SB Nation - Kareem Rush

Waive Goodbye, Part 1

Jon L — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:00:35 -0000

by Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP

Paul Davis poses for trading card photo. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Here it is; the long-awaited (okay maybe not), oft-promised look at who got waived and who made an NBA roster. I'm breaking this up into three parts, and here's what they'll look like: for each team, there will be a list of who got cut and who got kept (and yes I know the grammar isn't great, but that's what I've decided to go with). To make it interesting, I'll look at one Eastern Conference team and one Western Conference team each day. I probably won't discuss every player, since at this point in his career Juan Dixon can do whatever as far as I'm concerned, but I'll try to hit most of the players who either previously spent time in the D-League or might be considering it as an option this season. I'm also operating under the assumption that the vast majority of guys that I talk about will be playing in Europe. The season's already started over there in a lot of places, but there's usually room for one more skilled American player. Nonetheless, I'll try to keep the D-League optimism up. Okay? Okay. So here we go. First up: the Southeast and Pacific Divisions, below the jump.

Atlanta Hawks

Who got cut: Juan Dixon, Mike Wilks, Courtney Sims, Garrett Siler, Mario West

Who got kept: No one.

Sims and Siler are the main guys to know here, as Dixon, Wilks and West are all veterans at this point who will jump into the pool of emergency guards for less thoughtful teams to sign in case, I dunno, Eric Gordon gets hurt or something. Sims has admirers around the team, and he's showed off his scoring in the preseason, but the rebounding that was so good in the D-League last year has been largely absent thus far. That kind of game (among other reasons) makes me think he's bound for overseas despite the fact that he intrigues front offices. If they really cared, he'd have a contract by now. Siler, on the other hand, is just coming onto the scene and has nice touch and solid rebounding ability. He's just, let's call it "large." If I had to guess I'd say he's a more likely candidate for the D-League, where getting "large" guys into shape seems to be the stock in trade. He's already pretty effective as it is, and he doesn't seem have the foul problems that plague other "large" gentlemen like Mike Sweetney or Kentrell Gransberry, so if he can shed the weight then he might start garnering more serious interest.

Charlotte Bobcats

Who got cut: Dontell Jefferson, Antonio Anderson

Who got kept: Stephen Graham

I was actually kind of shocked at this one. Jefferson is a great man defender (and an all-aaround good guy) who the Bobcats seemed to like (they called him up last year), plus one of their better (if not their best) perimeter defenders with a guaranteed contract just got hurt. So why wouldn't they keep him? Stephen Graham is fine as a player, and he's a D-League success story of sorts so I shouldn't knock him too hard, but while he's a better rebounder than Jefferson, he's not as good of a defender. Hopefully Jefferson comes to the D-League and gets called up quickly, but either of those happening is unlikely, let alone both of them.

Golden State Warriors

Who got cut: Diamon Simpson, Shaun Pruitt

Who got kept: No one

Simpson is raw. Really, really, really raw. But intriguing (at least to me). I thought so when he was on Washington's Summer League team, but he got cut before they played any games and I don't think he played any in the preseason for Golden State, either. It would behoove him to go to the D-League, but who knows if that will happen. He's a Dominic McGuire-type, if McGuire is good enough to have his own type, but it boils down to this: a lot of hustle, the tools to be a very good defender, a very good rebounder, undersized as a PF but no offensive game to make up for it. Who doesn't like that kind of player? Anyway, he'll need to learn some offense somewhere, so why not the D-League? ASSUMING he enters the draft, I could see Rio Grande Valley drafting him and developing him for the Rockets, who are enamored with 6'7" power forwards who rebound really, really well. But what I think should happen and what does happen are usually two different things. Example: Fernwood 2Nite is still not on DVD.

Los Angeles Clippers

Who got cut: Anthony Roberson, Taj Gray, Jerel McNeal

Who got kept: Kareem Rush

Sorry Mike Wilks, Juan Dixon and Mario West, your fellow Brotherhood of Mediocre Shooting Guards member Kareem Rush got this. Roberson is likely headed back to Europe, with all the rest of the good three-point shooters. So is Gray. Jerel McNeal could stick around this neck of the woods, because he's a.) younger and b.) still could use some work on his offensive game. His DraftExpress "best case" is supposedly Shannon Brown, so there's some D-League-to-NBA precedent for a guy like McNeal, and he's solid enough all-around that if he continues to cut down on his turnovers he could draw some real interest.

Los Angeles Lakers

Who got cut: Mickael Gelabale, David Monds, Tony Gaffney, Michael Fey, Thomas Kelati

Who got kept: No one

Somewhat off-topic, but at this point I'm wondering what the point of the Lakers having their own D-League affiliate is. I know I'm not supposed to say that, but...who was the last player they developed in-house? Jordan Farmar, I guess? Does Josh Powell count since he never plays? I know that they're in "win-now" mode as long as Kobe Bryant is on the team, but heck, trading for Adam Morrison? They could've found someone else, put him on the D-Fenders for two years, and still eventually have gotten more out of him than Morrison will end up giving them. And no, this isn't about cutting Sun Yue. Okay, maybe it's partially about cutting Sun Yue. But that was the plan with Mickael Gelabale, I assume, who has a lot of talent and a knack for scoring. But he couldn't earn a deal and DJ Mbenga could? Mbenga is good for something, right? I mean, he is, right? I could've sworn he did something well at some point. David Monds played very well for the Lakers' Summer League team, so that likely got him some attention even if his preseason didn't. I'm willing to bet that he comes back to the D-League, just not heavily.

Miami Heat

Who got cut: John Lucas, Alade Aminu, Andre Brown, Anthony Tolliver

Who got kept: Carlos Arroyo, Shavlik Randolph

Sigh. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. Not that Arroyo is still around, I guess, since he's not the worst option out there and can run the pick and roll adequately, but Lucas really can play, size notwithstanding. I'm pretty sure Lucas has had some problems with not being paid by his European employers in the past, so it could be that he's soured on the enterprise, and if he comes back to the D-League he'll join the Maine Red Claws, but my best guess is that he'll try going overseas again and hope to get his check on time. Aminu may try his hand at the D-League, since his younger (and more talented) brother is still in college. Aminu played some decent defense for Washington's Summer League team, and he's pretty athletic along with being a decent ball-handler for a 6'10" guy. He needs to work on not turning the ball over and acquiring some post moves, and the D-League is as good a place as any to do that.

