Tom Moore 2.0

[sixers hoops]

Just saw that Andre, Thad, Lou, and Willie are back at the Mark Price shooting camp.

[bebopdeluxe]

Louis:

Hey there...three things:

1) Going back to their "signature, open-style" of ball was fun to watch, but at the end of the day it ended the same way it ended the prior year - a 1st round playoff loss, with a ALL-TIME stinker in Game 6 (when the Magic didn't have Howard). We went out and got Brand precisely because we learned that - in the playoffs - that open-court style of ball doesn't win JACK without having a half-court game to go with it. With the likelihood of Brand coming back healthy in 2009-10, with I would assume a re-focus on developing our half-court identity, why waste ANY MORE TIME (and minutes to non-core players) on a style of play that we already knew was a loser...and the reason why we went out and got Brand in the first place;

2) What possible long-term value did giving material rotation minutes to Willie Green and Reggie Evans accomplish? One of those guys is already gone, and the other will be our 4th guard at best this upcoming season; and most of all;

3) Stefanski absolutely had to anticipate that what is now happening with Miller was going to happen, yet he let winning some games and making the playoffs a priority (for whatever that was going to be worth in a season where we lost Elton Brand and reverted back to the style of play that wasn't going to win in the playoffs anyway). We played Miller 37 minutes a game...and now, in all likelihood, he's gone. I don't know what we would have goten for him at the deadline had Stefanski REALLY tried to move him, but it would have been nice to at least really press it and see what was out there...and if he wasn't going to do that, then at the very least, he should have found 10-12 minutes a game for Lou at PG (with Iggy at the 2...what a concept!) - that way, in the event that Miller walked, at least we had one guy that is part of the future core of this team who got some experience running the offense and learning the position.

I hope that I have articulated my position on this clearly enough. You are, of course, free to disagree with me...but there is no question in my mind that we would have entered his season in MUCH better shape if Stefanski had taken the same philosophical position on the team (looking long term toward developing our young assets) back in February that he is now taking with Lou and Jrue at PG for this sesaon....and the book won't be closed for me until he acknowledges that missed opportunity. And unlike some who do not agree with me, I don't necessarily buy that had he done some of these things (more minutes for Lou at PG, more Iggy at the 2 and Thad at the 3, give Speights more of Evans' minutes) that we would have missed the playoffs, either.

[PhilasFinest]

Just saw that Andre, Thad, Lou, and Willie are back at the Mark Price shooting camp.

thats great news...alot of players that have attended Prices' shooting clinic in the past, have shown alot of improvement.

[ryst]

Vin baker,raef lafrentz,brian grant,dale davis,antonio davis
tim thomas,mike james,brian cardinal,etan thomas,kenny thomas
bobby simmons,radmanovic,marko jaric,jared jefferies,larry hughes
ben wallace,eddy curry


i can go all day long , anyone can be traded , many of this list have worse contract then Sam and dont do nothing on the court.

[Westbrook36ptII]

They may improve, but I've always strongly believed that great shooters are born with that talent. Something in their brains where they have a better sense of accuracy and trajectory than others. Also they just have that natural touch on their shot.

Guys like Iguodala can improve their shot, but they will never get it to an elite level.

[sixerswillrule]

They may improve, but I've always strongly believed that great shooters are born with that talent. Something in their brains where they have a better sense of accuracy and trajectory than others. Also they just have that natural touch on their shot.

Guys like Iguodala can improve their shot, but they will never get it to an elite level.

That's not true at all. The guys who you consider to be at the elite level may have been there throughout their NBA careers, but that doesn't mean they were born with it. They had to practice it for years. So instead of becoming a great shooter while already in the NBA, they became one much earlier. But it's never too late.

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

TSF: The Iguodala Contract was not a mistake. IMO, this tying up 10 Million dollars in 3 starters (Daly/Brand/Iggy) situation got us in this mess.

Zach Randolph is NEVER an asset. If the ball goes to Randolph in the post, it ain't coming out.

Adding Randolph and Iverson with their money would make Chris Wallace dumber then Ainge, Thomas, BK ALL COMBINED.

[Westbrook36ptII]

They may improve, but I've always strongly believed that great shooters are born with that talent. Something in their brains where they have a better sense of accuracy and trajectory than others. Also they just have that natural touch on their shot.

Guys like Iguodala can improve their shot, but they will never get it to an elite level.

That's not true at all. The guys who you consider to be at the elite level may have been there throughout their NBA careers, but that doesn't mean they were born with it. They had to practice it for years. So instead of becoming a great shooter while already in the NBA, they became one much earlier. But it's never too late.

Of course they worked on their shot, but I think the potential was always there, because of that sense of accuracy and trajectory. Others just don't have it. If Iguodala could freeze time and shoot a billion jumpers a day, and he went up against someone like Steve Kerr shooting 20 jumpers a day, Kerr would still destroy him in a 3 point shoot out. He just was born with a keener sense of accuracy used that to perfect the touch on his jumper.

[Don]

Zach Randolph is NEVER an asset. If the ball goes to Randolph in the post, it ain't coming out.

Not that we want him here, but obviously there was a taker for him. With Sam, even the Canadian national team doesn't want him. They've been shopping him around for awhile (in the media for goodness sake). Unfortunately, we need a big man as a defensive presence, and for very short stints when he's not busy fouling someone, Sam will block someone's shot. That's his asset value at this point. Some of us know what he brings, but also know that he could be doing so much more. Other teams recognize his value and don't want it for the price tag or for talent return.

TSF is right. He's only worth what he's worth. Stefanski would've been better off shopping him around right after last year's playoffs against Detroit when some team may have been fooled by the pyrite and bitten (we don't know he didn't try, but he didn't succeed if he did). So here we are, and we'll have to keep him for about another year. Now if he becomes a pain in the bum with his whining, we may end up doing what Team Cananda did. Peace out.

