Liberty Ballers: FanPosts

My Big Board for Sixers at 11

2013-05-24T02:10:08Z

The Sixers are in an intersting position this offseason. With the Bynum conundrum and a new GM, the direction of the team is not yet known.

NEEDS: 1. Scoring wing 2. Backup PG Note: I do not feel that the team has a need at the PF/C. Although there could be some intriguing options (not necessarily good), the Sixers need to see what they have in some players and have a lot already. Better to not to go with a big man for the first time in forever. Although if other options were depleted and big man BPA, have to go with that.

Big Board (does not take into account those players that are not slated to near the Sixers pick)

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: this guy is becoming my favorite Sixers projected prospect. He projects as an athletic shooter who can rebound and with a little more strength, could be a good defender as well. One hole to his game as is that he is not a ball handler. This is fine for the Sixers because with Jrue and ET on the roster (for now), a SG who doesnt need the ball in his hands would fit right in.

2. CJ McCollum: Best Scorer in the draft and possibly the best shooter. He is probably my favorite overall player, but he projects as an "instant-offense" sixth man at the next level. His weaknesses are his foot and the competition. To the first, he was fine at the combine, and with the second, some of his best games were against Duke and Baylor. Could either be used as a backup PG or starting SG depending on the set.

3. Michael carter-Williams: he is a big, athletic PG with upside galore. Could serve as Jrue's backup or could play next to him in the starting lineup, depending on the Turner situation

4. Dennis Scroeder: Lightning fast guard who the Sixers could use as Jrue's backup. This would allow Jrue to play less minutes, without a huge drop off in production, allowing him to last through the year better

5. Steven Adams: Defensive potential and an improving offensive game are his calling cards. His jump shot at the combine, along with favorable testing in drills, gave teams hope moving forward for the Pitt Alum. Could go in the D-League for a year and maximize on his skills

Avoid:

Zeller: athletic, but soft. If he could prove he could play on the perimeter, he could be valuable, but I dont believe he will be

Plumlee: athletic big man who was able to get rebounds, hustle, but not block shot. In other words, he is Arnett Moultrie

Len: Foor problems for a big man, plus he compares to Spencer Hawes (need I say more)

Please leave comments below and I plan on writing some profiles on different players in the coming future

The Sixers are in an intersting position this offseason. With the Bynum conundrum and a new GM, the direction of the team is not yet known.

Big Board (does not take into account those players that are not slated to near the Sixers pick)

3. Michael carter-Williams: he is a big, athletic PG with upside galore. Could serve as Jrue's backup or could play next to him in the starting lineup, depending on the Turner situation

Avoid:

Zeller: athletic, but soft. If he could prove he could play on the perimeter, he could be valuable, but I dont believe he will be

Plumlee: athletic big man who was able to get rebounds, hustle, but not block shot. In other words, he is Arnett Moultrie

Len: Foor problems for a big man, plus he compares to Spencer Hawes (need I say more)

Please leave comments below and I plan on writing some profiles on different players in the coming future

Poll

Who should the Sixers draft

2013 NBA Draft Second Round Preview

2013-05-23T15:46:06Z

In this year's draft, the Sixers have two second round picks, at 35 and 42. It has been discussed ad nauseum their newfound purpose with Sam Hinkie in charge. But I'd like to take a look specifically at a few guys who I would love for the Sixers to target.

Archie Goodwin

He came into Kentucky with the hopes of again leading a team of freshman to NCAA tournament success. Obviously, this was not the case, with Kentucky's first round NIT loss to Robert Morris. However, he entered the NBA Draft, and is projected to go in the early to mid second round, and I would love to see him in a Sixers jersey. Now keep in mind that he is incredibly raw, and is one of the youngest players in this year's draft. He would clearly be a project, but a worthwhile one if the Sixers deem him worthy.

The main thing I love about his game is his penchant for driving to the hoop. He had 7 games where he attempted more than 10 free throws, which makes me salivate after watching nightmarishly inefficiently long twos. While he is not especially strong, he has incredible quickness that could transfer to the NBA. However, his ability to drive in the association will be determined by his jump shot. Simply put, he does not have an NBA ready jump shot. Therefore, defenders will back off of him to give him that shot, denying his ability to drive effectively. On the other side of the ball, he leaves some to be desired, but his raw athleticism, and the fact that he's only 18 (!!) inspire me with hope for improvement.

All in all, I'd love to see Archie Goodwin picked by us in the second round. I don't see him being in the rotation immediately, and would almost rather see him start out in Delaware in the D-League, but I just love his fearless attacks to the basket and the fact that he is the antithesis of the shooting guards of last season.

Andre Roberson

Unlike Goodwin, Roberson does not have raw, untapped potential. But again, unlike Goodwin, Roberson shows a maturity and an NBA readiness that I would love to see come off the bench for us.

Some of my favorite players are long, athletic wings that can defend, rebound, and be very efficient on the court (Jimmy Butler, Chandler Parsons, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Lance Stephenson - AKA Heaven's starting 5). I think that Roberson could join that group in a few years. Looking at his highlight tape, he looks like a big, gangly goofball. But he can rebound, defend, and plays with a constant high energy. With the success of those guys listed above, and acknowledging guys like Kenneth Faried, the ability to rebound and defend at a high energy usually transitions to the NBA very well. It doesn't mean Roberson will ever become LeBron; it does mean that he can provide solid minutes for a very good team, just like the guys I named. Nbadraft.net compared him to Matt Barnes, which gives me hope that he will be a solid role player that will always contribute.

Colton Iverson

Is it awesome that is name is Iverson? Yes. Could he still be a solid big man and take away minutes from the black hole that is Spencer Hawes? Oh yeah.

Colorado State is not known for churning out NBA studs, but Iverson can rebound and can score down low. He averaged 13.5 rebounds in an adjusted per-40 minute clip, and although he doesn't have blazing speed, he is surprisingly adept at finishing with both hands around the rim. I see him as a poor man's Kelly Olynyk, and would much rather take Iverson at 42 than Olynyk at 11. In fact, Iverson has a wingspan of 7' 2", compared to Olynyk's underwhelming 6' 9.75". Iverson could be very productive as a big off the bench, and could provide us with great value late in the second round.

In this draft, stars are few and far between. But for a rebuilding team like the Sixers, solid role players will make the job of remaking this team a lot easier, especially if they are found in the second round. So hopefully, our undying trust for Sam Hinkie pays off, and we get Rockets-type production out of our second round picks.

Archie Goodwin

Andre Roberson

Unlike Goodwin, Roberson does not have raw, untapped potential. But again, unlike Goodwin, Roberson shows a maturity and an NBA readiness that I would love to see come off the bench for us.

Colton Iverson

Is it awesome that is name is Iverson? Yes. Could he still be a solid big man and take away minutes from the black hole that is Spencer Hawes? Oh yeah.

Evan Turner Wants Out Of Philly; Fine By Me, Evan

2013-05-22T03:59:33Z

Today, while Evan Turner wasn't auctioning off Pontiacs on Twitter, he was agreeing with one of his friends that he'd be better off playing for a different team.

Roy will likely be covering this more in depth in his Sunday Morning Shootaround, but I couldn't let it go unnoticed for five days.

When's the earliest you can be out by, Evan? I've got plans tonight with someone who's more efficient and doesn't stall the offense.

Today, while Evan Turner wasn't auctioning off Pontiacs on Twitter, he was agreeing with one of his friends that he'd be better off playing for a different team.

Roy will likely be covering this more in depth in his Sunday Morning Shootaround, but I couldn't let it go unnoticed for five days.

When's the earliest you can be out by, Evan? I've got plans tonight with someone who's more efficient and doesn't stall the offense.

@kingf0x23 lol ha I hear ya
— evan turner (@thekidet) May 22, 2013

The New Found Value Of Second Round Picks To The Sixers

2013-05-21T18:19:24Z

I'm guessing this what it felt like when the unknown executioner raised King Louis XVI's head to the crowd after his execution by guillotine in the French Revolution. I'm speaking figuratively, of course, but the sense of liberation feels pretty damn strong. It's a freedom from oppression of an old-fashioned way in which sports teams are now run. And most importantly, it's the beginning of a new hope for Sixers fans.

When head coach Doug Collins and GM Tony DiLeo were removed from the organization and Sam Hinkie was brought in to be the Head Of Basketball Operations, a new style of thinking would be the motif of this team. Yes indeed, analytics will have a major role in assembling the Sixers franchise going forward. However, the use of advanced statistics brings something else to the team personnel wise: every player donning a Sixers jersey will be there because they fit the mold of the team. Under Collins and DiLeo (but mostly puppet master Collins), player signings seemed to have no rhyme or reason, such as a) giving Kwame Brown a contract, and b) giving him a second year player option for $3 million.

Under Hinkie & Co., the Sixers front office will be executing moves with a purpose, and not giving out contracts like they're presents for the audience of Oprah!. But another new initiative in Philadelphia will certainly be to rack up extra draft picks, especially in the second round.

Since Hinkie joined the Houston Rockets as their VP in 2007, here have been a list of their second round picks: Carl Landry, Luis Scola (who was drafted by San Antonio but his rights were traded to Houston), Joey Dorsey, Maarty Leunen, Jermaine Taylor, Sergio Llull, Chase Budinger, Chandler Parsons, and Furkan Aldemir. Four out of the nine of those players have had successful careers, which is phenomenal in the latter portion of the draft.

Meanwhile, the Sixers have consistently struck out with their second round picks. Other than Lou Williams and Lavoy Allen, Philadelphia's usage of second round picks has been mind boggling. The amount of effort they've put into trading out and back into drafts is seemingly more complicated and much more migraine inducing than actually scouting draft eligible talent talent.

Here are some very painful examples.

On February 23rd, 2006, the Sixers traded their second round pick (and Lee Nailon) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a conditional second round pick. Cleveland chose Daniel Gibson with what was the Sixers pick, and for whatever reason Philadelphia opted not to take Cleveland's selection, the 55th overall pick.
However, they did give up a 2007 second round pick to acquire the 37th overall selection, forward Bobby Jones. Jones, who would spend one season in Philadelphia, was selected before players such as Paul Millsap and Ryan Hollins. They would then trade for Edin Bavcic, the 56th overall pick from Toronto in exchange for cash considerations.
In 2007, Philadelphia used the second round pick they acquired in the Rodney Carney trade of 2006 draft night on Kyrylo Fesenko. Fesenko, drafted ten picks before Marc Gasol, was then traded to Utah for Herbert Hill and future draft considerations.
In 2008, the Sixers were left without a second round pick after trading it to Utah three summers prior, in order to obtain the final pick in the 2005 draft. That 60th overall pick was then traded to Phoenix.
In 2009, the Sixers second round selection was in the hands of Miami, as they acquired it along with Daequan Cook and cash for Jason Smith on draft night in 2007. Miami would then trade that pick to Minnesota.
On February 18, 2010, Milwaukee acquired Primoz Brezac, Royal Ivey and Philadelphia's 2nd round pick, the 37th overall selection, in exchange for Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson.

The difference in late drafting philosophies between Houston and Philadelphia over that period is great. Houston saw value immense value in second round selections, an ability to refine raw talents and turn them into solid players. Judging by their track record, the Sixers have not felt the same way.

The Sixers were the kids at the lunch table who tried to give away the nasty carrot sticks their mom packed as a snack. To Houston, those carrot sticks were as good as cookies.

It's a part of the reason why the Rockets have been on the rise, and Philadelphia has been in the back of the pack. Talent will always be on the board no matter where a team picks, but it's a matter of seeing the importance of late picks, and then scouting strongly. Neither has been a strong suit of the Sixers front office.

But with the draft preachings of Sam Hinkie, Philadelphia has another brand new, shiny weapon: a D-League team. As painful as the name the Delaware 87ers is, the Sixers are now just one of six teams with direct ownership over a developmental league team. That gives them all the more incentive to use their second round picks. Seeing as the maximum active roster size in the NBA is 13, teams struggle to find places for their second round picks. A common trend has become taking foreign players who plan on staying overseas for a couple of years, or simply have no plans of coming to the NBA at all. If they do make NBA rosters, they typically find themselves contained to the end of the bench, and at the bottom of the rotation.

Having sole proprietorship of a D-League team now allows the Sixers to draft players without having to worry about having the space for the players to be on the team. Philadelphia can give them D-League assignments, allowing them to receive solid minutes every night and improve their game.

