachuck, I would rather get the rights to the kid we drafted and gave up [P. Kopponen] , he is taller and supposedly a better shooter. I!d love to have the other spaniard [Fernandez].
sergio rodriguez looks like pure pg. good head this kid. i think we need more of a shooting-combo guard. the way i see it a traditional pg would not work in a team like our where half our guys can’t hit open shots. thats why i have been singing ben gordon all year.
suede: fernandez has sweet stroke. see sick spin around shot against Miami. yeah he’s not going anywhere. who is this pterri kopoken sumthin? was he the one we chucked for herb hill or the prodigal derrick byars (OMG BILLY KING U ARE KILLING ME MEEN)
J.Kay, Jerry West flew 1/2 way around the world to watch him in person, that!s all I needed to hear. He had another good year last year and Portland has decisions to make with Bayless, Rodriguez,Blake and Kopponen. I totally agree with you about needing a deep threat if we want Thad and Iggy to start.
jkay – Why does the player “need” to be a shooting/combo guard as opposed to a pure point?
I actually think the Sixers would benefit more from a pure point guard with the distinct ability to shoot then another shooting/combo guard that we force into a point guard role (although I am not opposed to it if it’s all we can get).
With a pure point that can shoot with range he is a kick out option when teams double Brand. When the countless slashers we have penetrate (Iguodala, Thad, Lou) he is a great kick out option in that situation as well.
But what is also needed in a big way in my opinion on this team is a floor general (again this is all under the assumption Miller is gone) and that is exactly what a pure point brings to the table. Directs people and makes sure they are in the right position, understand who needs the ball and when and has the capability to deliver it on time. A pure point also gives us a guy that is a facilitator when leading the break that will make the right decisions and not turn the ball over.
Also I’d rather have a pure point (aka passer) that can shoot making the decisions where the ball goes as he comes off the pick and role. Since he is a threat to shoot teams will have to go over the screen which gives him more room and opportunity to penetrate the teeth of the defense and finish at the basket or dish if the help comes. A shooter in that situation will instinctively always look to shoot first. And shooters have stickier hands than a pure point which doesn’t help the ball movement issue this team has as well.
With all that said if Stefanski could get Ben Gordon he should do it. But a lot of that has to do with Chicago’s plan for him. I have no idea if they are planning to just let him walk which would make them more willing to deal him before the end of the year to get something for him or if they plan to retain him through free agency and let the market determine his value which they couldn’t agree on when he was restricted.
Zack...You know by now that I don’t forget. I’m always looking for you.
As far as that all-leftie lineup, it’s a bit off the wall I know, but sometimes you’ve got to go in a new direction instead of being hidebound by convention, you know? That’s how changes in the game occur. Someone has success with unorthodox, a la Don Nelson, methods and then everyone else copies it. Maybe if Charlie Manuel starts wearing fish neckties it would work, huh?
I think we need a backup for Iggy or someone who can really compliment him. Look at Mo Williams complimenting LeBron James! A guy like Larry Hughes could be that guy for a minimum amount if Eddie Jordan becomes the coach of the Sixers. His career bests were with Eddie Jordan and the Wizards.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=356
Someone to keep in mind in case the Bulls are having trouble deciding whether to keep Ben Gordon or Larry Hughes.
But, who knows Tony DiLeo could be a diamond in the rough. GMs actually do make great coaches. Here is Leslie Gudel’s two part interview of Tony DiLeo.
http://csnphilly.com/pages/main
I don’t know about you, but despite the rocky start, life without the Sixers can be boring. The wait for Wednesday is too long!
Hopefully this “Leo” can make this “Titanic” into a Blockbuster!
lol looks like someone forgot what blog topic they were on.