[radrmd216]

Westbrook, I agree with waht your saying that the very best shooers are born with it. I have never seen any studies, but great shooters probably have much greater depth perception and muscle memory.

Bebop, I see what your saying about the sixers not giving more minutes to the young guys last year but the sixers were trying to make the playoffs, Ed was trying to prove that the contracts Iggy and Lou signed were moves, and Dileo was trying to earn a coaching job. A lot of people forget the sixers are a business and the main goal is to increase profit. I'm sure the front office wanted the team to go on a win streak, create a buzz, attract fans to games, and then carry that momentum into the playoffs. I have no idea how much money a home playoff game generates, but Comcast just guarenteed three employees in Lou, Iggy, and Brand about $185 over the next 5 years so they want some returns on that thos ehuge invesments. I assume the sixers highly value Holiday and think he can be good and that might be why the sixers want to wait and build around young players now instead of trying to really push for it all now like they might have done last year.

Ryst, I think the sixers could trade, Sam but they could not get a player that could help them more now or provide cap relief before Sam's contract could, so the trade would no be beneficial to the sixers. I didn't go through the cicumstances of all the players you listed but they were either formally good players so they still had value, better fits currently for the team trading for them, or provided cap relief for team trading for them sooner then the player being traded would and no one the sixers can acquire in a Dalembert trade can do any of those things.

Dallas traded Harris for Kidd so if Dallas didn't resign Kidd that would have been a very bad trade. They also signed Marion who has a little bit of an ego and whos game is based primarily on athleticism to a 5 year contract. The Mavs are a vertern team trying to contend and the sixers are not. Also the sixers just guarenteed 3 employees about $185 million last year so they might be a little weary to guarentee more money.

Sorry for the long post but they were some good arguments that I thought I could add a little too.

[Stanford]

They may improve, but I've always strongly believed that great shooters are born with that talent. Something in their brains where they have a better sense of accuracy and trajectory than others. Also they just have that natural touch on their shot.

Guys like Iguodala can improve their shot, but they will never get it to an elite level.

That's not true at all. The guys who you consider to be at the elite level may have been there throughout their NBA careers, but that doesn't mean they were born with it. They had to practice it for years. So instead of becoming a great shooter while already in the NBA, they became one much earlier. But it's never too late.

Of course they worked on their shot, but I think the potential was always there, because of that sense of accuracy and trajectory. Others just don't have it. If Iguodala could freeze time and shoot a billion jumpers a day, and he went up against someone like Steve Kerr shooting 20 jumpers a day, Kerr would still destroy him in a 3 point shoot out. He just was born with a keener sense of accuracy used that to perfect the touch on his jumper.

Interesting theory. I don't know how much I believe it, but interesting nonetheless.

[76ers76ers]

Yeah I'm going to have to agree with WB36. My cousin's autistic and when he first started shooting, everything would go in. It wasn't pretty but went in. So I would work on my jumpshot everyday to see if I could improve to be better than him. So we shot off and he was still by far better than me. He has some kind of natural sense when shooting the ball which I lacked. So I taught him how to form better on his jumpshot, now his jumpshot is deadly. So what I;m saying is that shooting is absolutely natural sense. You can improve(shooot a million jumpers) but you definately would not be in a caliber of Bird, Allen, Reg Miller,etc. These people were born with it.

[freshie2]

I'm not discounting the natural shooters, but how do you think players like Bird, Allen, and Miller got that good?? They put up thousands of shots in their workouts, and are relentless in their efforts to improve. One of the best examples is the outside shot of Michael Jordan throughout his career...teams would try to give him an outside shot early on (he'd still drive through them) but through hard work he developed into a high end perimeter shooter. Players can have more of a natural stroke, but hard work and correct repetitions is the key to improving your shooting.

[Stanford]

Yeah I'm going to have to agree with WB36. My cousin's autistic and when he first started shooting, everything would go in. It wasn't pretty but went in. So I would work on my jumpshot everyday to see if I could improve to be better than him. So we shot off and he was still by far better than me. He has some kind of natural sense when shooting the ball which I lacked. So I taught him how to form better on his jumpshot, now his jumpshot is deadly. So what I;m saying is that shooting is absolutely natural sense. You can improve(shooot a million jumpers) but you definately would not be in a caliber of Bird, Allen, Reg Miller,etc. These people were born with it.

We should sign your cousin

[Don]

I tend agree that some folks are born with a better sense of aim, depth perception, etc, than others.

[roll]

RWB, good point!

[tmoore]

Sounds like Blazers are going after Paul Millsap with their cap space.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazer ... or_ut.html

[KKell2507]

There is definately more to shooting than just repetition and practicing. I agree that a lot of it you were born with. Sure there are some guys that improve dramatically from the beginning of their NBA careers, but there tons of others who just never improve very drastically. I think most of the guys that improve a ton were born with the ability to shoot that well, they just didnt practice it enough. Guys like Korver, Kapono, reggie miller, and ray allen were born with it and have worked on it their entire lives. But the guys like Raja Bell, Roger Mason, Trevor Ariza, and Bruce Bowen who have worked on it constantly since joining the NBA because they knew it would be the only way they'd get more playing time. All of those guys were more defenders but were likely born with the ability to understand the trajectory of a jumpshot. They just didnt work on it until they had to.

[tmoore]

Thought this was telling from Stefanski yesterday: "To go long-term with a contract for an older point guard, we don’t see that as a viable option right now."

[sixerfan1976]

translation: we are terrified of the low cap next year..and we only want to do one year deals this year.

also..they seem to think holliday can start in 2010.....and worst case scenario year 3. so lou and that vet min PG can hold the fort for a year.