Because the Sixers have an extra second round pick in the upcoming June draft, Sam Hinkie will have two chances to prove why late picks are still valuable.

There's good reason to believe he'll be able to.

Here are some very painful examples.

On February 23rd, 2006, the Sixers traded their second round pick (and Lee Nailon) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a conditional second round pick. Cleveland chose Daniel Gibson with what was the Sixers pick, and for whatever reason Philadelphia opted not to take Cleveland's selection, the 55th overall pick.
However, they did give up a 2007 second round pick to acquire the 37th overall selection, forward Bobby Jones. Jones, who would spend one season in Philadelphia, was selected before players such as Paul Millsap and Ryan Hollins. They would then trade for Edin Bavcic, the 56th overall pick from Toronto in exchange for cash considerations.
In 2007, Philadelphia used the second round pick they acquired in the Rodney Carney trade of 2006 draft night on Kyrylo Fesenko. Fesenko, drafted ten picks before Marc Gasol, was then traded to Utah for Herbert Hill and future draft considerations.
In 2008, the Sixers were left without a second round pick after trading it to Utah three summers prior, in order to obtain the final pick in the 2005 draft. That 60th overall pick was then traded to Phoenix.
In 2009, the Sixers second round selection was in the hands of Miami, as they acquired it along with Daequan Cook and cash for Jason Smith on draft night in 2007. Miami would then trade that pick to Minnesota.
On February 18, 2010, Milwaukee acquired Primoz Brezac, Royal Ivey and Philadelphia's 2nd round pick, the 37th overall selection, in exchange for Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson.

The Sixers were the kids at the lunch table who tried to give away the nasty carrot sticks their mom packed as a snack. To Houston, those carrot sticks were as good as cookies.

Because the Sixers have an extra second round pick in the upcoming June draft, Sam Hinkie will have two chances to prove why late picks are still valuable.

There's good reason to believe he'll be able to.

How to Climb Down from Mount Mediocrity, or My Sixers Off-Season Plan

2013-05-17T20:41:15Z

via philly.com

And so here we are again. Us Sixers fans are once again, for the 10 billionth time (estimate may have a margin of error of around 10 billion), wondering how our beloved basketball team can finally stop being so average and boring and become legitimate CHAMPIONSHIP contenders some day again. Thankfully, a unexpectedly delightful development came about recently, as Sam Hinkie, right-hand man to Dork Elvis, became the new president/GM of the team. I actually didn't have that much of a problem with Tony DiLeo, mainly because I didn't know how he would do as the primary decison-maker (I know he was the GM this past season, but every decision this past year looked like it had Doug Collins' fingerprints all over, including not hiring Hinkie last year). However, I would choose Hinkie over DiLeo every single time to run my basketball team, primarily for the following reasons:

1. He brings an outside voice to the Sixers organization, and therefore, should be more objective to the players currently on the team.

2. He apparently knows the new CBA inside and out, and knows how to use it to his advantage. Basically, he could definitely be the Sixers' Joe Banner, you know, hopefully, with a lot more charm.

3. The chances of the Sixers playing a more exciting brand of basketball and more importantly, being more progressive in long-term thinking and player development (2 things they've needed to do for eons) have just increased exponentially.

4. Articles like this and this and this.

Obviously, hiring Hinkle brings no guarantees that the Sixers will eventually become title contenders, but i gotta believe that the odds of that have improved. Before we can even dream of a world that has a really good and exciting-to-watch(!) Sixers team, Mr. Hinkie has some very big decisions to make this upcoming off-season starting with deciding who will be:

1. The New Coach

I believe this should be a high-regarded assistant coach with a lot of coaching experience in the NBA, but has never been a head coach before. I believe this, for two reasons: open-mindedness and the current trend. Fair or not, I believe that someone who is very qualified to be a head coach, but has never been so, will be more accepting of more unconventional methods, more flexible, and won't have as big of an ego than someone who had been a head coach for a number of years. Again, this is just a personal preference of mine and there is absolutely nothing that says that a guy with head coaching experience can't be open-minded or flexible. it just that after having Doug "Goes by His Gut" Collins here, I want the Sixers to bring in someone who's the opposite of that.

Not to mention, hiring someone with no prior head coaching experience would definitely not be a deterrent to big-time success. Just look at this year's final 8 playoff teams. All but one team (Knicks) are coached by guys who were never head coaches before being with their current teams. Most of these teams are expected to be perennial contenders for a good while: Miami, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Indiana, etc. So, I expect this trend to hope for a good number of years. All the better , I believe, for the Sixers to jump on it now. With that said, here are my top 5 coaching candidates, in order:

1. Mike Budenholzer, assistant coach, Spurs - Gregg Popovich's right-hand man for 17 years, widely seen as his heir when he retires

2. Brian Shaw, assistant coach, Pacers - Phil Jackson's right-hand man for 6 years, many believed he should've been his heir after he retired

3. Mike Malone. assistant coach, Warriors - Great basketball background and experience, widely seen as big reason for Golden State's resurgence

4. Kelvin Sampson, assistant coach, Rockets - Lots of coaching experience, both college and pro, very familiar with Sam Hinkie, as both worked in Houston the last 2 years

5. Aaron Mckie, assistant coach, Sixers - Very familiar with the current Sixers team, very young, which could result with being able to relate with the players better

Of course, those teams I mentioned also have the players to win with, too. With them being a lottery team this year, the hope is that our basketball team can add an impact player to win with in:

2. The Draft

Unfortunately, the overwhelming consensus is that 2013 draft will be the weakest in years. Maybe, when we look back years from now, it won't be seen as such, but the odds of that aren't good. It is especially not good then to be drafting in the low-lottery, as the Sixers most likely will with the 11th pick. Still, it's better to have a lottery pick than none at all when you're a team who desperately need to add impact players such as this one. So, who could possibly be an impact player for where the Sixers will probably draft? I see 3 in particular that stand out:

1. Rudy Gobert, Center, 7' 1, 235 lb, France -Very athletic (7' 9 wingspan and a great leaper) and excellent motor on the court, potential to be a good two-way big man with more offensive polish and body strength

2. Michael Carter-Williams, Point Guard, 6' 5, 175 lb, Syracuse - Big for his position with ability to get to the rim and be very good defensively, can play both guard positions, meaning he could play 2-guard with Jrue or handle the point when Jrue sits

3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Shooting Guard, 6' 5, 190 lb, Georgia Tech - Excellent shooter (38 % from 3 and 80% at the line this past year), very good defender, could be an excellent fit with Jrue and Evan (assuming he stays)

I believe the draft is the best way to add players who could be stars, even superstars. If you look at the last 10 champions, the best player on each team except two or three (Detroit in '04, Miami in '12 , and maybe Boston in '08, depending on whether you think Pierce or Garnett was the best on that team). If you think this is only a relatively recent trend, look at the 10 champions before that. All but 3 of those teams (Lakers, '00 to '02) drafted their best player , as well. This doesn't even speak on how many other quality players those teams drafted, either (way too many to mention). However, even though the draft, I believe, is the best way to add talent, obviously, it's not the only way the Sixers can use to build a potentially championship core, as there are also:

3. Free Agency and Trades

Before they can even add any more players through these two methods, though, the Sixers must decide on what to do with two of their own players: Evan Turner and Andrew Bynum. There's no need to rehash the hair-raising (literally) horror of Mr. Bynum's past season, or lack thereof, here in Philly. In my opinion, there are only two acceptable outcomes involving him and the team: he re-signs for 1 year or he doesn't re-sign at all. I realized that a lot of fans (including myself, depending what day it is) don't even want to think of him coming back here, even for only a year. However, a year would be acceptable for me, because when he's healthy (I know, the odds of that being so may be worse than winning Powerball at this point), he is a proven All-Star player at the game's most valuable position. Not to mention, he will only be 26 when next season starts, he is not great on the defensive end, but he is very decent , even good there, and he arguably has the best offensive game of any big man in the NBA. The downside of this (which is all too real) isn't even that bad, either. If he can't play once again, or underachieves, then the team will likely have another lottery pick next year, which is expected to be the best draft in years (the yin to the 2013 draft's yang, if you will), and will have a lot of cap space next year, as well, with Bynum's contract off the books.

What could also contribute to that cap space would be if the team didn't not resign Turner. His situation, while no where as publicized as Bynum's, may be more important to the team's future and murkier, too. This is, because Evan, while he's a very decent player, for sure, has yet to prove that he can be a building block for the Sixers. The biggest reason for this has been his all-too maddening inconsistency. He could look like the second coming of a healthy Brandon Roy one night, a past his prime and sadly broken-down Roy the next. With him being a restricted free agent after the 2014 season, the team will have to decide whether he has shown enough promise to be worth keeping or if they should cut their losses and let him go, or much more ideally, trade him while he's still pretty valuable. Truthfully, I can't decide what I think they should do with him just yet. I've gone back and forth on Evan even more I have on Bynum, which I can attest is really saying something. I can definitely say though that they shouldn't resign before the upcoming season at all, unless this is a very team-friendly deal. I'm thinking somewhere like 4 years, $20 million. I would trade him however, if he could get the team a 1st round pick, ideally one in the 2014 draft or a young, promising big man. Anything less and I would just keep him, at least that's what I'm thinking at this moment. Ask me again in a week about him.

Now, as for players that they could bring in. I'm actually opposed to to the Sixers making any big money deals. This means no Josh Smith, no Al Jefferson, no Paul Millsap, etc. This isn't, because they're not good players. They are. They are just not worth making the kind of money it would take to sign them to a team that's rebuilding and would definitely - I repeat, DEFINITELY - not make the team a legitimate championship contender this or any years of their contracts. They're good, but they're not superstars by any standard. If we had a proven superstar, it would be a entirely different story, but, alas, we don't. It would be much, much better to sign young guys with potential who would be pretty cheap in terms of money and years, if they can. If not, strictly target guys who be signed on 1-year deals who be productive in some role. As a guideline, basically they should copy the Eagles' free agent approach this past spring.

I also think they should only resign one of their own players, with the possible exception of Bynum, of course: Dorell Wright. He fits what I just wrote about cheap, young guys with potential. Not to mention, he fits two roles for the Sixers that are very important: 3-point shooting and perimeter defense. More and more, NBA teams today are in high demand for "3 & D" players, which is self-explanatory. This is, because teams that use advanced analytics, as the Sixers soon will, have come realized the importance of such players. This article really breaks this down well.

Besides the Evan situation, I would welcome any trades which brings us two things: cap space and 1st round picks. These two assets are extremely important to have for a team like the Sixers, which is currently limited in any kind of assets. They need them to help build a potential title core, either through the draft or any future big trades. If Luckily, if anyone realizes this, it would be Sam Hinkie. He just came from a team, the Rockets, that went after these types of assets with as much zeal, possibly more than, as any team in the league. It paid off very well for them, of course, last year, with the James Harden trade.

So, to finally put to bed this way, way way longer-than-I-intended-to-be post, I am just so happy to root for a team with an actual plan. The days of overpaid contracts, bad shot selection, and just awful organizational philosophies are hopefully now a thing of the past. I hope they follow as much as I have just written as possible (I don't think they're so bad, you?). Mainly, though, I just want them to be smart and resourceful as possible. Thankfully, now, the chances of that being are better than ever. Til then, Sixers be Rockets East!

via philly.com

1. He brings an outside voice to the Sixers organization, and therefore, should be more objective to the players currently on the team.

2. He apparently knows the new CBA inside and out, and knows how to use it to his advantage. Basically, he could definitely be the Sixers' Joe Banner, you know, hopefully, with a lot more charm.

4. Articles like this and this and this.

1. The New Coach

1. Mike Budenholzer, assistant coach, Spurs - Gregg Popovich's right-hand man for 17 years, widely seen as his heir when he retires

2. Brian Shaw, assistant coach, Pacers - Phil Jackson's right-hand man for 6 years, many believed he should've been his heir after he retired

3. Mike Malone. assistant coach, Warriors - Great basketball background and experience, widely seen as big reason for Golden State's resurgence

4. Kelvin Sampson, assistant coach, Rockets - Lots of coaching experience, both college and pro, very familiar with Sam Hinkie, as both worked in Houston the last 2 years

5. Aaron Mckie, assistant coach, Sixers - Very familiar with the current Sixers team, very young, which could result with being able to relate with the players better

Of course, those teams I mentioned also have the players to win with, too. With them being a lottery team this year, the hope is that our basketball team can add an impact player to win with in:

2. The Draft

3. Free Agency and Trades

Marcus Hayes' Hinkie Column

2013-05-14T02:43:44Z

Hyperlinked to this sentence is a horrific piece of writing from Marcus Hayes on the hiring of Sam Hinkie.

