I wanted to do a live Twee-cap of the Sixers-Bulls game Friday night, but due to poor signal strength, I had trouble posting my tweets and gave up fairly early in the night. Saturday’s match up in Detroit I figured I’d just write another T&O piece when it was over since I was watching from home. Now I feel like its better to write about what this weekend really showed us.

This team IS good, not great, not even very good, but they are in fact, a good basketball team. They beat a superior Chicago team in a game that wasn’t all smooth sailing, they took some lumps, lost the momentum several times, yet still held it together and made things happen when they needed to. They went on the road to an inferior opponent in Detroit and pissed away the lead, choked in big spots, and came away with a disappointing loss. The Sixers lack of a leader is killing them, the player who ends up with the ball more than any other during Andre Iguodala’s absence has been Lou Williams, and like the rest of the team, Lou lacks the balls/talent to make things happen on the opponents home court in crunch time.

I regret that the last sentence seems like an indictment of Lou Williams, I think Lou has more heart than most guys on the team and plays with an aggressiveness rarely seen at the Wells Fargo Center. Lou Williams just isn’t good enough to come up with the big shot when the opponent is focused on stopping him. In fact the three guys on our roster that the team looks to in big spots, Lou, Iggy, and Elton are all not talented enough to beat a double team in a big spot. The next generation of Thad, Jrue, and ET have yet to show the desire to want the responsibility of taking that big shot. The next generation of Thad, Jrue, and ET rarely have their number called by Doug Collins in big spots. The end of every quarter either has Lou dribbling beyond the arc before settling on a long jumper, Iggy driving and throwing up a runner or off-balanced finger roll, or Brand dribbling in the post before shooting a contested turn-around jumper.

The time has come to settle this for once and for all. Doug Collins needs to mandate that for better or worse big possessions are going to go through ET. The Sixers didn’t draft the kid to be a role player, he was picked to be a star, so give him the damned ball and see if he has the stones to make things happen. When Turner was sat down for Speights’ rebounding just before the Pistons final free throw and, subsequently, the Sixers final possession, Collins left the Sixers with a group consisting of Jrue, Meeks, Elton, Thad, and Speights. That group only has one option after a made shot and without a timeout, Jrue dribbles to the frontcourt where he draws a double and is forced to pass to Meeks for a desperation three. Only one guy was possibly taking that shot if Jrue didn’t shoot it over two guys himself, and that guy is Jodie Meeks, a role-player (No offense to Jodie, who has been a real bright spot). Thad Young needs to be the one benched and Evan Turner needs to be on the court, and either the guy you drafted to be a star makes a superstar shot in the clutch or he doesn’t, but what would be important is that you called his number, and more important is that you call his number again next time when Iggy and Lou are in the game.

ET, may be Darko Thabeet-Morrison Jr. He may be a poor man’s Shane Battier. Maybe he really is a young Brandon Roy. All these possibilities are still in play, and the only way to know is to give him the ball. Coming through in the clutch can give a player the confidence to command the ball and the game in more mundane situations. It can turn you from a guy not sure of his role, to a star that knows his role is to carry the team on his back when the team is floundering, and when the guys are tired from a long flight after playing your asses off the night before on the other side of the country. ET is reportedly a peculiar dude, it apparently took a little while for him to fit in at Ohio State, and it is taking him some time to find his place in the NBA. It will be written off as growing pains if one of your young building blocks comes up short in a big spot, but what do you call it when a guy who won’t be any better than the third guard on a good team misses that big chance? Not growing pains, just a missed opportunity. Whether the final shot sanked or clanked isn’t important, the shot was a failure when it was taken by somebody other than ET.

Sixers-Wiz T&O

Thoughts and observations from tonights Sixers-Wizards game

-Nick Young is the Sixers' Rod Barajas. Every time they play he seems to light them up, but he blows against everybody else.

-Spencer always plays better when he has product in his hair. He is going natural tonight, that isn't a good sign.

-There never is any D early for this team. It feels like every night its 20-20 after 7 minutes.

-Do we have to suck at the end of every first half. First Nola, now this.

-Jrue is playing real well on offense. It'd be nice if he could stay in front of Wall though.

-Whitey Mc Tighty is playing a nice little game out there.

-I love my buddy Mook, but his theory of replacing Collins with Mike Brown, and attempting to make Turner into a LeBron-esque wing that controls the offense seems a bit far-fetched. Ignoring the fact that Collins has a ton of money due him, is Turner that guy? Mook is crazy high on Evan, which is weird because Mook is the biggest front-runner I know. Anyway, I wish Turner showed even a sniff of being capable of carrying a team.

-Since Turner has has two good scoring nights this season in 4 months, his next big game should be March 4th against Minnesota.

