The NBA Draft takes place tonight and with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, everyone is expecting the Sixers to draft Ohio State SG 6’7″ Evan Turner. If the Sixers don’t draft Evan Turner, it would be considered a slap in the face to Sixers fans.

According to the Bleacher Report, this draft pick is a no-brainer and I would have to agree with them. Shooting guard is definitely area of need for the Sixers and the addition of Evan Turner could shape the Sixers team for years to come.

After adding PG Jrue Holiday with last year’s 17th pick, PF/C Marreese Speights with the 16th pick in 2008, and SF/PF Thaddeus Young with the 12th pick in 2007, a legitimate SG is the one position missing from a solid group of young stars.

A starting 5 of Marreese Speights, Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, and Jrue Holiday with Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams getting serious minutes off the bench could surely return to the Sixers to the playoffs next season with a 7th or 8th seed and the future will be looking bright for these young Sixers.

Let’s take a look at Evan Turner:

What’s up my peeps.  I’m sorry for not updating the site in a very long time, but I’ve had to deal with moving and starting a new job, so I needed to take a slight break from the action.  Not much has happened recently.  This is the dull part of year when we’re waiting in limbo while the Phillies fight through mid-season and we prepare for Eagles training camp.  We will get back into full swing once the Eagles start training camp.  In the meantime, I just wanted to catch up on some stories.

First order of business is taking a look at the Sixers 2009 draft pick, Jrue Holiday.  Going into the 2009 NBA Draft, we knew the Sixers were coveting a point guard.  Some thought that Ty Lawson would be the pick.  Jrue Holiday was also on the radar.  The consensus seems to be that Jrue was a steal at #17 for the Sixers and it was Lawson who was then drafted at #18.

Let’s take a look at the highlight video:

And then the strength and weaknesses via NBADraft.net:

Strengths: Long and wiry combo guard … A crafty ballhandler that knows how to get defenders off balance with the dribble … Has a good repertoire of moves and mixes them up well to keep the defense guessing … He has a deceptive 1st step and shifty quickness making him difficult to contain on the perimeter … Is adept using both hands, either when attacking or finishing … Uses his body as well as his length to finish around the basket … Utilizes a variety of floaters and runners in the lane … Likes to pull up from the midrange where he shoots with balance and good rhythm … Shows good speed in the open court and the ability to manoeuvre through traffic with the dribble while going full speed … Puts in a good effort defensively, where he enjoys being aggressive and pressuring ballhandlers … Has good hands, anticipates well and uses his wingspan to get many deflections … He is unselfish and possesses good court vision and has shown glimpses of being able to run a team full time …

Weaknesses: Had a very disappointing season in terms of the hype he had coming in from highschool … Played out of position for the majority of the season, and struggled finding his comfort zone … Battled inconsistency with his shot all year and it threw the rest of his offensive game off balance … Defenses showed very little respect for his outside shot, daring him to shoot and taking away his driving lanes … His form is a big issue as it throws his stroke off and makes his release inconsistent … He shoots off the side of his head with the shooting elbow way out, as a result his shot is all over the place …He does not have the superb athleticism or strength like many other combo guards … Tends to waste dribbles on the perimeter, killing the flow of the offense because he can be a ball stopper at times … Gets into trouble by over penetrating and then trying to make the spectacular play while in traffic and under pressure … Settles for contested jumpshots from outside and takes a lot of fading and offbalance attempts inside … Leaves his feet to make passes and gets caught with no options … Is stuck between positions because he has not proven that he can be a consistent scorer or that his decision making will translate to the next level …

I see good things in the future for the Sixers with the young trio of Jrue Holiday, Marreese Speights, and Thaddeus Young.  I like the pick and so does Bleacher Report:

Holiday is a much better prospect than a player like Ty Lawson or an Eric Maynor player. Even with Andre Miller gone, Holiday probably won’t start immediately since he has a ton of upside and must be brought up slowly, which is the only downside to this pick. But I can’t express how much I love this pick.