He has a job writing for a major Philadelphia newspaper.

He gets paid to distribute his opinion, regarding sports, to the general public.

"Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard was a panelist at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in March, where the ComicCon alumni who now work in sports administration meet to plot their revenge against the jocks they employ."

Hyperlinked to this sentence is a horrific piece of writing from Marcus Hayes on the hiring of Sam Hinkie.

He has a job writing for a major Philadelphia newspaper.

He gets paid to distribute his opinion, regarding sports, to the general public.

Debunking the "analytical" GM myth: What we can expect out of Hinkie

2013-05-13T12:46:22Z

At this point, after more than a decade of being fans of a team that is an afterthought in the NBA, I think we can all agree that the Sixers, possibly more than any team in the league, needed a new fresh approach. Enter Sam Hinkie, the new Sixers president/GM. The man, that was second in command in one of the most controversial front offices in the past decade - the Houston Rockets. And when I say controversial, I don't mean that in a negative way in the slightest. But he and Morey, with their new-age statistical approach, did turn a lot of heads around the league over the years, and their results didn't really help either side (pro-stats and old-school), as the Rockets made some brilliant moves, but also remained mediocre for a long time.

So here we are, trying to embrace the fact that things will change in the next few years. But how will the team change exactly? Let's look at what the Rockets did during the 2007-2013 period (after Hinkie was promoted to vice president of basketball operations), or at least sum the most important transactions up (All of Houston's transactions in Morey's reign can be found here). To put some context into the Rockets situation, they were a borderline contender with aging stars with extremely fragile health in Yao and McGrady when Morey took over and promoted Hinkie. So essentially, they soon realized they needed to fully rebuild the team, with very little in terms of assets. The situation pretty much couldn't have been worse. The current Sixers situation is not that much better.

Free Agency

In free agency they signed 4 prominent names over the years: Francis, Ariza, Asik and Lin. While the earlier signees (Ariza and Francis) bombed rather spectacularly, the recent ones proved to be great value. Asik clearly outplayed his contract last year, whereas Lin underperformed a little bit on the court but made the team a lot of money off it, so I consider him a good signing for the organization.

Draft

In the draft, they've been mostly hit and miss. They haven't been great in the first round, drafting some average or not yet proven guys such as Brooks, Patterson, Morris, Jones, White and Lamb. In the second round, however, they've been able to find some real gems such as Parsons, Budinger, and Landry. They've been heavily involved in draft day trades and trades involving draft picks, perhaps more than any other team. For the most part they've treated draft picks as assets.

Trades

They've been extremely active on the trade front. This is the area where the Rockets have clearly been most successful turning average players and fringe assets into better assets or players. They've made multiple trades of average players for 1st round picks, as well as trades in which they ended up getting the best player available by far (Harden, Martin, Dragic, Scola) using various lesser assets. My favorite Morey/Hinkie trade is the one with the Suns where they traded Brooks for Dragic AND a first round pick. Brooks eventually went back to Houston on a 10 day contract and the Suns overpayed to get Dragic back in free agency. The Rockets got a 1st round pick for free.

All in all, they've been extremely successful on the trade front, creative with mixed results in free agency and bad drafting in the first round, but great at drafting in the second round.

It has to be noted, that we don't really know how Hinkie will actually lead this team, and what his plan is. We will never know of which decisions Hinkie agreed or disagreed with Morey. We can however guess, what he is going to do based on the Rockets past, and this post is exactly that - an educated guess, so take it for what it is.

So having all this in mind, I created a list of what we can expect from the Sixers in the following years:

1. Players and draft picks will be treated as assets

Welcome to the world of Joshua Harris. No more emotion and gut, just cold hard facts. Don't get attached to any player, because he might get traded tomorrow for "better" assets.

2. The team will not truly tank

Nothing in Morey's (Hinkie's) history suggests the team might tank. Was it because that's their philosophy or because the Rockets owner never allowed tanking? Did Harris hire Hinkie because he comes from a team based in a similar market with similar goals (rebuilding towards contention without tanking)? We will find out soon enough, but the history says, forget about Lucy and bury it for a long long time.

3. Performance/cost will be the key stat used in the compilation of players

Harris hinted at looking at $/wins in his exit interview and Hinkie's hire demonstrates the direction Harris wants to take the team i.e. cheap role players, tradeable contracts, flexibility...

4. Acquiring stars needs to be the ultimate goal

The Rockets learned the hard way how difficult it is to win without stars. They've put themselves in the prime position to pounce year after year with a ton of assets at their disposal and eventually got one in Harden. Hinkie just started tasting the rewards and will certainly want more in Philly.

5. Heavy use of the D League

The Rockets have sent and called a host of players from the D League. 10 day contracts are a regular occurrence with them. Expect the same for the Sixers. Very few of those players actually amount to something but anything is certainly better than nothing.

6. Finding gems in the second round of the draft

Waiting for the next Parsons or Budinger to be drafted with one of those two second rounders in this 2013 draft.

7. Bad drafting in the first round

It's probably mostly as a result of treating the picks as assets instead of trying to grab the best future talent (or even player for their own team), but the Rockets track record suggests the next Sixers star won't be coming through the draft. Why couldn't Harris let DiLeo be GM and do the draft, while give power over final say in the organization to Hinkie as the president of basketball operations. My mind would've been at peace...

8. Trading cash for 2nd round picks

Is this even possible? Why have the Sixers never bought a pick? Why...

9. Heavy use of the so called second draft (high draft picks that have fallen out of favor in their first 2-3 years)

Can't wait for Hinkie to announce the acquisition of Derrick Williams, Austin Rivers, Wesley Johnnson and Jan Vesely. Anyone else excited? He'd probably spend a heavily protected second rounder. The same one for all of them over and over again.

10. Playing the probabilities

The decision sometimes will be great and sometimes will backfire. The ultimate result over time will inevitably be positive. The question is: Will Hinkie be part of the organization long enough to experience it?

11. No bidding against yourself

No more Dalambert, Brand, Hawes, Kwame... even Iguodala. Let other teams dictate the price. The flip side is the Sixers will lose a nice player one day when a team gives him a poison pill contract. But at least the team won't have grossly overpayed players. The days of ridiculous contracts to non-factors are gone.

12. Fast pace, offensive minded players and lots and lots of three pointers

Turning one of the perennially slowest teams into a fast paced team will be a very difficult job for the chosen coach. Anything less than a very good offense will be considered an underachievement, considering offensive statistical gems are far easier to find than defensive ones. For reference look at the Rockets roster. Oh yeah, and you better get used to long threes early in the shot clock than mid range jumpers late in it.

13. Bye, bye Bynum

He was burned by injury prone stars, not once but twice before with Yao and McGrady. You can make the case for Martin as well who was injured most of the time. I expect Hinkie to cut ties with Bynum, but he will definitely try to squeeze as much as possible out of him in terms of assets. Does that mean a sign and trade in the summer or signing him first and trading him at the trade deadline or next summer? We'll see. But I seriously doubt hiring Hinkie means Bynum will be a Sixer long term. This is however the most difficult decision to project going forward.

Overall, I view this hire extremely positively. Not everything will go according to plan, but at least you'll know that the men running the organization are probably smarter than you, their work is based on facts and will be ready for any chance to make a splash that will come the Sixers way - or any NBA teams way really. Prepare yourselves, because we are all in for a wild ride. A ride that will be so not-Sixers. And at the very least, it's GONNA BE FUN!!!

Free Agency

Draft

Trades

All in all, they've been extremely successful on the trade front, creative with mixed results in free agency and bad drafting in the first round, but great at drafting in the second round.

So having all this in mind, I created a list of what we can expect from the Sixers in the following years:

1. Players and draft picks will be treated as assets

Welcome to the world of Joshua Harris. No more emotion and gut, just cold hard facts. Don't get attached to any player, because he might get traded tomorrow for "better" assets.

2. The team will not truly tank

Nothing in Morey's (Hinkie's) history suggests the team might tank. Was it because that's their philosophy or because the Rockets owner never allowed tanking? Did Harris hire Hinkie because he comes from a team based in a similar market with similar goals (rebuilding towards contention without tanking)? We will find out soon enough, but the history says, forget about Lucy and bury it for a long long time.

3. Performance/cost will be the key stat used in the compilation of players

Harris hinted at looking at $/wins in his exit interview and Hinkie's hire demonstrates the direction Harris wants to take the team i.e. cheap role players, tradeable contracts, flexibility...

4. Acquiring stars needs to be the ultimate goal

The Rockets learned the hard way how difficult it is to win without stars. They've put themselves in the prime position to pounce year after year with a ton of assets at their disposal and eventually got one in Harden. Hinkie just started tasting the rewards and will certainly want more in Philly.

5. Heavy use of the D League

The Rockets have sent and called a host of players from the D League. 10 day contracts are a regular occurrence with them. Expect the same for the Sixers. Very few of those players actually amount to something but anything is certainly better than nothing.

6. Finding gems in the second round of the draft

Waiting for the next Parsons or Budinger to be drafted with one of those two second rounders in this 2013 draft.

7. Bad drafting in the first round

It's probably mostly as a result of treating the picks as assets instead of trying to grab the best future talent (or even player for their own team), but the Rockets track record suggests the next Sixers star won't be coming through the draft. Why couldn't Harris let DiLeo be GM and do the draft, while give power over final say in the organization to Hinkie as the president of basketball operations. My mind would've been at peace...

8. Trading cash for 2nd round picks

Is this even possible? Why have the Sixers never bought a pick? Why...

9. Heavy use of the so called second draft (high draft picks that have fallen out of favor in their first 2-3 years)

Can't wait for Hinkie to announce the acquisition of Derrick Williams, Austin Rivers, Wesley Johnnson and Jan Vesely. Anyone else excited? He'd probably spend a heavily protected second rounder. The same one for all of them over and over again.

10. Playing the probabilities

The decision sometimes will be great and sometimes will backfire. The ultimate result over time will inevitably be positive. The question is: Will Hinkie be part of the organization long enough to experience it?

11. No bidding against yourself

No more Dalambert, Brand, Hawes, Kwame... even Iguodala. Let other teams dictate the price. The flip side is the Sixers will lose a nice player one day when a team gives him a poison pill contract. But at least the team won't have grossly overpayed players. The days of ridiculous contracts to non-factors are gone.

12. Fast pace, offensive minded players and lots and lots of three pointers

Turning one of the perennially slowest teams into a fast paced team will be a very difficult job for the chosen coach. Anything less than a very good offense will be considered an underachievement, considering offensive statistical gems are far easier to find than defensive ones. For reference look at the Rockets roster. Oh yeah, and you better get used to long threes early in the shot clock than mid range jumpers late in it.

13. Bye, bye Bynum

He was burned by injury prone stars, not once but twice before with Yao and McGrady. You can make the case for Martin as well who was injured most of the time. I expect Hinkie to cut ties with Bynum, but he will definitely try to squeeze as much as possible out of him in terms of assets. Does that mean a sign and trade in the summer or signing him first and trading him at the trade deadline or next summer? We'll see. But I seriously doubt hiring Hinkie means Bynum will be a Sixer long term. This is however the most difficult decision to project going forward.

Why Moultrie Saw More Minutes Towards the End: The True Story

2013-05-09T02:24:40Z

We all lamented the fact that now former Sixers coach, Doug Collins, didn't play our rookie big man, Arnett Moultrie more while we received less than stellar play from Hawes, Lavoy, Kwame, and Bynum's knees. So when Moultrie averaged 23.5 minutes per game over the last 6 games to close out a season to forget, many--or maybe just me--were shocked at this development.

