What do the sixers NEED?
by jemagee on Feb 4, 2010 12:38 PM PST
16 comments
Ok, so the sixers beat the bulls last night, Iverson didn't play, Holiday and Brand got substantial minutes in ways that Brace Face hardly ever hands to them. Rotations have changed, feelings have been hurt, and trade rumors are everywhere, but I'm looking at something else.
Let's live in 'fantasy land' for a bit. Let's assume the sixers fire Eie Joran immediately, don't trade anyone significant (Willie Green isn't significant), and head into the off season committed to getting better ON the court - luxury tax be damned.
What do the sixers need from the roster and from players?
- They need a shooting guard, a good one, a guy who can score, with some range, because as much as I am loathe to admit it, Iguodala is a 3 and Thaddeus Young doesn't look like an NBA starter any more. He's regressed so much now, all I can see him as is points off the bench at the three - so you got one bench guy at the 3 who can score - and do little else
- They need a 3 point threat - a serious one - not a broken down Jason Kapono - and coincidentally - Kyle Korver is a free agent this off season - and there's not a single sixer fan who can tell me (rationally) that they don't miss Korver.
- They need a defensive stopper off the bench, someone to come in and stop guys, right now they have none of that and lou williams is the thaddeus young of guards, he's scoring and little else
Those are the roster additions - what else do I think they need from the existing roster?
- Sam Dalembert - yes he's played very well recently, but he's played very well in the past (and it turns out he's playing with pain) and then gone back to being, well, Sam. This needs to maintain, for whatever reason, Sam needs to put forth an entire season of what he's done recently
- Jrue Holiday needs to focus this off season on his shooting and his off bal defending, go down to IMG and work with your boys - put in the time and you'll get better
- Mareese Speights needs to learn to pass and defend better...his offensive game is the big man Allen Iverson never had...imagine Speights drawing a double team and passing to a wide open Kyle Korver with his goofy 'jump' when he shoots...it would be quite pretty
- Elton Brand needs to stay healthy, and maybe pass a bit more (0 assists last night)
- Andre Iguodala needs to accept his game, what it is and isn't, and improve his shooting as much as possible (including FT's) but try not to take so many 3's (and fans and sixers front office also have to realize what Iguodala is and isn't and that he's not over paid at 14 mil but that's not the point right now)
- Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams - Thad, I love ya (Lou, meh) - but you are both bench players, you are both single note players who would need to show massive improvement in the off season in various things (though Lou, I'm not sure you can make yourself taller) for me to think of you as anything more than 10-15 minute players when offense is needed.
- Willie Green - please retire
Excelsior!
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At least Lou is a good scorer. Is that something we can say about Thad right now?
As for Speights, I’d like to see him develop some legit post moves. All he does is stroke jumpers. He gets away with it because he’s a really good shooter, but developing a post game would make him a monster.
by jsams on Feb 4, 2010 1:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I’m more worried about his defense and passing but yeah post game would help
I think if Thad is told – you’re a bench player who we need to score points – he’d be fine
by jemagee on Feb 4, 2010 1:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Remember talking about Andre’s eFG% on jumpers? Thad’s is 36%. Ouch.
by jsams on Feb 4, 2010 2:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I read some of the comments on philly.com the other day. Someone was actually trying to argue that Thad should be starting and Iguodala should be benched. His argument was that Thad is a SF and he would be getting more rebounds if he played the 3 more and wouldn’t get boxed out all the time by PFs. Hilarious.
In all honesty, I think this year should be an eye-opener for Thad. He’s only 21, so he has plenty of time to get better. He could be a starter if he improved his defense. However, as long as EB continues his dominant play and Iguodala is on this team, he should be relegated to the bench. Afterall, if there is one thing Thad can offer at this point, it’s energy. Coming off the bench is a good role for him.
by jefu on Feb 5, 2010 2:57 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
kyle korver would make this team an instant winner..and is the best guy the sixers could get..
okay not really..actually not at all..but i was a HUGE korver. i would absolutly love to see him back with the sixers
by jlb2609 on Feb 4, 2010 2:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
As far as I’m concerned, Korver is a huge step up over Kapono, unless they broke him in Utah.
I do worry that because of his upbringing and such he’ll have motivations to stay in UTAH and sign for a discount – i hope not
by jemagee on Feb 4, 2010 2:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Beyond Sam, this team needs to look into drafting (possibly trading for/signing) a young center to take over Sam’s position.Right now if Sam went down, or started pouting again for whatever reason, they have no one who can fill in the role he plays. I’m not sure Speights is this guy. I think he’d be better at the four toward the end of Brand’s contract. If he learned how to defend he’d be a big four, and his jumper is good anywhere in the 15 foot range.
I’m not sure if the sixers were thinking Jason Smith could be this guy. Honestly, I don’t know if it’s coming off of an injury or just not getting any playing time, but I really didn’t like what I saw from him this year. At this point, I can’t ever see him being a center.
