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Ok. Obviously if Ed wants to keep Iggy for the long haul, he is more than likely going to be our 3 forever. Now, that said, it seems as though we have a dilemna. Thad is better suited for the 3, but we seem to like him at the 4 from a coaching standpoint.

Maybe we continue to develop Thad at the 4 and let him be the guy that Smith would be if we signed him (athletic, scoring option who is undersized at the 4, but has enough BBall talent and smarts to pull it off).

If this is what truly happens, and I have a feeling it will be, then we should really not be putting too much money into signing Brand or Smith, IMO.

Let's assume Daly is as good as it gets, meaning we can't get anything better for a fair price, and there are not too many tall, athletic, defensive minded centers out there.

So, our C position is Daly, with no really great backup. Maybe we go out and try to sign Biendrins, maybe not. But other than drafting a guy in the 1st to play behind Daly, or overpaying Andris to do the same, the only other option would be to sign a vet for cheap to fill the hole.

Then, we are locking in Thad/Evans/Smith as our 4 rotation. So, that sounds ok.

Iggy/Carney take the 3 position and Carney comes in more often and provides an energetic spark.

Miller can hold down the point for another year, and Williams can come off the bench again to learn more.

This leaves us with a pretty darned good team, but what is missing?

A QUALITY, Star, SG who can break down his man and score from anywhere, anytime. Willie G. simply is not that. L-Will can be sometimes, but IMO he is still a 6th man of the year in the waiting, and should not be starting anytime soon.

I do feel WG can be a good backup 2, which is what he would be if we acquired a starting SG.

So, the issue is one player missing. And that player is the type of guy who can be a Tracy McGrady/Kobe/etc. type player.

I honestly think if the Sixers went out and got that guy, he could be the #1 option and Thad could slide into the 2nd spot overtaking Iggy, who would see a reduced offensive role and be able to focus much more on Defense and fast break dunks(which is what he really excelled at during his career so far).

So, who is this mystery guy?

I don't know.

There are some options though. I truly think at #16 we could get Chase Budinger, who could come in and provide scoring, but not necessarily what we need.

On the other hand, we COULD try to trade the #16 and Utah's pick for a player. I don't know who wants another 1st rounder, or one in our range, or even if any team has a SG who fits the profile.

I don't know how, who, or what, but I think this is honestly what we need to be truly successful. What was our main weakness against Detroit?

When they went on those runs and we simply missed shots from the outside because they clamped down on D and rebounding. Imagine if we had an elite offensive talent on the wing to spread them out and make them work.

So, with all that in mind...anyone have any ideas?

BTW, I am also a HUGE fan of trying to get Rudy Fernandez on the Sixers. He is a player that I think can be put on the court and simply produce. O well.

Narducci (Phila Inquirer) keeps saying how the Sixers should trade for Mike Miller.

I am more for AIG and Young at 2/3 and trying to get a good shooting PG to eventually replace Miller.

I think in another 2-3 years AIG and Young's outside shooting will be good enough if they are teamed with good shooters at the PG and PF positions.

Yeah, I tend to agree. Except for the fact that the missing piece is that player who can simply score whenever, wherever, however. For example, CP3, Kobe, TMac....the list goes on. These are guys who, no matter how many defenders are around, they find a way to get to the hole or get a shot off and score it.

Now, I'm not saying we should get one of them, but there are similar "types" of players in the league who we could look at. For example, Jrich, Joe Johnson, Ginobili...

I honestly think Ginobili is the type of guy who SA might be willing to give up for some picks. Think about it, he comes off the bench, the team is getting older, they are being beat by young, energetic guys in NO. All the more reason to get a few 1st rounders to begin a background rebuilding effort. And they don't even give up one of the starting 5. Granted, Ginobili would start on 25 NBA teams, but SA can afford to give him up if it helps them get 2 guys who will be on the team when the rest are gone.

Now, in terms of what Gino would bring to the Sixers...a prolific scorer from basically anywhere on the court...championship mentality....winner's attitude....offensive production that is on an elite level....team ball player.

Basically everything we could ask for when we make our run to the title with Miller in his last year, Daly peaking(I think), Young on the rise, Iggy developing into a solid NBA starter, and a bench of young, energetic guys who come in and play D and run the court.

He would be the missing piece.

Ginobili for 16th pick and Utah's future 1st

Would that even work? Lolz...I can only dream right?

Git er done ED!

You are basically saying we need an offensive superstar. I agree, but am willing to wait for a vet superstar to come available in a trade somewhere down the road.

I would prefer the star be a big instead of a guard (although guards come available more often.) I am fine waiting 2-3 years to make the big acquisition, since by that time our young core (esp Thad) will be more ready to contribute in a playoff run.

If you want an unstoppable guard next year I bet Gordon, Iverson and Arenas will all be available for the right price. Personally, I would rather take my chances with AIG and Thad at SG/SF and wait a few years to see how this roster develops. If that means wasting Miller's prime then so be it.

Kevin Martin would be perfect. Ginobili is a championship super star and is just about untouchable. It would take a top 10 caliber NBA player to get Ginobili traded away from a team that has won SEVERAL championships with him being one of the major ALL STAR/ALL NBA contributors. The Spurs need 3 point athletic shooters. Those can be found for cheap in the off season like James Jones, Roger Mason, etc.

tk76 wrote:

I am more for AIG and Young at 2/3 and trying to get a good shooting PG to eventually replace Miller.

My feeling, too.

Calderon offensively is a perfect fit, but questions have been raised on his defensive liabilities. Not sure how much of that can be improved with a better team mindset towards defense (Toronto doesn't appear to have any defensive minded contributors outside of maybe Moon) but that is something to be considered. Add an efficient shooter like Calderon at the point, and it loosens up a lot of shots for other players. An 8+/1.5 A/TO ratio is pretty nice as well.

So nobody is gonna mention JR Smith huh? I would think a guy like that would be #1 on the Philly fan list. You guys have the cap to get him.

Wants to add players who are comitted to running AND defense. As far as I can tell JR would only be good for the first half. Also, most likely the Sixers will be eventually starting Young at SF and Iguodala at SG- so it doesn't leave a starting spot for JR.

I will actually be surprised if Stefanski doesn't move Igoudala. He just does not fit on this team. He is not a shooting guard because he can't shoot and putting him at the 3 puts Young at a position he is not best suited for. I think that even though Stefanski says glowing things about Igoudala, he sees this too and will look for move him. Now ... we have to wait and see ...

EnySpree wrote: JR Smith

Too much of a knucklehead.

if he wasnt, he woudl be a good fit, you must admit

dond wrote:I will actually be surprised if Stefanski doesn't move Igoudala. He just does not fit on this team. He is not a shooting guard because he can't shoot and putting him at the 3 puts Young at a position he is not best suited for. I think that even though Stefanski says glowing things about Igoudala, he sees this too and will look for move him. Now ... we have to wait and see ...

I hope he is that sharp of a basketball mind and not easily dazzled by athleticism.

Especially with all the talk of upper level players being moved, AI2 in a S+T could be quite possible.

Remember hearing when Ed came on board that he was shrewd with contracts.

Could there be a bigger test?