-Did Jrue just rip off that move from Steve Nash where he dribbles under the basket without looking at the basket and then he makes a pass or a short turn-around jumper? I can't remember him using it before, but ever since the Phoenix game he's done it a few times every night.

-Anybody remember the movie "Sixth Man". I think that ghost is in the house tonight, why else does Lou Williams keep shooting fadeaways when he is open? Either there is a ghost defending him that I can't see on TV, or he's being flashy for no reason.

-Why is it close? The Wiz are 0-16 on the road.

-Lot of foul shots for us tonight.

-The triple honky look is new, any chance Songaila gets to take off his sweatsuit?

-Jrue and Lou have had it going on.

-Wall already getting phantom 'Star Calls'

-3 of 19 over the last two games for Evan Turner.

-OMG! why have I never called this dude ET? He looks and talks like an alien!! How did I sleep on this?

-Great second half tonight. The 4th quarter was especially nice.

-DNP for Battie. I know you play him for D, (and maybe to grab Orlando's attention for a back up big) but he has zero upside. They need to let Hawes and Speights sink or swim, Battie DNPs need to be a lot more common.

-Can't wait for Rose and the Bulls on Friday. If this team has any balls or heart, they better come out strong on Friday. It's ok if they lose to Chicago, a team that is a LOT better, but they were embarassed in Chicago so they better come out and play hard.

Be back Friday with a live Twee-cap from the Wells Fargo Center.

PS. Mook just turned on ET! He texted me that he thinks he might be a bust! That took two months longer than expected, but hardly a surprise.

Fun with Contraction!!

In a recent pre-game interview LeBron James defended his decision to create a super team, as well as lamented about how 80’s basketball was better with multiple all-stars on the same teams. A reporter pointed out that there were only 24 teams then, and LeBron caused a slight controversy when he said that’s the reason why it was better. So my question is, would the league really be better? If we cut 6 teams and went back to only 24 teams, what would the rest of the league look like? I say let’s play this one out and have a mock draft to spread the contracted players around the rest of the league.


So say goodbye to Memphis, Sacramento, Indiana, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Why them? Because they all have low attendance, and they aren’t the Sixers. I mean if I were to remove the Sixers in this fantasy, then in that fantasy I wouldn’t be blogging in the first place and the whole website would fade off the internet like Marty McFly’s family photo.

I debated on whether to use a lottery, but I settled on simply going by current records worst to first. Each team will get one pick, and then we’ll have to realign the divisions a bit at the end. And Cleveland is on the clock.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers:

My first plan was to allow the Cavs to trade out of this spot, because my feeling is that Chris Paul wouldn’t be happy in Cleveland, and we would be watching ‘The Decision 2’ in two years time. However, to open that can of worms right now would make this writing nearly impossible, since I literally just spent an hour trying figure the best trade to send Paul elsewhere and get Cleveland the appropriate assets in return before deciding no trades allowed. (I’m so not kidding, I considered a deal where Iggy, Jrue, and the 8th pick in this draft get traded from Philly; Harris, Favors, and the third pick from NJ; and a package from Golden State built around Steph Curry; among other deals) So, the options if you are the fake Cavs are to draft Paul and either trade him later or convince him to resign, or they could go in another direction with the pick. So let‘s turn it over to the pretend Cavs GM…

The Cleveland Cavaliers select Rudy Gay

The Cavs have a glaring hole at SF, and Gay is young, playing fantastic, and under contract for the next five seasons. He fills the current shortcomings of this roster, and as a poor man’s LeBron he would boost this team to somewhere in between the best in the east (As they were with LeBron) and the worst in the East (As they are without him). Let’s say they now become a 45-50 win team. They also are a lot more interesting, maybe LeBron was onto something, then again more interesting is one thing, but being a legit contender is another.

2. Washington Wizards:

How is it possible that Chris Paul doesn’t get picked top 2? With John Wall in place the Wiz don’t need Paul, but they do need everything else, however. It makes the most sense to get young cheap talent for now and add pieces when they develop. So my Wiz board was started as a choice between Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, OJ Mayo, Roy Hibbert, Kevin Love, and Michael Beasley. The final decision came down to the pair of Wolves, in the short term Kevin Love is a better fit next to Lewis, but I think Beasley has the chance to be a league leader in scoring, especially playing next to John Wall. So to the fake GM….

The Washington Wizards select Michael Beasley

This move gives the Wizards a one-two punch that could make them a force in the east for years to come, in a few years. The Wizards also would be added to the list of teams I’d like to see live now.