Dannie – well put but your way looks like it would take a loooooong time. to find or groom that guy, that is. floor general? those dont come in the free agent market. if i am right i think you might have a better chance of growing your own than finding one. chicago probably won’t let ben gordon walk so easily, especially now that they have Derrick Rose. we need some luck right now. a mistake perhaps or something to be discovered. hmm
Yo suede, re post #40 You want sugar on top of your ingestions, go to the Cartoon Network, Brothers Grimm or Disney. I call it like I see it. You don’t have to give my posts any credence. If Philly sports realities bring you down, you could try another metropolis. But Ben Franklin wouldn’t jump – and that’s key to his historical electricity! … “Keep thy shop, and thy shop shall keep thee.”
Bski: Glad you got to try Mama’s! “Gut buster” is definitely the operative word to use in describing their chessesteaks…it’s a mouthful. The grease thing is why I love them best…I like pizza/cheesesteaks where it’s just sopping onto the plate, mmm mm. Btw their cheese isn’t mozerella…it’s actually a homemade mixture that they’ve never released to the public…some mix of provolone, mozerella and one other I believe, which I think adds a certain mystique to it. And yeah, after a Mama’s cheesesteak, your body turns into a boulder that kinda just wants to sit there. You’ve got some kids with good appetites if they finished a whole one.
Rob: You said something akin to “Maybe DiLeo is the long term solution”. This is why I don’t want to keep an interim for more then a month, and would prefer to hire our long term guy midseason. My biggest fear is having DiLeo succeeding, and then us retaining him as a long term coach.
This is not a knock on DiLeo…by all accounts he has ions of bball experience, and I’m sure he’ll make an admirable interum. But it’s very possible the Sixers would go through an upswing under any coach after Mo…the classic new coach “honeymoon” period. How awful would it be if we signed him long term only to realize “Hmm…yeah, we should have gone with a veteran NBA coach.” ES is a smart, savvy guy, so I don’t that would happen…just something in the back of my mind.
Also…did you really just suggest us looking into acquiring Larry Hughes?!?!?! Really?!?!?!!?! Let’s pray this never happens.
Dannie: Absolutely with you on the pure PG comment. I certainly wouldn’t complain if the person we were to groom would be a scoring PG that can pop a long J on the pick and roll…but IMO bball IQ is just sorely lacking on this team. Also with you on dissapointment in how much A-Miller has been dominating the ball. But yes, a pure PG, that understands how to make decisions, and is great at threading the needle with passing, would be wonderful for this team. I’d love to have a younger Brevin Knight type around for this team.
Sergio Rodriguez: I like him…he reminds me of the young White Chocolate during his Sacramento days. Lots of talent, ridiculously creative passer…that also churns up turnovers and makes a lot of sloppy mistakes. Considering Portland has Brandon Roy, Steve Blake, Jerryd Bayless…combined with the fact that for three years Sergio has games where he’ll put up absurd 5 assists in 5 minutes type stats and that he’s been whining about PT…they are going to move him.
If a coach could do for Sergio would Hubie Brown did for Jason Williams those two years in Memphis, he’ll turn into a fine player. He’s just so damn jittery and mistake prone when he’s out there right now though…classic “he’ll win or lose us a game” type player.
Dave T– not acquire Hughes, but if he is available as a free agent for the minimum. His contract right now is not attractive, but if released or available as a free agent, then. But, if Eddie Jordan will be the Sixers next coach possibly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hughes does look at joining the Sixers in either 09 or 10 for cheap though.
Tony DiLeo being the coach is a Wake Up Call for the Team and what this team can be better capable of!!
Rob – Larry Hughes is under contract for over $13.6M next season so why would we be talking about a player who at the earliest would be available for the minimum in 2010-2011? And even then as a 32-year-old I doubt he signs for the minimum unless it is with a certain title contender.
Besides all those details, Larry Hughes kind of sucks and doesn’t fit on the Sixers. He isn’t a shooter or point guard and is a washed up defender with nagging injuries.
Dave T – I gotta ask since I was at the game on Saturday looking forward to watching this kid you rave about.
How good is the kid Crittenton really? I mean if he is as good as you say why hasn’t he at least gotten an opportunity to play on two teams and now his third. I was hoping to see him play and he didn’t sniff the floor. Granted Nick Young isn’t even playing that much either on that Washington team. They seem to be favoring the old heads in Mike James and Juan Dixon.