Orlando Magic

Who got cut: Morris Almond

Who got kept: Linton Johnson

I'm a little surprised that Johnson is still around, although Adonal Foyle got hurt so there's room for another frontcourt player. Sort of. I mean with Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Vince Carter and Matt Barnes around I'm not really sure how much playing time Johnson will get, even in practice. Some of those guys can play guard, true, but this team is apparently committed to the Jason Williams Reclamation Project and not, you know, keeping a guard who can actually help the team out. It's a good question where Almond goes from here, as he's "done with the D-League." Maybe he joins Dixon, et al. or maybe he just cuts his losses and heads yonder, but either way I can't shake the feeling that he never really got a fair look this offseason.

Phoenix Suns

Who got cut: Carlos Powell, Dan Dickau, Raymond Sykes

Who got kept: No one.

Well, at least our long national Dan Dickau nightmare is over. Powell played very well in the preseason, and the team spoke well of him which should help combat some old on-court character issues. He's a strong call-up candidate this season should he go to the D-League, and he's been working hard to get to the NBA so he may go that route. I've already linked to it once, but for more on Powell's play I recommend this Bright Side of the Sun post.

Sacramento Kings

Who got cut: Lanny Smith, Melvin Ely

Who got kept: No one.

I would bet that Smith returns to the D-League. He's not that far removed from breaking his foot in college, and he was a backup in Idaho last year, so he still has a lot to show. He can play, though, and it shouldn't be too surprising if he becomes a top point guard in the D-League this year. That's assuming he goes there, however, and not overseas. He played for the "NBA Generations" team that played in Korea and the Philippines, so he's gotten some international exposure, and non-US teams could come calling.

Washington Wizards

Who got cut: Vincent Grier

Who got kept: Paul Davis

Grier never really played, so this isn't a shock. He's a pretty good combo guard and scorer, but the Wizards have a ton of shooting guards on the team so this was always going to be a longshot. Paul Davis is sticking around because Antawn Jamison will be out for at least a month, and the team was already thin up front. As in, Fabricio Oberto who was signed to be the end-of-bench veteran presence, is now the starting power forward. Davis is now the fifth big, and he's defied my expectations by playing pretty well this preseason, averaging about 18 points and nine rebounds per 36 minutes while staying out of foul trouble. He shot 5-10 from the floor, and I have no idea where those shots came from exactly, but one reason I was skeptical is that last season his eFG percentages were .333 on "close" shots and .344 on jump shots (as determined by 82games.com), which are pretty bad. As long as the Wizards don't expect much from Davis on the offensive end other than dunks and tip-ins, they should be fine.

High/Low Expectations: Jason Kapono

jsams — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:26:59 -0000

Jason has a chance to be my favorite number 72 of all time.

View full size photo »

Jason Kapono #72 SG/SF

Best case: Jason Kapono regains his 2006-2007 form where he shot 51, yes, 51 percent from beyond the arch. Jason's team won the NBA finals that season. The Sixers won't necessarily win the championship if Kapono shoots 51 percent from three, but odds are they will at least make it past the first round. There's no telling what his ability to stretch the floor will do for the likes of Andre, Thad and Elton. One thing is for sure; when Kapono is on the floor, the Sixers will have a legitimate technical foul shooter -- something they've been missing since Korver.

Best case stats: 10 points, 50% from the field, 50% from three, 90% from the line.

Worst case: Kapono's percentages continue to decrease as they have in the previous three seasons, he absolutely cripples the defense while he's on the floor, and takes on the "Kareem Rush role" as the player who was supposed to stretch the defense and rain in threes when called upon, but sits on the end of the bench and shows absolutely no emotion instead.

Worst case stats: 5 points, 43% from the field, 39% from three, 80% from the line.

Poll

Which is more realistic?

Best case.

64 votes

Worst case.

50 votes

114 votes | Poll has closed

NBA Summer League Rosters Taking Shape

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:00:21 -0000

UPDATED - check after the jump for everything updated in the past three days.

Alright, we got all of the personal mumbo-jumbo out of the way - let's begin with the Summer League coverage!

The Orlando of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 6-10) is here, the Vegas portion of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 10-19) is here and the NBA Summer League roster of your favorite team (so far) is... After the jump!

I was all drafted out, so sorry for the lack of posting going on this weekend - I sincerely apologize to all thirteen of you that were disappointed. As a show of goodwill, I worked feverishly throughout the weekend to scour my sources, google the news, and do anything and everything I could to start piecing together an accurate view of what your team will look like this Summer.

Granted, it's probably not likely to expect much out of some of these players, but each year there are players that pop up from nowhere in Summer League and impress enough to earn a spot on an NBA roster. The most recent example would be Bobby Brown from last season, though there are plenty more (and we'll look at them throughout the next week heading into the Orlando portion of NBA Summer League's).

After the jump, I've put together a list of which players I've (all but) confirmed. If you're aware of anymore, let me know in the comments! If you're unsure of one of the players, click on the link - it'll either take you to their SBNation page or, if they're a bit more obscure, whichever source linked them to said Summer League team.

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:21 AM CDT ] Added Wink Adams to New York

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 11:15 AM CDT ] Added Daniel Artest to Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:34 PM CDT ] Added Paul Harris to Minnesota, from Cleveland

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:02 AM CDT ] Added Kevin Kruger to Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:48 AM CDT ] Added Acie Law to Golden State

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:58 AM CDT ] Added Lee Cummard to Phoenix, Luke Nevill to New Orleans

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 10:27 AM CDT ] Added Alex Ruoff to Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:59 PM CDT ] Added Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber and Matt Freije to Detroit

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 1:42 PM CDT ] Added Mohamed Tangara to Milwaukee

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:50 PM CDT ] Added Rod Benson to Houston, Demetris Nichols to Toronto

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 12:19 AM CDT ] Added Dar Tucker and Kevin Rogers to Dallas; Jaycee Carroll to New Orleans; completed Minnesota, Golden State and Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 11:54 AM CDT ] Completed San Antonio, Orlando and Boston roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 2:08 PM CDT ] Added Phoenix roster, Robert Swift to Boston

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 2:50 PM CDT] Added Jim Baron to Washington

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 5:00 PM CDT] Completed Chicago, Sacramento and New Orleans rosters