The former McDonald’s All American, was the best player at number seventeen. He has the largest upside of anybody in the draft. As much as people liked Lawson, he is what he is, he has reached his ceiling. At 19-years old he hasn’t even shown us what he can do. Maynor is 22-years-old, and has also reached his ceiling.

Based on potential and upside of a player, the Sixers get a consensus lottery pick at number seventeen.

Thaddeus Young put up a career-high 29 points as the Sixers beat the Raptors, 115-106.  Here are the highlights:

Here we go again Sixers fans, the horrible trend continues.  In an infuriating Billy Kingesque manner, the 76ers management has once again overpaid a non-deserving player and as a result set themselves up for future financial troubles.  League sources told ESPN late last night that the 76ers had “agreed to terms” with restricted free agent Andre Iguodala to, in my mind, a ridiculous 6 year deal worth an even more ridiculous $80mil.  I had thought for all intensive purposes, that Billy King had been fired and thrown out of Philadelphia (and the tri-state area for that matter) last December after making a plethora of bonehead decisions that undoubtingly screwed this franchise.  These decisions included, but are not limited to, signing such un-phenomenal non-superstars such as Kenny “K9” Thomas and Brian “The Winner” Skinner to long-term lucrative contracts as well as trading away our beloved franchise player, “The Answer” Allen Iverson (I’m still very salty on this one…I hate you Billy King!)

When Ed Stefanski took King’s throne as the 76ers president and general manager, we as Sixers fans rejoiced since there was a new face at the helms of basketball operations in Philadelphia.  What I’ve seen with this restructuring of Andre Iguodala’s contract, however, is much of the same antics that have ruined our team since the glorious 2001 NBA Finals run.  Let me preface the next portion of my rant by saying that I love watching Andre Iguodala in a 76ers uniform and playing ball.  In each of his first four seasons as a Sixer this young, exciting, and athletic 6’6 forward out of Arizona has not only graced the courts of the NBA with his myriad of high flying spectacular dunks, but has also improved his scoring average annually.  The Sixers therefore did have a responsibility to compensate Iggy, but I don’t think that $80mil over 6 years was justified.  It is my opinion that Andre Iguodala is in no shape or form a $15mil per year player.  This opinion can be proven in one statement.  It goes like this…The guy cannot shoot, at all!  This was very evident in the first round of last year’s NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons.  Iguodala shot a dismal 33% from the field and embarrassingly turned the ball over more than four times a game.  A $15mil per year player in this league does not and cannot perform in this fashion.  Some of you may be thinking, “But Jay, he was being guarded by Tayshaun Prince”.  That rebuttal, which many of you think is smart and witty, is not smart and witty and I completely discard it.  Look, Tayshaun Prince does play for an Eastern Conference team we play many times a season and is a great defender, but so are many other players in the NBA (i.e. Bruce Bowen, Chris Paul, Raja Bell, Ron Artest, etc.).  By paying Andre Iguodala more money he isn’t going to miraculously transform him into an offensive juggernaut.  If you are a realistic Sixers fan, you can come to grips with the fact that Iggy is nothing more than a great above the rim player in this league.  In the long run, being that type of player does not, and will not win you the big games.  Therefore in essence, I believe that that Stefanski and the Sixers paid Andre Iguodala, seemingly to just dunk the basketball a couple times a year, $3-5mil more than what I would have categorized as sufficient and justified.

The last thing I want to do is come across as a “hater” on Andre Iguodala and/or Sixers Management. In fact, I am so stoked and elated that Stefanski and the front office were able to land a big time name like Elton Brand here in Philadelphia.  I am simply “hating” on the way that the Sixers do business with disgruntled players; they cave and they pay.  As a result of overpaying this year, and in years past the Sixers are sure to find themselves in financial problems in the coming years.  The 76ers current roster is full of young players with great potential.  Louis Williams (who recently got a deal) and Thaddeus Young are the core of these emerging stars not only on this team, but in the NBA itself.  My question to you fans who think I’m making too much of all this is, what happens theoretically when these young guys on our roster play exceptionally well in the next season or two and thereby demand big(ger) money to remain with the team the following season?  The answer is simple.  They won’t remain with the team and opt out of their contracts, since we overpaid players such as Andre Iguodala too graciously in the years past.  This my friends is a crying shame for a team destined for success in the Eastern Conference for years to come and as a loyal, die-hard Sixers fan it sickens me.

