Why we shouldn't be too upset

sixerswillrule · Post #1 » by **sixerswillrule** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:08 am

Yes, the series is not yet over, I know...But based on what I've seen out of this team over the past six quarters of basketball, a lot is left to be desired. And as a fan, although always as optimistic as can be, I can't help but look forward to next season and what lies ahead...

Who here can honestly say that at the beginning of the season, deep down, they truly expected this team to not only make the playoffs but also to give a team with the second best record in the league a run for their money? I know that I didn't...And this team did put up a fight, that's for sure. Yes, we even had the 59-23 Detroit Pistons with their backs against the wall, so close to taking a 3-1 series and pushing us that much closer to the second round of the playoffs. That alone is certainly something to be disappointed about. But taking everything into consideration, including the fact that this team exceeded all of our expectations, we should be filled more with hope than disappointment. Yes, because there certainly is a lot to look forward to...

The future of this team is so incredibly bright; what we have seen this year is just the tip of the iceberg...Thaddeus Young, at just 19 years old, looks like a future star. He is blossoming before our very eyes, in this his very first season in the league. We can expect great things from him in the years to come. Lou Williams has future sixth man of the year written all over him. He has blazing quickness and a jump shot that is slowly but surely improving. Jason Smith has shown a lot of potential and Rodney Carney is developing into a deadly outside shooter. And then there's Andre Iguodala. We all know that he is not a number one option, nor will we ever be. But we all have seen what he is capable of, and I have no doubt that if he continues to improve, which I am sure he will, that he'll be an all-star caliber player in this league very soon.

Yes, many pieces to the puzzle are already here, but there is still plenty left to be done. This off-season will mean a lot in terms of the 76ers' future. I feel confident that new GM Ed Stefanski will make the right decisions with the team's cap space and first round draft pick. I'm sure that a trade or two is in the works as well. The team has shown us a lot of positive things this season, but I feel that the best is yet to come...

Dedicated_76ers_fan · Post #2 » by **Dedicated_76ers_fan** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:33 am

Fire Mo.

bstein14 · Post #3 » by **bstein14** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:40 am

I think the big question will be how your capspace will be used, and will you go into the next with 3 players who may play best at SF in Young, Carney, and AI.

bebopdeluxe · Post #4 » by **bebopdeluxe** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:55 am

bstein:

It is a logjam at SF, no doubt. All three of them are athletes with some great attributes - unfortunately, handling the basketball isn't one of them. In a perfect world, Carney could be the 2, Iggy the 3, Thad the 4, and we sign somebody like Biedrins to play the 4 and 5.

However, doing that also makes a lot of assumptions about physical development and skill enhancements (like dribbling the basketball) that are by no means a given. One thing is for sure - we cannot rely on Miller as much in the future as we did this season...as we can now see, it may simply be to much to ask. Someone else has to score the ball.

One nice thing is that I do now feel like Carney has the potential to refine his game some more this summer and really be in the mix next year (kinda like what Williams did...got some quality PT in the 2nd half of last season, and turned that into a solid year this year). And, unlike Williams, he has a long, legit NBA body that won't be a matchup nightmare out there at times.

Should be an interesting summer.

sixerswillrule · Post #5 » by **sixerswillrule** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:29 pm

I don't think that Iguodala at SG would be such a problem. If anything, his handles and shot are going to improve. But I think he is capable of playing the position right now. Plus, the switch will benefit his defense even more because he'll be much less likely to be at at a size disadvantage.

IggyTheBEaST · Post #6 » by **IggyTheBEaST** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:55 pm

I wish Joe Johnson was a free agent

LieCheatSteal · Post #7 » by **LieCheatSteal** » Thu May 1, 2008 9:48 pm

Yeah, this year was definitely a surprise. I thought coming here from Toronto, I would be going from watching a team on the way up (Raptors) to a team on the way down (Sixers). Who knew now it's the other way around with the Raptors in spiral mode and Sixers on the upswing?

Anyways. I think Carney's value has never been higher than it is now. Moving him for a pick or a PF would be a good idea. From what I've seen, I think he took Korver's minutes and his role as a 3 pt bomber and ran with it (which, I guess, was the intention of the Korver trade) but whether he's improved or just got more confident is debatable.