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 6:40 PM CDT ] Completed Indiana, Milwaukee, New York, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 8:02 PM CDT ] Completed Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 4:05 PM CDT ] Completed Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 5:31 PM CDT ] Completed Portland, Memphis

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/02/09 8:10 CDT ] Completed Philadelphia/N.J. roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/03/09 11:12 AM CDT ] Completed (?) Denver roster

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/07/09 7:45 PM CDT ] Completed Dallas, Detroit and D-League Select rosters

2009 ORLANDO SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Boston Celtics

Bryan Mullins, Lester Hudson, Chris Lofton, Gabe Pruitt, Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens, Michael Sweetney, Coby Karl, Darius Washington, Bryce Taylor, Kevin Rogers, Robert Swift,

Indiana Pacers

Aaron Jackson, Leo Lyons, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, Josh McRoberts, A.J. Price, Roy Hibbert, Will Blalock, Trey Johnson, Anthony Smith, Derrick Byars, Courtney Sims, Scott Vander Meer,

Philadelphia 76ers/ New Jersey Nets

Blake Ahearn, Jrue Holiday, Marreese Speights, Dionte Christmas, Chris Johnson, Rob Kurz, Gary Forbes, Marcus Slaughter, Terrence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, AJ Abrams, Jeff Adrien, Jason Ellis,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Serge Ibaka, Shaun Livingston, BJ Mullens, James Harden, Robert Vaden, DeVon Hardin, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver, D.J. White, Marcus Dove, Moses Ehambe, DeAngelo Alexander, Richard Roby, Kyle Hines, Doug Thomas, Keith McLeod,

Orlando Magic

Ryan Anderson, Levance Fields, Richard Hendrix, Russell Robinson, Darian Townes, Maurice Ager, Lance Allred, Brian Chase, Ronald Dupree, Courtney Fells, C.J. Giles, Steven Milosevic, Jeremy Pargo, Milovan Rakovic, Jeremy Richardson

Utah Jazz

Eric Maynor, Gary Wilkinson, Goran Suton, Kosta Koufos, Kyrylo Fesenko, Wesley Matthews, Kevin Kruger, Kevin Lyde, Andre Ingram, James Augustine, Cedric Bozeman, Justin Reed, Josh Duncan, Jim Baron, Reyshawn Terry and Larry Turner

2009 VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Chicago Bulls

Luke Zeller, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Bryan Mullins, Tyrell Biggs, Mario Austin, AD Vasallo, Anthony Roberson, Linton Johnson, Chris Davis, Taurean Green, Lorenzo Mata-Real, DeMarcus Nelson, Julius Hodge, Brandon Costner, James Augustine, Nick Lewis

Cleveland Cavaliers

Maureece Rice, Christian Eyenga, Danny Green, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson, Tarence Kinsey,

Dallas Mavericks

Aaron Miles, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ahmad Nivins, Curtis Jerrells, Dar Tucker, Kevin Rogers, Quinton Hosley, Damjan Rudez, Luke Jackson, Henry Dugat, Nick Calathes, Mickael Gelabale, Herbert Hill, Shan Foster, Trent Strickland, Andre Owens, Alfred Aboya, Moussa Seck, Bryson McKenzie

Detroit Pistons

Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko, Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber, Michael Bramos, Andre Owens

Denver Nuggets

Richard Hendrix, Ty Lawson, Derrick Byars, Ronald Dupree, CJ Giles, Coby Karl, Kareem Rush, Cedric Simmons, Sonny Weems

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Jermareo Davidson, Acie Law, Connor Atchley, Lawrence Hill, Joe Ingles, Jared Jordan, Cartier Martin, Quan Prowell, Lawrence Roberts, Jamal Sampson

Houston Rockets

Garrett Temple, Will Conroy, Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger, Rod Benson, Hassan Adams, Marcus Cousin, Joey Dorsey, Charles Gaines, Mike Green, Brad Newley, Maarty Leunen, Darryl Watkins, James White

Los Angeles Clippers

Kyle McAlarney, Kevinn Pinkney, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor, Sean Banks, Dionte Christmas, Marcellus Kemp, Nik Caner-Medley,

Los Angeles Lakers

Tony Gaffney, Chinemelu Elonu, Alan Anderson, Aron Bynes, Dominique Coleman, Terrel Harris, Justin Hawkins, Ben McCauley, David Monds, Adam Morrison, Taylor Rochestie, Luke Schenscher, Mustafa Shakur,

Milwaukee Bucks

Brandon Jennings, Salim Stoudamire, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Joe Alexander, Jodie Meeks, Dominic James,Mohamed Tangara, Will McDonald, Juan Palacios, Chris Richard, Szymon Szewczyk, Lorrenzo Wade

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ben Woodside, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Paul Harris, Oleksiy Pecherov, Bobby Brown, Pat Carroll, Devin Green, Gerald Henderson, Steven Hill, Rob Kurz, Garrett Siler,

Memphis Grizzlies

Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young, Darrell Arthur, Hamed Haddadi, Daniel Ewing, Greg Stiemsma, Erik Daniels, Trey Gilder, Longar Longar, Brion Rush, Donta Smith, Marcus Williams

New Orleans Hornets

Marcus Thornton, Terry Martin, Darren Collison, Julian Wright, Luke Nevill, Jaycee Carroll, Earl Barron, Earl Calloway, Bryan Cusworth, Larry Owens, Marc Salyers, Courtney Sims, Anthony Tolliver, Quinton Watkins

New York Knicks

Jordan Hill, Blake Ahearn, Toney Douglas, Alex Acker, Wink Adams, Morris Almond, Warren Carter, Joe Crawford, Patrick Ewing Jr., Ron Howard, Yaroslav Korolev, David Noel, Mouhamed Sene, Rashaad Singleton, Nikoloz Tskitishvili,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Phoenix Suns

Earl Clark, Taylor Griffin, Goran Dragic, Robin Lopez, Lee Cummard, Alando Tucker, Micah Downs, Zabian Dowdell, Josh Carter, Kaspars Berzins, Jiri Hubalek, Geary Claxton, Chris Rodgers, Carlos Powell

Portland Trail Blazers

Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Jerryd Bayless, Patrick Mills, Thomas Gardner, Pooh Jeter, Bobby Jones, David Padgett, Deji Akindele, Matt Freije, Dwayne Mitchell, David Moss

Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman, Donté Greene, Jason Thompson, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, Spencer Hawes, Robert Battle, John Bryant, Pat Calathes, Marcus Landry, Brian Roberts, Victor Stowes, Ryan Toolson

San Antonio Spurs

James Gist, Jack McClinton, DeJuan Blair, Eric Dawson, Malik Hairston, George Hill, Romel Beck, Nando de Colo, Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson, Antonio Anderson, Marcus Vinicius, Ian Mahinmi, Alonzo Gee,

Toronto Raptors

Brent Petway, DeMar DeRozan, Nathan Jawai, Demetris Nichols, Quincy Douby, Roko Ukic, Patrick O'Bryant, Carl English, Ekene Ibekwe, David Doublas, Paul Davis, Smush Parker

Washington Wizards

Tyrese Rice, Nick Young, Javaris Crittenton, JaVale McGee, Alex Ruoff, Jim(my) Baron, Alade Aminu, Ryan Ayers, Jon Edwards, Josh Heytvelt, James Lang, Dominic McGuire, Tywain McKie, Jason Rich, Diamon Simpson, Kyle Spain, Brandon Wallace

NBA D-League Select

Coleman Collins, Walker Russell, Will Frisby, Gary Forbes, Marcus Hubbard, Othyus Jeffers, Jasper Johnson, Trey Johnson, Kurt Looby, Curtis Stinson

Sixers blueprint for success

jsams — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:32:47 -0000

(First thing's first. I have to give credit where credit is due. I wish I could say I got the idea for this post all by myself, but I didn't. I read Canis Hoopus' wonderful 'Building a winner' post a few months back and thought I should do one of my own. Well, I finally got around to it, so here it is. Enjoy.)

Last year we saw how quickly things can change in the NBA. Look no further than the finals' participants. The Celtics went from this to this in a year's time. The Lakers were on the verge of an implosion when t heir best player was calling out his teammates and asking to be traded. Then, all of a sudden, Pau Gasol was "traded" to them in exchange for a towel boy and a 2071 draft pick. Next thing you know their in the NBA finals.

That's how this league works. Sometimes it takes years of work. Other times it happens overnight. A trade here, a lucky ping pong bounce there, and you're contending for a World Championship.

This brings me to the Sixers. In a league filled with LeBron James, D-Wade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Kobe and the Lakers, the Celtics, the up-and-coming Blazers and Kevin Durant, how are they ever going to contend for a title? Are they destined to be a mediocre 45-win team for the next five years? (The length of Elton Brand's contract) Or is there something they can do to change the inevitability of back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back 6th seeds?

It's going to take some tweaking, but the foundation is there. It's up to Ed Stefanski and company to build on it. A flawless off-season or two and the Sixers could be the ones hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy when the dust settles. Can it be done?

Here's the blueprint:

Remainder of the season

The ultimate goal: Develop the young guys.

In order to make the right decisions in the off-season Stefanski has to know what he's working with.

1. Start Speights. I like the way DiLeo's been handling him thus far. If he fails to play defense or rebound, DiLeo benches him, regardless of how many nasty dunks or smooth jumpshots he makes. That said, 7 minutes a night isn't going to cut it. M16, as the kids like to call him, may very well be the most talented guy on the roster. You have to at least experiment with him in the starting lineup. If he regresses or completely neglects rebounding and defense, bench him. Simple as that -- just give him a shot.

2. Give Lou more point guard reps. I'm the biggest believer that Lou isn't, and will never be an NBA point guard. Give him one more chance to prove me wrong. He has the intangibles, but often fails to utilize them. As of right now, finding a point guard of the future is the Sixers biggest issue. If Lou somehow pulls it all together for the remainder of the season, it would be huge. It's a given that the Sixers are going to make the playoffs, so what do they have to lose? I'm not advocating that Lou starts; I'm just saying that when he's in the game, he should be given the reigns. This experiment has been done before, and it was ugly, but Lou's still only 21 and deserves one more chance before the Sixers invest in another point guard prospect

3. Start Iggy at the two and Thad at the three. Assuming Brand is healthy next year, Thad has no chance of starting at power forward. Why not move him back to his natural position now? Moving him to the three would also make room for Speights in the starting lineup and bump Willie Green. Anything that removes Willie Green from the starting lineup is a good move for the Sixers. As for Iguodala at the two -- we all know the numbers. On the season he's averaging 20 points a game at small forward and 14 points at shooting guard. But as commenter, Johnny "Dash-man" likes to say, "That's not a large enough sample size." I agree. The entire team was playing poorly when Iguodala started at the two. We need to see what a lineup of Miller, Iguodala, Thad, Speights and Sammy can do.

Sub-goal: Win a playoff series.

It's too much to ask of the Sixers to win a playoff series this season. Depending on which team they draw in the first round, they could have a chance. But if they get a seed in the 6-8 range, they aren't going to beat the Celtics, Cavs or Magic. That's just a fact.

Winning a playoff series would be invaluable experience for this team. Just getting there last year was a good experience. It would be huge if they could take the next step and win a series. Just don't expect it.

Coaching

Oh wait, so the Sixers aren't set at head coach either? Nope. Everyone seems to have forgotten that the team has has an "interim" at the helm.

The Sixers have a tough decision ahead of them on whether or not to make DiLeo the full time head coach, or to go a differe nt direction. DiLeo's done an adequate job since being named the coach. He's lead the team to a 20-16 record, improved the offense, and he's done it without Elton Brand. DiLeo's been with the organization for 19 years now, and knows the roster inside and out, especially since he help build it. So, why the tough decision?

According to the team's official site, DiLeo was promoted to Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager in 2003. There's no coincidence that since then, the Sixers have feasted on the NBA Draft. Let's take a quick look:

2003: The Sixers first and only pick was number 50 -- not a prime position to be in. They ended up selecting Paccelis Morlende. Who? They quickly turned around and traded him, along with cash, to the Sonics for Willie Green. Like it or not, Willie Green is a good value at pick 50. The Sixers also sent cash to the Nets in exchange forKyle Korver.

I'd say, going into the draft with the 50th overall pick, and coming out with Willie Green and Kyle Kover is pretty dang good. First year with DiLeo as assistant GM -- success.

2004: The Sixers went into the draft with the ninth pick. They came out with a franchise player in Andre Iguodala. Success. DiLeo is two for two.