But all I see is Crittenton pitted against a player in a somewhat head-to-head battle for minutes and he always ends up with his warm-ups on. He was up against Jordan Farmar and the Lakers chose Farmer. He was up against Conley and Lowry and he got in something like 7 of 20 games this season before being traded. And I’d be shocked if he played at all on Washington.
What gives?
He is under contract through next season then has a team option then restricted status in 2011/2012.
Oh and Dave T, I do still plan to respond to your thought that the long-term answer at head coach should be brought on mid-season. I have a different opinion.
yeah whats up with that; Nick Young and Crittenton on the bench. WTF. i’m not a wizard fan but my goodness do u have to stick with grandpa jamison forever. now that they suck its the best time to play the young guys. this makes no sense. well at least blatche is not with ‘em.
Nick Young:6-7 slight built shooting guard. always in attack mode, good handle, good shot. lou williams with more size, better shot and sick ups. he could be sumthin if he gets a coach that can control his skills.
pls. dont say Larry hughes again. like ever.
According to Steven A. Smith, the moment Mo was fired, Eddie Jordan and his family were in New Jersey. Is that by coincidence or by design? Stefanski is a silent assassin when it comes to making moves– quiet, yet bold.
Now it is fair to say that this is Ed Stefanski’s team and we hope our players will respond on all aspects of the game. Offense, defense, accountability, chemistry, etc.
Who are the free agents of 2009? And which role players would fit on this team if Eddie Jordan does become the Sixers head coach? A lot of our role players have signed 1 year deals. I know it is early, but we certainly need to get our shooting specialists going.
The point about Larry Hughes is that we need a guy of that caliber in terms of playing on both ends of the floor and relieve Andre Iguodala of so many main duties, especially when opposing teams have multiple weapons like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen and when a switch defensively occurs, then we would be okay and not panic when that switch of defensive assignments occur. I thought Hughes in the 2007 ECF did an underrated job defensively on Hamilton and his off the ball denial was great. In Cleveland when he signed that huge contract, he has washed up and overlooked and wilted under LeBron James. In Chicago, he looks more comfortable. We need a person who is excellent at off the ball denial and can challenge a person defensively with long arms and make some steals to ignite the fastbreak. Now it does NOT have to be Hughes, just a type of player like that. I guess I REALLY should have pointed that out!! A BACKUP for Iggy and a guy with versatility on both ends of the floor at the two and three spot with ease is certainly needed!!
Dannie, I definitely agree and question Washington’s lack of minutes for their young players. The season is basically over for them and Arenas should get ready for next season. And the Wizards will get a big draft pick.
http://highfivehoopschool.blogspot.com/2008/12/philadelphia-and-mo-cheeks.html
What Dannie said can sum up this article, too: “Good article but nothing we haven’t already discussed collectively on this blog prior to Cheeks being fired.”
Jumpin, I was just kidding with you, you seem to be a glass 1/2 empty guy and I am a glass 1/2 full guy, that is why Ilove our discussions and the give and take. Dave T. and Dannie, I disagree a bit with you guys on what our future p.g. has to be able to do; This is assuming you expect Iggy/Sam/ Thad and Elton to be our other 4 starters. If I was asking for a resume my requirements would be listed as follows :1] shoot from deep 2] good defender 3]pure p.g.. I think as constituted this team can!t get much better if our p.g. can!t score 15 ppg. at least and spot up shoot also. I know your not high on the college p.g. !s Dave but I like Collison and Curry [still learning] a lot. Could T.Lawson work here, I don!t know because of his outside shot.
suede: you just described deron williams in effect. that is without thge intangibles anyway. how many guards in the NBA alone match up to that description. i as always, aim reasonably. if we had a lottery pick, then you could talk like that but we don’t. will trading Sam and Miller get us one (assuming we swap)?, i hope so.