– Jay Vaidya

After first hearing about the Elton Brand signing, I was thrilled, but was a also little disappointed that the Sixers didn’t opt for Josh Smith instead.  I thought Smith’s youth and speed would be a better fit for Philadelphia’s style of basketball.  However, the acquisition of Brand was definitely the better move.

First, Josh Smith wasn’t a guarantee because he was a restricted free agent, so going after Smith instead of Brand would be a huge gamble.  Second, Brand gives the team a leadership figure that the other forwards (Thaddeous Young, Jason Smith, Marreese Speights) can learn from.  Third, Brand will help the team’s half-court offense more than Smith could have, which was something that really hurt the Sixers in the Detroit series.  Fourth, Brand and Dalembert will get more blocks and rebounds than Dalembert and Smith would have.  Sixth, Brand’s command for double teams will give Dalembert more opportunities to score.  My only concern: I just hope that Brand isn’t another Chris Webber.

This Philadelphia Inquirer article notes how thrilled the young Sixers are to have Elton Brand. The article also mentions that the 76ers played their first NBA Summer League game and the 76ers young rookie Marreese Speights impressed: 23 points, 13 rebounds.  Thaddeus Young also had a solid game: 27 points, 6 rebounds.  Jason Smith had 11 points and 9 rebounds.  However, the Sixers lost to Golden State 96-89.

As a Sixers fan, you can’t help but love the way the 76ers roster looks on paper: (1) Andre Miller, (2) Andre Iguodala, (3) Thaddeus Young, (4) Elton Brand, (5) Samuel Dalembert.  That has the look of a truly complete team.  And don’t forget the talented young reserves such as Louis Williams and Jason Smith who are both developing well.

It seems that the Sixers are only a sharpshooter away from being considered a top 3 team in the East and one that can seriously challenge Boston and Detroit.  Hopefully, the Brand acquisition will attract one of those Eastern European dudes who are just so good at shooting the 3.

Here are some interesting quotes from NBA journalists.  These come via the Philadelphia Inquirer:
ESPN.com’s John Hollinger says the Sixers are instant challengers in the East, and uses his mathematical formula to project 52 wins for them next season:

Are the Philadelphia 76ers, as presently constituted, good enough to win the East in the 2008-09 season? Doubtful.

But are the Sixers good enough to win a playoff series or two and scare the bejeezus out of Detroit and Boston? You bet. And if they add a shooter and get another year of growth from all their young studs, will they be in position to win the conference in 2010? Absolutely.

SI.com’s Ian Thomsen says Brand is a better fit for the Sixers than Josh Smith:

One alternative to signing Brand was for the Sixers to make an offer big and front-loaded enough to pry restricted free agent Josh Smith away from Atlanta. But imagine starting a new era with Smith and Iguodala as your max players. Smith, 22, hasn’t established the self-discipline to manage the responsibility of being the highest-paid player in a market like Philadelphia. And whatever salary Smith might have received from the 76ers would have served as a new threshold for Iguodala, who would have demanded even more as a restricted free agent.
Henry Abbott of ESPN.com blog TrueHoop praises Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski and says his next move could be to add an outside shooter:

What’s more, the team clearly needs to add some reliable outside shooting, and Brand could be a free-agent magnet. (Remember last month when he did that for the Clippers?) Some free agents really want to win. With Brand, Philadelphia might be in the running for people who have other options.

That would be the icing on the “Welcome Back to Relevancy” cake they should be serving this morning at Sixers headquarters.

