| A Fond Farewell - Thursday, May 01, 2008
485 Views :: 1 Comments ::  :: Michael Bradley I took a lot of heat yesterday while filling in for Jody Mac about my stance that while the Sixers were a fun and exciting team to watch this season (once they shook off that 18-30 start), they have a long way to go before they can consider themselves a real contender in the Eastern Conference, much less a team capable of tangling successfully with the West's best. People got on me for hating the Sixers (which I don't), for being so negative about them (I'm not) and for wishing them ill (again, way off). My stance on the team is the same that it has been since the beginning of the season: It's nice to make strides toward respectability -- and let's be honest, finishing 40-42 is nothing more than that -- and win a couple playoff games, but title contenders in the NBA do it with top-shelf players, not young teams that grow together and then win it all. Unless you can draft standouts or sign/trade for a big-name player, you don't have a chance. This Sixers team is good, and it will get better. It will not, however, contend for anything serious without a major influx of talent. There's a chance the 16th pick in the draft could bring a starter, since over the past 15 years, Hedo Turkoglu and Ron Artest have come into the league from that postion. (The rest of the picks from that spot have been shaky, at best.) And, since the Sixers are $10 million under the cap, there's the chance they can land a free agent who will help -- although this year's crop is slim. The Sixers have some options, and GM Ed Stefanski is the man to make something happen. The need to improve is what this is all about. The Sixers need a bona fide two man, because Willie Green and Lou Williams aren't NBA-caliber starters, at least not on top-shelf teams. They must find someone inside to score and preferably another banger. It's impossible not to love Reggie Evans, but he's a rotation player. And Samuel Dalembert is a mercurial interior presence who'll never command a double-team in the post. And don't forget the point guard spot. Andre Miller is back next year, but he's making noises that he wants to go out west when his contract is up next spring. Oh, and about that big-time contract extension for Andre Iguodala? Save the money and let Thaddeus Young take his spot in the starting lineup. A.I. isn't worth $12-14 million per. In other words, the Sixers need help. This is a good foundation, but believing that the current group can grow into a contender is silly stuff. Don't be angry. Be realistic. Bid a fond farewell to the Sixers tonight, but understand that a .500 record and first-round playoff exit are hardly gurantees of future success. This year was a first step. Of a long journey. |
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