3. New Jersey Nets:

The Nets are in a uniq--- We pick Chris Paul! We pick Chris Paul! Somebody tell Melo we got Chris Paul! Who can say sign and trade?!? See you Devin, see you Favors, Hellllllooooooo Melllllllloooooooo!!!---

So the Nets add a Hall of Fame talent, and make themselves very attractive to Carmelo. This would give the Nets a legit threesome that could compete with Miami and push them in a 7 game series. The Nets are more interesting, and certainly a must see ticket when the come to the Wells Fargo Center.

4. LA Clippers:

The Clippers have a young, exciting roster and two of the lottery picks in the upcoming draft. So I guess they should just add the best player available.

The Clippers select Danny Granger.

This team would be crazy stacked at this point, they can start Davis, Gordon, Granger, Griffin, and Kaman. Plus they’d have Aminu, Bledsoe, and Foye off the bench. If they could grab a quality big man with those picks or via a trade and the Clippers would be a real contender as soon as Griffin learns how to win. I considered having them choose Cousins as an heir to Kaman, but listening to recent comments it seems like Cousins wants to be the ’go-to guy’ in big spots and I wouldn’t risk this roster falling apart over a power struggle.

5. Detroit Pistons
6. Toronto Raptors

What do you get for the team that needs everything? Seriously, the Pistons blow goats. If I were a Detroit fan I don’t know how I could maintain interest in this team. They have half of the salary cap for the next 3 years tied up in Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva. Toronto, the next to pick, are just as bad. In fact, I would have just contracted these two teams if not for the fact that Canadians are weird and keep going to Raptor games, and that Detroit is a storied franchise with multiple titles. I guess its nice that you can pick whoever and it fits.

The Detroit Pistons select DeMarcus Cousins.
The Toronto Raptors select Tyreke Evans.

Detroit gets the slight head case Cousins as the bad ass leader of the new bad boys, and I think he’d become a hugely popular player with the Detroit crowds. Especially after he beats up Kevin Garnett for talking smack to Charlie Villanueva again.
Evans meanwhile makes Toronto an interesting team, his scoring might even carry them to the playoffs, where an inevitable sweep by the Heat awaits. You could do worse than a Calderon-Evans backcourt, plus Bargnani, Ed Davis, and DeRozan are nice pieces, it would definitely be a step in the right direction. I considered Love for Detroit, but felt Cousins has a better chance to be the best player a title team, something I don’t think anyone think Love can become. I also considered Joe Johnson for Toronto, but figured why spend $20mil for a B+ player when $4mil gets you a B- with potential to be an A.


7. Charlotte Bobcats
8. Philadelphia 76ers

They both are borderline playoff teams, but they both kind of suck and have no real long term hopes with their current rosters. They both also have no big men, the list of centers on these two squads is kind of a pathetic group. Tony Battie, Spencer Hawes, Marreese Speights, Kwame Brown, DeSanga Diop, and Nazr Mohammed. There isn’t a solid starter in the bunch, so both teams are going to add a center.

The Charlotte Bobcats select Kevin Love.
The Philadelphia 76ers select Roy Hibbert.

Wait, what? But you just said the Bobcats need a center! What gives? Well, the Bobcats need somebody to crash the boards, and the team was built around defense. Love fits with them because the rest of the team can cover his flaws on D, meanwhile, Love can thrive snatching rebounds, which is something the Bobcats struggle with. For the Sixers, the pick was between Hibbert and Josh Smith. The Sixers would fill their glaring void at center, and if Turner develops they would be able to put a quality player at every position. They also would take Atlanta’s place as the best team in the east that has no chance at winning an NBA title.

9. Golden State Warriors

The warriors play up tempo, and they aim to run you out of the building every single night. There’s only one real choice here.

The Warriors pick Josh Smith.

The Warrior are now running with Lee and Smith up front, and Curry with Ellis in the back. They might score 120 points every game, and allow about 140 points a night.

10. Milwaukee Bucks

This is where I start to pick up the pace.

The Milwaukee Bucks select Joe Johnson.

A good wing to go with the 3 or 4 half-assed ones they are currently running out there. Only 4 years more on that Salmons contract. Still, Johnson/Jennings/Maggette/ Bogut is a nice base.

11. Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns select Ricky Rubio.

Steve Nash ain’t gonna play forever, and there couldn’t possibly be a better tutor for the young Spaniard.

12. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets select Al Horford

Yao Ming ain’t gonna play forever, or ever again, so its time we grab a replacement.

13. Portland Trailblazers

The Portland Trailblazers select Marc Gasol.

Greg Oden ain’t gonna play -you get the idea… Although, I wanted to give them OJ Mayo, so a third guy could join the fight to control the offense. At least Mayo could do it from either position.

14. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks select OJ Mayo

The Knicks are running a high-tempo offense, and Mayo should thrive in it.