2005: The Sixers had no first-rounders o nce again, just pick number 45 . Last time they stole Green and Korver. Who'd they pick this time? Louis Williams. Again, love him or hate him, Lou was an absolute steal at number 45.

2006: The year of "Oh we really need a point guard, but Rodney Carney's available!" Man good thing there were no legitimate point guards on the board when the Sixers traded down from pick 13 to pick 16 to select Rodney Carney. Oh wait, there were. Just to name a few: Rajon Rondo, Marcus Williams, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Famar, Sergio Rodriguez, and Daniel Gibson. Oops. This is DiLeo's lone blemish in his six years as assistant GM.

2007: Thaddeus Young at pick 12. 'Nuff said.

2008: Marreese Speights at pick 16. See above.

So now you see why hiring DiLeo as the full time coach might not be such a good idea? I don't want to re-visit the pre-DiLeo draft blunders, because those are painful memories.

Since DiLeo was promoted to Vice President/Assistant GM, the Sixers have done beautifully in five out of six drafts. For the most part, the 2003, 04, 05, 07, 08 drafts turned out as good as they possibly could.

Now, the Sixers can either keep DiLeo as full-time coach, or move him back to his natural position. It remains to be seen whether the Sixers drafting ability would suffer if DiLeo was remained the head coach, but one thing's for sure, he wouldn't be able to spend as much time scouting and researching prospects.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say, the Sixers recent success in the draft would notcontinue if DiLeo became the full-time coach. And it's not like he's a brilliant coach. Solution: Allow DiLeo to concentrate on the draft, and hire a new coach. Let's look at the potential candidates.

Eddie Jordan

Avery Johnson

Jeff Van Gundy

Honestly, it's all speculation at this point. Other than Eddie Jordan, I basically drew the other two names out of a hat.

The front-runner is definitely Eddie Jordan. There's already been rumors that'd he be hired in the off-season, both by FanHouse and Steven A. Smith. We had a pretty big debate about Eddie Jordan in a FanPost earlier this year, and it included long-time Wizards blogger Pradamaster. It's definitely worth checking out.

Jordan's career 44 percent winning percentage doesn't exactly blow me away. Neither does his career-high 45 wins, but he's never worked with the Sixers talent before. :) Ha! In all seriousness, I wouldn't be upset if we hired Eddie, but I wouldn't be jumping out my seat either. It would be nice to look down at the bench every night and have this thought run through my head... "Hey! When did Terrence Howard start coaching the Sixers?! Oh, that's just Eddie Jordan." God, those jokes would get old.

I'd much rather have Avery Johnson. I think he got a raw deal in Dallas, and his .735 winning percentage speaks for itself. Also, if not for a Flash sighting, Avery would have the title "Championship Head Coach" Avery Johnson. If that was the case, he'd still be coaching Dallas.

All in all, I just want to the Sixers to hire a semi-competent coach, preferably an offensive-minded one. I love DiLeo, but I think he's much better behind the scenes as an Assistant GM.

Bottom line, hire either Avery Johnson, or Eddie Jordan, preferably Avery Johnson.

2009 Free Agents

Sixers free agents

First, take a look at the official Liberty Ballers salary sheet.

The Sixers pending free agents are as follows:

Andre Miller - $10,333,333

Kareem Rush - $926,628

Royal Ivey (Player option) - $854,957

Donyell Marshall - $1,262,275

Theophilus Ratliff - $1,262,275

With the economy the way it is, the cap figure is projected to drop from 58 million to 55 million. The luxury tax also projects to drop from 71 million to 68 million. This puts the Sixers brass in a tough situation. Without re-signing any of their free agents the Sixers cap will be approximately 60 million -- a little more than 7 million below the luxury tax threshold. Let's face it; they're going to have to suck it up and pay some tax. That's just the way it is. (The whole salary cap thing is still fairly new to me, and very confusing, so if I write something that you know for a fact, is wrong, do not hesitate to correct me and/or educateme. And if you're confused like me, look at this FAQ; it's pretty helpful.) Take a look at what happened to the Suns when they tried to save a couple bucks, courtesy Bill Simmons.

On to our free agents. The whole Andre Miller dilemma is mind-numbing. No one has the prescription. Do they keep him? Do they attempt a sign-and-trade? Do they let him walk? First let me answer the last question right off the bat. No -- you cannot let him walk. Letting him walk would be a complete failure, and I would never forgive Ed Stefanski. He'd go from the GGMOPE (Greatest GM on planet Earth) to Billy King, overnight. Especially, ESPECIALLY, when the trade deadline just passed, and Stefanski could have shipped Miller off for something, anything, but decided to keep him for the playoffs. If I found out that he had any indication that Miller was going to walk this summer, and still refused to trade him, I would not be a happy camper. That said, Ed has never let me down before, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt... for now.

I think the best case scenario would be to re-sign Miller for the right price. A ridiculous rumor surfaced a couple of months ago that Miller's asking price was 60-70 million, which he'll never get. If that's the case, I'd rather see him walk. That rumor seemed bogus though. I'd be perfectly happy with a 3-year deal worth anywhere from 21-27 million.

Miller is far and beyond the Sixers best player, and although he's about to turn 33, he shows no signs of slowing down. I think locking him up until he's 36 is reasonable. Whether his athletic ability, which he doesn't have much of in the first place, goes, he'll still be a savvy, veteran point guard. The question is, will the Sixers be ready to contend in the next 3 years? Hopefully. They're chances are much better with Andre Miller at the helm.

If nothing else, the young guys can learn from Miller, specifically Lou and the eventual point guard of the future.

Bottom line, re-sign Andre Miller, as long as the asking price is nowhere near 70 million.

As for the rest of the free agents, I'd love to see Theo and Marshall re-signed. I'd also love to see Ivey come back, but that's all up to him; he has a player option. I think he's received enough playing time, and enjoyed his stay in Philly enough to come back for at least one more year.

Bottom line, re-sign Theo. Marshall is a toughie, because I like the way he's mentored the young guys, and the fact that he can come in a hit a 3 or two when needed. I just think with the salary cap situation the way it is, along with a draft pick and possibly a mid-level exception player coming in, Marshall becomes expendable.

And in case you haven't noticed, peace out Kareem Rush.

