Who's backing up Brand if Thad leaves?
by 76ersloyal on Aug 19, 2011 8:05 AM PDT
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PrintLet's just assume that Thad leaves the Sixers. I'm praying he doesn't leave, (favorite Sixers player along with Dong and Meeks) but the Sixers need a plan for the power forward position. Here goes.
Option #1: Nikola Vucevic somehow ends up being a steal at 16. Brand no longer has to take minutes at the 5 and plays the 4 about 35 minutes a game. This still wouldn't solve the problem, so you would need to find a guy to sign at the MLE. Here are a few guys I would sign to the MLE: Leon Powe, Brian Cardinal, Kenyon Martin, Troy Murphy.
Do any of those guys fill the hole of Thaddeus Young? No. (Although Brian Cardinal MAY fill the hole left by Dong).
Here's another idea. If you don't resign Spencer Hawes OR Thad you have around 8 million in cap space (lets just forget about the lockout shall we?) How about bring back Reggie Evans? Get your defensive rebounds, get to the line, 'nuff said. I would also throw out there Kris Humphries, but would Kim Kardashian ever live in Philadelphia? Besides I hate Kris Humphries, he's annoying.
Option #2: Trade for a power forward. Now, what do we have to trade for a backup PF? We have Nocioni's expiring contract, Lou Williams, and... Jodie Meeks? Would you trade Meeks if Turner improved enough? I don't know if I could stand losing Thad, Dong AND Meeks. No. Not trading Meeks unless we get Dwight. Meeks and a second-rounder for Dwight. That's it.
Here's the funny thing. This totally would've worked last year. Reggie Evans and Lou Williams have pretty much the same salary. Another trade we could do would be for Lou for Brandon Bass, but the Magic wouldn't do that and I'm on the fence about it too and it wouldn't make sense.
Option #3: Give the minutes *choke* to *cough* Speights, Craig Brackins, and *vomit* Lavoy Allen.
Give me trade ideas for a backup PF in the comments if you got one!
Another user-created commentary provided by a Liberty Ballers reader.
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Just a few ideas
Big Baby Davis as a free agent? He has a good nose for Offensive Boards.
Jeff Green as a free Agent? A lot of the same skills as Thad, probably more affordable
Yi Jialian as a free Agent? Not particularly good at anything, but could probably be had at the right price
Kyrylo Fesenko as a free agent or a Sign and Trade? Foul Prone, But a lot of size and attitude to fill up the lane.
just a few ideas
Davis will be resigned, and when he does sign he will be way overpaid. Jeff Green is another tweener the Sixers don’t need, is turnover prone and is not the physical inside presence the Sixers need. Yi Jianlian is worse than any of the players I suggested. I do like Fesenko and I’ve said in a few comments and discussions that I would love to have him. He would also be relatively cheap and is still young, so I’d take him for the right price. So I think out of that group Fesenko is the only one I take.
Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul sucks.
I think fesenko could be had for no more than 2 million. I think if you signed Fesenko it would make sense to sign a tweener like Green, because Fes’ size could compensate for him playing four, and I think if you played Fes, Brand, Green, Iguodala, Holiday that would be a team that could finish games. I cannot see Derrick Rose making it through the lane too many times with Fesenko there.
Even if Vucevic isn’t a “steal” he and Spawes will likely be combining for at least 40 minutes at the C position. If they do and Brand plays at least 34 minutes per game (he averaged 34.7 last season) that would leave 22 minutes open at C/PF. That’s pretty much a maximum. It’s more likely to be 18-20 minutes. Some combination of Nocioni (17 mpg last season, plays a similar role as Thad as a SF/PF) and Speights would probably fill that role.
Thad’s minutes would likely be replaced by Vucevic (at the “big” spot with Brand playing more at the 4) and an increase of minutes for Turner (playing Iguodala more at the 3 and Turner more at 2/3.) There’s not really a need for a FA outside of a Battie-like player on the end of the bench.
"Miami can’t beat Chicago, why? Because Chicago has everything Miami has and more.... I’ll grant you Wade/James stealing a game, or maybe two. But we’re seeing an OKC/CHI finals, and that’s a finals everyone will tune in for." - LeQuan Glover
I don’t know about that. I totally see what you’re saying, but i think that Nocioni’s minutes will go down due to Turner’s increase in minutes. I would rather sign one of the guys I mentioned for 2-3 million than Spencer Hawes for 4 million. Also, how much of a downgrade is that? Thaddeus Young to Vucevic/Nocioni/Speights? That’s sad. We we go from a quality bench to a bad bench.
Also, this would be assuming Brand, Iggy and Hawes play 82 games this year (that’s not a lockout assumption, that’s an injury assumption). It won’t happen. Iggy getting injured we can take. Brand? Holy crap we would SUCK! A backup power forward is necessary, and I really think Reggie Evans can be that guy.
Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul sucks.
Hawes is already getting that $4 mil (unless another team offers him something) so you really don’t have a choice.
"Miami can’t beat Chicago, why? Because Chicago has everything Miami has and more.... I’ll grant you Wade/James stealing a game, or maybe two. But we’re seeing an OKC/CHI finals, and that’s a finals everyone will tune in for." - LeQuan Glover
Meeks and a Second Rounder for Dwight...
Dwight who? You offer that package for Dwight Howard they would laugh at you
"Great, I got that "excited/scared" feeling. Like 98% excited, 2% scared. Or maybe it's more - It could be two - it could be 98% scared, 2% excited but that's what makes it so intense."
-Armageddon
Not that Noc is in the long term plans, but as an undersized backup PF to Brand, I like him in that role if he gets to be a consistent part of the rotation 15-20 minutes per night. He’s not quite the impact player at that position that Thad is, but he would spread the floor and get more open looks at PF on the offensive end. And on the defensive end, while not as athletic as Thad protecting the rim, he’s superior to Thad defending screens. He seems to be smarter and more aggressive when he rotates defensively. He played a significant amount of undersized PF off the bench earlier in his career, and the very little bit he got to do it early in the season/preseason he looked good in the role.
So I think Noc/Brand is the best PF combo out of any likely combo mentioned. However, I also think we should be thinking more long term. So Noc should be either expiring or trade fodder. Bass isn’t bad if we could trade for him without giving up Meeks. He seems to have come into his own as a solid player. I’d do Lou for Bass if the money worked out.
I sense a three team trade...
Lou to Toronto, Evans to Orlando, Bass to Philly? Toronto has an overload of mediocre power forwards and could use a backup point guard, Orlando get’s a real starting PF to go alongside Dwight, and Philly get’s a quality backup PF. There’s one catch: Evans is a free agent. Shucks.
Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul sucks.
Isn’t Thad our backup PF?
"I admire his competitiveness. As much as I admire it, I thought that he was trying too hard."- Eddie Jordan
The title is “Who’s backing up Brand if Thad leaves.” So, hypothetically, no he isn’t.
Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul sucks.
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