Dannie:
Crittenton & Wiz: The Washington Post just had a whole section today about Crittenton, specifically about how they consider him exactly what I think he should be considered: “a very talented player with huge upside, that is very dedicated to improving his game, and works very hard”. As said before, I’m not saying this is an all star PG right now ready to walk on the floor and dominate a game…I think his game has a lot of raw areas and a hell of a lot of improvement to do…but this IS a top 10 lottery pick type talent, that to me, has a greater ceiling then some other young PG’s out there.
The reason I brought up the article is because it answers your question…and according to Tapscott, the plan is to really make sure Crittenton knows the Wizard’s sets before throwing him out in the fire. Apparently, since EJ’s firing, Tapscott has required all the younger players on the team (Nick Young, D MacGuire, J Macgee, A Blatche, Crittenton) to come to every practice a full hour in advance, solely so the coaching can go over game type, conditioning, and get extra reps with plays in.
Tapscott said Mike James knows the Wizard’s system, as what Byron runs in NO has similar basic sets and patterns as EJ in Washington…but that Crittenton was under a totally different system with Iavaroni. Tapscott in another interview said he wants to make sure Crittenton doesn’t come out on court going 200% after barely playing and burning himself out to prove everyone in the NBA he deserves PT…just wants to have him earn his minutes like anyone else. Grunfeld has said Crittenton will most likely not get much PT early on, but factors in their long term future, and they look forward to seeing him steadily earn more minutes as the season goes along.
Crittenton with Lakers: Remember that when they originally drafted him, PG was a weak position, and they were probably looking to shore up the PG spot and give Farmar (who in year one was solid but didn’t blow people away) some competition, and go for a two headed, young PG deal. Signing Fish gave him the automatic starting nod, and with two other young PG’s on the roster, you have to give the nod to the one that played solidly and knew the system best. Also, most in LA didn’t expect such a huge improvement from years one to two from Farmar, which further limited Crittenton’s chances at minutes.
In watching the Lakers that first half of the year, when Crittenton did get minutes, he looked very good. He took people off the dribble at will, was fearless going to the rack, and showed a surprising ability to dump the ball to open defenders in traffic. That was the first sign to me that he could translate his game from G-Tech to the NBA.
Crittenton with Grizzlies: They were already 65-70% behind Conley Jr. as the starter, 30-35% behind Lowry, and t hose two were already logjammed, and Grizz brass trying to figure out what they had. Then adding Crittenton…why would they give him time when they were already deciding who of the original two they liked better. Splitting minutes three ways at 16 apiece would just shatter everyone’s confidence, not showcase anyone’s value properly and all three stocks would go down, and develop no consistency in their games.
Overall: Dannie, I’ve asked the same thing myself as with you…and on the surface it’s easy to say, “Well…if Farmer beat him out for minutes…and Conley and Lowry did…and now Mike James…is he really all that?” But I think in looking at where each team was in their future game plan with various PGs, Crittenton has really just been in unfortunate situations. I fully expect him, especially given what Tapscott/Grunfeld have said…for the Wiz to ease him along slowly, but I’d be surprised if by season’s end (especially if they keep sucking this much) if Crittenton wasn’t getting 15-18 mpg, sometimes 20-22.
The Nuggets express interest in Samuel Dalembert:
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_11233543
J.Kay, I was trying to prioritize the skills needed for THIS team, where DaveT. and Dannie feel getting a PURE p.g. is the key, I feel a shooter/scorer is as if not more important.We probably will have to settle for a guy that has 2 of the 3 qualities I mentioned though because of our draft position and cap situation.
Rob – That’s not what that article says at all. It says Karl wants another big as an insurance policy and to compete with the bigger teams out West. Then the writer goes on to suggest options based on their current lack of playing time with their current team. When Juwan Howard was signed Nene actually expressed regret that Denver didn’t sign Howard. But no where in that article does it say “Nuggets express interest in Samuel Dalembert.”
Strange to see writers do a lot of wishful thinking in their articles! But, the Sixers would simply not do so anyway.
