Anybody Else Agree?

[THFM]

With the news that Baron Davis will most likely sign to the Clippers, that makes Elton Brand not available at all. We have no star power. We have the money, but that's it. It stinks knowing Brand would stay with the Clippers, if Baron comes. We need to hit Josh Smith hard. He is our last hope. If we don't get Brand or Smith this off season was a failure besides getting Speights.

[kingofthecourt67]

If we were to miss out on Brand and Smith, it wouldn't be the greatest scenario, but our money isn't going away. We will remain flexible and be able to make moves whenever the RIGHT time comes. I rather not make a move just for the sake of making a move.

[IggyTheBEaST]

agree. its not the end of the world but still very disappointing. However, Id rather use our money to absorb cap in a trade then wait on summer 09 when everyone and their mother has spending money

Hopefully Baron doesnt go to the Clips because then Elton will follow for sure.
Then we are left with Josh, Andres, Emeka or a Trade

(btw, so glad jamison went back because: "The Philadelphia 76ers were prepared to make an offer to Antawn Jamison with the $11 million in salary cap space they have available for the upcoming season, according to a source familiar with the situation. However, Jamison said he never seriously questioned whether his agent, Arn Tellem, and the Wizards would reach an agreement.")

[agresso]

I agree. Spending money for the sake of spending money is not smart. I think back to when other teams had cap room and spent it on the likes of Kenyon Martin (who was the big name FA at the time). These are second tier players that clog up cap room for years and will set back the franchise. I have confidence in Stefanski to get the right players in here.

[chrice]

I agree with kingofcourt. We shouldn't use our cap space just because. Last thing we want to do is put ourselves in a situation where we can't rebuild completely. We still need to improve our bench, figure out the point guard issue on top of nabbing a big f/a.

[Skates]

From everything I have read so far we were never really going to be players for Brand. I think he felt that way and so did we. That little comment he made on being interested in the Sixers a few weeks ago was just Brand covering his bases, just like we did when we talk about him Smith appears to be Plan A, with Brand as sort of an unexpected and less realistic Plan B. Plan C is very likely Sheed and/or Marion for a year unless there is some sort of a Biedrins surprise out there. I want no part of Maggette. Give me Smith, Brand or a one year rental guy like Marion, otherwise grab a cheap fallback like CV and wait til the deadline or next year.

[LongLiveHinkie]

No Smiff = offseason failure and loss of confidence in Stefanski. I don't like GMs that product excuses. I like GMs that produce results. If we don't get either, all we'll hear is an offseason of excuses. "These guys didn't want to come here there was nothing we could do." "We didn't have enough cap room to sway them here." Be creative and do what it takes to get it done. That is what real GMs do.

So, simply get it done. We have enough excuses with the Eagles and Phillies for all 4 Philly teams. I won't be able to handle anymore than that.

[Cru Thik]

If we miss out on Smith it will be all talk on Stefanski's part. We came into the free agent period with money and couldn't get it done. We don't have the star to make other stars want to play with him. It's the 76ers own fault. They gave up Iverson for to little and a PG who doesn't want to be on the team and some late round picks didn't fill the void. Iggy and Thad are nice young players but they won't pull a star player to us. We got what some wanted made the playoffs and missed out on star players in the draft and in the free agent market hope your happy with being beat down in the first round sure made us better.

[Sixers1983]

With the news that Baron Davis will most likely sign to the Clippers, that makes Elton Brand not available at all. We have no star power. We have the money, but that's it. It stinks knowing Brand would stay with the Clippers, if Baron comes. We need to hit Josh Smith hard. He is our last hope. If we don't get Brand or Smith this off season was a failure besides getting Speights.

I hope we get smith. I wouldn't consider the offseason a total failure if we don't get smith, but they need to get a real solid four in here. They have been talking about this cap room for two years so now it's time to stand and deliver.

[Skates]

If we don't get something major done this summer, I expect to simply move on to the trading deadline. Right now everyone loves their players and thinks they have a good team for next year. The Lakers didn't make a stupid move last summer just to make a move and now thye have Gasol and Bynum instead of J Kidd and his declining skills and huge salary. Soem of the best pickings will come at the deadline this year as teams try to get under the cap for 2009 and especially 2010. A team with cap space and/or expiring contracts can do well then. If we bomb out on Brand (you can say just get it done, but it was never going to happen) and Smith (I will judge by the effort they make including S&T possibilities), grab a cheap guy like Villanueva or an expiring like Marion or Sheed, with Wilcox somewhere in between.

It will still be an imporvement for this year and preserves our flexibility at the deadline and next summer. Everyone is trying to look like a genius (though most will look like morons) and drop salary in advance of 2010, let's take advantage of some of their overanxiousness before then.

[Mik317]

All I know...whatever happens.........some of us will be pissed.

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

All hope is not lost. Well, it kind of is if Stefanski was really CONSIDERING. Giving a 32 year old a max deal ROFL. But, what we would have to do to win now is to(See:Boston) trade our youth.

We have such a partner in the Houston Rockets, mirrored by injuries by both of their stars. Wouldn't it be nice if they had Andre Iguodala, younger, healthier. And because of Yao Ming's double-teams, Iggy will fit like glue for them. Whereas for us, he struggled.