The logical explanation for this was that the Sixers season was over and Doug was on his way out so he was just seeing what we had in Moultrie. I subscribe to another theory, however, because logic seemed to be such a small factor when figuring out how much to play him all season. My theory is that Moultrie, after trying everything else he could all season, sat Coach Collins down, flipped on the instrumental for this steamy track and seduced him for playing time. Obviously it worked

My sources tell me this is what the artist known as A. Moultrie sang:

My coach is telling me no, but my body my body is telling me yes
Dougie, I don't want to hurt nobody
But there is something that I must confess

I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong
I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong

See I know just what Jrue want and I know just what Jrue need, coach
So Dougie sub me into the game (sub me in yeah)
I'm not shooting the long 2
Dougie I'll help Jrue, for you, The hoop is where I wanna be (I wanna be)
Coach, Jrue needs someone, someone like me to catch his pass and dunk it in

I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong
I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong

You say Hawes ain't playing right
Dougie end his night
I'll play where you need me to play (Coach why don't you try playin' me)
No need to look no more, because I'm just right off the court
You'll never want another center
You see Jrue needs someone, someone like me to roll to the hoop consistently

I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong
I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong
I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong
I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong

My sources tell me this is what the artist known as A. Moultrie sang:

My coach is telling me no, but my body my body is telling me yes
Dougie, I don't want to hurt nobody
But there is something that I must confess

I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong
I don't see nothing wrong with a little a pick n roll
I don't see nothing wrong

NBA 2K13 Sixers Simulation: Make it Happen, Front Office

2013-05-08T02:22:42Z

Before you read this, please be conscious that I'm not stupid - I don't think any of this will happen nor is it in the slightest bit likely that even a fraction of this will happen. I just want it to happen.

Also, there are so many other implications that factor into trades that the 2K Sports system doesn't recognize. I'm aware the whole thing is reasonably unrealistic.

Nonetheless, I did this. I don't know why I tortured myself to this degree, but I did, and I'd be remiss if I didn't share the results.

Creation and Tanking

I uploaded the 2014 Draft Class and edited Andrew Wiggins to be a 99 overall, making him as enticing of an option as possible, parallel to what NBA teams already think of him and will think about him leading up to the draft in 2014.

I simulated through the 2012-2013 season, fired Doug and executed a hypothetical fire sale in the 2013 offseason in order to tank during the 2013-2014 season and land Wiggins. So, I traded all of their players of value not named Jrue Holiday for young players. In the 2013-2014 season, the Sixers went 10-72 and attainted the #1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft - the key to the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes.

Trades

Key:

*Occurred during the 2013 offseason

**Occurred during the 2013-2014 season or subsequent offseason

1. Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen to Milwaukee for Larry Sanders, Luc Mbah a Moute, Beno Udrih and Ekpe Udoh. *

2. Arnett Moultrie and a 2014 first round pick to New Orleans for Ryan Anderson. **

3. Assuming he opts in to the second year of his contract, the Sixers traded Kwame Brown and a 2014 second round pick in a salary dump for a young asset in young guard Will Barton. **

Free Agency

1. I let Andrew Bynum walk, hilariously to a one-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets. I tried offering him as low as a two-year contract with max money and he didn't accept. Maybe there's something in New Orleans we don't know about. *

2. I Signed Andrew Goudelock to a one-year deal to back up Jrue Holiday. *

3. I let Royal Ivey, Damien Wilkins and Nick Young walk. (Within a month, Damien Wilkins had gotten a two-year deal from the Heat and Royal Ivey had gotten a one-year contract with the Suns. Nick Young didn't get picked up until the start of the 2013-2014 season. Go figures.) *

4. I waived Jason Richardson and Beno Udrih (via the Milwaukee trade) in another salary dump. *

5. I signed 25 year-old forward from the 2008 University of Memphis team, Chris Douglas-Roberts, to a one-year contract. **

6. I resigned Justin Holiday to a two-year contract. *

7. I resigned Dorell Wright to a two-year contract. *

8. I signed 2011 first-round draft pick JaJuan Johnson to a one-year contract. *

Note:

1. The only players I touched in free agency were undrafted free agents and young players.

2. All of the contracts I signed my players to were short term for future flexibility; none were longer than two years.

3. The oldest players on the team are both 26 years old (Dorell Wright and Mbah a Moute).

4. There are two players returning from the 2012-2013 roster: Jrue Holiday and Dorell Wright.

5. I didn't do so much as scratch the surface of the "big-name" players in the 2013 free agency class.

Final Product

My starting lineup on opening night during the 2014-2015 season is Jrue Holiday-Will Barton-Andrew Wiggins-Ryan Anderson-Larry Sanders.

The shooting guard position is a work in a progress because Will Barton is pretty bad, but I traded for him because, really,who knows what he can actually do? He's 21 years old.

I would expect to have drafted at least a decent shooting guard by 2014, or signed one. Who knows, maybe I'll bring back Nick Young for a homecoming.

Get it Done

None of this will ever happen. The Bucks won't wake up one morning and decide to trade Larry Sanders and the Trailblazers GM, Neil Olshey, won't suddenly stop and think, "You know what, today I'm gonna trade a 21 year-old guard for Kwame Brown on three million dollars this year".

This is only a template for what the Sixers should be trying to do over the next 1-2 years. I don't know about you guys, but I've already kicked off the #WasteTimeForWiggins campaign with a tattoo on my forehead.

Are you taking notes, Josh Harris?

Also, there are so many other implications that factor into trades that the 2K Sports system doesn't recognize. I'm aware the whole thing is reasonably unrealistic.

Nonetheless, I did this. I don't know why I tortured myself to this degree, but I did, and I'd be remiss if I didn't share the results.

Creation and Tanking

Trades

Key:

*Occurred during the 2013 offseason

**Occurred during the 2013-2014 season or subsequent offseason

1. Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen to Milwaukee for Larry Sanders, Luc Mbah a Moute, Beno Udrih and Ekpe Udoh. *

2. Arnett Moultrie and a 2014 first round pick to New Orleans for Ryan Anderson. **

3. Assuming he opts in to the second year of his contract, the Sixers traded Kwame Brown and a 2014 second round pick in a salary dump for a young asset in young guard Will Barton. **

Free Agency

2. I Signed Andrew Goudelock to a one-year deal to back up Jrue Holiday. *

4. I waived Jason Richardson and Beno Udrih (via the Milwaukee trade) in another salary dump. *

5. I signed 25 year-old forward from the 2008 University of Memphis team, Chris Douglas-Roberts, to a one-year contract. **

6. I resigned Justin Holiday to a two-year contract. *

7. I resigned Dorell Wright to a two-year contract. *

8. I signed 2011 first-round draft pick JaJuan Johnson to a one-year contract. *

Note:

1. The only players I touched in free agency were undrafted free agents and young players.

2. All of the contracts I signed my players to were short term for future flexibility; none were longer than two years.

3. The oldest players on the team are both 26 years old (Dorell Wright and Mbah a Moute).

4. There are two players returning from the 2012-2013 roster: Jrue Holiday and Dorell Wright.

5. I didn't do so much as scratch the surface of the "big-name" players in the 2013 free agency class.

Final Product

My starting lineup on opening night during the 2014-2015 season is Jrue Holiday-Will Barton-Andrew Wiggins-Ryan Anderson-Larry Sanders.

The shooting guard position is a work in a progress because Will Barton is pretty bad, but I traded for him because, really,who knows what he can actually do? He's 21 years old.

I would expect to have drafted at least a decent shooting guard by 2014, or signed one. Who knows, maybe I'll bring back Nick Young for a homecoming.

Get it Done

Are you taking notes, Josh Harris?

Follies of a 76ers Fan

2013-05-05T00:34:22Z

via www.csnphilly.com

A tale as old as time? Hardly. But if Beauty and the Beast was a story about loving the true beauty on the inside, the tale of the Philadelphia 76ers fandom is a story about unconditional love despite the void of beauty throughout.

In 2003, Outkast blasted on the airways with a commercially successful song "Hey Ya". With an upbeat tune combined with the epic Ed Sullivan Show-esque music video in the era that was the peak of MTV’s TRL (aka the twilight of when the M in MTV actually stood for music), it became one of the most commercially and critically successful songs of the decade. At the same time, it was probably one of the most depressing songs that no one understood at the time. Behind a deceptively fun tune and lyrics like "shake it like a polaroid picture" is a tale of love loss in a relationship. Yet, the last image many remember of that song is a bunch of Andre 3000s singing and dancing. Misunderstood is a good word to describe that song and is a word that could describe another phenomena that happened between 2001 until now. No, I’m not talking about LOST or the cancellation that robbed us of Arrested Development for the past few years. Of course, I mean the Philadelphia 76ers.

Most don’t recall the Sixers after Larry Brown left, and I don’t blame them. It’s been a well written history marked by poor contracts, poor drafts, and poor performance. It’s been more than a decade since the Sixers had made it to the big dance and unfortunately history did not play out too well since then for all parties. To make a simple comparison, Andy Reid’s tenure with the Eagles started in 1999 and ended just this past year. In that same amount of time, the Sixers have employed 8 different coaches/interim coaches, some of which fans don’t even remember. Chris Ford probably doesn’t ring a bell in most heads and I bet more people remember Maurice Cheeks for his singing with the Trailblazers than his tenure with the Sixers. But, fandom is a fickle thing and when success is lacking, so is fan support.

So what keeps a Sixers fan coming back for more?

There are obvious designations and sub-genres when it comes to fandom. Even a die-comes in its own flavors and this is where the crux of the discussion occurs. Why exactly does one follow this team? And what are your expectations? More importantly, how do you derive your opinion of and for the team and its players?

Many in the Philly market have embraced the role of the underdog. They love the "hard workers" and the guys that "give it their all". To an extent, I understand that because we all want to root for someone or something that gives it their all. However, I want to draw a simple comparison between 3 players from 3 "different" teams. One player is still revered as a guy who gave it his all and left it all on the court. One player was wrongly disliked for most of his tenure due to mostly his contract. The last is a player that hasn’t even touched the court during his tenure. The first is Allen Iverson, the second is Andre Iguodala and the third is, obviously, Andrew Bynum.

No one will question how great of a scorer Iverson was nor any of the positives during those few years of Sixers contention (albeit in a terrible Eastern Conference). However, for some reason, people tend to look at his infamous "practice" rant as funny joke/instance of Iverson’s legacy rather than a glaring example of his greatest weakness and the reason for his eventual disappearance from the league. No one questioned Iverson’s iron will during games. However, there’s a reason why Iverson’s contemporaries are still playing today. They refined their games and adapted as they grew older. They practiced. And yet, because most fans only remember the (poorly built) team making playoff runs and the finals appearance, they will subconsciously give Iverson a pass instead of being critical of him for not being or becoming an evolving player. These same fans will crucify Andre Iguodala for not being a scorer like Allen Iverson despite the fact that Iguodala, in terms of overall skills and abilities as well as team play, is probably a better player. Likewise, they will question Andrew Bynum’s desire to play basketball despite the fact that they didn’t question Iverson’s desire to become a better player or evolve.

So what does this all mean? I asked before, "how do you derive your opinion for the team and its players?"

Winning in professional sports is the best panacea for struggles ("winning solves everything"). However, I’d say that winning is probably the biggest narcotic for fans, as well. It hides, numbs, and blinds us to inherent problems of a team or of a player. It’s the reason why the early 2000s team is still revered despite it being a pretty mediocre team. It’s the reason why Iverson is still beloved to the point of legend by many fans. The lack of it is the reason why Iguodala was disliked during his tenure and why EVERY little thing Bynum does is an annoyance to us all.

The lack of winning or success of the Sixers only compounds to the "championship starved city" narrative that plagues Philadelphia. The search for a "star" has been equally as difficult. The disconnect between fellow fans occur at this point because most feel that short term and long term success are mutually exclusive instead of symbiotic. This is also the reason why the ‘closing window’ metaphor exists as well. Ask a Spurs fan what that means, and you’d be hard pressed to find an answer, especially over the last decade.

To conclude, I don’t claim to be a superior fan, just an astute observer. Even that may not make sense because I enjoy Nick Young for the very same reasons I disliked Lou Williams. But irrationality is the core of fandom in the first place, especially being a Sixers fan. However, I do challenge true Sixers fans to root for the team and for it’s ultimate success (the NBA Championship). Watch enough basketball and you’ll realize that true success comes from a well built and talented team, inside and out, in addition to a legitimate star or two. So rooting for a team to lose in order for them to get better is not fostering a losing mentality but trying to build towards a more successful future. Likewise, rooting for low seeded playoff appearance or playing for pride is just imbibing that narcotic and masking problems for fleeting wins.

Winning is where the Philadelphia 76ers and fans find their misunderstanding and yet there’s no question it’s the shared goal of us all.

via www.csnphilly.com

So what keeps a Sixers fan coming back for more?

