Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Sixers Needs

We're assuming that the Sixers keep Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala at least for this season. The Sixers have two glaring needs that jump right out at you.
  • A legitimate 2-way PF to man the 4 spot. Reggie Evans is a great energy guy and rebounder. He'll be excellent in a role as the the 2nd man (1st big) off of the bench after Lou Williams. He's not a starting 4 any way you cut it. He just doesn't have the offense. Thaddeus Young is a nice young player, but he's not suited to play the 4 unless the Sixers are going to a "small ball" lineup. The Sixers need a PF who is an offensive presence in the post in the worst way. Having such a player will mask some of Dalembert's offensive shortcomings and force opposing defenses to sag off of Iguodala a bit. The Sixers main weakness is their inability to space the floor and score in a half-court offensive set. This is the first and most difficult step to remedy that deficiency.
  • A starting-caliber NBA 2 guard. Willie Green should be the 3rd-5th guy off of the bench, if that. The Sixers desperately need a real 3 point threat. Andre Miller, for all of the good things he is, is not a 3 point threat. Maybe Iguodala and Young will develop a deep shot. But for now the Sixers desperately need to fill that role. Think a Kyle Korver type, not as good of a shooter as Korver but a better defender.
They also need one more veteran big to come off of the bench and a 3rd point guard. You might want to throw another center on that list too. But those are easier roles to fill (and cheaper) than their main 2 needs. So what is the outlook on addressing these needs?

A talented big is harder to come by than a guard who can hit some 3's. Let's see who's potentially out there for the copping. We'll look at what the Sixers might do to address these needs in the draft next time.

THE BIGS
  • Antawn Jamison is the only player who's technically available at this point who fits the bill for what the Sixers are looking for in their PF. But Jamison is turning 32 and he's said that he wants to re-sign with the Wizards.
  • Elton Brand could opt-out of his contract with the Clippers and hit the market. He's 29 but he's a proven All-Star and great teammate who's played with Andre Miller before. If he hits the market look for the Sixers to make a push.
  • Jermaine O'Neal could opt-out but it's doubtful. He could go back to his original position a the 4 and that might help to rejuvenate him. It's more likely that he stays with the Pacers under his current deal and they attempt to trade him.
  • Shawn Marion is another guy who could opt-out but it's doubtful. He's not a traditional PF but he has the length to play there and he'd fit with the Sixers new philosophy. As a bonus he would be the best 3-point shooter on the team as of right now.
  • Emeka Okafor is a restricted free agent but he's too similar to Dalembert.
  • Josh Smith is also a restricted free agent. He also has the most upside of anybody on this list. If his game keeps developing he could be scary good. He's also a helluva shot blocker and can hit the 3 ball a bit. The downside is that his post offense is not very developed and he's still more "upside" than All-Star. Plus the Hawks would match just about any offer for him. A sign-and-trade is probably the only way it would happen.
  • Nenad Krstic is yet another restricted free agent. He's coming off of an injury and is a center by trade. But Sixer GM Ed Stefanski was a big supporter of him back in Jersey. If the Sixers did something along the lines of trading Dalembert & change to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal, Krstic could be brought in to play center.
THE LITTLE GUYS
  • Monta Ellis is another restricted free agent. He's an undersized 2 and is similar to Lou Williams in some ways. But Ellis has a better shot and has proven he can cut it as a starter in the NBA. The Sixers might be hesitant to tie their fortunes to another undersized shooting guard. But Ellis is a dynamic scorer and the Sixers need that. It's unlikely that the Warriors would not match any offer for him.
  • Ben Gordon is another restricted free agent undersized shooting guard. But he can score in bunches and can really shoot the 3. The Bulls might not match an offer for him and he might come for a cheaper price than expected. It would be interesting to see if he'd take the full mid-level exception if offered it.
  • Gilbert Arenas has an opt-out for this season. Yes he's technically a point guard but he's the best scorer that's out there for the taking and he loves taking the big shots at the end of games. But he's made noise about taking less money to stay in Washington. If the Clippers end up with cap room and he's out there, look for them to make the full court press.
  • Corey Maggette also has an opt-out. It would have a certain sense of irony if Maggette and Brand both ended up together again, this time on the Sixers? Maggette fits everything the Sixers need in a 2 guard, minus great defense. Maggette might not get any offers anywhere else for anything over the mid-level exception. If the money's right he would be a great fit on the Sixers.
  • Ron Artest also has an opt-out. From what I hear, the Sixers kicked the tires on an Artest trade around the trade deadline. He can shoot the 3, play lock down D and play the 2 or the 3. For the right price I think the Sixers would be very interested. But I see Artest staying in Sacramento or going to Dallas or New York for the mid-level exception.

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