Jkay – Deron Williams is the definition of a completely point guard as you say, but I think his dominant attribute is that of a pure point guard before a shooter, scorer or defender although he excels at each of those.
Suede – I disagree.
The Sixers need a big time go to player not another mere 15 pt scorer. To me that is an entirely different conversation.
We have plenty of those 15ppg players on this roster already. The Sixers DO need much better offensive efficiency as a unit and a consistent three point shooter (different from a “scorer”) to help spread the floor. Part of that will come from a better offensive system and of course the other part from the players.
We have been complaining about the shot attempts Andre Miller has been taking, the scoring mentality he has played with and the domination of the ball which only makes guys stand around and watch this season and he is scoring 15ppg. Hell Lou Williams can be another 15 pt scorer as well if you really want that. So like I said we have plenty of those 15ppg players already.
But when Miller is in 100% facilitator role or even Iguodala is facilitating the team looks much better collectively on offense. More ball movement, more player movement, more people involved in the offense and the end results have been favorable. What a pure point guard does is generate the 10-15 more points you want through creating better shots for the players the Sixers already have. More points for Brand, Thad, Lou, Speights and even Sammy. To me having those 15 points you want spread among other players is a better option than relying on one guy to do it.
I already said the point guard needs to be able to shoot the three to solve that hole in the offense. He doesn’t need to be a “scorer” though to get 10-15 points. He can do that by getting out on the break, being a very good free throw shooter and making his open spot up jumpers off passes from Brand, Iguodala, Thad and Lou.
Also, I think you are overlooking probably the biggest issue this team is having and will continue to have once Andre Miller is gone and we are looking for a replacement which is the 15.9 turnovers per game they are committing, good for 25th in the NBA. A pure point comes in and helps that problem by being primarily a floor leader, making smart decisions and I repeat getting the guys we already have the ball if optimum scoring situations. That in of itself helps limit turnovers because now Brand, Thad and Lou don’t have to force the issue, dribble the clock down or run into trap locations trying to score one-on-one a large majority of the time.
Also, doesn’t bringing in another scorer potentially stunt the development of Thaddeus whereas a pure point would contribute to it? Think A.I. slowing down Iguodala’s development.
Like I said in the beginning I think the Sixers DO need a scorer, but I am talking about a dynamic offensive player that can drop 35 efficiently against tough defenses and in clutch situations because I think that is sorely lacking on this team currently and every title contender has that guy. That is a conversation all to itself.
Zack – Good article that is disagree with in not all, but many respects. Certainly not going to type all that in the comments but I definitely plan to cover some of the thoughts he and others have expressed about the Sixers players, style and chemistry/fit.
I got a lot of stuff on my mind and you guys will be bombarded with posts after this week is over as I have two full weeks off from work. So tons of Sixers talk coming.
Rob- I found that article hilarious.
“The Nuggets need a veteran rebounder and shot blocker who is competent on offense.”
Sounds a lot like Marcus Camby doesn’t it? Ha
Yea Dannie that was my main problem with this offseason. You’re paying 1/2 superstar money to 2 guys who aren’t #1 or #2 guys. Neither Iguodala nor Brand will be what Pierce or KG are to their team. Since AI left we haven’t had that guy who like you said can score 35 in a clutch game when his team needs it. Isn’t the ultimate goal to win a championship? No team with Brand & Iguodala as their 1/2 will EVER win a title.
Well I actually do think that Iguodala could MAYBE be a #2 guy on a championship team, but only with a superstar like Kobe or Duncan as the #1. Since that is obviously not happening, I just don’t see what ES thinks this team can accomplish. I guess he saw this team developing into something like the ‘04 Pistons. But each of the Philly counterparts to the 5 starters from that squad is a considerably weaker player.
I don’t know if any of you guys read Bill Simmons from espn.com, but he predicted what has happened to the Sixers last summer. He has season tickets to the Clippers and has watched Brand for the past few years, and thought it was laughable that we paid him that much money to be THE GUY.
