RealGM

In this article I just read, it seems that there is a little chance that the Sixers are going to get Elton Brand, but there is a good chance that the Sixers will pursue Josh Smith.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/ind ... sard_chris


If this goes down, and is combined with the realgm article about the sixers drafting a big,
are lineup will really begin to take shape next year.
http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/ ... draft_big/

Also, in the offseason, they could sign a cheap PG, allowing Lou to play some time at SG, such as Carlos Arroyo

PG: Andre/Lou/Arroyo
SG: Iggy/Lou/Green
SF: Thad/Carney
PF: Josh Smith/16th pick/Evans
C: Daly/Jason Smith/Hill

The 16th pick will mostly likely be either Green, Speights, Arthur, Jordan, Koufos, McGee, R. Lopez, or maybe even Ajinca. Out of those 8, I would be happy with Green, Arthur, Koufos, or Ajinca, and not so happy with any of the other 4.

While the lineup above would most certainly be one of the most athletic in the NBA if not THE most, would they have enough to get it done in the playoffs?

Josh Smith is more of a SF and does not have the offensive post moves we need which is why i rather go after Brand or ZBo or another true big man. Its not that Josh Smith isn't a tremendous athlete or good basketball player he just isnt a 4 on a championship team because of his lack of half court offense ability.

The 76ers should sign Josh Smith. He is a tremendous open court player. He is not a great back to the basket player, but he is a great shot blocker. The 76ers would divide his time between PF and SF so they would not lose the rebounding edge to oppositions power forward at the end of the game. The 76ers would have Smith playing PF for 34 minutes and Evans playing PF for 14 minutes. Evans could slide over to SF when Thad goes to the bench, which allows Iggy to stay at the 2 guard when Josh is playing SF. Josh Smith and a 3 point shooter would make this team fun to watch. Right now, I do not think the 76ers are fun to watch.

Can we put the Josh Smith coming to Philly talk to bed? He is a RFA and Atlanta's new GM has stated he will match offers for Smith and considers him a core piece of the Hawks. He isn't going to leave Atlanta unless its in a sign and trade and the 76ers don't match up well with the Hawks in a deal.

Somewhat odd reasoning in that piece: The Hawks won't go over 11M, and the Sixers can't offer more than 11M... I take this to mean that the Hawks won't go above 5yr/55M (ave. 11M), while the Sixers could offer 5yr/64M (ave. 13M, starts at 11M.)

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I have mixed feelings about signing Smith. On one hand he is not the conventional answer to the Sixers needs at PF/C, so I doubt he alone would lead them to contention in the next few years.

On the other hand- he would provide a huge infusion of young talent that this team lacks. The Sixers currently have good young players, but at best only two future stars (if even) in Iguodala and Young. Adding Smith gives them three great pieces all 24 or younger.

That gives the Sixers an 8 year window to either build around those three, or trade one for a PF when one becomes available. In the meantime the Sixers would be a winning, exciting team on the rise- even if there ceiling is less than a championship until they swap out one of the SF's for a legit PF (or Speights develops into one.)

I am fine with having Iguodla, Young and Smith all on the same team. Its a problem when you have too many players who are limited to one position (too many PG's or too many small sg's.) I don't see the problem of having 3 players who are versatile enough to each play 2-3 positions (PF/SF/SG) at a high level. All three are unselfish, athletic and able to run and score. They could definitely succeed together on the court- just not at a championship level.

Also, finantially it works. The Sixers would be giving Young/Iguodala/Smith a combined 23M next year. Most NBA teams pay there top 3 players 37M+. That leaves a lot of wiggle room to add players (a PF) to the core, and replace Miler and Sam over coming years. Also, all three would be great trade assets. Iguodala and Smith would be making a lot, but still less than most older top SF's (someone like Pierce is older and will make 18M next year- so much less valuable on the trade market.)

Most players at Iguodala and Smiths level make 12M+ and are older. Iguodala, Smith and Young all should be tremendous assets when it comes time to trade for the right PF (who likely is not on the market this year.) Lets say in 2 years Bosh hits the market(or some other top PF)- the Sixers would be in great position to send one of their young star SF's, Sam's expiring an picks to Toronto in order to land the missing piece at PF to get them to the next level.

