Sixers signed Kwame Brown today to a (potentially) 2 year deal. No great way to spin it.
...and supposedly DC wants to start Spencer Hawes at the 4?! (and I'm assuming Kwame at the 5).
Well, if it doesn't work, he'll surely realize pretty fast.
Why not... CARL LANDRY or ANYONE OTHER THAN KWAME BROWN??!!!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
West Too-Early Predictions
1 OKC (Gotta put 'em here... but I do think there's a possibility they slip a little)
2 LA Lakers (they could be real killers)
3 San Antonio (they're adding some more international flavor in De Colo and Lorbek and reupping Diaw plus still have Duncan/Parker/Ginobili/SJax, etc.... they'll be in the mix)
4 Memphis (they've got a good squad)
5 LA Clippers (if Billups is healthy, this team will be very good again)
6 Denver (JaVale plus runners... could be very good or miss playoffs)
7 Utah (Jefferson/Millsap/Marvin Williams/Hayward/Mo Williams plus...)
8 Golden State (if Bogut is healthy, this team will surprise a lot of people. Steph Curry/Barnes/Klay Thompson/David Lee/Bogut with RJ on bench. Wow)
9 Minnesota (they could be 7 actually... it's all about Love and Rubio staying healthy. Like Budinger addition. Really wanna find a playoff spot for them but it'll be a fight)
10 Sacramento (with Thomas Robinson/Cousins/Tyreke and crew they will be tough to beat... but young and messy)
11 Blazers (no real concept of who they are anymore)
12 Dallas (Collison is nice, but who else do they have to pair with Nowitzki?)
13 New Orleans (like Ryan Anderson/Gordon/Anthony Davis but they will be young and unproven)
14 Houston (they will be looking to trade. Otherwise, they'll be real young)
15 Phoenix (bleh)
Contenders:
East: Miami, Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston
West: OKC, LA Lakers, San Antonio
2 LA Lakers (they could be real killers)
3 San Antonio (they're adding some more international flavor in De Colo and Lorbek and reupping Diaw plus still have Duncan/Parker/Ginobili/SJax, etc.... they'll be in the mix)
4 Memphis (they've got a good squad)
5 LA Clippers (if Billups is healthy, this team will be very good again)
6 Denver (JaVale plus runners... could be very good or miss playoffs)
7 Utah (Jefferson/Millsap/Marvin Williams/Hayward/Mo Williams plus...)
8 Golden State (if Bogut is healthy, this team will surprise a lot of people. Steph Curry/Barnes/Klay Thompson/David Lee/Bogut with RJ on bench. Wow)
9 Minnesota (they could be 7 actually... it's all about Love and Rubio staying healthy. Like Budinger addition. Really wanna find a playoff spot for them but it'll be a fight)
10 Sacramento (with Thomas Robinson/Cousins/Tyreke and crew they will be tough to beat... but young and messy)
11 Blazers (no real concept of who they are anymore)
12 Dallas (Collison is nice, but who else do they have to pair with Nowitzki?)
13 New Orleans (like Ryan Anderson/Gordon/Anthony Davis but they will be young and unproven)
14 Houston (they will be looking to trade. Otherwise, they'll be real young)
15 Phoenix (bleh)
Contenders:
East: Miami, Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston
West: OKC, LA Lakers, San Antonio
More Free Agency Notes
On the Rockets. They're getting rid of Scola now? Basically, the Rockets are the perfect team to trade a big vet to. They've got picks, young players, cap space. They dumped their two best players: Lowry (for a first) and Scola (for nothin'). The funny thing is their dream is to basically swap teams with Orlando since the Magic are insisting on dumping a million crap-contracts on whomever wants Dwight Howard. So a Rockets- Magic deal will look something like this: Dwight, Q Richardson, Duhon, and J Richardson for Terrence Jones, Donatas Montiejunas, Chandler Parsons, Jeremy Lamb, and 2 1st round picks. The Rockets could then have basically the same team as the Magic with maybe a few more green sprouts (young guys). And were the Magic that good? Not really.
On the Knicks. At least the Sixers are building through youth. Amare is already cooked (or semi-cooked). Melo gets worse every year. Chandler is good. Shumpert is a revelation. Kidd and Camby? This team is destined for a string of out-in-the-second-round runs.