Actually, disregard my last comment. The ability to swap second round picks with the Clippers in 2010 is way more valuable for the Nuggets.
Mike- I think Bill Simmons is the best sportswriter in America and his NBA preview column this fall really discouraged me. I was still experiencing the excitement of signing Brand, but the argument that Brand and Iguodala as your top two players won’t ever be enough to compete for a championship is spot on. Thaddeus would have to transform into what Durant is expected to be in order for this team to even pretend to be championship-caliber.
The idea of “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” is not applicable with this team unless we draft unbelievably well in the next couple years. Three max deals per team, and ours are tied up in Brand, Iguodala, and Dalembert. Hold on while I drive these bamboo needles under my fingernails.
Irony: I really do think there is an NBA god out there that is laughing very, very hard at the fact that an in his prime Allen Iverson, during the 00-04 seasons, is exactly what this team needs right now.
Boom: Great call about reading Karl’s comments of needing a big for rebounding and depth after trading Camby haha. And with the Sixers, despite Kleiza’s struggles so far this season, man would I love to have Kleiza on our team as an upgrade over Kareem Rush (not saying we could ever land him or would want to pay him…just wishful thinking).
Bill Simmons: I think sometimes he’s excellent at making many observations about the NBA…other times he can really, REALLY be off base. His “bring the common sense to GMs” mentality, combined with his staggering knowledge of the salary cap structure, players salaries, and ability to understand a team’s psychology always make for a great read. And I’d never knock his entertainment value…I’ve laughed out loud reading him more times than I can count. His vintage NBA Draft Diaries in particular, from about 02-05, are pure gold…as is any time he goes out of his way to rip some player or GM, and make fun of a trade haha.
That said…I think his knowledge of college basketball is horrible…he barely watches any games from Nov – mid January…then come February and March catches the last quarter of the season hardcore and makes very black and white judgements about players that tend not to change. And for the NBA, IMO sometimes he can be a bit shortsighted as far as a player having an off year, or a bad streak, and the ability to come back from this to retain value. And damn…his trade scenarios he proposes…half are brilliant, half are laughable.
But totally agree that he was right on with the Sixers. His podcast with Marc Stein last week was one of the best ones as far as NBA analysis, between two totally guys with completely different mindsets about the game, I’ve heard in a long time. They talked for a good 5-6 minute chunk about our mess of Sixers, and Bill clarified some of his thoughts on Elton Brand, which was interesting to hear.
This sucks.
The Sixers were never really in a position to overcome the Celtics or Pistons (as they were originally assembled). All realistic expectations for this team should have had their ceiling only as high as third in the East.
Still, we expected them to win more games than they lost.
Now, the Celtics are dominating, the Cavaliers have taken it to the next level, the Magic are consistently beating teams the way they are expected to.
Meanwhile the Sixers are nowhere close to being competitive. They are just trying to stay afloat with the rest of the Eastern Conference castoffs.
And what can even be said about it? Their ceiling remains a top-four seed in the East, but it would take a considerate amount of progress and genie-in-a-bottle type luck to achieve this.
The worst part is I can’t even think of ways to rationalize this team getting significantly better for the rest of this season.
Releasing Mo Cheeks was a necessary move, but unless we screw some bolts in Red Auerbach’s neck and revive him as the basketball Frankenstein to lumber along the Philly sidelines no coaching change will make enough of an impact at this point.
What is that you say? In-season trades will allow Stefanski to acquire the talent needed to rejuvenate this franchise?
Wait, wouldn’t that require a number of tradable assets?
By my count Philly has five and a half of such assets. Here they are in ascending order by salary:
Jason Smith- $1,326,360 for two years
Marreese Speights- $1,542,600 for two years
Thaddeus Young- $1,968,120 for two years
Willie Green- $3,388,800 for three years
Lou Williams- $4,500,000 for five years
Andre Miller- $10,333,334 for one year
Green is a solid player but won’t be the centerpiece of any substantial deal.
