Tom Moore 2.0

[tmoore]

Warriors already have Stephen Curry, AC Law and Monta Ellis plays some there, too. GM apparently likes Watson.

[Foshan]

TMoore what about CJ Watson? I would like a Dixon addition to the team as well but I think Watson would really fit here. We wouldn't even have to spend the full MLE to get him.

we'd have to offer more than the Min for him, because I think GS would just as likely resign him for that price.

I would like to give a guy like Watson a shot, he's a great shooter (another SG in PG body) but supposedly that might work in the princeton

[Gsraider]

At some point, I can only hope that Andy and Andre Miller both realize that the current market is not conducive to team's taking chances for the most part. So, how about entertaining the thought of signing a one year deal and then trying again next year? I cannot help but think that even if Portland is not convinced enough to give Miller a multi-year deal at the money he's asking for, that they would at least be willing to take a chance on him for one season and that he would give them a better chance to win next season than Blake. They could give Miller a one year deal at around $6-6.5 million per year and send Philly Blake in return. Since both deals expire next year, the only risk for Portland is that Blake is vastly superior to Miller next season, which is extremely doubtful.

[Foshan]

I think that makes a ton of sense... however i really don't see either Miller taking a shot to the ego that big.

[tmoore]

At some point, I can only hope that Andy and Andre Miller both realize that the current market is not conducive to team's taking chances for the most part. So, how about entertaining the thought of signing a one year deal and then trying again next year? I cannot help but think that even if Portland is not convinced enough to give Miller a multi-year deal at the money he's asking for, that they would at least be willing to take a chance on him for one season and that he would give them a better chance to win next season than Blake. They could give Miller a one year deal at around $6-6.5 million per year and send Philly Blake in return. Since both deals expire next year, the only risk for Portland is that Blake is vastly superior to Miller next season, which is extremely doubtful.

With the $7.5 million in cap space Portland has, the Blazers could pay Miller much more (up to $14 mill) in a sign-and-trade, given Blake's $4 mill salary, the $7.5 mill and within 25 percent of that amount. It won't happen, but they technically could in a sign-and-trade for Blake.

[dbodner]

First off, I do not get the crowd that wants to see the team lose and end up in the lottery. My life is passing by way too quickly for me to want to see a season go by with another lottery team.

Should the Phillies have shipped out Ryan Howard when they had Jim Thome productive at that spot, and could have gotten a contributor for Howard?

How about Utley? Should they have traded Utley when he was still in the minors and they had Placido Polanco at 2nd and could have gotten a solid #3 for Utley to help them make the playoffs?

doing everything you can to win now and make the playoffs doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I was at game 5 of the world series. I was at the parade. I was at the ring ceremony.

THAT'S what I want. Not a first round exit. That does very little (if not nothing) for me, especially when it limits our future prospects of a parade.

[Westbrook36ptII]

I agree with dbodner 100%. He gets the big picture. Not to make it sound like any other opinion is meaningless. If you think another way, then fine. But it is about a championship. Nothing else. At the end of the day, unless we are parading down broad street like we were with the Phillies, then it isn't satisfying. Losing to the Lakers in 5 games wasn't satisfying in 2001 either. It was a great season, but it ended in heartbreak.

The only goal for the Sixers IMO is to find the best and surest way to get us a championship. I don't think planning year to year and trying to make the playofs with 40-45 wins every year does it. You need a plan, you need a superstar. This team isn't on that level and they need to take a step back. If they have to sacrifice a year or two for the greater good, then so be it.

You can't sacrifice 2 years for a championship, Gsraider? It's better than the alternative man, which is not having won anything for another 10 years, like we are close to since the 2001 Finals appearance.

[Illadelph83]

For the most part I agree with Bebops assessment, I just don't harbor that disgust though that he seems to have for management. I think I'm at the stage where I just want the chips to fall where they may. I don't think the Sixers could do anything reasonably big or small that could make them a contender against the elite. To be honest I'm really putting my faith in the progression of our young core. If they become the players we believe them to be in the next two years I think we will be in position to make that last piece move to put us over the top or best case scenario, we won't need it.

[tk76]

To be fair, the odds of getting a championship with either scenario are very low.

There have been plenty of lousy teams that just stay lousy. For every Cavs and Celtics there are more Clips, Bobcats and Griz. And lots of bad teams that get to decent and then fall back again (Bucks, Sonics, Knicks.)

Ideally, you have a good core with some expiring contracts/cap space tand luck to add a missing star (like trading for a Shaq, KG or Gasol in their prime.) The Sixers were headed to be in position to make that type of move... and then committed to Brand.

[ChuckS]

Believe it or not Bebop, we often agree. This, alas, is not one of those times.