15. The Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets select Wesley Johnson

Who knows where this roster is going, a young SF to fill Carmelo’s pending void seems to make sense.

16. The Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic select Zach Randolph.

Orlando’s cap is already blown out, and they need frontcourt depth. Zach is expensive, but he’s a beast down low. I think he really make this team scary.

17. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder select Emeka Okafor

A solid defensive center gives the thunder the last piece needed to be a contender.

18. The Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz select Jamal Crawford.

The only natural SG on the Jazz’ roster is Raja Bell. WTF? Another guard seems in order.

19. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers select Darren Collison

I considered Ariza making a triumphant return here, but the Lakers get minutes at the SF position from Artest, Odom, and Kobe/Brown in smaller sets. A good young point could be huge.

20. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls select Trevor Ariza

Ariza gives the Bulls a playoff-tested, athletic wing who can shoot. A nice fit for a playoff run.

21. Miami Heat

The Miami Heat select Sam Dalembert

The Heat need big men, I considered Jason Thompson, but Sammy is a superior defensive player. The Heat don’t need better offense, just somebody who can swat a few shots.

22. Dallas Mavericks
23. Boston Celtics
24. San Antonio Spurs

Dallas selects Omri Casspi
Boston selects Xavier Henry
San Antonio selects Carl Landry

Dallas needs a SF with Butler hurt and expiring.
Boston picks up somebody to stash on the bench, and maybe a player who can one day can replace Ray Allen
San Antonio gets a nice young big to add to the rotation with Duncan and company.


In Conclusion

So, if the league actually contracted would the game be better? I think it would make every team have somebody to build around, somebody to push them to the next level, or somebody to make them deeper. It would reduce the number of games you just can't get into, like those road trips where the Sixers hit Detroit, Indiana, and Toronto in a week. The problem that is revealed here is that although many of the teams become more interesting, not many of them move into the category of true contender.
If the league wants to keep the fans more entertained, perhaps they should find a way to make quick turn-arounds easier for struggling franchises. In fact, instead of contracting franchises, maybe each franchise should be able to contract one contract. The thing that holds teams back in this league is that a single bad decision can cost your team five seasons. So if your a fan and you know there isn't any way to improve your team until a giant deal expires, why would you follow them day-in, day-out? A team has to be growing, emerging, or contending to be interesting to casual fans. While contraction would certainly bring in fans short-term, I think you must fix the process of building and changing a team in order to keep those fans interested once you land them.

Sixers vs. Hornets

Sixers-Hornets

I’m not going write a ton on this one. Read the ESPN/AP report for details, needless to say this one sucked. Here is just a series of thoughts on the game:

Turner, Williams, and Meeks shot a combined 3 for 27. That’s 11% from the field.

Marreese Speights got a surprise start with Hawes tweaking his back in warm-ups.

Speights came out strong with 2 early FGs, yet wound up with a pedestrian 12 points.

I am oftentimes disappointed with Marreese Speights’ production.

The Sixers held a 40-31 lead late in the 2nd quarter.

The Hornets scored the next 17 points, and the Sixers never regained the lead.

Jrue committed 2 fouls in the first 5 minutes, then not another for the rest of the game.

Sixers finished their road trip 3-5.

Thank God for the Orlando/Phoenix trade, or the trip would have been 2-6.

The Sixers have 5 of their next 6 at home, and 5 of their next 6 are winnable.

Chicago is going to kill the Sixers on Friday, they beat us by 45 last time.

I have tickets to Friday’s game against Chicago.

Sixers have trouble guarding quick guards as Curry, Rose, and Parker all burned us.

Those three PGs finished a combined +85 in those games.

Rose was a friggin’ +41!

The Sixers lost each of those 3 games.

50 days/23 games until the trade deadline.

This had better not be the roster we take onto the court to face Detroit on Feb. 25th.

Ok, let’s just call it quits. Come back tomorrow for a real post where we have some fun with all the talk of contraction.

Back from the Holiday madness

Last time we posted here at the PSP, the Sixers were a dismal 2-10 and I wrote how they only have two players worth keeping. Since that point the squad has played much better ball winning 11 of 21 since a November 17th loss to Toronto, and they are now on pace to finish just under .500 and they may even be a playoff team. The funny thing about the NBA is, however, that the team is now much worse off than if they had just continued their wretched start.

The NBA is a star driven league, to win the NBA title you must have a Hall of Fame level star and an All-Star sidekick, both playing at or very close to their prime. The only exception to this in the past 30 years is Detroit, which played 5 All-Stars and had a HOF coach in Larry Brown. The Sixers don’t even have an All-Star, let alone somebody who may end up being an MVP/HOF type impact player. Last time I wrote I advised on gaining cap space and draft picks in an attempt to land that #1 guy, but now I realize that the Sixers are never going to attract that top-level type free agent. Philly is not a destination city for NBA players. New York, Phoenix, LA, Brooklyn, OKC, Chicago, and the Texas and Florida teams are where players will choose to go, for either money/ weather/ women/ super-team considerations.