Smith is out for the year and Williams has gotten off to a disgustingly slow start.
Speights and Young are the great Philly hope. They have the potential to develop into All-Stars. They are our most tradable players. Unfortunately, neither is as valuable as Al Jefferson was when Boston included him in the deal for Garnett. I doubt they will be involved in any deal that would benefit the Sixers.
Miller is the half asset. We will ignore the fact that he is on the downside of his career, that we have no other real point guard to replace him, but instead focus on the contract that many are convinced gives him value: There are NINE players with greater salaries expiring this summer! That means there are a number of other teams with more desirable expiring contracts to offer. What can we reasonably expect to get for him?
Sammy D, Shot Blocker, the Haitian Sensation, has almost played himself out of the rotation, and I see no way he could be traded. $11 million for three more years. The only team willing to pay that salary is the one contractually obligated to (yup, Philly). NBA GM’s have made some awesomely stupid moves in the past, but it would be historic for any other team to take him on at this point.
I love the Sixers and will cheer them on the rest of the way. I would much rather they succeed than substantiate my claims. Please, prove me wrong.
*Disclaimer- I am in thick of finals week. Hour after hour studying Geology of National Parks, Econometrics, and International Finance could turn anyone sour.
**I still think this post is realistic.
Dannie, for us to get a big time scorer now it would have to be a RISKY move [Mcgrady,A.I.,etc.] somebody that is given up on somewhere. You made good pts. on the p.g. but what I meant is as currently constituted we are easy to lock down offensively if our p.g. cannot contribute scoring the ball. I don!t mean dominating the ball but catching and drilling the outside shot, and not a lot of wasteful dribbling. Picture A.Miller from the last game plus buriing the 20 footer. S.F.W. and I debate D.Collison, he keeps telling me he has no middle game, but we are a team full of middle game players and a p.g. that can shoot from deep and finish on the break is just what this team needs. Boomdizzle, all we can hope for is another big, falsely hyped stretch by Sam to get a G.M. to bite, he along with A.Miller is the only way we possibly clear enough room to ever get a guy to push Elton back to #2 and Iggy to #3. Hold it, K.Mchale is on the line.
Dannie, trying to come up with an example. M.Conley versus J.Farmar; both good distributers but Conley, I don!t believe would work here because of his lack of being able to stretch the floor.
I think we will regret not finding a way to draft Chalmers in the 2nd round last draft. Plays in your face ‘D’ and shoots the 3. Not a great guard but I think a steady NBA point for years to come. Last night 3 for 7 from 3 pt land.
Suede – I don’t know. I like Jordan Farmer and am not the biggest Conley fan (I thought he would have a bigger impact by now) but I still think that might be a toss up. I mean Farmer shoots more three point shots but doesn’t do it extremely well overall (about league average) or significantly better than Conley (only 0.1% better for their career). I think Conley is the better pure point guard and Farmar is the better scoring point guard. For me it would come down to who is better defensively and who can run a team better offensively because the three-points numbers aren’t overwhelmingly in Farmars favor.
My whole thing is a very good pure point guard maximizes the potential of all the other players on the roster. This team isn’t the Lakers or Boston talent-wise, but they are far from chop liver as well. The Sixers have some young, developing talent to work with but I don’t feel Andre Miller has done a great job maximizing that talent with his play-making ability, leadership or floor game on a consistent basis because he is trying to score a lot of the time.
A guy that can recognizes mismatches and switches and gets the ball to the right guy in that situation in time for him to take advantage of it. A guy that will have on-floor conferences with his teammates about things he sees happening in the game that will benefit them for example “hey your man is really overplaying you on the wing. Next time down floor I will dribble to your side, come up hard and go back door – I got you.”
Wouldn’t Iguodala score more points and at a better rate if he had a guy getting him the rock where he is most comfortable and shots that are not forced? Wouldn’t Brand have more 27-10 games than 15 point 4 turnover games with a point guard that knew where he liked the ball and could deliver it there on time with regularity? Wouldn’t Thad REALLY benefit from having a point guard that he could run with (think A.I. and Larry Hughes aka the flight brothers for a short time when they were in sync on the break and in the half court)? A guy that you could play with Lou and let him just be that 15ppg scorer off the bench and not have to worry about facilitating.