On the Nets. Like what BK just did by taking on Joe Johnson. We'll wait a year before he gets killed for signing Wallace to a $10 mil/year deal, Lopez to a virtual max contract, and taking on Joe Johnson (the biggest contract signed in the last 5 years). They will compete. But how much better will they be? They basically are adding Gerald Wallace, Mirza Teletovic, Reggie Evans, and Joe Johnson to last years team. Those are solid additions, but they're not gonna be contenders (I think). And this is their team for the foreseeable future. Still, it's top-3 in the East: Deron/JJ/Wallace/Hump (presumably)/Lopez with Teletovic/Evans/rooks on the bench. Actually, if Wallace plays up to his potential (Charlotte days) and Lopez improves, this team could be very, very good.
On the Lakers. Love the Nash signing. How many more years does he have left? At least one or two, right?
Top East teams: 1 Miami (love Ray Allen signing... I mean, I don't love it, but it does scare me);
2 Chicago (they're being written off; but they were 1 last year and I think they'll tread water well until Rose returns);
3 Brooklyn (will be much improved)
4 Indiana (better version of the Sixers imho with Hibbert/Granger/George/G. Hill, etc. Maybe this is too high for them but they looked good last year)
5 Boston (reupping and really like Terry signing...can't believe people kept saying Big 3 when Rondo was their best player)
6 New York (don't love 'em, but they'll make playoffs)
7 Sixers (almost put 'em at 6 for the heck of it... though, they could easily miss playoffs)
8 Atlanta (with Lou, Horford, and Josh Smith...they should be ok)
9 Washington (I think they put it together this year with Wall/Nene/Okafor/Beal/Ariza and a fair bench)
10 Milwaukee (Dalembert a fair add; don't think Monta/Jennings backcourt will be good on D)
11 Toronto (will be much improved with Lowry and Valanciunas, who is supposedly a stud)
12 Orlando (with or without Dwight, I don't have high hopes)
13 Cleveland (nice squad... like Irving... will be fine)
14 Detroit (Maggette and Drummond are fine adds but the team is still not great)
15 Charlotte (they will still suck)
continued...
On the Knicks. At least the Sixers are building through youth. Amare is already cooked (or semi-cooked). Melo gets worse every year. Chandler is good. Shumpert is a revelation. Kidd and Camby? This team is destined for a string of out-in-the-second-round runs.
On the Nets. Like what BK just did by taking on Joe Johnson. We'll wait a year before he gets killed for signing Wallace to a $10 mil/year deal, Lopez to a virtual max contract, and taking on Joe Johnson (the biggest contract signed in the last 5 years). They will compete. But how much better will they be? They basically are adding Gerald Wallace, Mirza Teletovic, Reggie Evans, and Joe Johnson to last years team. Those are solid additions, but they're not gonna be contenders (I think). And this is their team for the foreseeable future. Still, it's top-3 in the East: Deron/JJ/Wallace/Hump (presumably)/Lopez with Teletovic/Evans/rooks on the bench. Actually, if Wallace plays up to his potential (Charlotte days) and Lopez improves, this team could be very, very good.
On the Lakers. Love the Nash signing. How many more years does he have left? At least one or two, right?
Top East teams: 1 Miami (love Ray Allen signing... I mean, I don't love it, but it does scare me);
2 Chicago (they're being written off; but they were 1 last year and I think they'll tread water well until Rose returns);
3 Brooklyn (will be much improved)
4 Indiana (better version of the Sixers imho with Hibbert/Granger/George/G. Hill, etc. Maybe this is too high for them but they looked good last year)
5 Boston (reupping and really like Terry signing...can't believe people kept saying Big 3 when Rondo was their best player)
6 New York (don't love 'em, but they'll make playoffs)
7 Sixers (almost put 'em at 6 for the heck of it... though, they could easily miss playoffs)
8 Atlanta (with Lou, Horford, and Josh Smith...they should be ok)
9 Washington (I think they put it together this year with Wall/Nene/Okafor/Beal/Ariza and a fair bench)
10 Milwaukee (Dalembert a fair add; don't think Monta/Jennings backcourt will be good on D)
11 Toronto (will be much improved with Lowry and Valanciunas, who is supposedly a stud)
12 Orlando (with or without Dwight, I don't have high hopes)
13 Cleveland (nice squad... like Irving... will be fine)
14 Detroit (Maggette and Drummond are fine adds but the team is still not great)
15 Charlotte (they will still suck)
continued...