"Mid-level"

Now that we've dealt with our own free agents, it's time to look at the open market. Assuming the Sixers follow the blueprint -- re-sign Miller, Theo, and Rush (player option), that would leave them with three open roster spots. Much like Stefanski did last off-season, I expect him to leave one spot open for the sake of flexibility. Another one of those spots will be occupied by the first-round draft pick. That leaves the Sixers with one roster spot, and no cap space, so what do they do?

The lone option they have is the mid-level exception, which can be worth up to six million, and used on an "average" player. Eddie House, Raja Bell and John Salmons are examples of players who have been signed using the MLE in the past.

Here are some players I'd like to see the Sixers use their mid-level exception on: (Ranked highest to lowest in terms of "want-ability". Their 2008-2009 cap figures are listed next to their name.)

Ramon Sessions - $722,517 (Restricted)

Anthony Parker - $4,550,000 (Unrestricted)

Eddie House - $2,650,000 (Unrestricted/ Player Option)

Kyle Korver - $4,956,818 (Unrestriced/ Early Termination Option)

Ramon Sessions is number one on mine, and almost every other Sixers fan's wish list. I have a feeling he's going to get a lot more than 6 million dollars though. Even if the demand for him was in the MLE range, his current team, the Bucks, have the right to match any offer. If Stefanski could somehow get his hands on this fantasy phenom, I'd be doing this. The only issue I have with Sessions is his inability to shoot the three (21 percent for his career). He'd fit in perfectly, but that's not a good thing.

Besides Sessions, Anthony Parker is by far my favorite possibility. He's a little old (33), but he doesn't have a lot of mileage on him. This is only his 6th year in the league. Ironically he started with the Sixers in '97, but took five years off to play in Europe. Why is Parker such a good fit? He's a career 42 percent shooter from beyond the arch! 42 percent! The current leader on the Sixers is Royal Ivey at 36 percent; and he only takes 1.8 per game. From what I've seen of Parker, he's also a decent defender, plus he's the perfect size for shooting guard (6'6'' 215). He's currently making 4.5 million dollars, but has been slightly disappointing in this, his contract year. He should be right in the Sixers wheelhouse as far as mid-level exception money goes. Sign him up!

Eddie House can choose not to pick up with player option, but why would he want to leave Boston? Maybe him, Rondo and Marbury won't get along as well as everyone thinks they will? We desperately need outside shooting, and that's his specialty, but he's pretty undersized to play shooting guard. Not to mention the fact that he's not a good defender, and can't dribble the ball up court to save his life.

I'd love to see Kyle Korver come back to Philly, but will he opt out of his contract with Utah? I'm not sure. There's no need to go into his skill-set. We watched him play here for five years. Him and Eddie House are neck-and-neck for the spot behind Parker. The question is, will Stefanski get the chance to sign either one of them? Korver's defense is also questionable.

Others

These players could be signed using the bi-annual exception or signed to a minimum contract.

(By the way, I'm not sure if the Sixers have a bi-annual exception available this off-season. It can't be used two years in a row, but I don't think they used it last year, so they should have it. Again, I'm not 100 percent sure. Check out the FAQ again if you're as confused as me.)

Bobby Brown - His stats aren't very impressive, but he has the potential to be a quality NBA point guard some day. I loved him when I saw him in the Summer League, and it helps that I sat next to him in between games. His buddy asked me to buy him a hot dog.

Morris Almond - Again, his stats aren't impressive at all, but I've always had a little man-crush on Morris. In his final season at Rice he averaged 26 points on 48 percent shooting, 85 percent from the line, and 46 percent from beyond the arch. He also tied the D-League scoring record last year, dropping 51 points.

Marcus Williams - I still think there's mad potential for the former UConn star -- Deron Williams-type potential.

Bottom line, sign Anthony Parker using the mid-level exception and take a flier on Bobby Brown using either the bi-annual exception or minimum contract. The Bobby Brown signing would be extremely important if Royal Ivey decided not to return.

Draft

As noted earlier, the Sixers have been absolutely "money" at finding the best talent available regardless of where they're picking in the draft. Look no further than Thad Young and Marreese Speights as proof.

This year the Sixers project to draft anywhere from 15th to 19th. The obvious need is a point guard, but some people feel they should draft the best talent available. Here are the options:

Point Guard

Best Talent Available

Now, I don't follow college basketball too much. Actually, I don't follow it at all. So I'd hardly consider myself an expert. I know bits and pieces, but not enough to make an educated pick unless... Stephen Curry was available. There's no doubt in my mind Curry would be my selection. I know he's undersized, not a true point guard, etc, etc. I also know that I've witnessed him completely own the NCAA tournament for two consecutive years. I've even seen him score against a quadruple team! If you can score, you can score, you can score, and he's absolutely lights out from beyond the arch. Perfect fit for the Sixers. And he'd come off the bench as long as Andre Miller was around.

If Curry wasn't there I'd be forced to choose between Ty Lawson and Nick Calathes. In case you haven't noticed, I'm on the point guard bandwagon rather than drafting the best talent available.

Bottom line, draft Stephen Curry if available. If not, take Ty Lawson.

Recap

There you have it. The blueprint for the Sixers success. Obviously it's not perfect, but blueprints never are. I'm sure Ed Stefanski has a master plan of his own, and I sure as hell hope it looks something like mine.

Like I said earlier, the foundation is there. It just need a few tweaks here and there and next thing you know we could all be staring at an image similar to this.

Let's do a quick recap for those of you who choose not to read the near 4,000 word beast.

Remainder of the season - Start Speights, give Lou more point guard reps, start Iggy at the two, and Thad at the three.

Coaching - Move DiLeo back to Assistant GM/ Vice President full-time and hire either Eddie Jordan or Avery Johnson, preferably Avery Johnson.

Free Agency - Re-sign Andre Miller, Theophilus Ratliff, and hope Royal Ivey picks up his option. Also, sign Anthony Parker using the mid-level exception and take a flier on Bobby Brown -- not the singer.

Draft - Take Stephen Curry if available. If not, settle for Ty Lawson.

Here's what the roster 2009-2010 roster would look like:

PG - Andre Miller, Louis Williams, Royal Ivey, (Ty Lawson), Bobby Brown

SG - Andre Iguodala, Anthony Parker, Louis Williams, (Stephen Curry), Willie Green

SF - Thaddeus Young, Anthony Parker, Andre Iguodala

PF - Elton Brand, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, Reggie Evans

C - Samuel Dalembert, Theophilus Ratliff, Jason Smith

Coach - Avery Johnson

That's a pretty crowded roster. Keep in mind the status of Royal Ivey is up in the air. The Bobby Brown project will probably never happen, but it's worth a shot, especially if Stefanski is 110 percent sure that Lou is not point guard material and/or Ivey jets.