I think the Sixers need that kind of player with the ability to shoot the spot up three. And I actually think it would be easier to find a pure point guard with a shot we can work with (anyone would be better than Miller from three at this point) rather than finding a scorer and trying to force him into a point guard role. Scorers are scorers we lived that with A.I. for a long time.
I just think the impact of the player I am talking about is greater than simply adding a 3pt shooter capable of scoring 15ppg.
SFW – Still pissed off about Chalmers!
You are not alone, Dannie. I was right there with you, remember? I still can’t figure how Chalmers kept climbing the board with each new mock draft (I know they are only projections, but still) only to fall into the second round and into Miami’s lap. What a steal, and one that we should have had.
He was a Billy K kind of draft pick! Still much prefer Ed though.
Dannie, there are only like 5 or 6 players like that in the entire league. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Billups, Nash, Calderon & Devin Harris are on their way. I don’t see any of those guys popping up in the locker room anytime soon.
Mike – Yes and no. Those players fit yes. But I disagree that we couldn’t get a player like them. How many people thought Nash, Billups, Harris and I would also add Rondo would become the players they have become when they were drafted. These weren’t all that highly touted players out of college. Good certainly but none had the expectation of becoming big time stars in this league. Hell it took Chauncey at least 5 years become the guy we know now in this league. Tony Parker was drafted 28th.
This upcoming draft has like 10 point guards that are quality players. Which to my point is the Sixers just need to find one they like that has the talent, mental capacity and tools to work with. You gotta start somewhere.
Curious: Before the Charlotte-Phoenix trade happened, does anyone think E.S. was in discussion with the Bobcats for some kind of Dalembert and a 2nd player for J-Richardson deal? (2nd player being Lou Williams or Willie Green). Salaries would have worked, and given that the Bobcats were willing to give up a near all star level player for two lesser players…you’d at least hope Stefanski and Larry Brown…err, I mean, Michael Jordan, since LB never has influence over GMs *cough* …would have paused to think over the above since they are so frontcourt desperate.
The above is basically me just thinking, “@!#$ I want Jason Richardson as our SG!”
Kinda a shame the Bucks already have Richard Jefferson, an athletic, defensive SF. Otherwise, I’d definitely explore some kind of Iguodala + spare parts for Michael Redd deal. Then again…Redd has a horrendous injury history, and a horrendous contract as well. It’s definitely clear as this season goes on that a Michael Redd, Jason Richardson, Kevin Martin, Ben Gordon (or Eric Gordon for that matter), type player is exactly what we need.
Dannie: The reference to the long forgotten Flight Brothers made my week haha. Seems like ancient history when we’d hear Zumoff screaming, “Allen Iverson with the ball, dribbling down court, a lob pass to Larry Hughes AND THE FLIGHT BROTHERS DO IT AGAIN! Allen IVERSON! Steve it’s like these two are telepathic!”
Late 90’s Sixers angst I still hold: NBA analysts says, “In the 1998 draft, the Sixers, who already have a future Hall of Fame SG in their lineup, that desperately needs ANY kind of monster scoring talent at the SF position…take Paul Pie– wait a minute, no, no they don’t take the obvious, undisputed best SF in the country with the 8th pick. In a surprise move, the Sixers brass gamble on a ball hogging 20 ppg freshman scorer on a crappy St. Louis team that can’t hit a jumpshot and shot 23% from the floor! The Sixers select…Larry Hughes!”
As Bill Simmons would say: *smashing head against desk*
Wow, regarding Larry Hughes, “Did I do that?” – Urkel LOL
Dave T: I remember that draft, and feeling the same way when we had Pierce fall into our laps, yet pass. Ah, what coud have been. Those Iverson/ Brown teams always needed a complete SF.