Can the NBA Middle Class contend? Sixers Grantland Article.
by J.P.Melle on Feb 15, 2012 8:13 AM PST
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PrintHome sick today, so I've been surfing the internets and I came across this Sixers piece by Ben Detrick over at Grantland.
We all obviously love the success the Sixers have had this season, but reading this begged a question to me - Can this talented-but-unspectacular, entirely-team-first approach build a contender, or should they have tanked the season they traded Iverson and perhaps the next, drafting solidly with better overall picks? We know where we are now with 'continuity', we're damn good, but not quite a contender (IMO). Could we have been better by 'tanking' '06 and/or '07?
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The Sixers had the worst record in the NBA when AI was traded. But they closed out the season on a strong 18W-9L run to drop them far back in the lottery. Young was a good pick, but their consistent .500 play during the Andre Miller years really slowed the franchises ability to turn it all around. And I am not yet convinced they are headed to being legit contenders.
I don’t think you ever tank… Tanking is trying to intentionally lose so that your record is worse tan your talent level. But you also don’t bring in old vets like Miller and Joe Smith→Brand to mask a team that is legitimately bad. And the Sixers post AI- without Miller- would have legitimately lost a ton of games and had the chance to refresh their young talent quickly.
This was their non-AI, non-trade roster. They should have played out the season with it and then built from the draft instead of adding Miller and then going to the Philly Max.
Andre Iguodala
Kyle Korver
Samuel Dalembert
Willie Green
Steven Hunter
Rodney Carney
Louis Williams age 20
Kevin Ollie
Chris Webber
Alan Henderson
Bobby Jones
Shavlik Randolph
Louis Amundson
Ivan McFarlin
Steven Smith
I’m happy we didn’t tank. Boston did and they would have been screwed had they not been handed KG. Billy King was craxy about Yi Jianlian and we would have most likely chosen either Jeff Green, Mike Conley, Corey Brewer, Brandon Wright, Spence or Acie Law in that draft. I’m happy we got Thad.
Formerly known as The Pied Piper
I don't believe in tanking
It sends a bad message to the fairweather fanbase, and it won’t attract veterans. Now if they want..the 76ers could trade for any non contending team they wanted. They have 10 legit trade pieces that have value right now.
That's true...
but the fairweather fanbase pretty much disappeared anyway.
I wish I could curse
eff those losers though, let them have their Phillies and Eagles. I just wish that prices would go EVEN LOWER (lol) so all the true fans could come whenever they wanted. I feel like since baseball, football and hockey is just going to be more popular, no matter what..the owners should just make this into a small cult thing and be even more creative with the themes than they already have. The new owners have been great with that so far. However, I still haven’t been to a game yet this year.
the sixers are just fine we rebuilt for a few years and have our young core talent while a piece or two away from true title contention. andre miller brought good basketball to philly while he was here and won a few games with a modest supporting cast. this let andre, thad, and lou grow and hopefully jrue, evan and vooch mature into the pieces they are showing that they can be and we have most of the recipe already for a top tier team.
ok, now re-read in Doug Collins' voice...
by J.Michael Woodson on Feb 15, 2012 7:33 PM PST reply actions
I think it’s possible
1. Miami
2. Chicago
3. Philadelphia
4. Orlando
5. Atlanta
6. Indiana
7. Boston
8. New York
Round 1
NY beats Miami
Chicago beats Boston
Philadelphia beats Indiana
Atlanta beast Orlando
Conference Semifinals
Chicago beats NY
Philadelphia beats Atlanta
ECF
Philadelphia beats Chicago
NBA Finals
Philadelphia beats OKC
Formerly known as The Pied Piper
by tst29 on Feb 20, 2012 8:42 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
except there’s no way the sixers would beat the thunder.
"If Iguodala were a legitimate "true" 17 PPG scorer, we’d be a better team. When at least 8 of those points come off the fast break, his true offensive production is a reality: 8-11 PPG." - LeQuan Glover
screw ewe
"If Iguodala were a legitimate "true" 17 PPG scorer, we’d be a better team. When at least 8 of those points come off the fast break, his true offensive production is a reality: 8-11 PPG." - LeQuan Glover
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