Iggy+ Filler for McGrady. With McGrady and Andre Miller and Dalembert. You already have 3 solid offensive options for next year. We're not even considering how far Thad develops or if Rodney Carney finally gets it and becomes the 2 guard he can become. Elton Brand would love to come to a team that can win now and get paid. He has to take a signifcant pay-cut in LA. He would only be taking a 4-5 million dollar paycut if he comes here.

Daly
Brand
Thad
McGrady
Miller.

With guys like Rodney Carney, Willie Green, Louis Williams. This team can score the basketball. We now have a reliable inside-outside offense. With such tall wingmen in Thad and McGrady(and both are at least average defenders). We look like a powerhouse.

[Mozy-76er Fan]

Stupid teams make a deals just to make deals for PR. We best wait till the right situation comes along. Stefanksi should be patient as should the fans.

[Skates]

Stupid teams make a deals just to make deals for PR. We best wait till the right situation comes along. Stefanksi should be patient as should the fans.

He has to have a master plan and be agressive about executing it, but disciplined enough not to blow it for short term gratification of the fan base if the options dwindle. I will keep my cap space rather than blow it on someone like Maggette. BTW, now that the Clippers will have to renounce him where is his market coming from if the Sixers and Griz are not interested, which they should not be. You can't do a S&T with a guy that has been renounced. The loser of the Arenas battle between GS and Washington (frankly I think the team that signs Arenas will be a loser too) will have cap space along with us and the Griz. Everyone else has the MLE unless they move salary to a third team, like us, with cap space.

[SendEm]

No Smiff = offseason failure and loss of confidence in Stefanski. I don't like GMs that product excuses. I like GMs that produce results. If we don't get either, all we'll hear is an offseason of excuses. "These guys didn't want to come here there was nothing we could do." "We didn't have enough cap room to sway them here." Be creative and do what it takes to get it done. That is what real GMs do.

So, simply get it done. We have enough excuses with the Eagles and Phillies for all 4 Philly teams. I won't be able to handle anymore than that.

Darn Westbrook, you would think that Smith was an All Star or something...

[tk76]

The team still has a core of promissing young players and financial flexibility- even if they are not loaded with talent like Portland. The only mistake would be to make a long term commitment to the wrong player (4 yrs to Jamsion or Marion.)

All this summer decides is whether the Sixers have a egit shot to go deep in the playoffs with Miller. If they had landed Brand, or even if they can rent for 1 year a top vet like Sheed, then they can try to be winners next year. Even with Smith, it might be worth a shot at going into the seaon planning to keep Miller.

If the Sixers strike out, it is not the end of the world. It just means that it is time to deal Miller away (at least at the deadline) and try to continue to add as much young, athletic talent to the team as possible.

You only have to worry about the finishing touches (like 3 pt specialists and back-up PG's) if you really think you have a shot to contend. Otherwise, you just continue trying to build incrementally with youth and target 2-3 years from now as you time to make it all happen when most of the Sixers will be near their prime.

[Cookin Baskets]

100 percent disagree with you lets face it his year market is fairly weak..76ers target should and only should be Elton Brand..Josh Smith isn't the low post all-star were looking for.

Adding Josh Smith would make Philly a one dimensial team, they would be a horrible Half-Court team offensivley and get most of there points on the fastbreak, on easy dunks,layups just like last year.

Philly is the worst three pt. shooting teams in the entire league last season, and you bring in Josh Smith who is really athletic sure, and would be good on the break but we would be still on fringes of mediocority.

Josh Smith is horrible three point shooter, Philly needs a big man who can score in the paint..Josh Smith is just a **** distraction to our real goals of winning a nba title..once he signs we'll spend every penny of our salary cap on a player who can't be a francise player.

I would consider the off-season to be complete failure if we sign Smith..ruins our future..hes not a power forward hes small forward and we already got Young/Iggy who can run on the break and get easy baskets, now we need a low post scorer to get us easy baskets.

Championships other than Jordan Era had a dominating big man leading the team to championships Shaq,Tim Duncan,Kevin Garnett,Hakeem Olwajon ,Kareem Abdul Jabbar,Bill Russell,Wilt throughout time of the NBA..we need a stud next to Dalembert in the frountcourt if we want to have any chance to bring a title back to the 76ers..Josh Smith will ruin our plans, a true legit post-up big man is what philly needs lets just hope for our sakes Hawks take Smith.

Simply Josh Smith isn't a good fit for Philly, patience my friends we shouldn't just throw our cash to the 1st person that accepts it..we need the big post-up scorer that most teams need to do to compete for the utlimate prize isn't what this cap space was all about. For now Philly should let Young,Iggy mature and add some more cap space for the true franchise player in the post.

[sixers hoops]

76ers target should and only should be Elton Brand

How do you get a guy who is being offered 5 years, 80 million when you only have 5 years, 67 to offer? Not to mention they have better players, weather, and his preferred Cali location.

The lure of cheesesteaks is only so strong.

[freshie2]

The wild card for the Sixers is Thad Young. His skill set inside may make him the low post option for the Sixers, and then you just need to have someone to help defend the other bigs. Smith is not a perfect fit as an on the ball defender of PFs, but he's not horrible either. Biedrens is a much better fit to defend longer players, but obviously they are going to exhaust their options with Smith first.
If Thad fills the bill as the back to the basket player from the SF spot, then the Sixers have more flexibility in the other roster spots. As much as Brand is the best PF out there, his age and where the Sixers roster is right now may not be the best fit. Smith and Biedrens are both 22 years old...they can be solid pieces for the rebuild and grow with the rest of the roster.