Charley Rosen of FoxSports.com gives the Sixers an A+ for the addition of Brand:

Coupled with his ever-improving mid-range shooting, Brand is simply one of the most dynamic scorers in the league. If he’s neither a superb passer nor (despite his penchant for blocking shots) a defensive ace, Brand figures to transform the Sixers into a legitimate challenger to Boston’s supremacy.

Here is the full article.

Elton Brand to Philly?  We all know the Sixers are two pieces away from being considered a legitimate playoff contender.  First, they need a low-post presence who can score and rebound.  Elton Brand, if healthy, would certainly be a great fit.  Second, the Sixers need a sharpshooter on the outside, which Stefanski thinks he can pick up in the draft.  Just look at how much Turkoglu helped the Magic and Stojakovic helped the Hornets.  The core of young players are there: Iguodala, Dalembert, Louis Williams, and Thaddeus Young all have bright futures in Philly.  With Brand in the mix, the Sixers will make a lot of noise next season.

Here is what Depressed Fan has to add:

ESPN 950 interviewed Elton Brand today and gave him the hard sell on coming to Philly to play for the Sixers. Click here to listen, sounds like he’d like to come to the Sixers and play with Andre Miller and Co.

Brand has two weeks to decide if he will opt out of his deal, and he talked about the talented young core in Philly, the fact that the Sixers are one of the few teams under the cap and how he’s in the process of weighing all of his options.

Josh Smith. His name has come up in Sixers rumblings for weeks, but I never thought the Sixers had a real possibility of acquiring him for the simple fact that Hawks’ management can’t be dumb enough to let him go. Josh Smith as a Sixer next season may be a possibility.  It all depends on whether the Hawks want to be cheap this offseason or not.  Also keep in mind, the Hawks have Al Horford waiting in the wings at PF.

Smith is set to become a restricted free agent, which gives Atlanta the right to match any offer by another team.  The 22-year-old is having a ridiculous season: 18.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 3.3 BPG.  And he likes to beat up on the Sixers too: last night against the Sixers, Smith had 19 points, 9 blocks, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals — seriously, that’s his real stat line.

If the Sixers are able to sign both Smith and Iguodala in the offseason, they suddenly become a playoff team in 2008-2009 season.  Imagine this lineup next season:

1.) Center – Samuel Dalembert – 11.3 PPG / 10.1 RPG /2.4 BPG
2.) Power Forward – Josh Smith – 18.1 PPG / 8.0 RPB / 3.7 APG / 3.3 BPG
3.) Shooting Forward – Thaddeus Young – 9.2 PPG / 4.9 RPG / 1.6 APG *
4.) Shooting Guard – Andre Iguodala – 19.2 PPG / 5.6 RPG / 4.5 APG / 2.2 SPG
5.) Point Guard – Andre Miller – 16.6 PPG / 3.9 RPG / 6.2 APG / 1.1 SPG

* Stats from his previous 10 games.

That’s a formidable 5th or 6th seed team in the East next season. With three of their top players under the age of 23, their future will suddenly look bright.

If the Sixers could swing a deal with the Hawks for Josh Smith, it will certainly be worth it to trade Andre Miller to make it happen.

Thaddeus Young’s minutes have been increasing lately and he he has played quite well.  In his last 5 games, Young has averaged 21.8 minutes, 10.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.4 SPG.  Young has mostly been used to play defense and rebound, but now Cheeks and the rest team are encouraging him to take more shots.  Here is what Cheeks had to say about the play of Thaddeus Young:

He rebounds, he scores, he opportunity scores.  We don’t really run a lot of plays for him, and he doesn’t know a lot of things. Just the way he plays keeps him on the court.  Progress  comes incrementally.  I looked [at film of] a play in Denver where somebody ran at him.  He pump-faked [allowing the defender to run past him], stepped inside, then stepped back and shot a three. Before, he wouldn’t have done that.

Hang Tight Sixers Fans; Bright Future Ahead [Passion and Pride - MVN]