So now your options are to either trade for talent or acquire something through the draft. The Sixers recent surge towards the middle of a top heavy league leaves their chances of hitting it big in the draft at very slim, so now a trade seems like the team's only real option. The problem is that teams looking to trade centerpiece talent do it for three reasons, they don’t think they will ever stay healthy (think Yao, Roy, or Oden), they are about to walk via free agency and won’t resign (think Melo), or they are out of their damn mind (the player not the team, think Cousins or Beasley). Sounds promising doesn’t it?

Now it hasn’t been all bad since the PSP last posted, Thaddeus Young has emerged as a real threat off the bench. Last time we posted I said he was a man without a position, but I want to rethink that and say he is a man that gives you the versatility to play multiple lineups. Elsewhere on the roster there was improvement, improvement marred by terrible inconsistency, but improvement nonetheless. Spencer Hawes came out of retirement and had real nice two week run before teams started to target (ok, maybe ‘pay attention to’ is more appropriate) him and he regressed back to a non-factor. The big man did show he has skills and could be a valuable bench player on a good team. Tony Battie played some nice bench minutes and just might have turned himself into an asset, as rumors have him potentially heading to Orlando to serve as much needed size off the bench. Jodie Meeks went through the same two week arc as Hawes, playing inspired ball, and shooting lights-out after first being put into the starting lineup. Much like Hawes, as teams began to include Jodie in their game plan, Meeks’ scoring fell significantly.

This will be our last “State of the Union” type post for awhile since we know where we stand. The team is fun to watch but doesn’t have the players needed to take the next step. They should go out of their way to acquire as many picks and high-ceiling players as possible, even if it means high risk/high ceiling guys like Oden. For now I will check in daily to go over news and notes, game reviews and the like. I will watch every game and post here with thoughts, I think every game is important to the youth on this roster, and hope we can see more consistency from Young, Turner, Holiday, Meeks and Hawes. On off-days I will try to post on the league in general, starting Wednesday with a mock draft and analysis based on LeBron’s idea of contraction.

The Blueprint

The 76ers suffered their worst loss of the season Wednesday night, falling to the lowly Toronto Raptors at home. If the Sixers are unable to handle the Raptors at home, then I think we can agree they are incapable of winning 30 games this year. A return to the lottery is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a chance for your team to add a piece that can get them into contention in the future. The future for this team could be a bright one if the team can makes the right front-office decisions, the problem with that notion is that there are a ton of options and enigmas associated with the current roster. What members of this rosters are building blocks, which are trade chips, which are deadwood to be excised? What can we hope for in the upcoming draft, should we jettison that pick now in an attempt to sweeten a trade proposal? The team has 14 players under contract and a top-5 lotto pick looming, lets break down how they all fit in the 76ers future plans. The Blueprint


The Keepers:
The one thing about a team that is on pace to win 16 games, is that there probably isn’t a ton of sure fire, can’t miss type guys that need to be retained in order to become a contender. By my count there are only 2.

Jrue Holiday PG: I am very high on Jrue Holiday, and while he still commits too many turnovers, he is definitely a special player and a keeper. Since a shaky start, Jrue has come on to average 16 points and 9 assists in the month of November. Jrue is very young at 20, so you can expect that he will mature both mentally and physically. The physical maturity is especially exciting, because as his 6’4” frame fills out over the next few years Jrue will become a monster of a point guard that can abuse other points with his size. Jrue could become a Deron Williams type mismatch for smaller guards if things go the right way for him. His keeper status shouldn’t be a surprise, and I wouldn’t move him unless I was getting one of the top 5 point guards in return (Rose, Rondo, Wall, Paul, and Deron.)

Evan Turner SG: The number two pick in the 2010 drat is a keeper for obvious reasons. Turner is young, big, smart, and hustles on the court. Turner needs to develop a scoring touch in order to become an all-star, but you can expect him to have a long successful NBA career. Turner leads all guards in rebounding, snatching nearly 7 per contest. That type of production on the boards is going to lead to Turner dropping triple-doubles on his opponents several times a year. Also, with Turner and Holiday the 76ers will have the biggest backcourt in basketball, which if the frontcourt is ever properly developed could help the Sixers become an elite defensive team, which all champions must be.

I hesitate to say the Sixers have to keep anybody else, not that there isn’t talent, but everybody else on the roster has questions about their skills, position, age, or money. Turner and Jrue are young, big, talented, and cheap (for now) everybody else is lacking in one of the areas if not several. The majority of the roster can be debated about, so before we get there, lets cover the guys who can go away without affecting the future.