So what does this all mean? I asked before, "how do you derive your opinion for the team and its players?"

Winning is where the Philadelphia 76ers and fans find their misunderstanding and yet there’s no question it’s the shared goal of us all.

Collins Era Shot Selection Review: Finger-Pointing Through Comparative Shot Charts

2013-05-03T07:36:27Z

At this point it's widely recognized that the Sixers' shot selection in the Doug Collins era was awful. There's no real arguing with that. If you feel inclined to argue with it anyway, check out Hickory High's Expected Points Per Shot (XPPS) database, where the Sixers rank dead last - and by some distance - in each of the last three seasons.

Really the only question has been who or what to blame. Well, Doug Collins, sure. But there's always been a lingering question of to what extent Doug's hand has been forced by his personnel - was the system forcing players into a bad game, or was it a response to players who just couldn't shoot threes and attack the rim like you'd want? Should management change the coach or the team or both? Without the ability to experiment with different players and different coaches there's no way to be really sure.

Luckily, a roster overhaul that removed four of the team's top players makes for a natural experiment of sorts, and with a year of data since that overhaul we now have the opportunity to shed some more light on the issue by comparing the way these players played both in and out of Philly. With shot-charts from vorped.com, we can make the comparison better looking, and just for fun we'll throw in some of the lesser players who arrived in Philadelphia this past season as well.

Of course this all matters less now, because Doug is gone and so are most of these players, and in any case it's nothing new - but a year after a major overhaul, and heading into a new offseason and a coaching search, it's still worth checking out and reminding ourselves of the major themes.

Throughout, click the images for better resolution.

Firstly, a quick look at the Sixers' shot selection, and why it was such a big deal. In the following diagram, the top row shows the percentage of their total shots that the Sixers took from each position, with color scale showing how each figure compares to the league average for that position - lighter/white means a lower percentage of total shots than the league average, darker/red means a higher percentage. The bottom row shows points per shot from each position, with color scale again showing how each figure compares to the league average from that position - green means above average PPS, red means below average PPS, with each getting darker towards the extremes.

via imageshack.us

The most notable point is that not only has the Sixers' shot selection been awful, but they've actually been better than the league average at the shots they don't take enough of (ie in the paint and from three), and worse than the league average at the shots they take too much (the mid range). While this is no doubt partly in response to opponents recognizing and responding to the Sixers' shooting tendencies, that only increases the extent to which the team would benefit from even a slightly better shot distribution. It also shows a lack of adjustment to the team's strengths on Doug's part.

On to the player charts. As in the top line of diagrams above, the numbers are the percentage of each player's shots that he takes from each position. The color scale, from light/white to dark/red, again shows how this figure relates to the league average - lighter means the player shot a lower proportion of his shots from that position compared to the league average, and darker means he shot a higher proportion of his shots from that position compared to the league average.

Andre Iguodala

via imageshack.us

In words: After leaving Philly, Iggy drastically cut his mid-range shots to somewhere around the league average, significantly increasing his shots in the paint, while continuing the increase in three point shooting. His three point shooting also tended more towards the corners in Denver.

Lou Williams

via img849.imageshack.us

In words: Under Larry Drew, Lou also cut his mid-range game substantially, instead shooting from distance more often, although he also cut down on shots from the paint. Like Iggy, he also substantially upped his shooting from the corners.

Elton Brand

via imageshack.us

In words: EB reversed his percentages in Dallas, focussing much more on the paint than the mid-range, particularly increasing the proportion of shots he took around the rim.

Jodie Meeks

via img266.imageshack.us

In words: Jodie decreased his mid-range shots by half in 2012-13, increasing both his three point shooting and shooting at the rim. He also saw a sharp increase in three point shots from the corners.

Jason Richardson

via imageshack.us

In words: JRich shot more threes under Doug, but also more from the mid-range, with a big drop in shots from the paint, specifically from the rim. His three-point shooting also gravitated away from the corners.

Nick Young

via imageshack.us

In words: Almost unbelievably, Nick slightly improved his shot selection this year, although his numbers are so similar that it might be more accurate to conclude that no system changes Nick Young. Well except Flip Saunders', but let's be clear that doing better than Flip, and about the same as Vinny Del Negro, really isn't much to hang your hat on.

Dorell Wright

via imageshack.us

In words: Dorell shot more from three under Doug, but also more from the mid-range - the decrease then coming from the paint. I'd like to see less from the mid-range, of course, but I'm fine with pushing Dorell towards the three so much.

Overall

Not much of the above looks good for Doug or the system, which won't come as a surprise to most. Each of Iguodala, Williams, Brand, Meeks, and Richardson shot what, at least on the surface, looks to be a worse distribution of shots under Doug than elsewhere.

It may not be entirely fair to dump it all on Doug. It may be that it's not individual players but the combinations of players that caused the problems. Perhaps this is just what happens when Jrue runs your team, or Spencer clogs your paint. Okay, maybe not that last one, but there are other factors that could contribute.

Still, whatever the other factors, and while these players may still have greater personal affinities for the mid-range than you'd like, there's no denying that those instincts were tolerated (at best) or encouraged (at worst) more in Philadelphia than at any of their other teams, and that's on Doug. Let's hope the next natural experiment - how the Sixers' current players shot selections change under a new coach - suggests the same conclusions.

Throughout, click the images for better resolution.

via imageshack.us

In words: EB reversed his percentages in Dallas, focussing much more on the paint than the mid-range, particularly increasing the proportion of shots he took around the rim.

Jodie Meeks

via img266.imageshack.us

In words: Jodie decreased his mid-range shots by half in 2012-13, increasing both his three point shooting and shooting at the rim. He also saw a sharp increase in three point shots from the corners.

Jason Richardson

via imageshack.us

Nick Young

via imageshack.us

Dorell Wright

via imageshack.us

Overall

It Only Takes One: The Bynum Conundrum

2013-04-30T17:41:43Z

Quick Note: Though I wrote this before the final week of the regular season wrapped up, I just began writing here at SBNation. Therefore, please consider this more of a catch-up rather than a late piece.

When the Sixers dealt Iguodala to Denver in a four-team trade that brought Bynum to the City of Brotherly Love, more questions were raised than answered. No one doubted that the masses in Philadelphia, still longing for that euphoric feeling that slipped away during the dearth years following Iverson, would take him under their wings, with hopes that each one would use the other to lean on.

However, as the days turned to weeks, weeks turned into months, and soon (just a few days ago, as a matter of fact) it would come to fruition that those scarce years would continue, as Bynum was announced out for the remainder of the season.

At first glance, it appears the 76ers were had. However, some may argue they walked the fine line between taking a chance and making a dire mistake. They were clearly comfortable with the core of Turner, Holiday, and Young, so much that adding an injury-riddled superstar with only one year left on his current deal was enough to persuade the entire organization to pull the trigger. And let’s not kid ourselves. Once they amnestied Brand and allowed Lou Williams to walk, a change was undoubtedly on the horizon.

Little did Philly realize, though, that they would not only get a Greg Oden-like season from their new acquisition, but they would also be forced to watch Harkless and Vucevic prosper elsewhere. And therein lies the chance, and consequences, of hope. However, unbeknownst to a few current owners, the 76ers front office won’t be sitting at the head of that particular table for long.

After all, with Bynum’s deal officially off the books in mere weeks, a bidding war now devises behind numerous doors, like several news teams preparing for battle in an abandoned alley somewhere.

Let’s take a look at the next willing franchises prepared to depend on hope.

(Remember, rumor has it the 2013-14 cap will fall somewhere between $60 million and $61 million, meaning a team looking to ink Bynum to a max offer will have to have around $17 million freed up in the first year to avoid paying a hefty luxury tax. That is, unless your organization is run by Kupchak and Prokhorov, who wear "FUCK THE CAP" t-shirts everywhere.)

Atlanta Hawks

Current 2013-14 Cap: $21.6 million

Significant Options: Teague ($3.4 million Qualifying Offer), Ivan Johnson ($1.2 million QO)

While negotiations with the Bucks for J-Smoove broke down just seconds before the trade deadline ended, the Hawks had other plans in mind. For instance, they wanted to move Smith, but not for pennies. Allowing him to walk at the end of the year was deemed as acceptable, if not more, than receiving practically nothing in return. And since the goal this offseason for Atlanta will most likely be to keep Horford at the four (where he continues to be the only player since the all-star break averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds), a perennial game-changing contract (even if said contract is a risk) might be the right move.

Philadelphia 76ers

Current 2013-14 Cap: $44 million

Take everything you read in the first few paragraphs and, for argument’s sake, forget it. I’m not claiming by any means that the Sixers pursuing Bynum in free agency is a lock. In fact, if I were forced to choose, I’m leaning heavily in the opposite direction. However, it can’t be ruled out.

Think about it for a second. If it was a calculated risk on their end, doesn’t it make sense that they might try it once more? Sure, it would be considerably more costly this time around, but if DiLeo is confident enough to say this 2012-13 76ers team could hold their own against the likes of Miami and…well, Miami again, with Bynum in the paint, then they would really have no choice but to try it. Plus, who else would win their offseason Bowling Charity Challenge?

Orlando Magic

Current 2013-14 Cap: $50.9 million

Ok, the bad news first, Magic fans. That expiring $12 million deal looming over Turkoglu is about as bad as it sounds. Sure, it’s done at the end of the year, but it’s still $12 MILLION. And more importantly, it’s still Hedo-effing-Turkoglu. But cheer up. If you can somehow rid the books of that atrocious thing, $38.9 million in cap room, as well as positioning yourselves towards the front of the line for an additional franchise player awaits on the other side.

Luckily, the good news practically fell out of thin air. Who knew that Vucevic, Harris, and even Harkless would be THIS? And if that isn’t enough, take comfort in knowing that come 2014-15 (the Summer of Lebron), Harkless, Vucevic, Harris, Nicholson, and O’Quinn will only be making $9.4 million…total.

Golden State Warriors

Current 2013-14 Cap: $45.4 million

Significant Options: (takes a deep breath) Jefferson ($11 million Player Option), Biedrins ($9 million PO), Landry ($4 million PO), Rush ($4 million PO), Jack (Unrestricted Free Agent)

Let’s assume for one second that every Warriors fan hasn’t lit themselves on fire after being reminded about Biedrins contract. That $45.4 million you see listed at the top doesn’t include the four player options that will undoubtedly be picked up because (a) why would anyone in their right mind give Biedrins or Jefferson over $2 million, let alone $9 and $11 million, and (b) Rush has a legitimate argument to return and prove how impactful he could’ve been prior to injury.

With that out of the way, there’s a few different ways we can approach the Warriors cap, all of which involve numerous incentives and maneuvering.

Shedding Bogut’s Expiring $14 million, All PO’s Signed: $59.4 million

With Bogut, All PO’s Signed: $73.4 million

Without Bogut, Only Biedrins and Jefferson Sign: $65.4 million

Without Bogut, Without PO’s: $31.4 million

Even if Bogut is dealt, I’m not sure where the money would come from in order to strike up a deal with Bynum. Unfortunately, Golden State might have more than a few tough choices to make this offseason considering Jack will be a highly coveted commodity. Lucky for them, Curry, Thompson, and Barnes are only due $15 million total next year.

Los Angeles Lakers

Current 2013-14 Cap: $79.6 million

Just kidding.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Current 2013-14 Cap: $30.4 million

Significant Options: Speights ($4.5 million PO), Ellington ($3.1 million QO)

Imagine you’re Dan Gilbert. You’ve already endured the torrential hell of setting your franchise back a few years and knocking down prices of every Fathead associated with the number 23. Eventually, you lucked into a franchise player with the first overall pick, which in turn helped the Cavs begin their slow crawl back to normalcy. Finally, you now realize that if you play your cards correctly, Cleveland – that’s right, CLEVELAND – could be the epitome for the next Big Three.

Though Speights is iffy, let’s assume he settles to play out the year for $4.5 million. Even if both Casspi and Ellington sign their qualifying offers, your organization’s cap is still sitting just over $40 million. That leaves more than enough room to reel in one perennial all-star center.

Now, think ahead to the summer of 2014-15. The club options of Kyrie, Zeller, Thompson, and Waiters only total $17.9 million. Add Varejao’s $9.7 million (that may or may not still be lingering), along with Bynum’s potential $18 million, and the books now sit at $45.6 million. Did I mention a certain someone hits the market around that time? I did mention that, didn’t I?