The Theophilus signing might not be necessary either, but that all depends on either a) if he retires and b) the health of Jason Smith.

It'd be awesome if Stefanski was able to unload any or all of the "big 3" (Sammy, Willie and Reggie) for picks -- or anything for that matter. That would clear up a lot of playing time for guys who actually, I don't know, have talent?

That said, here's a more realistic roster following the blueprint:

PG - Andre Miller, Louis Williams, Royal Ivey, Ty Lawson

SG - Andre Iguodala, Anthony Parker, Louis Williams, Willie Green

SF - Thaddeus Young, Anthony Parker, Andre Iguodala

PF - Elton Brand, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, Reggie Evans

C - Samuel Dalembert, Marreese Speights, Jason Smith

Coach - Eddie Jordan

Still pretty good? Yeah. They're still weak when it comes to shooting, but that flaw isn't going to be fixed in one off-season without salvaging the future. The addition of Anthony Parker (a 42 percent three-point shooter) would help. The team would also have their point guard of the future in Ty Lawson.

What are your thoughts guys? Have I completely lost my mind? Am I on to something? Should I be on the next flight to Philly to assist Stefanski? Who are your favorite free agents and draft prospects? Coaches? Comment, comment comment!

And you know this wouldn't be a signature jsams post without a quality YouTube clip, so here ya go!

Second half expectations

jsams — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:51:22 -0000

While anxiously waiting the season to begin I vaguely remember doing a "Season Expectations" post. I had to travel deep into the archives to find it, especially since it was originally posted on my old site. The purpose of the post was to predict everything from what seed the Sixers go into the playoffs with, to best case/worst case scenarios for each player. Looking back at my predictions, I have to say I did a pretty decent job. If I had to grade myself, I'd throw myself a solid B/B-.

That brings me to now. With the Sixers not playing again until Saturday, we all have time to reflect on the roller-coaster ride it's been since last April, when we found ourselves in a playoff-battle with the Pistons, to now. With that being said, I'm going to bust out a slightly condensed 2nd half preview, much like my original one, but shorter, for the simple reason that no one enjoys reading a thousand word post when it can be done in half the words. What I'll do is, look back at my original predictions, give the player an A-F grade and make my predictions for them in the second half of the season. Off we go.

Andre Miller #7 PG

Best case stats: 15 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds

Worst case stats: 12 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds

His numbers on the season fall in between my best/worst case scenarios at 16 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. I'm not sure what I was thinking on the 10 assist prediction. Miller started very slow this season, but has been the Miller of old as of late. I'd even venture to say that he's been better in the past two months than I've ever seen him.

First half grade: B

Second half prediction: 15 points, 5.5 assists and 4 rebounds.

Louis Williams #23 PG

Best case stats: 15 points, 4 assists

Worst case stats: 11 points, 3 assists on fewer than 40% shooting

Lou's numbers this season almost equal the worst case scenario exactly. He's averaging 12 points, 3 assists on 40% shooting. Has he really played that poorly? Or did I have unrealistic expectations of him? You decide.

First half grade: C

Second half prediction: 11 points, 3 assists on 43% shooting.

Royal Ivey #11 PG

Best case: Ivey plays less than 5 minutes per game and plays them effectively.

Worst case: Ivey plays more than 5 minutes per game and plays them ineffectively, plain and simple.

Well, Royal has played 10 minutes a game this season, but I'd say he's played them semi-effectively. The 34% shooting isn't very good, but he's shot 37% from downtown and has played solid defense all season.

First half grade: B-

Second half prediction: Identical to the first half of the season.

Andre Iguodala #9 SF

Best case stats: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

Worst case stats: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists on fewer than 45% shooting

If you look at Andre's numbers for the entire season, you'd think that he didn't even live up to the worst case scenario, but let's look past that and see what he's done over the past month. 23 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Boy, that looks a lot like the best case scenario. I was beginning to think I was out of my mind with that prediction. Keep in mind Iggy's numbers will likely decline once Elton returns, but that's fine as long as he plays the same level of basketball he's been for the past two months.

First half grade: B

Second half prediction: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Willie Green #33 SG

Best case stats: Around 15 minutes per game, less than a turnover a game, 7 points on more than 44% shooting or traded

Worst case stats: Over 20 minutes a game or starting shooting guard, more than 1.5 turnovers a game and fewer than 42% shooting

I'm not going to waste my time on Willie Green. Let's just say he's been "worst case" .

First half grade: D

Second half prediction: Continues to suck and make Sixers fans want to punch themselves in the face.

Kareem Rush #20 SG

Best case: Rush comes in a hits a few threes to spread the half court offense.

Worst case: Rush is Willie Green 2.0 (I’ve heard some things).

Kareem has barely played and when he has, he's been slightly disappointing.

First half grade: Incomplete

Second half prediction: A lot of DNP's, barring any injuries.

Thaddeus Young #21 SF

Best case stats: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1+ steals, less than a turnover on more than 50% shooting.

Worst case stats: 8 points, 3 rebounds, less than a steal and more than a turnover per game on fewer than 50% shooting

Thad has been a pleasant surprise, at least in my eyes. I remember watching him in the Summer League and thinking, "Oh wow, Thad sucks." I expected him to stay at the level that he was at last year and remain a minimal role player. Instead, Thad's taken on the role of "player with the most superstar potential" . He's shown flashes of greatness during the season. His jumpshot is much improved, as is his confidence. His stats fall just short of the best case scenario at 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1.8 turnovers (less than a turnover a game was very unrealistic) on 49% shooting.

First half grade: B+

Second half prediction: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1.5 turnovers on 47% shooting.

Elton Brand #42 PF

Best case stats: 24 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks

Worst case stats: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block and less than 70 games played

I guess I should have watched Elton play before making my predictions. It's fair to say that his stint in Philly has been almost identical to the worst case scenario. Most would say 16 points, 10 boards, 1 block and 18 DNP's is much worse than anyone expected. It's unfair to label him a complete bust yet, because everybody, and I mean everybody sucked under Cheeks, with the minor exception of Thaddeus Young, so we'll have to wait on his return under DiLeo. Just for kicks, here was what I had to say regarding Elton's worst case scenario.

