Revisionist History and the Sixers

The Story the Miami SuperTeam would like you to believe:

Wade, LeBron and Bosh played on crappy teams for years. They gave their cities all they had and then some. But their GMs sucked and their teammates were mediocre. After trying to make it happen "on their own," they decided to do it TOGETHER.

The Real Deal:

Wade won the championship in 2006 with Shaquille O'Neal and a bunch of mercenaries (Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey). He then got injured and the Heat traded Shaq for Shawn Marion and Marion for Jermaine O'Neal. After playing with LeBron and Bosh in the summer of 2008, Wade told Pat Riley to "clear the decks" so that the three could join together in Miami. A late-season 2009-10 story that Wade was "frustrated" with his teammates was a smokescreen.

Bosh "toiled" in Toronto by not winning anything though he had an okay supporting cast. Bryan Colangelo failed him miserably by choosing to create a weak Euro-style squad around him that could not play defense. Though Bosh was leaving Toronto (for warm weather, he's from the Southeast) no matter what.

LeBron had the best team in the East. Fine, without him they would not be great, but the Lakers wouldn't be great without Kobe, the Magic wouldn't be great without Dwight, etc. In 2007, they got swept by the Spurs but things were promising. In 2008, the Cavs lost to the new-look "Big Three" Celtics who were en route to winning it all. In 2009, they went down to the Magic who were en route to winning it the East. In 2010, after valiant efforts the previous two years, an injured and/or not-so-interested LeBron went down to Boston who was en route to winning the East. His teammates may not have been stellar, but LeBron DID have a strong supporting cast and seemed to enjoy himself in Cleveland. It's curious then to think why he bolted the best team in the East to form a new best team and why he seemed resigned to losing versus Boston in the playoffs.

The Sixers:

Notes-

• Should we have taken a big man? How many opportunities come up to take one high in the draft? Cousins and Favors are both clearly skilled. Neither is Olowakandi or Hasheem Thabeet. So why pass on them when there's no other clear way to get someone that big and that good????
• Will Evan Turner be the SCORER we need or just another greatly skilled swingman who passes it around a la Iguodala, etc.
• The Sixers are clearly NOT a free agent destination, so we have to build through the draft and trades. No other way to do it. No reason to hoard cap room in the hopes that someone will want to join this squad in Philly. Our only FAs ever have been overpayed, injured big men. Probably won't change.
• I think Ed Stefanski is paralyzed. The team won a shade over 25 games last year and he's doing nothing. Typical additions of washed-up "name recognition" guys (Noc, Battie) and promise that "the young guys" will improve. What's the vision here? I think there is none. Just waiting out the years until Elton Brand's deal expires a la every other injured big man this team has seen in my lifetime.