Minnesota Timberwolves

Current 2013-14 Cap: $47.6 million

Significant Options: Kirilenko ($10.2 million PO), Pekovic ($6 million QO)

Did you ever think the fate of the Timberwolves would come down to whether or not Pekovic, clearly a Gears of War character, received a max deal?

Unfortunately for Minnesota, the 5-man-lineup of Love-Rubio-Kirilenko-Pek-Williams has yet to play together, leaving the Wolves with no statistical information to turn to. In fact, only one combination of four out of the five has been on the court with each other at all (Rubio-Kirilenko-Pek-Williams, a 4-man-lineup that has played only 208 minutes together, scoring 94.3 points per 100 possessions and allowing 106.2).

However, since Love’s contract dispute leaves his future with the Timberwolves in jeopardy, I can’t help but wonder if it’s enough to force Minnesota to make a drastic move, whether that be aligning someone else with or without Pek.

Dallas Mavericks

Current 2013-14 Cap: $41.3 million

Significant Options: Marion ($9 million Early Termination Offer), Mayo ($4.2 million PO), Collison ($3.3 million QO), Beaubois ($3.2 million QO)

That $41.3 million includes Matrix’ option that anyone and everyone knows he’ll pick up. Mayo, however, has about 1000 reasons not to sign his. Sure, he’s subpar on defense and a lukewarm rebounder for a guard, but he knows he’ll still receive $45 million out on the open market, even if it’s Dallas who brings him back.

Where Bynum fits in is the real key. The Mavs have practically tipped their hand at what they’ll do when Kaman expires this summer, benching him five minutes out of the gate in favor of Wright every night (minus the Nets game when Lopez suddenly turned into the Shawn Bradley-Monstar edition). Cuban is the type of guy who believes in high risk, high reward players though (a greedy Vince Carter, anyone?), and Bynum, following along the conscience stream of needs for this team, molds directly into that. Oh, and that whole overrated notion of having a serviceable point guard. (Yes, I’ve become excited numerous times when Mike James enters the game for vital minutes. That’s what this Mavs season has come to.)

Houston Rockets

Current 2013-14 Cap: $38.7 million

Significant Options: Garcia ($6.4 million Club Option), Brooks ($2.5 million CO)

I won’t harp on it for too long seeing as the Rockets streak in my column appearances is teetering towards the Heat’s current one on the floor, but the real success behind Houston isn’t just the numerous analytical acquisitions made on a daily basis. It’s the players they’ve gotten to fill in around their superstar(s).

For instance, if the Mavs go out and sign Bynum, their two best players around him due to cap constraints would be Dirk and Vince. Not bad, but not exactly Magic, Kareem, and Worthy. The Rockets on the other hand have astonishingly made it capable to fit 12 different guys around whatever other franchise players they choose to go out and sign, three of which are Harden, Asik, and Lin wrapped up for a total of $24 million in 2013-14.

Milwaukee Bucks

Current 2013-14 Cap: $41.6 million

Significant Options: Ellis ($11 million ETO), Jennings ($4.3 million QO), Redick (UFA), Dunleavy (UFA)

Your guess is as good as mine. Bynum is in their range if the Bucks choose to go in that direction, but I would think making sure Jennings is once again wearing purple and green is higher on their priority list (even though he’s not going to be worth whatever lucrative number he receives). Assuming Ellis opts out like he’s claimed he’s going to do, only Sanders and Ilyasova are left from the 5-man-lineup of Ellis-Jennings-Dunleavy-Sanders-Ilyasova, Milwaukee’s highest rated lineup in offensive efficiency that has logged over 100 minutes.

Phoenix Suns

Current 2013-14 Cap: $48.1 million

Though they failed to successfully deal Gortat before the deadline, it remains as easy, if not easier, now that he has an expiring $7.72 million contract. And though Bynum might not be in their particular blueprint (Phoenix coveted Smith before the deadline), who’s to say they won’t make a run at both him AND Smith?

After all, when it comes down to it, all any team can do is hope.

After all, with Bynum’s deal officially off the books in mere weeks, a bidding war now devises behind numerous doors, like several news teams preparing for battle in an abandoned alley somewhere.

Let’s take a look at the next willing franchises prepared to depend on hope.

Atlanta Hawks

Current 2013-14 Cap: $21.6 million

Significant Options: Teague ($3.4 million Qualifying Offer), Ivan Johnson ($1.2 million QO)

Philadelphia 76ers

Current 2013-14 Cap: $44 million

Orlando Magic

Current 2013-14 Cap: $50.9 million

Golden State Warriors

Current 2013-14 Cap: $45.4 million

Significant Options: (takes a deep breath) Jefferson ($11 million Player Option), Biedrins ($9 million PO), Landry ($4 million PO), Rush ($4 million PO), Jack (Unrestricted Free Agent)

With that out of the way, there’s a few different ways we can approach the Warriors cap, all of which involve numerous incentives and maneuvering.

Shedding Bogut’s Expiring $14 million, All PO’s Signed: $59.4 million

With Bogut, All PO’s Signed: $73.4 million

Without Bogut, Only Biedrins and Jefferson Sign: $65.4 million

Without Bogut, Without PO’s: $31.4 million

Los Angeles Lakers

Current 2013-14 Cap: $79.6 million

Just kidding.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Current 2013-14 Cap: $30.4 million

Significant Options: Speights ($4.5 million PO), Ellington ($3.1 million QO)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Current 2013-14 Cap: $47.6 million

Significant Options: Kirilenko ($10.2 million PO), Pekovic ($6 million QO)

Did you ever think the fate of the Timberwolves would come down to whether or not Pekovic, clearly a Gears of War character, received a max deal?

Dallas Mavericks

Current 2013-14 Cap: $41.3 million

Significant Options: Marion ($9 million Early Termination Offer), Mayo ($4.2 million PO), Collison ($3.3 million QO), Beaubois ($3.2 million QO)

Houston Rockets

Current 2013-14 Cap: $38.7 million

Significant Options: Garcia ($6.4 million Club Option), Brooks ($2.5 million CO)

Milwaukee Bucks

Current 2013-14 Cap: $41.6 million

Significant Options: Ellis ($11 million ETO), Jennings ($4.3 million QO), Redick (UFA), Dunleavy (UFA)

Phoenix Suns

Current 2013-14 Cap: $48.1 million

After all, when it comes down to it, all any team can do is hope.

Meet Tha Nu BOSS!

2013-04-27T02:53:11Z

I have been one of the bigger Turner cheerleaders here since the day he was drafted, until about the middle of this season, when I realized that I don't see that he's terribly good at basketball. Or he is, but only sometimes, or when he feels like, or when the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, or if he's playing against LeBron James because he still wants to believe he's the big star he was at OSU and a worthy #2 overall pick, or when his green power ring is fully charged, or whatever combination of exotic circumstances lead to one of those ultimately-more-frustrating-than-encouraging Really, Really Good Evan Turner Games Where He Looks Like the Guy We Hoped He Was.

I so, so, so wanted him to be good. First, I wanted him to be awesome, but didn't think he would be, due to his lack of incredible athleticism. But I thought he could develop into a sort of "Six Degrees of Iguodala Is Garbage" kinda guy, a second playmaker on the floor with Jrue, a super-plus rebounder, a plus defender, a guy who could score enough to pull his share of attention from his defender.

The problem I think he has is, as has been at least alluded to in other comments on other threads, although I'm not sure anyone's said it outright (and I'm too lazy to go back and check) is not just his lack of elite athleticism. I simply don't think he's very bright, at least in terms of BBIQ (anyone else suddenly craving some ribs?). He does dumb things. Makes a lot of ill-conceived passes (although his heart is sometimes in the right place, and at least he's a better passer than Sammy Dalembert, the Worst Passer I've Ever Seen In Person). He'd rather stare down a ref for not calling a foul against him than get back and play defense. He brings the ball up the floor with his head down. He too often decides what he's going to do long before he tries to read the defense, or maybe he doesn't even bother reading the defense.

If he were a bit more athletic, he'd be a 6'7 version of Tha BOSS.

I just threw up in my mouth for saying that. But it's true, if you look at it. It wasn't Swaggy who should have been compared to Tha BOSS all season. The only thing they had in common was a penchant for terrible shot selection and a flair for getting insane crazy hot and taking over every once in a while. Turner is Tha Nu BOSS. It's all there in front of us, if we're willing to see it. BOSS is more athletic, Turner is bigger, but the mentality, the overall Weltanshauung of the game, it's all the same. And like there were a few people who were kinda obsessed with Tha BOSS and how we didn't appreciate his greatness, there are some who feel the same way about Turner.

And like Tha BOSS, it's not so much that he's a horrific basketball player or something. It's just that his inconsistency and his inability or unwillingness to change his game and his low BBIQ combine to make him incredibly frustrating, because you KNOW there's something special there, if he, or some coach, or some teammate, could just find a way to tap into It.

Like a BOSS.

If he were a bit more athletic, he'd be a 6'7 version of Tha BOSS.

Like a BOSS.

Lube Shop Chronicles: A Rundown of Some Injured Bigs Past

2013-04-25T16:50:53Z

Remember back in January, when Bynum's return seemed imminent? Our current bloglord, Michael of the House Levin, first of his name (known to me, anyway) wrote:

I don't know how this turned into a SIGN ANDREW BYNUM post, but here we are. Locking up a healthy Bynum for 3-4-5 years is the most important task the Sixers have had since they failed at trading Iverson. It's a chance to build a consistent contender like they were through the better part of the 80's. That doesn't happen without Drew.

Why Do Win Shares Hate The Sixers?, Jan. 21, 2013 (emphasis added).

If you look through the comments of a three-month old post, and Lord knows, why wouldn't you, you'll see I didn't like Mike's use of the cute little adjective "healthy". "Healthy" Andrew Bynum ain't an option: only Andrew who missed (at that time) half-a-season Bynum. Thoughts of a possible fanpost on other injured big men danced through my head, but were immediately crushed by one of the typically non-supportive Liberty Ballers writers:

@nyunole do it!
— Brandon Lee (@BrandonLeeSBN) January 25, 2013

Jerk. Undaunted, I engaged in a race against optimism, frantic to get the post up before Bynum's return enveloped us all in a haze of warmth and joy. Then something good came on TV, or whatever, and the post became something I'd get around to writing eventually. Happily, Bynum never came back, and the warmth and joy I "tried" to outrun were replaced with the familiar stank, stagnant pool that is Sixers. No need to run to catch this bus.

After three months of what could best be described as "sporadic, half-assed research", I'm gonna vomit out the contents of the "Injured Bigs" section of my "Sixers" OneNote notebook. Enjoy!

Methodology

Step 1 was figuring out who would qualify as an injured big. In one sense, every NBA center qualifies. As Kevin McHale recounted in a BS Report podcast, a player's first day in the NBA is the last time he feels 100%. BS Report, Apr. 16, 2010.(There's a fun part where the good ol' Boston Sports Guy starts rambling about how close the Celtics came to winning 5 titles in the '80s, and McHale floors him by nothing how close they were to winning only one. McHale specifically notes Game 6 of the '81 Eastern Finals as a game won by a fingernail.)

I'm not really sure what would be involved in examining "everyone", but it sounds like wayyy more work than I'd ever actually perform. Instead of "feeling less than perfect", my cutoff was players who missed "a lot" of time. My tolerance for doing things scientifically having been expended, I did not adopt any particularly methodology for determining what constituted "a lot".

Web searching eventually led me to a "Devastating Injuries" thread posted by Robert Bradley on the Association for Professional Basketball Research (APBR) forum. Looking through that list, I saw some familiar names. Unfamiliar ones fell under the rubric of "too much work." You want to research Elmore Smith, go nuts.

Bias

While I like to think of myself as a man of reason, when it comes to NBA big-man injuries, I'm prone to fear the absolute worst. My uninformed, unscientific view is that NBA big-men who play through the pain of a prior injury will make subtle adjustments to their playing style that may result in a different and potentially catastrophic injury.

No human body, particularly one 7 feet in height, was designed to repeatedly jump and land on hardwood flooring.

The Players

Bill Cartwright

I'm saving the most horrifying one for first. Did you know Bill Cartwright was once good? How good? Sports Illustrated feature highlighting how the New York Knicks rookie was so overlooked good. Were It Any Other Year, Roy S. Johnson, Mar. 17, 1980.

