Contention in '10-'11?

by chillicothe20 on Apr 16, 2010 12:29 PM PDT

So with the dreadful EJ season in the books, I got to thinking about next season. Are we still rebuilding, or are we ready to contend? So, here are a few bullet points a came up with for why next season could be a contending season (by contending I mean 45-50 wins, playoff berth):

We will we getting a high draft pick, surely top 10, possibly top 5.
The addition of Brandon Jennings essentially took MIL from 34 to 46 wins (+12); why can't we do the same with a solid high pick? 12 more wins would only make us 39-43, but many of our later losses I blame on EJ and the futility of the season, not the talent, so I'm thinking we could go +20 to 47-35 -- best case scenario.
We have an oppurtunity to bring in a solid new coach (like JVG or one of many prosiming assts around the league).
We could also clean the front office a bit, if we choose to toss Ed to the curb...could bring in a solid replacement there.
We still have Jrue, Andre, Sammy, etc. who in the right system, with the right coach, and alongside a great young (draft pick) talent could play like an actual pro basketball team next season.
We could probably benefit from a lower-level free agent addition too, but I'm not sure what our $$$ situation is, hence lower-level.
Eastern Conference is still weak enough (8 seed is .500, 41-41, this season) to make the playoffs next season, likely with 43 wins.

I realize that we won't be winning any championships soon, not with King James and Kobe and Chris Paul and the like playing on teams that would be better that us even without them. Still, we the fans have to be excited about clawing our way to (at least the rim of) higher mediocrity.

So? Is next year a contention year? Can we win 43, 45, 47? Thoughts?

Poll

Is '10-11 a season for contention?

Hell Yes!!!

7 votes

Yes!!!

2 votes

Maybe, let's wait to see what pick we get in the draft

13 votes

No!!!

3 votes

Hell No!!!

7 votes

32 votes | Poll has closed

Another user-created commentary provided by a Liberty Ballers reader.

Tweet Comment 13 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

by jemagee on Apr 16, 2010 12:40 PM PDT reply actions

This.

by prideoux on Apr 16, 2010 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions

I wrote out a HUGE response to this, but decided to save it for later and make it a big hypothetical post a la Jordan’s blueprint for success. Quick summary, I disagree.

Liberty Ballers / TAFKAMikeBourn

by Michael Levin on Apr 16, 2010 2:06 PM PDT reply actions

Your quick summary took 100% more words than mine – quick my tookus

by jemagee on Apr 16, 2010 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions

Sounds interesting…

by prideoux on Apr 16, 2010 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions

The problem with Jordans blue print, and brians ideas at DF (in my opinion) is that they are optimistic idealistic plans based on an ownership committed to building the best possible team to win.

I don’t believe comcast wants to build the best possible team to win – i beieve comcast wants to figure out a way to reduce salary and thus increase the bottom line of the sixers

by jemagee on Apr 16, 2010 3:21 PM PDT reply actions

I don’t think my blueprint was that outlandish. They’d be comfortably under the cap, and I didn’t suggest any absurd trades or signings. I did that in the beginning of March so obviously my draft pick would be different and my coach would probably be different. One bounce of the ping and my blueprinted roster would be:

PG – Jrue, Lou

SG – Rudy, Green, Meeks

SF – Iguodala, Carroll

PF – Brand, Favors

C – Dalembert, Speights, Smith

Coach – Monty Williams

Liberty Ballers.com. II @LibertyBallers.

by Jordan Sams on Apr 16, 2010 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions

“We can evade reality, but we can not evade the consequences of evading reality”
Assuming mannagement is fully commited to building a team capable of winning is risky business.

by prideoux on Apr 16, 2010 3:55 PM PDT reply actions

Seriously, dont’ quote ayn rand – it makes me sad

by jemagee on Apr 16, 2010 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions

ayn rand will do that to ya’.

by prideoux on Apr 16, 2010 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Anthem was one of the few books in high school that i was assigned to read that i actually read
45 minute bus ride home – had nothing else to read

by jemagee on Apr 16, 2010 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions

all we need is a new coach

we were good last year, with a new coach we could be good agin next year. another year for holiday, maybe move iggy or sam for a shooter, draft a big man. let speights, lwill, and thad improve some, and we are a 6-7 seed in the east

by ytylerdurden on Apr 21, 2010 6:54 AM PDT reply actions