I cannot stomach a team, or team leader, that does not try to win every game. I make exceptions when it is wise to rest overplayed stars before a playoff, or in cases of extreme, year long, incompetence, when "new" players are only nominally worse than starters, and who plays is almost immaterial. In most cases I believe competitors should always compete to the best of their abilities.

I most disagree with the currently popular mantra that a rookie will not improve unless he plays majority minutes. Many, here, prefer that better players sit for someone who might be acceptable in three to five years. Even most of THEM acknowledge that doing so will mean more losses. But that's the least problem. Since there are usually rookies every year, I think that in cases of all but the very exceptional, it results in perpetual mediocrity (at best). I also do not believe it is wise to reward "poorer" performance with minutes.

I really think management cannot be faulted (except by me because I think they too often caused losses) for the minutes they gave Lou and Marreese. Half a game was plenty enough for Lou, particularly the way he played last year. Eighty two games at 24 minutes per, plus however many practice minutes, is enough to ensure development. I'm sure that you noticed that even when he was in with Miller, Andre usually rested by playing off of the ball except for occasional possessions when the offense was particularly chaotic. I do not know what you wanted to see, but I saw enough.

To be at all competitive I, personally, also thought it wiser to play the better Miller, while arguably our best player was injured. Do not misunderstand me, I will think it stupid not to do anything fiscally possible to keep Miller. But if we have to play Lou and Jrue, I think it best that it is this year when we have both Brand AND Iguodala to compensate for the loss of Andre.

[Gsraider]

You need a plan, you need a superstar. This team isn't on that level and they need to take a step back. If they have to sacrifice a year or two for the greater good, then so be it.

You can't sacrifice 2 years for a championship, Gsraider? It's better than the alternative man, which is not having won anything for another 10 years, like we are close to since the 2001 Finals appearance.

Of course I could if I felt comfortable with their plan. That said, I don't feel very good about the start of the Jordan era and the chance to become a cohesive offensive unit with a guy like Lou Williams or some journeyman PG leading the team. I'm completely on board with not taking on a long term contract because of the expiring deals of several players in 2 years. However, I haven't seen that cohesive a plan thus far from Stefanski to make me feel comfortable that all things will be righted in 2 years. I at least know what the plan is for teams that want to be a player in FA in 2010. I'm not really sure I know Philly's plan though.

I remember watching Philly lose to Portland in 1977 and winning the championship in 1983. I have seen many, many years pass because it was part of some kind of "plan." I think if you go with some schmuck at PG you also run the risk of setting back the progress made by guys like Iguodala, Young, and Speights. At the same time, Philly potentially doesn't make much progress in the Princeton offense. Like I said, I just want to see progress even if I know the team isn't competing for anything substantial next year.

[bebopdeluxe]

Chuck:

It all comes back to Miller. If they truly believed that there was a reasonable chance that he would walk this summer and we would get NOTHING, then what they did - as it relates to that asset as well as the specific way that Lou Williams was used - was (IMO) a lousy, short-sighted decision that has a DIRECT bearing on the outlook for the 2009-10 Sixers.

If the expectation is that we will have a healthy, productive Elton Brand for the remainder of his contract, then the decision to play Iguodala at the 3 and Thaddeus Young at the 4 after Brand was shut down for the season was (IMO) a lousy, short-sighted decision that has a direct bearing on both the outlook for the 2009-10 Sixers season as well as both of their long-term development.

Look - I was HAPPY that the Sixers didn't tank after the AI trade...I was happy that Miller and Joe Smith played a lot of minutes and that we were a .500 ballclub after the trade - even though it cost us lottery positioning...because I wanted to wash the stench of the AI/CWebb era away. But with the Brand injury and the prospect of Miller walking for nothing this summer, there was as much - I would argue MORE - of a reason to "play the kids" and deal with the growing pains last season as there are this season with the "Lou and Jrue Show".

[is1531]

Just got off of a Dionte Christmas conference call from Orlando. He said he thinks he has "a great chance" to make the team because they need shooters.

Tom are your serious or what? What would you expect Dionte Christmas to say? The guy has to show confidence in his game, so he has to sell himself on the 76ers needs,lol. Tom you have to do better than that. The 76ers are a disgrace in that they were too cheap to even put toether a full squad of players, so they split a team with teh Nets. Can I call the 76ers , the No Frills 76ers

Watching the ist 2 summer league games was like watching a Junior High basketball game. I only saw Speights fall down 3 times in game 2, including after the openng tip,lol. It's time for Ed to earn his pay.

[is1531]

Good point. The answer would be you try to win every game, so they thought Miller playing 37 minutes a night gave them the best chance, even if -- when? -- he bolts for another team later this month. Same thing with Speights, who should've played in Games 3 and 4 at home after appearing in the first two games on the road vs. Orlando.