Before the '84-'85 season, Cartwright broke his foot. Then, while practicing in November, he broke it again, ending his season. He had surgery, and after the team physician predicted a full recovery, the Knicks gave him a long term deal. Remember, this was after Bill had just missed an entire season. How'd that turn out?

Sweet-shooting 7'1" center Bill Cartwright, who missed all of last season with a broken foot, is sidelined until at least mid-December after having fractured—for the third time—the fifth metatarsal bone of his left foot in an exhibition game. But five years and $6 million are guaranteed in the six-year, $7 million contract the Knicks gave him just before the injury occurred. The Knicks gambled—and lost—that the surgery performed last December by team physician Norman Scott would turn Cartwright back into the 17.0 scorer, .561 shooter he was in '83-84. The word is they signed him only after Scott had told them that Cartwright's foot would be able to withstand the rigors of regular NBA play.

Horror Show in the Big Apple, Jack McCallum, Nov. 18, 1985.

Cartwright actually returned to action in January '86. For 2 games. Then he was shut down for the second straight season. If you're looking for precedent on what can go wrong with giving a center coming off a season ending injury a long term deal, well...this might be the worst case scenario.

Bill Walton

But then again, it might not. If you haven't read David Halberstam's The Breaks of the Game, read it. His The Best and the Brightest was one of my favorite books, but I had never read any of his sports stuff until Bill Simmons called Breaks, "the perfect book about the perfect team" in a column following Halberstam's death. A tribute to the ultimate teacher, Apr. 28, 2007.

I'm not qualified to say whether the book touches on everything there is to know about professional basketball. But if someone who was told me that, I'd believe it. Aside from some rather jarring use of the word "blacks" (such as the blacks on the team), it holds up well three decades later.

While the book tells much of the Blazers '77 championship season, it does so through the prism of chronicling the '79-80 campaign. By that time, Bill Walton's feet derailed a dynasty in Portland, and destroyed a franchise in San Diego. Not to mention, dramatically shaped his entire life. The Clippers bought in to the belief that Walton's injuries--that had cost him more than an entire season--were manageable. They weren't. As a Sixers fan, it's hard to feel sorry for the '77 Blazers--their glory came at our expense. But the book portrays all its characters so vividly, it's hard not to form some attachment.

Brad Daugherty

Speaking of hard, (how's that transition?), it's hard to believe that Brad Daugherty wasn't always known for his NASCAR commentary. Once upon a time, he went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had obtained the pick under circumstances that I somehow can't recall ... what day is this? Where am I? Is that blood?

Though nobody realized it at the time, Daugherty's solid career in Cleveland ended with a back injury suffered "when he bent down to pick up his shoes." SI, Michael Farber, Nov. 7, 1994. (Tanner: my apologies, but I was unable to find a picture of the shoes.)

Foot problems had sidelined him for the opening of the '89-90 season, Injury Bug Has Cavs for Lunch, Bob Ford, Nov. 29, 1989, but the herniated discs cut him down almost five years later. Tough, even for a savage like me to connect those injuries. Chalk this one up to a rare spot of rotten luck for Cleveland.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Let's remain with Cleveland, shall we?

"If Z plays, great, but we can't hide behind his foot any longer," says coach John Lucas, who replaces the fired Randy Wittman. "We've got to uproot the ghosts of bad luck and bad feet and start winning." Adds point guard Andre Miller, "My mind-set is, What if Z's not out there? What can we do? I look at the worst circumstances first."

SI, Daniel Habib, Oct. 29, 2001. How many of those names made you laugh, if only just a little? Another fun snippet from that article: Z-man had missed "all but 29 games over the [prior] three seasons because of a fractured bone in his left foot."

By the way, even in devastating big-man injuries, Cleveland can't win. They are third, behind the Knicks, and Portland--the Montreal Canadiens of this category.

Greg Oden

Sam Bowie

Odds Bynum signs with Portland?

I've never been to Portland, Los Angeles, or Austin, Texas, partly out of a fear that if I visited, I'd want to stay, but, unable to find steady work, would eventually get forced into a choice of leaving in failure or dramatically adjusting my threshold for minimum acceptable living standards. Mostly, though, it's because Rehoboth pretty much nails every one of my vacation needs.

That Oden-Durant, and Bowie-Jordan both involved the same franchise is beyond my comprehension. Toss in the Walton thing, and how it derailed a legendary dynasty "that played the right way" ... poor Portland.

Willis Reed

Speaking of legendary dynasties "that played the right way", hello, New York.

Before we get to Reed, let me ask, have you ever read Freakonomics,a book by economist-Steven Levitt and author Stephen Dubner? If so, then you're already familiar with the concept of "fellating, but with words." The book consists of two mismatched styles crammed together, like an Oreo cookie filled with gum. There are chapters containing Levitt's theories. These are generally interesting. Then, between the chapters, there are excerpts from Dubner's downright discomfiting New York Times Magazine profile of Levitt that are best described as "fellating, but with words." As opposed to, you know, an author actually fellating a biographical subject (SFW Daily Show Link).

That same phrase describes each of the 400,000 books written about the Old Knicks, of which Willis Reed was "The Captain." Now, to be fair, I didn't read all of those books. In fact, I read only one: When The Garden Was Eden, by Harvey Araton. And it's a fine book. There's just something more than a little off-putting about the "best that ever was, or will be" musk that serves as a virtual dust jacket for everything written about those teams.

Reed's injury during Game 5 of the '70 Finals served as prologue to the most dramatic return to action in NBA Finals history. What caused it?

How and why he tore his right tensor muscle remains something of a mystery. [According to Reed], "I think because of the pain in my left knee, I may have instinctively shifted all of the weight to my right side as I made my move around Wilt."
. . .
Once [Reed] pressed play [on a tape of Game 5], the first thing he notices was his limp: faint and unnoticeable to a layman like me. He was certain now that the injury had occurred because he had favored his left knee and leaned too heavily to the right.

Araton, p.p. 143, 145-46.

Reed was 27 at the time of the injury. After several injury plagued seasons (mostly knees), and a second title over the Lakers, Reed retired at the ripe old age of 31.

Both Araton and Halberstam's books illustrate the needle-happy training staff that populated the 70s NBA. Walton famously fell out with Blazer management due to his distrust of the medical staff, likely fostered by stories handed down by players such as Reed, who seemingly paid the price for getting shot up, then playing through pain. Sports medicine has presumably come a long way since 1970 (I'm not remotely qualified to say). It presumably had already come a long way by 1986, when just a year removed from the Knicks decision to extend a recovering Cartwright ...

Jeff Ruland

What day is this? Where am I? That is blood!

As Justin F. effectively wrote back in November, the trade for Bynum was nothing like the trade for Ruland. Re-signing Bynum? ... Well, that comparison is a bit closer, now isn't it?

Ralph Sampson

Re-siging and or trading for centers with major injury history was kind of a thing in the mid-80s. As the first-in, first out of the Rockets' Twin Towers, Ralph experienced both in dizzying succession. First, the Rockets gave him a 6-year extension just before the '87-88 season. Then they tried to move him. Who would be stupid enough to ignore that red flag?

"Ralph's dominance is not going to be like Moses Malone's and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's," says Warriors general manager Don Nelson.

The Center of Their Hopes, Hank Hersch, Jan. 19, 1988.

No argument there, Don. Sampson's knees broke down completely, and the extension outlived his career. In Grantland's oral history of the 80s Rockets, there's a discussion of whether Sampson's knee issues stemmed from an earlier hip injury. The Greatest Team That Never Was, Jonathan Abrams, Nov. 8, 2012. The piece also includes Nelson's take on the trade, which was basically, "We knew about the knees, but we really hated Joe Barry Carroll." Nobody ever called the "wins-but-not-winning-percentage-king" an architect, folks.

Yao Ming

The same can't be said for Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who inherited a star player whose injuries were affairs of state:

When the NBA's Houston Rockets first sought permission from China's sports authorities to sign Yao Ming to play in the NBA, there was one term that was nonnegotiable: Yao would play for China's Olympic team, no matter what.
* * *
He was emotional at a news conference shortly after the injury, insisting that his foot would get better, that he would play. It was as if he were willing it to be so. And so it is — even though various physicians in the U.S. have been quoted as saying that coming back this quickly from his particular injury is pushing it.

100 Olympic Athletes to Watch: 5 - Yao Ming, Bill Powell, July 24, 2008

Yao had suffered a stress fracture in his left foot that February, while the Rockets were in the midst of a rather improbable 22 game win-streak. It was his fourth leg or foot injury in three seasons. He played in the Olympics, and throughout the '08-09 season until Game 3 of the Rockets second round series with the Lakers, when:

Yao broke his foot. Again. Okay, whatever. So Yao is out for the playoffs. But should he be? Everyone who watched the game on Friday saw that Yao was hurt and hobbling in the second quarter. Everyone also saw that by the fourth quarter, the Rockets simply were not going to win. Yet Yao played another 40 minutes and was not removed from the game until a minute was left. At some point he went from being "hurt" to being "injured." This should have been avoided. Not to put too fine a point on it, but what the f--k was Rick Adelman thinking?!?

Yao is out, grungedave, May 10, 2009

Chalk it up to nationalism, good old fashioned coachin', or feet that just couldn't sustain the unnatural grind, but that was effectively the end of Yao's career. I suppose some big men just weren't meant to play basketball.

Wilt Chamberlain

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Shaquille O'Neal

And then again, some were.

God, the Lakers. Wilt missed most of the '69-70 season with a serious knee injury, but returned in time for the playoffs, where he had a front-row seat for Reed's heroics (a fact discussed in great detail in Araton's book). He didn't miss another game, winning a second ring in '72, and retiring after the Lakers fell to New York in the '73 Finals.

Kareem went to UCLA. Walton went to UCLA. Kareem came out as the no-doubt about it first pick. So did Walton. Kareem was a notorious health and nutrition nut. So was Walton. Kareem led a mid-western expansion team to a title. Walton, a Pacific-northwestern expansion team. Kareem missed a few games due to a hand injury once, but was otherwise arguably the most durable player in NBA history, and retired as the all-time points leader following the '89 season, in which the Lakers fell short of grabbing their 6th title in the 80s, losing in their 8th Finals appearance of that decade. Walton...uh...had red hair...and, uh, came off the bench for the Celtics that one season. If it weren't so darn bike friendly, I might be tempted to move Portland below L.A. on that places I probably will never live in list I was talking about. (Personal note: my girlfriend got me a bike for my birthday so I'd be less of a lazy fat-ass. Also, I may or may not have used being overweight to justify putting off our engagement due to concerns over my triple-chin appearing on a save the date fridge-magnet. I'm less of a Lance Armstrong share-the-road crusader, and more of a "Did that guy just ride into a telephone poll?" curb hugger. Bike lanes and paths are my friend.)

Shaq was neither particularly durable, nor injury prone. I, quite frankly, don't have the heart to head over to Silver Screen and Roll and see if Laker fans discounted Bynum's injuries due to their Shaq experience. But out of love for you, you who have made it this far, I did it anyway:

Mikan was a horse, Wilt was seemingly invulnerable, Kareem was pretty much the same, Shaq rested for half the season until the playoffs, and Bynum gets nicked up a lot. [Bynum]'s going to be here a long time, and we're going to have to get used to this.

Long term reality with Bynum and Injuries, Fanpost by LakersFan2009, Mar. 20, 2010.

That makes me feel pretty bad. But, is there something else on point that could make me feel even worse?

What I have doubted about you[Note: you meaning Bynum, not the Hubie Brown "you"], like just about everyone else in Lakers Nation, is your ability to stay healthy (of course) and your maturity. There's nothing you can do about injuries. You haven't been all fat and lazy like Shaq was. You've just been unlucky, no hard feelings there.
* * *
Recently, you've shown a confidence in your athleticism and skill that should make the NBA shudder. Those post moves and quick spin and dunks you threw down on Darko Milicic and Nikola Pekovic? I had a flashbacks of Shaq. Almost made me understand why Jim Buss is reportedly so in love with you. Your combination of size, strength, and quickness is usually unfuckwitable when all put together.

Player of the Week: Andrew Bynum, wondahbap, Mar. 10, 2012.

Yeah, that made me feel much worse. Which brings us to ...

Andrew Bynum

To be determined ...

