Follow up: Sixers Blueprint for Success
by Jordan Sams on Sep 28, 2009 7:14 AM PDT
13 comments
I wrote this blueprint back in early March, and I thought it would be fun to see how the Sixers followed my personal plan for them. Here is what I realistically predicted the team would look like at the beginning of TC:
PG - Andre Miller, Louis Williams, Royal Ivey, Ty Lawson
SG - Andre Iguodala, Anthony Parker, Louis Williams, Willie Green
SF - Thaddeus Young, Anthony Parker, Andre Iguodala
PF - Elton Brand, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, Reggie Evans
C - Samuel Dalembert, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith
Coach - Eddie Jordan
And here's what it actually looks like:
PG - Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday, Royal Ivey
SG - Andre Iguodala, Jason Kapono, Rodney Carney, Bill Green
SF - Thaddeus Young, Jason Kapono, Andre Iguodala
PF - Elton Brand, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith
C - Samuel Dalembert, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, Primoz Brezec
Coach - Eddie Jordan
Based on my blueprint and the actual roster, the Sixers essentially traded Andre Miller, Ty Lawson, Anthony Parker, and Reggie Evans for Jrue Holiday, Jason Kapono, Rodney Carney, and Primoz Brezec. The blueprint team is obviously better simply because of Andre Miller, but based on the economic circumstances, the Sixers could not afford to re-sign him. So, if you take Andre Miller out of the equation you get: Lawson, Parker, and Reggie for Holiday, Kapono, Carney, and Brezec. Based on those moves, I think the Sixers had a better off-season than I hoped for.
I loved signing Rodney Carney to the veteran's minimum; he's basically a poor man's Anthony Parker. Then, trading Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono was better than any trade I could've cooked up in March. But the Sixers made their mark by drafting Jrue Holiday. The only player I'd rather have is Stephen Curry. Did they get lucky Holiday fell into their laps? Absolutely. But, could they have messed it up and taken someone else? Definitely, so you have to give them credit for making the right selection.
What do you guys think? In retrospect, did the Sixers have a good off-season considering the circumstances? My emotional reaction would be no, but based on the expectations I had in early March, I say yes.
P.S. Training camp starts tomorrow!!!
P.P.S. For those of you wondering what Thaddeus worked on most this summer, I asked him via Twitter, and he replied: "3 ball and ball handling."
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I say unsuccessful solely based on the fact that the sixers decided royal ivey and brezec were the best options at the time when there were better options available. Other than that i am very excited about holiday and i like carney a lot better than someone like dionte christmas.
Gotta love thads twitter q & a sessions. Sidenote if he could guard anybody in history one on one he would take on magic or penny in his prime.
by Tanner Steidel on Sep 28, 2009 7:29 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Did he omit MJ just because he knows he can’t guard him?
by Jordan Sams on Sep 28, 2009 9:50 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
haha nah i actually said besides mj in my question to him
by Tanner Steidel on Sep 28, 2009 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions
I see it as a success
After a couple of years of trying to both win now and build for the future they finally had to make a commitment and chose to build for the future. They lacked the resources to resign Miller and did not want to trade away youth for players who are more ready to win now.
I think they made the right choice 100%. I would have been really disappointed had they re-signed Miller and then traded a few young assets for a win-now type player like Redd or Carter. I was happy they were willing to draft Holiday, even if he turns out to be a couple years away (hopefully he will be ready this year.)
having Brand at 31 with 15/16/17/18M committed and Iguodala and Miller in their primes I’m sure made it a tough decision, because you could certainly put a winner on the floor with them + someone like Redd.
The team has decided to give the young layers a chance to sink or swim. It may not pay off with great success this year, but at least they will know what they have, and be in better shape to build towards a winner.
http://www.phillyarena.com - Philly sports forum/blog
I agree. The Brand contract will be the only blemish down the road.
by Jordan Sams on Sep 28, 2009 9:49 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m really looking forward to seeing how Jrue Holiday performs this season compared to Ty Lawson, and even more so in the seasons to come. See if it’s a Larry Hughes over Paul Pierce draft or another DiLeo steal.
I don’t think people realize how good Jrue is defensively. I say 86% steal, 13% bust, 1% HOF.
by Jordan Sams on Sep 28, 2009 11:41 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
A rich man's Royal Ivey?
Absolutely, he’ll be impressive defensively. It’s the other end that’s worrisome. He won’t be a “steal,” if the expected alternative is Lawson, who’ll be pretty good at both ends.
Depending on how you define, “bust,” I’d say it’s more like 30% bust, 50% excellent backup, 19.9% rock-solid starter.
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"The other teams could make trouble for us if they win." --Yogi Berra
by wryomatic5000 on Oct 1, 2009 5:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Word out of Sixers camp is that his offense coming along faster than expected. However; we shall see. Everything is always peachy in traning camp.
Chrue times two
Just a little ways away from first pre-season game. Kate Fagan said Jrue sometimes got subbed into the first team in practice. We’ll get an inkling how far along things’ve come.
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"The other teams could make trouble for us if they win." --Yogi Berra
by wryomatic5000 on Oct 1, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I consider Jrue a steal since the first second we drafted him, although I think it will take time before he’ll be a factor. I think that Jason Smith can really be the good surprise of this season, while the other Jason will be soon forgotten as a sixer in my opinion. I predict EB (although I would have preferred Josh Smith one year ago, but that’s the past) back to his all star form.
I wish all a great season.
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