Could you imagine if the 76ers big off sesaon acquisition is Jerad Jack? If that is the big move, then Ed is a step closer to getting fired,lol.

[UptownPhilly]

You need a plan, you need a superstar.

That's how I feel.

I'd be fine with either scenario tank or contend. Where we're currently at is stuck in the middle with no shot at anything. If we decide to tank we need to find a way to get rid of Brand, which isn't the hardest(we'd probably have to take back some undesirable players though).

If we decide to contend we need to get rid of young pieces for stars/better fits. Amare/Bosh would be the first two guys I'd go after using Brand/Young/Speights/Holiday in some combination as bait.

Iguodala/Bosh/One other Star(a guard who can create off the dribble) gives us a shot to contend. With this core we'd be able to sign vets for the minimum.

If we don't win anything with a squad like that, at least we took the steps necessary instead of making safe moves to keep us mediocre.

[is1531]

Brevin Knight or Juan Dixon, anyone? Could be Ivey again, too.

Tom, keep putting up these hilarious point guards, this way the only way people will attend 76ers games will be when the 76ers have a promotion night featuring free popcorn, soda, ice cream and hotdogs. Don't forget the stomach ache to go with your lovely evening at the Wachovia,lol.

[kingofthecourt67]

You need a plan, you need a superstar.

That's how I feel.

I'd be fine with either scenario tank or contend. Where we're currently at is stuck in the middle with no shot at anything. If we decide to tank we need to find a way to get rid of Brand, which isn't the hardest(we'd probably have to take back some undesirable players though).

If we decide to contend we need to get rid of young pieces for stars/better fits. Amare/Bosh would be the first two guys I'd go after using Brand/Young/Speights/Holiday in some combination as bait.

Iguodala/Bosh/One other Star(a guard who can create off the dribble) gives us a shot to contend. With this core we'd be able to sign vets for the minimum.

If we don't win anything with a squad like that, at least we took the steps necessary instead of making safe moves to keep us mediocre.

So Elton Brand is no longer a superstar? One of the 4 active players to average 20/10 isn't a superstar? Being injured automatically means that he is going to suck next season? I actually believe he will return to his previous form.

New coach, addition of Elton Brand and Jason Smith, and the improvement of our young guys: we will be better-especially if we are able to get Steve Blake. If we were to get Steve Blake, I honestly think this team can compete for the top 4 seeds. And we can build from the INSIDE to make ourself stronger. We need to build on our core, and add complimentary players as we go along. No need to blow this team up already because Brand was injured one season. Lets develop what we have, instead of trying to trade something we never really had a chance to try.

It seems to me that some fans here like living on the ends of the spectrum. Its championship or bust. Well it takes time to build a championship team, you can't just blow a team up if it fails one year.

[tmoore]

Tom are your serious or what? What would you expect Dionte Christmas to say? The guy has to show confidence in his game, so he has to sell himself on the 76ers needs,lol. Tom you have to do better than that. The 76ers are a disgrace in that they were too cheap to even put toether a full squad of players, so they split a team with the Nets. Can I call the 76ers , the No Frills 76ers

Watching the ist 2 summer league games was like watching a Junior High basketball game. I only saw Speights fall down 3 times in game 2, including after the openng tip,lol. It's time for Ed to earn his pay.

Remember John Salmons winning multiple summer MVPs? Shows you what means. Summer league typically means more turnovers than assists in uptempo basketball. They can't even run the Princeton offense, for goodness sake, because the Nets are also on the combined team.

[UptownPhilly]

[\quote] So Elton Brand is no longer a superstar? One of the 4 active players to average 20/10 isn't a superstar? Being injured automatically means that he is going to suck next season? I actually believe he will return to his previous form.[/quote]

I'm not sure if Brand has ever been a "superstar", maybe a star player, but that's it. If he's healthy and plays like he used to, it's fine if we keep him. His age and injuries worry me though. We need someone who can take over games, I don't see Brand doing that. He seems like more of a complimentary player to me.

Acqiuring a Bosh/Amare type guys gives us a longer timeframe to compete as they're in the same age range as Iguodala, and Bosh/Amare are better than Brand. We'd still be able to add pieces to our core, and would be a much more attractive destination to vets/free agents.

This team as currently constructed has no chance of beating Boston, Cleveland, or Orlando. We need to make some major moves if winning is what we want to do.

[tmoore]

So Elton Brand is no longer a superstar? One of the 4 active players to average 20/10 isn't a superstar? Being injured automatically means that he is going to suck next season? I actually believe he will return to his previous form.

After the injuries the last two seasons and his struggles when he did play last year, Elton Brand is no longer considered a star in NBA circles. Perhaps he can change that perception, but he must show it on the court.