The Deadwood:
Nothing personal here, this section is simply the guys who have limitations based on age/ money/ skill that don’t fit into any possible future plans for the Sixers.

Jason Kapono SF, Tony Battie C, Darius Songaila PF: Three vets in the final years of their contract who are either past their prime, or never really had a prime. (looking your way, Darius) These guy can be dumped and they wouldn’t be missed, although it should be noted that Kapono and Songaila make a combined $11.4 million, so although they are not a part of the future they still could be considered assets as they could end up being used to acquire talent in a trade.

Andres Nocioni SF: Andres is a good player, but he is about to turn 31 on November 30, so to count on him to contribute two or three years from now would be foolish. Andres also is a little overpaid for my tastes, so I’d prefer they trade him now rather than let him walk away after playing out his contract. I believe at the trade deadline a contender will absolutely pick up a scrappy SF who can shoot a little and defend. Also, and I’ll cover this later, Craig Brackins is a raw 6’10” SF who can shoot and was drafted in 21st overall in the 2010 draft, let’s clear out guys like Kapono and Nocioni and see what the kid has.

Elton Brand PF: I am not by any means a Brand hater, but Elton will be 34 when his contract ends in the summer of 2013, and at that point it will be near over for the former all-star. Elton is certainly overpaid, so if an opportunity to trade Brand comes along I’d jump at it. Trading Brand may seem like a long-shot now, but Brand has been giving you quality minutes, and with a lockout looming the team that acquires Brand this year may get to skip next season and then have Elton as a big ol’ expiring contract. In theory, this means Brand contributes 25 or so bench minutes to a contender this year, then becomes a trade chip again after not getting paid for 2011-12.


The Maybes:
Here is where it gets difficult, lose the wrong guys and you end up with a roster full of holes, but sign the wrong guy for too much money and you end up crippling your franchise for years. (I am extremely proud that I wrote that previous line without stopping and swearing about Billy King, Willie Green, Sam Dalembert, or Elton Brand.)

Craig Brackins SF, Jodie Meeks SG: These two are linked for obvious reasons, they both have potential to be successful rotation guys, but they both need to be given minutes to determine if they fit in with the future. Jodie was a talented scorer in college and could end up as the third guard in the Sixers rotation behind Jrue and Evan one day. Meeks’ ability to shoot from three-point range and get points in bunches will determine if he ends up as a role player or as the Sixers sixth man of the future. Brackins on the other hand is blocked by Iggy, Nocioni, and Kapono, so he won’t see minutes this season unless moves are made. Brackins is 6‘10“, which means if he ever develops into a starter it would give the Sixers another oversized player to go with their giant backcourt. He also has nice range and shoots well from outside, which will be required since he probably will get his minutes at Kapono and Nocioni’s expense and they are among our best outside shooters. Brackins needs to be more aggressive defensively to make it in the league, being tall just isn’t enough at the pro level. Still, when he was acquired from the Hornets he was regarded as the player with the highest ceiling involved in that deal.

Marreese Speights C/PF, Thaddeus Young F: This pair is linked based on the fact that both players have looked tremendous for stretches and then lost for even longer stretches. Young seems to be finding a groove lately as a reserve, and sits in the top 10 in FG percentage. Thaddeus was horrendous in 2009-10 under Eddie Jordan and appears to be on the way back to relevance under new coach Doug Collins. At just 22, it seems like there is a lot of room for Thaddeus to grow, but I can’t call him a keeper because of his financial situation. Young will be a restricted free agent after the season, and I feel like it may end up in the teams best interests to let him go. Amir Johnson, an inferior PF, just got a 5 year $35 million contract from Toronto, which kind of sets the minimum Thaddeus could get offered on the open market. Now if a team had stars to build around I’d be ok with paying Thaddeus that kind of money, but to do it and hamper your ability to fill needs seems counter productive. Let’s not forget that Thaddeus doesn’t shoot well enough to be the starting 3 next to Turner, and he doesn’t have the body to be a starting 4. You can not pay a man without a position that kind of money unless you already have stars to build around. Ultimately I need more time to determine what to do with Thaddeus, if the Sixers end up at the top of the lottery and end up drafting somebody who projects as a star, then I am more likely to keep Thad around as a backup. If they don’t get a top pick, I think you may have to let him go in an attempt to get under the cap once Brand’s deal expires in 2013 so we can land a star via free agency. I feel Speights deserves a similar holding pattern. Marreese is signed through 2012, so we have time to figure out what he can do in the league, but I can’t commit any type of big money to him unless I have my superstar-type centerpiece in place.

