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Who do you guys think was the better player for the Sixers in 2001? If you guys remember, the Sixers had the best record in the East at the time Ratliff went down, then proceeded to trade for Mutombo at the trading deadline, then proceeded to get to the finals in a tough fought playoff run.

If Ratliff was never injured, would the Sixers still make the Finals? Would the Sixers have an easier time of it in the playoffs that year with Ratliff instead of Mutombo?

Ratliff was better than Mutombo that season before he got injured. Our record was worse with Mutombo than with Ratliff.

we were 41-14 when we made the trade.... better before

losing kukoc killed the little offense we had outside of AI and Mckie

i think ratliff keeps them as the 1 seed in the east but i dont know if they get through the playoffs, let alone win a game vs the lakers with him

shaq had a great series but mutumbo helped keep the sixers in all but 1 of those games til the end

Ratliff by a longshot. However, since an injury sidelined him for the rest of the '01 season, the Sixers needed someone consistent at the 5 (definitely not going to be Geiger), which is why the FO got Deke (out of necessity)

if ratliff had stayed healthy, i believe we could have won the title

I thought that the trade was a brilliant move to save an exceptional season. Ratliff was more mobile and a slightly better shooter, but, I thought, a mediocre rebounder in comparison. Both were great shotblockers, but Deke the bigger and stronger inside defender. I've only seen a few coaches try to play Shaq one on one. Larry did it with Mo and Ben, and years earlier Rodman did a good job. I do not believe Theo could.

I do not know if we would have done as well or better without the trade. If we did, however, I am more convinced that it would have been because of our depth, more than any talent difference between the two big guys. The trade really weakened our bench which had been a strength. You'll laugh, but I thought the loss of Nazr hurt us as much or more than that of Tony.

Because that was such a special year, after such a long drought, I would do it again. Ironically, we thought at the time that we mortgaged our future, but Dikembe is still going, and Theo really never was the same.

Kunlun wrote:Ratliff was better than Mutombo that season before he got injured. Our record was worse with Mutombo than with Ratliff.

I was a huge ratliff fan before he went down, we didnt realize it at the time, but that backboard injury was the beggining of the end

sixers_610 wrote:if ratliff had stayed healthy, i believe we could have won the title

It also would have been interesting had the Sixers made their FT's at the end of Games 2+3.

ChuckS wrote:
Because that was such a special year, after such a long drought, I would do it again. Ironically, we thought at the time that we mortgaged our future, but Dikembe is still going, and Theo really never was the same.

I agree with that statement. Theo was never even close to a shadow of his formal self but one thing does make me wonder, could we have gotten more for ratliff in the offseason? Nobody knew he wouldnt recover. I think we could have gotten some solid, maybe younger talent for ratliff. Of coarse, that would have eliminated the chance of a title run. I guess they were more short term goal oriented with the age of lynch, hill and snow so it was a smart move, but it still sucks that the injury even occurred to begin with.