I could see the following going down:

1) The Sixers will draft either Speights or Hibbert; they're going to want a tweener PF/C with post moves and both Speights at 240 and Hibbert at 280 could provide this. They know they have the finesse SF/PF in Thaddeus but Stephanski wants a banger with some post moves and the ability to set picks and block out. Assuming both Hibbert and Speights are gone by 16, they might take a chance on Hendrix, McGee, or Jordan. The long shot would be moving up and drafting Randolph. The very long shot would be to try to get a mid to late 1st with a package of Utah's pick and either Willie Green or Jason Smith, and take both Speights and Hibbert.

2) The Sixers will then pursue Josh Smith. Stephanski and DiLeo have already said that they're probably going to look to acquire a PF via free agency even if they draft a PF (see today's Philly.com article). In Smith, they'd be getting an incredible athlete who looks to score and would fit in perfectly with our up-tempo style of play. Smith wouldn't be much of a liability at the 4 with a player like Hibbert, Speights, etc. coming off the bench to guard the heftier 4's and 5's like Maxiell, Bynum, Howard, etc. Expect next season's lineup to looks something like this:

PG: Miller, Lou Williams
SG: Iguodala, Carney
SF: Thaddeus, Josh Smith
PF: Josh Smith, Sam, Evans
C: Sam, (Speights or Hibbert)

From an athletic standpoint, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more athletic combo than Lou, Iguodala (or Carney for that matter), Thaddeus, Josh Smith, and Sam. And unlike last season, if Sam starts getting out-muscled in the paint, we could throw a player like Speights or Hibbert out there to level the playing field. I honestly think the above roster is one 3 point specialist away from being a top contender in this league.

STChaser wrote:I could see the following going down:

1) The Sixers will draft either Speights or Hibbert; they're going to want a tweener PF/C with post moves and both Speights at 240 and Hibbert at 280 could provide this. They know they have the finesse SF/PF in Thaddeus but Stephanski wants a banger with some post moves and the ability to set picks and block out. Assuming both Hibbert and Speights are gone by 16, they might take a chance on Hendrix, McGee, or Jordan. The long shot would be moving up and drafting Randolph. The very long shot would be to try to get a mid to late 1st with a package of Utah's pick and either Willie Green or Jason Smith, and take both Speights and Hibbert.

2) The Sixers will then pursue Josh Smith. Stephanski and DiLeo have already said that they're probably going to look to acquire a PF via free agency even if they draft a PF (see today's Philly.com article). In Smith, they'd be getting an incredible athlete who looks to score and would fit in perfectly with our up-tempo style of play. Smith wouldn't be much of a liability at the 4 with a player like Hibbert, Speights, etc. coming off the bench to guard the heftier 4's and 5's like Maxiell, Bynum, Howard, etc. Expect next season's lineup to looks something like this:

PG: Miller, Lou Williams
SG: Iguodala, Carney
SF: Thaddeus, Josh Smith
PF: Josh Smith, Sam, Evans
C: Sam, (Speights or Hibbert)

From an athletic standpoint, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more athletic combo than Lou, Iguodala (or Carney for that matter), Thaddeus, Josh Smith, and Sam. And unlike last season, if Sam starts getting out-muscled in the paint, we could throw a player like Speights or Hibbert out there to level the playing field. I honestly think the above roster is one 3 point specialist away from being a top contender in this league.

I would pay to see this version of the 76ers, but I still need one more move added. I need a 3 point shooter from the 2 guard postion. I also know that the Warriors fans favor Speights at 14, which pisses me off. The 76ers may be forced to switch over to Jason Thompson.

Thta article/blog entry sounded like nothing more than a writer putting a RFA in Smith together with a team with cap space. Are the Hawks going to leaveSmith go over an average of $2 mil per year? No. They don't have a first rounder this year and finally fot out of the lottery. Some of the guys at ESPN are getting as bad as NY Post writers the way they simply make stuff up.

is1531 wrote:
I would pay to see this version of the 76ers, but I still need one more move added.

I would pay to see them to. They would win a lot of games and be incredibly exciting to watch.

The Sixers led the NBA in D\dunks last year- imagine with the addition of Smith- more dunks, more blocks, more people off their seats.