Remember back in January, when Bynum's return seemed imminent? Our current bloglord, Michael of the House Levin, first of his name (known to me, anyway) wrote:

I don't know how this turned into a SIGN ANDREW BYNUM post, but here we are. Locking up a healthy Bynum for 3-4-5 years is the most important task the Sixers have had since they failed at trading Iverson. It's a chance to build a consistent contender like they were through the better part of the 80's. That doesn't happen without Drew.

Why Do Win Shares Hate The Sixers?, Jan. 21, 2013 (emphasis added).

@nyunole do it!
— Brandon Lee (@BrandonLeeSBN) January 25, 2013

After three months of what could best be described as "sporadic, half-assed research", I'm gonna vomit out the contents of the "Injured Bigs" section of my "Sixers" OneNote notebook. Enjoy!

Methodology

Bias

No human body, particularly one 7 feet in height, was designed to repeatedly jump and land on hardwood flooring.

The Players

Bill Cartwright

Sweet-shooting 7'1" center Bill Cartwright, who missed all of last season with a broken foot, is sidelined until at least mid-December after having fractured—for the third time—the fifth metatarsal bone of his left foot in an exhibition game. But five years and $6 million are guaranteed in the six-year, $7 million contract the Knicks gave him just before the injury occurred. The Knicks gambled—and lost—that the surgery performed last December by team physician Norman Scott would turn Cartwright back into the 17.0 scorer, .561 shooter he was in '83-84. The word is they signed him only after Scott had told them that Cartwright's foot would be able to withstand the rigors of regular NBA play.

Horror Show in the Big Apple, Jack McCallum, Nov. 18, 1985.

Bill Walton

Brad Daugherty

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Let's remain with Cleveland, shall we?

"If Z plays, great, but we can't hide behind his foot any longer," says coach John Lucas, who replaces the fired Randy Wittman. "We've got to uproot the ghosts of bad luck and bad feet and start winning." Adds point guard Andre Miller, "My mind-set is, What if Z's not out there? What can we do? I look at the worst circumstances first."

By the way, even in devastating big-man injuries, Cleveland can't win. They are third, behind the Knicks, and Portland--the Montreal Canadiens of this category.

Greg Oden

Sam Bowie

Odds Bynum signs with Portland?

Willis Reed

Speaking of legendary dynasties "that played the right way", hello, New York.

Reed's injury during Game 5 of the '70 Finals served as prologue to the most dramatic return to action in NBA Finals history. What caused it?

How and why he tore his right tensor muscle remains something of a mystery. [According to Reed], "I think because of the pain in my left knee, I may have instinctively shifted all of the weight to my right side as I made my move around Wilt."
. . .
Once [Reed] pressed play [on a tape of Game 5], the first thing he notices was his limp: faint and unnoticeable to a layman like me. He was certain now that the injury had occurred because he had favored his left knee and leaned too heavily to the right.

Araton, p.p. 143, 145-46.

Reed was 27 at the time of the injury. After several injury plagued seasons (mostly knees), and a second title over the Lakers, Reed retired at the ripe old age of 31.

Jeff Ruland

What day is this? Where am I? That is blood!

As Justin F. effectively wrote back in November, the trade for Bynum was nothing like the trade for Ruland. Re-signing Bynum? ... Well, that comparison is a bit closer, now isn't it?

Ralph Sampson

"Ralph's dominance is not going to be like Moses Malone's and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's," says Warriors general manager Don Nelson.

The Center of Their Hopes, Hank Hersch, Jan. 19, 1988.

Yao Ming

The same can't be said for Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who inherited a star player whose injuries were affairs of state:

When the NBA's Houston Rockets first sought permission from China's sports authorities to sign Yao Ming to play in the NBA, there was one term that was nonnegotiable: Yao would play for China's Olympic team, no matter what.
* * *
He was emotional at a news conference shortly after the injury, insisting that his foot would get better, that he would play. It was as if he were willing it to be so. And so it is — even though various physicians in the U.S. have been quoted as saying that coming back this quickly from his particular injury is pushing it.

100 Olympic Athletes to Watch: 5 - Yao Ming, Bill Powell, July 24, 2008

Yao broke his foot. Again. Okay, whatever. So Yao is out for the playoffs. But should he be? Everyone who watched the game on Friday saw that Yao was hurt and hobbling in the second quarter. Everyone also saw that by the fourth quarter, the Rockets simply were not going to win. Yet Yao played another 40 minutes and was not removed from the game until a minute was left. At some point he went from being "hurt" to being "injured." This should have been avoided. Not to put too fine a point on it, but what the f--k was Rick Adelman thinking?!?

Yao is out, grungedave, May 10, 2009

Wilt Chamberlain

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Shaquille O'Neal

And then again, some were.

Mikan was a horse, Wilt was seemingly invulnerable, Kareem was pretty much the same, Shaq rested for half the season until the playoffs, and Bynum gets nicked up a lot. [Bynum]'s going to be here a long time, and we're going to have to get used to this.

Long term reality with Bynum and Injuries, Fanpost by LakersFan2009, Mar. 20, 2010.

That makes me feel pretty bad. But, is there something else on point that could make me feel even worse?

What I have doubted about you[Note: you meaning Bynum, not the Hubie Brown "you"], like just about everyone else in Lakers Nation, is your ability to stay healthy (of course) and your maturity. There's nothing you can do about injuries. You haven't been all fat and lazy like Shaq was. You've just been unlucky, no hard feelings there.
* * *
Recently, you've shown a confidence in your athleticism and skill that should make the NBA shudder. Those post moves and quick spin and dunks you threw down on Darko Milicic and Nikola Pekovic? I had a flashbacks of Shaq. Almost made me understand why Jim Buss is reportedly so in love with you. Your combination of size, strength, and quickness is usually unfuckwitable when all put together.

Player of the Week: Andrew Bynum, wondahbap, Mar. 10, 2012.

Yeah, that made me feel much worse. Which brings us to ...

Andrew Bynum

To be determined ...

The Future of the Sixers has to Start Small

2013-04-24T19:23:09Z

How are teams doing it? Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been doing it. Whatever their system is, it works, and it's time the Philadelphia 76ers thought about doing so.

Yes, Philadelphia is not a "small-market". The city is top-10 in terms of population, but that means nothing in the NBA. At this point, the Sixers under new ownership Josh Harris and Adam Aron need to build around the idea that Philadelphia is a small-market NBA franchise.

This is not to insult the city of Philadelphia, but this is the point. We're not Los Angeles. We're not Miami. We're not New York. We're not Boston. THOSE are either huge markets or -- in the case of the Celtics -- can get by on the name "Celtics". Philadelphia is not what it used to be. The days of Allen Iverson blitzing through the lane are over. The days of Dr. J., Moses and Barkley are long over. Josh Harris says that he will do everything in his power to attract free agents to Philadelphia, but in reality, big name free agents don't want to come here.

The Sixers have been mediocre at best since Iverson left. There's no star to draw free agents here. Some argue that Jrue Holiday can be, but he's only had one All-Star appearance since he hit the league. Holiday and the Sixers need at least one or maybe even two more years to build momentum. Don't even mention Philadelphia fans because it's a mute point. There has been report after report of athletes WANTING to play in Philadelphia because the fans are so passionate and educated.

When the move towards statistics-based moves swept through baseball, I thought that the NBA was the perfect league to enact "Moneyball" tactics -- especially if you're a small-market team. Sam Presti, Thunder GM, and Daryl Morey, Houston's GM, are at the forefront of this move to these tactics. They draft well, and they make smart moves with their money and assets. Look at the James Harden trade earlier this year.

Some basketball fans and writers killed Presti after deciding not to give Harden an extension and give it to forward Serge Ibaka instead. This is the package the Thunder got for Harden: Kevin Martin (scored 14 PPG), Jeremy Lamb (someone with Sixth Man potential post Kevin Martin), two first round picks (one of which will be top 10 in 2013) and a second round pick. Not only that, but the Thunder are set financially. After Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka, the next highest salary belongs to Kendrick Perkins, and that contract expires at the end of the 2014-2015 season. Perkins can easily be replaced at this point.

The Rockets got back someone that can be the face of their franchise for years, and they have a legitimate superstar to point to when attracting free agents. "Hey. Come to Houston and play with James Harden." Who doesn't say yes to that?

The Sixers, on the other hand, have been making mistake after mistake for the last five to six years. They overpaid Andre Iguodala in 2008 -- giving him $80 over six years. They gave a max contract to Elton Brand who happened to be coming of an torn Achilles, and don't even get me started on hiring Eddie Jordan. That's something that should've NEVER happened under ANY circumstances.

This season, the Sixers took a chance on Andrew Bynum. No matter what you say, the Sixers should do that deal nine times out of ten. Former coach Doug Collins maximized everything he could out of that roster the last two seasons. There was just nothing more he could do with this team. GM Tony DiLeo took a chance to take the team to the next level, and it backfired horribly. Bynum never played a second for the Sixers, and the rest of the team as constituted was just plain bad.

Now, the Sixers are a young team in another rebuilding mode. It's time this team did things more intelligently. When the time comes to hire a head coach, make sure he makes sense. A head coach that predicates his style on the half court makes NO sense. None. Period. With Holiday, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, this team has athletes. Let's use them. Mike Malone's name has been getting tossed around in circles, and Brian Shaw is the Sixers leading candidate according to NBC Sports. Either of those coaches would be great. Will they want to come here and aid us in our rebuild? We'll see.

In the front office, Tony DiLeo needs to go. He and Collins put this team together, and it was a mistake. With the players he brought in during his one year tenure as GM, he showed me nothing that he deserves to stay. Once he gave Kwame Brown more than a bologna sandwich, the clock was ticking on his tenure, here. Bring in one of the new-school advanced stats guys because if you're building a team on the "small-market" model, you're going to need one of these guys. Two names that come to mind are Mike Zarren of the Celtics and Sam Hinkie of the Rockets -- guys that will spend money responsibly (i.e. not give Spencer Hawes $12 million for two years for a 7-footer that DOESN'T REBOUND!)

When the draft or free agency comes around, don't make mistakes. That's all Sixers fans ask. Drafting Evan Turner may have been a mistake when you look at what DeMarcus Cousins has been doing in Sacramento -- with or without his insane temper tantrums. Go back to that draft. Who would you rather have now? Answer this question. Can you name the last Sixer drafted by the team to reach multiple All-Star Games with the team? The answer is "The Answer". That shows a SERIOUS lack of scouting chops in this organization. Go back to 1997, the year the Sixers took Keith Van Horn -- who flat out said he's not playing in Philadelphia. Let's say the Sixers take Chauncey Billups at #2 ... or even more insane ... Tracy McGrady! Iverson and McGrady as the Sixers backcourt for at least four years? Sign me up!

Free agency has been making or breaking this franchise since 2006, and nowadays with salary request from fringe starts, it's beyond important not to overpay. For example, this offseason, why even entertain the notion of giving Josh Smith a max-contract when you can get one of three guys: David West, Paul Milsap or J.J. Hickson for much cheaper. Any one of those three would be better for this team than Smith. Al Jefferson is another name being floated out there, but after dealing with the Bynum fiasco, can you Sixers fans really deal with ANOTHER big man that's had a history of knee problems. No thanks. After his antics this season, Dwight Howard's name shouldn't even be a thought, so don't even go there with me.

O.J. Mayo and Tyreke Evans -- a local Chester boy -- are going to be available, but those are two other guys that are okay AT THE RIGHT PRICE. Mayo shouldn't get more than $10 million per season, but he will because he's the best available scorer. Evans is still very raw and doesn't really shoot that well, but he'll probably get $8-10 million per year from someone. It'd make a lot more sense to just re-sign Dorell Wright and maybe give a one or two year deal at $3-5 million to someone like Brandon Rush -- provided he declines his $4 player option -- who actually has decent stats in a per 36 minute scale (12 points, 5 rebounds, shoots 42% from 3).

There isn't one player in free agency this off-season that DESERVES a max-contract. Josh Smith doesn't. Al Jefferson doesn't. Dwight Howard will get one. Andrew Bynum sure as hell doesn't, and that's how the Sixers need to operate. There are only 5-10 guys in the entire league that deserve that kind of a contract because you can win a championship with that guy as your number one option. Not one of those players has won nor can any team with them as their number one option can win a championship.

Going forward, Sixers fans should just want the team to change how things are done in South Philly. What they're doing isn't working, so it's time for something else. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again hoping to get a different result. Don't be afraid to switch things up. It's definitely better than the alternative which is simply driving fans to the brink of insanity with the team.