Worst case: Elton is just a mere image of his former self, is injury plagued throughout the season and makes Sixers fans think, "Is this really the first year of a five year deal?" Although the best and worst case scenarios are so much different, both are realistic.

First half grade: C-

Second half prediction: 17 points, 8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

Reggie Evans #30 PF

Best case: Reggie! Reggie! Reggie! Best case is Reggie does exactly what he did last year; provide energy, swagger and rebounding to a young team. He definitely won’t play as much as he did last year with the acquisition of Brand, but oddly enough Reggie is the player I’m least worried about. He’s been a stud role player his whole career. He might even steal the show from Brand’s return to LA by reuniting with his old friend, Chris Kaman.

Worst case: Gains weight, gets out of shape and lets the big playoff shot get to his head, provoking him to shoot fade away jumpers.

Reggie has done exactly what was expected of him. I can't complain.

First half grade: B+

Second half prediction: More of the same.

Marreese Speights #16 PF

Best case: Speights plays anything like he did in the Summer League and steps into the hole left by Jason Smith. I could see Speights playing the role Thad did last season. As the season goes on, his minutes could slightly increase and be a nice rotation player.

Worst case: I really can’t see a worst case for Speights. The only thing I could think of is a serious injury because even if he doesn’t play at all or plays in the D-League he’ll still develop nicely and be ready to blossom into the next Amare down the road.

Speights has done exactly what I expected him to do as well. It's fairly safe to say that the Summer League isn't the best indicator for how a player will translate to the NBA, with Thad being a perfect example, but I saw something special in M16 from the first time I watched him. I expect nothing less than a great career for Mr. Speights.

First half grade: A

Second half prediction: The 2007-2008 Thaddeus Young. I expect him to play a big role in the second half run and the playoffs, assuming we get there.

Samuel Dalembert #1 C

Best case stats: 11 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. I don't see his numbers improving that much, especially with Brand taking some of his scoring away, along with some rebounds.

Worst case stats: 9 points, 8 rebounds and fewer than 2 blocks per game.

Sammy has sucked balls. There's no other way I can put it. He's underachieved tremendously and wins the award for "Player most often caused the urge to throw my remote through the TV" award. He's averaging 5 points, 8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, so he's basically hit the worst case scenario on the head, minus four point a game.

First half grade: D

Second half prediction: 4 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Or traded. Hopefully traded.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS:

Best case: Best case is obviously a championship. It's not very likely, especially with this being their first year together and Elton coming off a serious injury. That doesn't mean it isn't possible though. The Sixers basically have to have EVERYTHING go right for them, but I'll put it like my boy JP from Angels in the Outfield would, "It could happen!"

Worst case: Unless some serious injuries occurr or a trade of Andre Miller, I don't see this team missing the playoffs in the East. I say worst case scenario is 7th or 8th seed, as long as they stay healthy.

The worst case scenario looks likely. Obviously the Sixers have underachieved, but the past 10 games have lead me to believe that they'll be making another second half run, much like last year.

First half grade: C-

Second half expectations: 25-16

Previewing the Atlantic Division: Philadelphia 76ers Edition

Jim Weeks — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:00:08 -0000

2008 Record: 40-42

Playoffs?: Eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of the First Round

2008 Record Vs. the Celtics: 1-3

Departures: Kyle Korver, Rodney Carney, Gordon Giricek, Louis Amundsom, Calvin Booth

via file.shanghaidaily.com

Additions*: Elton Brand, Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, Royal Ivey, Kareem Rush, Herbert Hill, Marreese Speights

Key Story Heading into Camp: Yes Louis Williams and Andre Iguodala got paid. But it has to be about Elton Brand. He'll turn 30 in March, is coming off a season in which he only played 8 games, and is supposed to be 100%. I'm not sure what to say about him. He's one of the most consistent players in all of the NBA. In fact Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Shaq are the only other current players averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds for their careers. At the same time he's only been to 2 All Star Games. I realize that's not the best way to evaluate a player. But it matters to a degree. Regardless the 76ers are convinced that Brand is an excellent fit:

"We fully believe that his considerable talent, wealth of experience and proven leadership will mesh very well with the style of play of this team and he will be valuable member of this organization for years to come." Ed Stefanski, 76ers President and General Manager

X-Factor: I sat court side for Philadelphia's only victory over Boston last season. Granted the C's offense was dreadful over the final 1/3 of the game and the W meant a lot more to the 76ers than it would have to Boston. But Philly ran the Celtics off the court. There's something to be said for Williams, Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and company. In fact more than a few people have wondered what Josh Smith would have done with those guys. Obviously a moot point. However, one looming question remains. Who does Philly lean on in crunch time? I liked ClipperSteve's recent take on this:

"If Brand were number 2 in the Philly Big Three, this wouldn't really be a problem. But unfortunately for Sixer fans, Andre Iguodala would seem to have a very similar problem - he's a phenomenal athlete, he works hard every game, he does many things very well on the basketball court - and he's not particularly good at getting his own shot.
As for Dalembert... puh-leeze. Sam Dalembert would be the third best big on the Clippers. Maybe.

All of which leaves the Sixers with over $40M in 2010-2011 salary committed to three guys, none of whom is really a 'go to' scorer and Elton Brand as their best player. No offense, but in nine NBA seasons, teams with Elton Brand as their best player have made the playoffs once." - ClipperSteve

View From the The Other Side: I caught up with jsams from Sixersoul and asked him what fans of the NBA had to know about the 76ers. His response:

"I'd have to say, look for our two young stars, Iguodala and Lou-Will to take the proverbial "next step". Reports are Iguodala's been working extra hard on his jumper this off-season. The addition of Elton Brand should help free things up for the both of them.

Also, there's a possibility rookie, Mo Speights could play a similar role to the team that Thaddeus Young did last year. Many Sixer fans, including me, think he'll emerge as the steal of the draft."

Random Point of Information: Elton Brand shared his Rookie of the Year Award with, wait for it, wait for it...Steve Francis. Not sure what to say about that.

*Philadelphia's roster currently lists 17 players. I'd guess that Kevin Ollie, Herbert Hill, and Shavlik Randolph are on thin ice.