However, that line-up would be too inefficient down low on offense and too small on defense to be a legit contender- even with better shooting. Once the shine from watching the high flying show fades, one of the SF's would have to be traded for a legit PF.

But, I'd enjoy watching that team, even if they never made it out of the E.C.

Skates wrote:Thta article/blog entry sounded like nothing more than a writer putting a RFA in Smith together with a team with cap space. Are the Hawks going to leaveSmith go over an average of $2 mil per year? No. They don't have a first rounder this year and finally fot out of the lottery. Some of the guys at ESPN are getting as bad as NY Post writers the way they simply make stuff up.

I will jsut chose to hold my ears and ignore your reasoned explanation.

Reason tells me the Sixers won't get Brand, Smith, Okafor or Biedrins or any other major upgrade despite there cash. The right players just aren't available enough this summer.

But since that bad news has yet to come to pass, I will continue to be fascinated by every passing rumor blithely dropped by some hack journalist- and why not? Its better than thinking about another year trying to overachieve with a roster sending out WG and Evans as starts more often than not.

tk76 wrote:

is1531 wrote:
I would pay to see this version of the 76ers, but I still need one more move added.

I would pay to see them to. They would win a lot of games and be incredibly exciting to watch.

The Sixers led the NBA in D\dunks last year- imagine with the addition of Smith- more dunks, more blocks, more people off their seats.

However, that line-up would be too inefficient down low on offense and too small on defense to be a legit contender- even with better shooting. Once the shine from watching the high flying show fades, one of the SF's would have to be traded for a legit PF.

But, I'd enjoy watching that team, even if they never made it out of the E.C.

The 76ers would still select a PF at pick 16, so we could work the lineup accordingly. Orlando is our toughest team to matchup up against, followed by Boston.

Free agency is unfortunately after the draft, but I see the 76ers having at least 2 new players before free agency. If you have Speights and Smith, I do not see the 76ers having matchup problems. You just adjust your lineup several times a game to match the other team. Speights and Jason Smith should provide size, while Josh Smith provides athleticism.

Here is why some detrators are making the mistake on Speights.He played center in college. You have to cover your zone with players coming from all angles. In the pros he will play PF, paying attention to his own man with less responsibility. Speights is almost 6ft 11". He should work well on both ends of the court with his size. I saw Speights have 2 bad games and 10 good games. I will take those numbers anytime of the year. If GS passes on Speights, the Sixers will be the proud benificiary.

If the 76ers want to win, Willie Green can not start for the 76ers. I would love to have a 3 point shooter to fill out the rooster

Although I know Smith isn't a PF, I wouldn't mind this move. This is the type of move that would give the sixers relative financial flexability, and would allow the sixers to trade one of Smith, Iguodala, or Young in the future if the right PF comes around or if a draft pick (Arthur, Speights) developes into a legit PF.

tk76 wrote:

Skates wrote:Thta article/blog entry sounded like nothing more than a writer putting a RFA in Smith together with a team with cap space. Are the Hawks going to leaveSmith go over an average of $2 mil per year? No. They don't have a first rounder this year and finally fot out of the lottery. Some of the guys at ESPN are getting as bad as NY Post writers the way they simply make stuff up.

I will jsut chose to hold my ears and ignore your reasoned explanation.

Reason tells me the Sixers won't get Brand, Smith, Okafor or Biedrins or any other major upgrade despite there cash. The right players just aren't available enough this summer.

But since that bad news has yet to come to pass, I will continue to be fascinated by every passing rumor blithely dropped by some hack journalist- and why not? Its better than thinking about another year trying to overachieve with a roster sending out WG and Evans as starts more often than not.

Yeah, I read them too and get just as hopeful. Possibly the most realistic FA is going to be Marion. I just have a feeling he and Miami are not going to work things out and he will hit the market. I would also be happy with Jamison for 3 years or less. Most likely we pick up someone like Wilcox, which would be fine if the cost isn't too high. I wiould still not rule out a S&T for a good PF, but we may wait until the trading deadline this year to get our PF of the future. Just don't clog up the salary cap with a "decent" player signing like BK would have.