Free Agency and Sixers
My assumption going into free agency that the Sixers would probably sign Lavoy Allen, let Spencer Hawes go, and let the chips fall where they may with Lou Williams. I also assumed that Elton Brand would stay because: he adds a veteran presence, his expiring contract might be worth something during the season, and the team wouldn't want to eat his salary.
So far, I've been wrong about a bunch of things.
ESPN analyst John Hollinger has characterized the Sixers' front office as flying by the seat of their pants. His evidence rests on a few key pieces of evidence. First, he says that the Sixers should have signed Lavoy Allen to a deal that included options for subsequent years after year one. He says every team does this and it's bizarre that the Sixers didn't. Second, he says that this Lavoy mistake led to the amnestying of Brand so the Sixers could open up cap space for Nick Young that they would've had if Lavoy were under a cheapo second-round pick contract. Then, he sees the additions of Nick Young and Dorell Wright and the subtractions of Lou and EB and thinks he sees a team without a plan.
Sixers' co-owner Adam Aron has tweeted that they do have a plan and that their moves have been known internally for awhile--they just got reported as journalists sniffed out the details.
I don't know if the team has a plan or not. I know we have a good coach and I know some solid pieces have been added--and some vets jettisoned. The big thing will be whether they trade Iguodala--something I'm against b/c of Ig's defensive prowess. If Iguodala is gone, the team is clearly looking to build up again--a mini-rebuild--through youth.
Let's look at the moves:
Sixers re-sign Lavoy Allen (2 yrs) and Spencer Hawes (2 yrs). Hawes still has potential and, I think, Allen has more than fulfilled his. Both got fair deals: Hawes about 6.5mil per year, Allen about 2.5 mil per year. Billy King would've signed Hawes to a 50 mil deal no doubt. I like the length and reasonableness of the contracts. Allen will hopefully be a solid bench player. Hawes will hopefully have the incentive to get better with his short contract. The team desperately needs a shot-blocker! Fine moves value-wise.
Sixers amnesty/waive Elton Brand for cap space. A few thoughts here: one, this is a total Chris Webber situation where Brand will go to a solid veteran team (like Dallas) and start putting up numbers (15 and 8?). But watching the playoffs last year, it was obvious that Brand is more or less done. In the least he's a total waste of money on this team when Lavoy Allen (except for with his defensive lapses) more or less replicated Brand's production when the games mattered most. 11 points, 7 rebs, 1.5 blocks is decent but not worth breaking the bank. Put it this way: it's conceivable that Arnett Moultrie puts up similar numbers this year and he was an end of the first round draft pick. Brand did bring attitude and character and experience. But, he was gone next year anyway. This move fast-forwards things a bit and let's the team see what they really have. As Chad Ford said: in the short term it will hurt. So for one year they may be slightly worse than they would've been, but they'll get to give their young bigs experience. Nice move.
Sixers let Lou sign with the Hawks. Web sites are phrasing it as the Sixers "gave" EB and Lou for Dorell Wright and Nick Young. That's not the case. EB was gone this year or next anyway. They DID however replace Lou with Nick Young. Lou was too short in the playoffs. Against the Celtics he was not very useful. He played spotty. I think from a cap perspective this was the right move. Don't overpay this guy and lock yourself in. See what else is out there.
Sixers sign Nick Young (1 yr) and trade for Dorell Wright (1 yr left on contract). I really like Dorell Wright. Let's remember that the year before last he led the NBA in 3pters made and taken. He can shoot it. He's also big enough to conceivably play both forward positions. Nick Young was a bit of a loose cannon on the Wiz, but when he got hot in LA (or Washington) he was smokin'. He can't move the ball like Lou can, but the Sixers had enough guys to dribble (ET, Jrue, Ig) last year and no spot up shooters (save Lavoy and Spencer). These two will allow the Sixers to slash and space the floor. Imagine a lineup with Jrue, ET, Young, Wright, and Thad. Or Jrue, Ig, ET, Dorell, and Lavoy. There's floor spacing, offense, speed and potentially defense.