Also, I completely agree that this team needs a SG who can shoot.
by jefu on Feb 5, 2010 3:12 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
just checked on hoopdata.com – Speights is actually hitting 49% of his shots from the 16-23 foot range (1.1FGM, 2.3FGA). I’m well aware this is an undesirable range for shot selection, but I would rather have him taking this shots than say Iguodala (37% on 4.6 attempts).
by jefu on Feb 5, 2010 4:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think Thad is a three and I also think Andre is your shooting guard. It’s a rarity to see the Sixers play them, but that is really the only way to get Brand, and Young on the floor at the same time, because Brand isn’t a Center.
I don’ t know why Eddie doesn’t even try this- is seems so obvious to me that this is the way the Sixers should run their team and no one even talks about it. It’s why I think Eddie Jordan is a complete tool.
Dalembert is an adequate Center, provided be has help from a scoring power forward. Brand and Speights both fit with him, and I do think they can be competitive with the rest of the league using those three and one more decent player. I’d like to see what Jason Smith can do- why are we paying him. Either he can play or he can’t and not playing him we can’t tell, and that’s stupid.
We’ll see how Thad does as a three first before deciding he’s a bench player. When his outside shot is on, he’s an ideal three offensively. He’s the first one down the floor on a break, and can get back on D just as fast.
Jrue just needs more PT. He has good instincts and he’s a baller. The more he plays the better he will get.
The Sixers have plenty of players who can be scorers, but as of yet they don’t have a stand-out primary scorer. Brand is starting to establish himself in that role, which is exactly what we want- more of that and more of Speights in the low post. Give Iguodala, and Young space to operate, by forcing their men to double-team on one of the bigs and then we’ll see if the Sixers can compete. If both of those players are reliable post scorers, we should be able to win, but as of yet our low post game is sporadic at best, and not a mainstay of our offense.
This is what differentiates the Sixers from a good team, they all have a reliable scorer that can carry their team. LeBron, Kobe, Pierce, Shaq, Gasol, Duncan. If Brand or Speights fits in with that group, then the Sixers ought to be right there with them.
This season has been a waste because we’re doing none of this and we’re losing too.
We need to develop Holiday and Speights more and we need to see if Smith can play. Developing our young players is a must with a losing team.
We need to see Thad at the 3 and Andre at the 2 and see if they’re better with Brand or Speights along with Dalembert. I think that can work and work well, but we’ll never know if we don’t play them. If it doesn’t work then you know you should blow up the team. This is the whole point – you develop a team to it’s maximum potential and see where you stand.
There’ still time, but there’s no reason to be optimistic. This could be a great season, but not with the current coach.
by RickoT on Feb 5, 2010 1:57 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I think our current starting lineup
with a superstar wing taking the place of willie green is a contender in the East, or at least a top four team in the east (given Jrue develops into that “more skilled Eric Snow” he is so projected to be in the next year).
by el on Feb 9, 2010 10:13 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
and superstar wings are very easy to obtain with a middle lottery draft pick and no ability to add fre agency and the sixers trade assets that don’t include the core players
by jemagee on Feb 10, 2010 6:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think that between Iguodala, Young, Carney and Holiday we have plenty of decent wing players. Good enough to win with anyway. Green is fine as a backup and has actually played good ball this season.
More scoring and interior defense are what the Sixers need. Even when they lose you can see how they could have won, if only the coach put in the right players. When the lose, it’s always the same- their 2nd team gets beat because they have no offensive focus. With a good post -layer and a good rebounder, they would win those games.
by RickoT on Feb 11, 2010 10:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think that between Iguodala, Young, Carney and Holiday we have plenty of decent wing players. Good enough to win with anyway. Green is fine as a backup and has actually played good ball this seaso
Except that – well – you’re wrong.
Young and Carney are bench players with limited range and not enough skill to be starters
Iguodala and Holiday are starters, great with the ball, great defenders, but also weak with range and finishing at the basket.
Aside from Iguodala – none of the would even be considered as a starting 2 guard on a eastern conference CONTENDING team
by jemagee on Feb 11, 2010 12:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
No you’re wrong! Carney and Young are both superior athletes with excellent quickness and jumping ability. They both need to work on their outside shots, however, both show promise. I think they both have the potential to be starting threes in the NBA.
Thad has excellent length and speed and can put enormous pressure on a defense by running. The National team invited him, which shows that people who are paid to know the game think highly of him.
I haven’t seen enough of Carney to decide anything. And, while I like Holiday I want to see more of him before I think he’s a starting point guard in the NBA.
Iguodala weak at finishing? Compared to Kobe or Wade, maybe.
These are wing players- guards and forwards. Andre could be a starting 2 at the All-Star game and would be if the Sixers had a decent record. Thad could be a starting three if he was played at that spot. And Holiday might one day be an All-Star point guard.
I think Iguodala, Young and Holiday are all starters for a contending team in either conference. Pair them with Brand and Speights or Smith or Dalembert and that’s a starting five that can win. Lou Williams fits in with this group as well, he is actually a damn good point guard and he can also light it up and get to the rack. Draws fouls better than anyone one the team other than Iverson.
by RickoT on Feb 12, 2010 7:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Athletic ability and basketball ability are not the same thing.
Yes carney can run fast and jump high – but there’s a reason no one wanted him this off season.
Thad Basketball IQ so far in his career has been shown to only be slightly higher than Sam Dalemberts.
by jemagee on Feb 12, 2010 9:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
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