Haven't seen much Josh Smith talk lately. He has the tools to make this work, is his head into being a winning PF? The athleticism you could put on the court with Lou/Iguodala/Thad/Smith/Sam is pretty impressive, but I'm not sure Smith is that inside presence the team needs if you want to get deep into the playoffs. Too low a shooting percentage, and too many TOs to consider this a no brainer, but his athleticism/upside does make this move very interesting. They would be very exciting in the regular season, but I don't know how they would ultimately match up when they got past the first round of the playoffs.

freshie2 wrote:Haven't seen much Josh Smith talk lately. He has the tools to make this work, is his head into being a winning PF? The athleticism you could put on the court with Lou/Iguodala/Thad/Smith/Sam is pretty impressive, but I'm not sure Smith is that inside presence the team needs if you want to get deep into the playoffs. Too low a shooting percentage, and too many TOs to consider this a no brainer, but his athleticism/upside does make this move very interesting. They would be very exciting in the regular season, but I don't know how they would ultimately match up when they got past the first round of the playoffs.

When is Willie Green or Reggie Evans ever a good matchup? Josh Smith would clearly bring fans to the games. Sometimes the guys you start the game with are not the guys you finish with. If they have Speights and Jason Smith, you can slide Josh over to SF for segments of the game. He might even finish the game at SF. Let's see how much better Jason Smith gets and if Speights comes here. By the way, Jason Smith woudl be a great candidate for Pete Newell's basketball camp.

PS- Just remember Atlanta took Boston to 7 games, which is better than the Lakers . The Hawks bench was not strong, other than Childress. Bring on the Josh!

I'd rather have Jamison. We need a 4 that can let us play in the half court. With Smith all we'd do is run run run. You can't win with playing one style.

If he's the best available FA, I'd say to go for the talent upgrade and worry about making it fit later, but he's still less than ideal at PF.

Out of the guys I've heard that are semi-realistically available, Josh Smith would probably be my Plan E. (behind Brand, Love, Marion, and Kirilenko)

I'd take Smith over all of them except Brand. Not a fan of Love or Kirilenko at all.

Westbrook36 wrote:I'd take Smith over all of them except Brand. Not a fan of Love or Kirilenko at all.

+1

he is definitely a great plan B after Brand. The best part is his age. It opens the door for future moves. If a team is young, talented and not way over the cap they can turn an unbalance line-up into a contender with the right moves.

I also think Smith would make Iguodala more effective by letting him cut down on his minutes and not have to take the hardest cover all game.

is1531 wrote:

freshie2 wrote:Haven't seen much Josh Smith talk lately. He has the tools to make this work, is his head into being a winning PF? The athleticism you could put on the court with Lou/Iguodala/Thad/Smith/Sam is pretty impressive, but I'm not sure Smith is that inside presence the team needs if you want to get deep into the playoffs. Too low a shooting percentage, and too many TOs to consider this a no brainer, but his athleticism/upside does make this move very interesting. They would be very exciting in the regular season, but I don't know how they would ultimately match up when they got past the first round of the playoffs.

When is Willie Green or Reggie Evans ever a good matchup? Josh Smith would clearly bring fans to the games. Sometimes the guys you start the game with are not the guys you finish with. If they have Speights and Jason Smith, you can slide Josh over to SF for segments of the game. He might even finish the game at SF. Let's see how much better Jason Smith gets and if Speights comes here. By the way, Jason Smith woudl be a great candidate for Pete Newell's basketball camp.

PS- Just remember Atlanta took Boston to 7 games, which is better than the Lakers . The Hawks bench was not strong, other than Childress. Bring on the Josh!

Not sure that I ever said Willie Green and Reggie Evans gave them better matchups...I've been pretty consistent that they are better served off the bench, and it's OK if that is in another city.

If all they do this offseason is draft @ 16, and spend all of their FA $$, then Josh Smith gives them the a player who is productive now, and still has some star quality that may flourish when he comes to town. At 22 years old, there are still some moldable years with strong veteran leadership around (like Miller). Playing along, yes, a lineup of

Miller/Lou
Iguodala/Green
Young/Carney
Smith/Smith/Evans
Sam/Koufos/Booth

Is a big upgrade over last season, and is really interesting moving forward. I just don't know that Smith gives them the inside presence at PF that is such a big plus when you get late in the playoffs. If they can play show time basketball deep into the finals, it works, but that style of play generally goes away in the playoffs, and you need legitimate strength inside.