So, let's move on to possible depth charts and whether future moves are possible.
Here is the Sixers best defensive 5 as it stands: Jrue/ET/Ig/Thad/Lavoy (yes, that frontcourt is weak)
Here is their best offensive 5: Jrue/ET/Young/Dorell/Thad.
Both line-ups are a stretch, so let's look at a possible depth chart.
C: Hawes/Vucevic/Moultrie
PF: Thad Young/Lavoy/Moultrie
SF: Iguodala/Wright/Harkless
SG: Turner/Young
PG: Holiday/Turner
That depth chart actually captures 11 players! I do think that the idea is to have ET play backup point guard. I think that Young may even start (or Wright) playing the former Meeks role.
With no changes, the starters could be Hawes/Thad or Moultrie/Ig/Young/Jrue leaving a bench of Vucevic/Thad or Moultrie/Wright/Harkless/ET. That's a pretty sick bench. I put Moultrie in as a starter because he can rebound. The starters with Ig, Young, Jrue, Moultrie, and Hawes are actually pretty dynamic and including shooting, slashing, D, and rebounding. The second unit with ET/Harkless/Wright/Thad/Vucevic/Lavoy would probably beat any other NBA team's second unit.
The issues I see foremost are with the frontcourt. Lavoy and Vucevic are decent backups. Hawes is fine but unless he improves a lot he's a marginally good starting center. There is no real PF. I'm assuming a rookie (Moultrie) will start at PF because I think Thad and Spencer as starters would be way too undersized and would lack rebounding. Brand would've helped but he doesn't move the dial that much. Would trading Ig for a good PF help? Someone like Millsap might. There are two angles here: either Moultrie/Lavoy/Vuc/Hawes improve or they bring someone in. They can bring someone in next year with cap space (when Young and Wright's deals expire) or trade Iguodala.
If you trade Ig for a PF, the lineups do look cleaner. Let's say, the Sixers trade Ig for Paul Millsap or Pau Gasol.
Then you've got:
C Hawes; PF Gasol/Millsap; SF Wright; SG Tuner; PG Holiday still with a good bench of: Nick Young, Thad Young, Lavoy, Harkless, and Vucevic.
I think I just convinced myself to trade Iguodala. Ha ha.
So far, I've been wrong about a bunch of things.
ESPN analyst John Hollinger has characterized the Sixers' front office as flying by the seat of their pants. His evidence rests on a few key pieces of evidence. First, he says that the Sixers should have signed Lavoy Allen to a deal that included options for subsequent years after year one. He says every team does this and it's bizarre that the Sixers didn't. Second, he says that this Lavoy mistake led to the amnestying of Brand so the Sixers could open up cap space for Nick Young that they would've had if Lavoy were under a cheapo second-round pick contract. Then, he sees the additions of Nick Young and Dorell Wright and the subtractions of Lou and EB and thinks he sees a team without a plan.
Sixers' co-owner Adam Aron has tweeted that they do have a plan and that their moves have been known internally for awhile--they just got reported as journalists sniffed out the details.
I don't know if the team has a plan or not. I know we have a good coach and I know some solid pieces have been added--and some vets jettisoned. The big thing will be whether they trade Iguodala--something I'm against b/c of Ig's defensive prowess. If Iguodala is gone, the team is clearly looking to build up again--a mini-rebuild--through youth.
Let's look at the moves:
Sixers re-sign Lavoy Allen (2 yrs) and Spencer Hawes (2 yrs). Hawes still has potential and, I think, Allen has more than fulfilled his. Both got fair deals: Hawes about 6.5mil per year, Allen about 2.5 mil per year. Billy King would've signed Hawes to a 50 mil deal no doubt. I like the length and reasonableness of the contracts. Allen will hopefully be a solid bench player. Hawes will hopefully have the incentive to get better with his short contract. The team desperately needs a shot-blocker! Fine moves value-wise.