Spencer Hawes C: How does a 22-Year old, 7’1” center with shooting range nearly end up in the deadwood category? Hawes is big and young which I love, but he just doesn’t produce. Hawes doesn’t score a ton (just 8.6 points per game for his career), he can’t rebound (5.4 rpg), and his defense is suspect. On top of it all the Kings traded him for Sam Dalembert, which says more about his potential then anything I could write. Still, he is 7 feet tall and you can‘t teach size, or underestimate its value. There are 70 games left this year for the big guy to show something, if there’s any hope there I say keep him around with a two or three year deal and see if anything develops. Just remember to keep it cheap, we overspent on Dalembert waiting for him to develop and it never happened.

Lou Williams G: I like Lou a lot, and he is way too good and affordable to go in the deadwood category, but I’m not sure he fits as a long term option. First of all, Lou is blocked from big minutes by your two best young players in Jrue and Evan. The fact that he is undersized is ok, because he has a big PG next to him in Holiday. I just think I’d rather trade Lou to somebody that needs bench scoring and try get shooting/youth/picks. I also wouldn’t mind seeing Jodie Meeks get more minutes, but Lou’s presence blocks that from happening. The timing of Lou’s contract also doesn’t help, it expires after 2012-13, just as you expect to be turning the corner, so if Lou is going to be around when you are good then its going to be a much higher price tag, losing a lot of Williams’ appeal to me. This isn’t a knock on Lou, I just think if you can get a young big, a sniper, or a high pick for him, it is something you need to move on.

Andre Iguodala SG/SF: The sentiment seems to be that we should dump Iggy just to get his contract off the books, and I have to disagree. Trade offers like Iggy for Peja Stojakovic, or Iggy for Tayshaun Prince have been floated around, but I don’t see the logic. Why get worse now without gaining any long-term assets? I think Iggy should only be traded if it brings back a long term piece, ideally a young big man. For example, I’m ok with the Prince deal if the Pistons include Greg Monroe, the young center they drafted this spring. I’d also be thrilled if they could revive the talks of a three team deal centered on Iguodala, Carmelo, and Favors. (Especially if we could also get sharp shooter Anthony Morrow from NJ) It seems to be forgotten sometimes that Iguodala is a dynamic player miscast as the centerpiece of a team. What we really need is a superstar to lead the team, because Iguodala could absolutely be the second best player on a contender. So I say keep him and see where the draft takes you, maybe you end up with a quality big man for Iggy to partner with. Then again, maybe you end up with North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, and Iggy really does have to go.

So what’s the blueprint?
Ultimately, the plan has to be an effort to free up money and to stockpile draft picks in hopes of landing a true #1 superstar. You do not win championships without a legitimate superstar (except Detroit) so acquiring that player is the top priority. Maybe you can draft one, Harrison Barnes has all the buzz currently among the college kids. Maybe you can shed salary and sign one from somebody else, my dream would be Dwight Howard in summer of 2012, but that’s the longest of long shots. Dwight aside, you do need a strong big man to compete in this league, and I‘d give a long look at Tyson Chandler, Kendrick Perkins and Yao Ming this off season. I would listen to offers for anybody other than Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, I would give Hawes, Meeks, and Brackins more minutes and see what these guys can give us long term. I would refuse to give out any contract that commits big money past the expiration of Brand’s current deal, except for locking up the backcourt.

Ultimately the biggest tool needed for a Sixers resurgence is patience. We need to avoid being overaggressive in the trade market, so we can maximize the return we get on our assets. We need to see what our young players can really bring to the table, but we can‘t spend too much to keep role players or we‘ll paint ourselves into a corner. First and foremost, we have to be focused on attaining that true superstar and leader, so attaining cap space and high draft picks are definitely the priority.

NFC Preview - 09/04/09

Are you ready for some football? We get ready for the 2010 season by covering every division in football. First up is the NFC. Can Brett Favre lead the Vikes to the Superbowl? Can the Eagles make another run? Will the Lions win a game? Whats your take on the NFC?

Raaaaaa-(eeeewwwwwww)lllll

You would imagine that being a Phillies fan is about as easy right now as it has ever been. After all the Phils are 8 games ahead in the NL East with just a month remaining in the season, they feature a rotation that is the league’s best since they acquired Cliff Lee, and let’s not forget they are the defending world champions. Yet anxiety runs rampant through the hearts and minds of the Phillies faithful following. The three biggest concerns are the lack of a bench, the disastrous season of still-closer-for-now Brad Lidge (For more on Lidge and the bench, check out the 8/31 podcast), and the disappearance of top free agent acquisition Raul Ibanez.