Sixers amnesty/waive Elton Brand for cap space. A few thoughts here: one, this is a total Chris Webber situation where Brand will go to a solid veteran team (like Dallas) and start putting up numbers (15 and 8?). But watching the playoffs last year, it was obvious that Brand is more or less done. In the least he's a total waste of money on this team when Lavoy Allen (except for with his defensive lapses) more or less replicated Brand's production when the games mattered most. 11 points, 7 rebs, 1.5 blocks is decent but not worth breaking the bank. Put it this way: it's conceivable that Arnett Moultrie puts up similar numbers this year and he was an end of the first round draft pick. Brand did bring attitude and character and experience. But, he was gone next year anyway. This move fast-forwards things a bit and let's the team see what they really have. As Chad Ford said: in the short term it will hurt. So for one year they may be slightly worse than they would've been, but they'll get to give their young bigs experience. Nice move.
Sixers let Lou sign with the Hawks. Web sites are phrasing it as the Sixers "gave" EB and Lou for Dorell Wright and Nick Young. That's not the case. EB was gone this year or next anyway. They DID however replace Lou with Nick Young. Lou was too short in the playoffs. Against the Celtics he was not very useful. He played spotty. I think from a cap perspective this was the right move. Don't overpay this guy and lock yourself in. See what else is out there.
Sixers sign Nick Young (1 yr) and trade for Dorell Wright (1 yr left on contract). I really like Dorell Wright. Let's remember that the year before last he led the NBA in 3pters made and taken. He can shoot it. He's also big enough to conceivably play both forward positions. Nick Young was a bit of a loose cannon on the Wiz, but when he got hot in LA (or Washington) he was smokin'. He can't move the ball like Lou can, but the Sixers had enough guys to dribble (ET, Jrue, Ig) last year and no spot up shooters (save Lavoy and Spencer). These two will allow the Sixers to slash and space the floor. Imagine a lineup with Jrue, ET, Young, Wright, and Thad. Or Jrue, Ig, ET, Dorell, and Lavoy. There's floor spacing, offense, speed and potentially defense.
So, let's move on to possible depth charts and whether future moves are possible.
Here is the Sixers best defensive 5 as it stands: Jrue/ET/Ig/Thad/Lavoy (yes, that frontcourt is weak)
Here is their best offensive 5: Jrue/ET/Young/Dorell/Thad.
Both line-ups are a stretch, so let's look at a possible depth chart.
C: Hawes/Vucevic/Moultrie
PF: Thad Young/Lavoy/Moultrie
SF: Iguodala/Wright/Harkless
SG: Turner/Young
PG: Holiday/Turner
That depth chart actually captures 11 players! I do think that the idea is to have ET play backup point guard. I think that Young may even start (or Wright) playing the former Meeks role.
With no changes, the starters could be Hawes/Thad or Moultrie/Ig/Young/Jrue leaving a bench of Vucevic/Thad or Moultrie/Wright/Harkless/ET. That's a pretty sick bench. I put Moultrie in as a starter because he can rebound. The starters with Ig, Young, Jrue, Moultrie, and Hawes are actually pretty dynamic and including shooting, slashing, D, and rebounding. The second unit with ET/Harkless/Wright/Thad/Vucevic/Lavoy would probably beat any other NBA team's second unit.
The issues I see foremost are with the frontcourt. Lavoy and Vucevic are decent backups. Hawes is fine but unless he improves a lot he's a marginally good starting center. There is no real PF. I'm assuming a rookie (Moultrie) will start at PF because I think Thad and Spencer as starters would be way too undersized and would lack rebounding. Brand would've helped but he doesn't move the dial that much. Would trading Ig for a good PF help? Someone like Millsap might. There are two angles here: either Moultrie/Lavoy/Vuc/Hawes improve or they bring someone in. They can bring someone in next year with cap space (when Young and Wright's deals expire) or trade Iguodala.
If you trade Ig for a PF, the lineups do look cleaner. Let's say, the Sixers trade Ig for Paul Millsap or Pau Gasol.
Then you've got:
C Hawes; PF Gasol/Millsap; SF Wright; SG Tuner; PG Holiday still with a good bench of: Nick Young, Thad Young, Lavoy, Harkless, and Vucevic.
I think I just convinced myself to trade Iguodala. Ha ha.
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