Ibanez started the season on a monster tear and quickly won over the fans, for his efforts Raul was rewarded with his first all-star selection. On June 18th, Raul’s hot start was sidetracked by a strained groin and a trip to the DL. Raul would come off of the DL on July 10th just 4 days before the all-star game, which drew speculation that he returned earlier than necessary to ensure he could play in his first mid-summer classic. Ibanez and Coach Charlie Manuel both have said that they do not believe the injury is still an issue, but that speculation has gained steam since Ibanez has been nothing short of terrible since his return. Even more concerning is that Ibanez has traditionally been a superior player in the second half of the year.

Over the last three seasons with Seattle, Raul has hit 30 points higher, slugged 50 points higher, and he has had better HR and RBI rates in the second half. For him to be this off is especially concerning due to his track record and the fact that he has no precedence for this type of fall off. If the injury is still lingering, the Phillies need to sit Ibanez for as long as necessary to get him 100% for October. Heck, maybe the extra playing time for Stairs, Dobbs, and Bruntlett can get one of them into rhythm. If the injury truly isn’t a factor, than the team has a scarier possibility to face, maybe Ibanez is just getting old, and maybe a three-year deal was a bit much.

Ibanez was signed to replace LF Pat Burrell, and was paid $3 million more annually than Burrell got to sign with Tampa. It hardly seems worth it at this point if you compare Burrell’s 2008 with Ibanez’s 2009:

Burrell- .250 avg/ 33 HR’s/ 86 RBI’s
Ibanez- .274 avg/ 27 HR’s/ 79 RBI’s

Now Raul still has a month to play, but if he continues his slide he’ll end up around .260/30/90. So is it worth an extra $16 million in a contract to add .010 to a batting average, and to get a handful more RBI’s? I don’t think so. Remember, the Phillies have Michael Taylor and Dominic Brown lurking in the minors, and Raul is entrenched in LF for two more seasons, so there’s a chance we’ll ship out the younger and more vital Werth and/or Victorino to save money and make room for the youngsters. There’s a chance that Ibanez’s third year becomes an Adam Eaton type albatross. If after the 2010 season we lose Cliff Lee to free agency while not getting value from Ibanez’s $10 million salary, it will be a big issue to fans.

The only criticism I have of this front office is they offer big money to guys with red flags, Tom Gordon was old, Brad Lidge was too hit or miss, Adam Eaton was the league’s worst pitcher, and Raul Ibanez, like Gordon, is old. Also like Tom Gordon, Raul started out doing well for himself, but over time he seems less and less worth the investment. His struggles not only cast doubt over the World Series hopes of the 2009 Phillies, but for the next two seasons as well.

Raul has been consistently a .295/22/105 type of offensive player, and in our park and with our lineup, you should expect better. With that classic Ibanez, the Phillies are the best offensive team in the league, without him they regress to being merely very good. For now I think he needs either a Brad Lidge-type DL stint, or a Jimmy Rollins-style benching, but either way we should try something because it quite literally can’t get any worse than this.

8/31/09 - Heart Attack Lidge

We are back! On this week's podcast, we talk about the inconsistency of Brad Lidge and whether or not a move will be made at the back end of the pen. We also discuss Ryan Howard's annual late season magic and whether or not he has a shot at the NL MVP.

PSP Podcast for April 20, 2009

After a glorious sports Sunday, Greg is on the podcast covering all four major sports, and breaking down the happenings of the week.

LISTEN - Click here to open the player. Be sure to play the Podcast from 4/20/2009

ITUNES - Click here to get The Not Sports Report in Itunes. To get our Weekly Sports Podcast in Itunes, click here.

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2009 MLB Preview Podcast

Our 30 part MLB 2009 preview, which you can find here, concludes with a podcast where we name our division winners, Wild Cards, Cy Young and MVP winners. Some topics discussed in this one: Did the Yankees 425 Million spending spree pays off? Can the Padres win the NL West on sweet Camo Uniforms alone? Does a healthy Chris Carpenter make the Cards a NL Favorite?



LISTEN - Click here to launch an external player. Be sure to play the MLB 2009 Preview MP3

DOWNLOAD - Click here to download

ITUNES - Click here to get our podcast in Itunes

Phillies 2009 Opening Night Podcast

The Phillies kicked off their 2009 season last night with a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Instead of our normal weekly podcast, we are dedicating the podcast specifically to the Phillies opening night, the hoopla surrounding it and what this loss means in the grand scheme or things. Can the Phils turn it around in the next 161? Can Brett Myers keep the ball in the park? Is it time to panic? I know these are ridiculous questions, but the fan base here is for some reason asking these questions. Have a listen and let us know what you think.



LISTEN - Click here to launch an external player. Be sure to play the Opening Night 2009 mp3

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ITUNES - Click here to get our podcast in Itunes